Posted on: April 13, 2022, 12:04h.
Last updated on: April 13, 2022, 10:10h.
The 2022 Global Gaming Expo Asia — better known as G2E Asia — is a go after all. But not at its typical host venue in Macau.
After repeated postponements because of Macau adhering to China’s “zero COVID” policy that continues to prohibit foreigners from entry into the world’s richest gaming region — at least prior to the pandemic — G2E Asia organizers are taking the show to Singapore.
Las Vegas Sands has enjoyed the annual honors of hosting both G2E in Las Vegas at the Sands Expo — which the company has since sold — and G2E Asia at its Venetian Macau integrated resort on the Cotai Strip.
With Macau remaining closed to foreigners for the foreseeable future, G2E Asia is moving to another Sands-owned property by way of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. G2E Asia is organized by Reed Exhibitions and the American Gaming Association (AGA).
G2E Asia is set for August 24-26 at Marina Bay Sands. Reed Exhibitions says G2E Asia being hosted in Singapore will be a one-time affair. The show will officially be called “G2E Asia Special Edition: Singapore.”
G2E Asia is the premier international gaming exhibition and conference focused on Asian gaming industries and markets. Singapore is about 1,500 air miles south of Macau.
Show Must Go On
G2E Asia made its debut in 2007. It’s been hosted in Macau each year since until COVID-19 struck. The annual in-person show was called off in both 2020 and 2021, though special hybrid online exhibitions and webinars were held.
Reed Exhibitions and the AGA are ready to get G2E Asia back to an in-person event, and aren’t waiting on China and Macau to loosen their borders.
The iconic integrated resort’s (IR) three towers are connected by a more than 1,100-foot-long skyway that features the world’s most recognizable infinity pool. Built at a cost of nearly $7 billion, Marina Bay Sands opened in April of 2010. The property is considered the gold standard of the global IR industry. Marina Bay Sands was also the world’s richest casino prior to the pandemic in terms of annual gross gaming revenue.
The Bayfront destination has plenty of convention space, too. Sands’ late billionaire founder, Sheldon Adelson, built his casino resorts with conventions in mind first, and that held true in Singapore.
Marina Bay Sands’ Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Events (MICE) facilities includes approximately 1.3 million square feet of customizable event space.
Singapore Ends COVID-19 Restrictions
G2E Asia’s last gathering came in May of 2019. The 2020 event was originally planned for May, then July, and then December. Organizers finally called off the 2020 show in August of that year.
The 2021 G2E Asia show was originally slated for May, but COVID again interfered. The 2021 conference was postponed until August, then to November, and then finally called off.
The 2022 show skipped May and set a goal of August 2022 in Macau. But with China amid another COVID-19 outbreak, G2E Asia is folding on Macau and moving to Singapore.
This time is different, however, as the odds are good that the show will actually go off. Singapore recently lifted nearly all of its coronavirus protocols, the lone exception being that visitors must present a negative COVID-19 test conducted within the past 48 hours.