With reference to important global themes, G2E started their conference daring to ask the politicians and businesspeople about industry representation in Brussels, for instance, where European interests are bereft of support; about Macau being a great opportunity for business or maybe a high risk area; whether the gaming industry is reaching its peak of growth; or if the Europeans will accept the American business model in the UK after deregulation.

The experts discussed these themes starting with the proposed American advance in timid Albion. A panel of top gaming professionals chaired by David Marshall, Gaming Director of Accor Casinos in France, offered ideas and theories somewhat cautiously, owing to the fact that the British legislation is still inconclusive.

G2E is also presenting an extensive array of international products with global perspective for the principals in the industry. The programme of conferences, more extensive than ever, has 13 international sessions with 19 speakers from countries such as Australia, Austria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Russia, South Africa and UK, amongst others. The themes cover subjects as widely diverse as money laundering, emerging markets and European Union policies.

President and Executive Director of American Gaming Association (AGA), Frank J Fahrenkopf Jr. stated: "With the globalization of our industry we recognize the need to place more emphasis on widespread exchange of information." He added, "G2E is helping us to develop our industry by allowing us to share our knowledge of developing projects around the world and, at the same time, to discuss common problems that occur."

Going further, he pointed out that the conferences gave the delegates the chance to understand, through the experiences of some of the best international executives, the complexities presented by the different markets in the world and how projects could be successfully finalized.

With this concept G2E has designed sessions called the Signature Series with a trio of high-level round table discussions with in-depth argument on subjects that impact the gaming industry such as 'International Challenges and Opportunities: How to explore the possibilities'. Frank McFadden, Executive Director of Casinos Austria International, conducts a session on the problems of the industry outside the United States and how to combat them. The panelists are Peter Bacon, Executive Director of South Africa's Sun International; Ales Husak, President and Managing Director of SAZKA a.s.; Amin Kart, President of the Board of Directors of Olympic Casino Group; Antonio Martinez Segui, Vice President of LatinAmerican Gaming Association; and Edmund Ho from The Stanley Ho Organization of Asia.

IGT's International Division President, Paulus Karstens, presents a global perspective at the main session of the show, conducted by CNN star Larry King, along with other industry experts. Karstens' experiences in sales, customer service and manufacturing gives the delegates the opportunity to widen their knowledge of the challenges they could meet from Asia to South America, and from Africa to Europe.

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