How did the show develop?

With great joy and satisfaction for the visitors, and specifically for the regulators, taking into account that this is the first fair attended by the recently appointed president of Coljuegos, Roger Carrillo Campo, together with his work team. We have been able to positively impact the regulator, and the trade unions have had a fantastic support by holding their assemblies within the framework of the fair. 

With the GAT team we have done a great job in calling and we are very proud to see this edition full of executives and commercial representatives from 42 countries, full of stands, and everyone doing networking work.

What are the novelties and the highlights in this edition GAT Expo 2023?

Colombia is characterized by having the major brands in the industry exhibiting their products and novelties. This year we see larger stands than last year's edition. The main brands have been betting on this GAT Expo, within the Latin American market. Casino fairs are not very common in this region. 

In this edition we are bringing the new generations of players from online platforms, for poker tournaments, B2C events, eSports tournaments; in addition to traditional gaming suppliers and operators. Everything related to online gaming gives an added value to the event so that the industry can see what the new generations of gamblers are. 

I believe that with our call we have achieved a mix of traditional and online operators and suppliers, and new bettors.

What was the feedback from the public?

We have indeed exceeded all expectations. What really happened the first day was an expansion that exploded. With almost 600 people wanting to enter at the same time, in the first day we have approached the 2 thousand participants of the event.

What was the program on the last day of the Expo event? 

So far we had very productive results in sales, especially from the manufacturers of casino machines. The stands are very well produced, there are new products from Novomatic, IGT, and they are choosing this GAT Expo to make their products launches in Latin America. Another novelty is that we have had many visits from new Latin American operators, Chilean, Paraguayan, among others. We see that the expo is adding visiting operators that we need, to get out of the Colombian scene and project it more in Latin America. This is what we have been looking for by coming to a city like Cartagena de Indias. 

Has the change of place benefited this edition? 

Yes, it certainly did!. The place is really a very professional venue that offers the possibility of having all the companies in the same place. It is very pleasant and comforting, after a pandemic, to have returned to the level of a face-to-face fair with thousands of  visitors, suppliers and gaming operators from 42 countries, international leaders of the industry, a real success, which, I repeat, exceeded our expectations.

Gat Expo Cartagena: when will it be held in 2024?

April 10 and 11, 2024. Two weeks after Easter we return to this venue where there are still many possibilities for growth. We have been noticing that the industry has been growing by 20 percent in every sense, both in the online area and in land-based gaming, which is returning to its pre-pandemic levels. For all these reasons, we hope that the fair can also grow next year. 

Tell me about the steps you are taking for this year.

This year we are focused on strengthening our events in Cartagena, Punta Cana and Bogota. GAT Expo is a brand that was quickly positioned thanks to the work we did in pandemic with our strategic allies in virtual fairs. We did a brand positioning that helped us so that when the presence of the brand returned, it would be there. People would accept it and recognize it. And we will continue working to strengthen GAT Expo. 

We also added the agenda of conferences, such as next-generation games, skill games, eSports, the metaverse; all topics that are in trend, and that make the business continue to grow. 

Can you tell us more about GAT Punta Cana?

GAT Caribe takes place on June 1 and 2 at the Westin Hotel in Punta Cana. We are expecting the first Beach Party in the industry. It will be a 6-hour networking on the beach, with DJs representing Dominican music. There is a very important interest from the Dominican industry in positioning this event. This is our third year and we hope it will be better than the previous edition). 

On June 1st will be the beach party. 

On June 2 will be the exhibition with a workshop with a training aimed at lotteries because it is the category that is missing to complete the full offer that the Dominican Republic provides to its visitors. 

GAT EXPO closes the year in Bogota

We close the year in Bogota with GAT showcase as a very productive format for operators, especially adjusted to make big business in a short time.   

It will be held on September 7, at the Sheraton Bogotá Hotel. GAT Showcase is an event aimed at the land based gaming market, since Bogota is the capital city where the main operators are located. Therefore, this 8-hour exclusive format for doing business is ideal for local and international entrepreneurs and business executives in the industry.