José Aníbal Aguirre tells us why he believes this was the best edition of GAT

José Aníbal Aguirre, the CEO of Gaming & Technology Expo tells us his assessment of this new edition of the event held at the Las Américas Convention Center, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, which is very positive. In fact, Aguirre highlights that “What I consider most relevant about the twenty-fifth edition of GAT expo is the call that each of its contents had. Since them we exceed last year's numbers. This is how we were able to have great attendance at an academy that enriched us all because there really was Latin American content in four countries and there was news such as the Latin American commission, the summit of associations, the invitation from the Paraguayan regulator to seven licenses for casinos. We had a lot of news, it was not only an informative academy but also news and that was really what caught our attention”

Furthermore, José Anibal Aguirre stressed “the interest of people in listening to all the conferences until the last minute. Normally the academies are almost empty at five in the afternoon and there were 200 or more people here at that time, that is a sign that the topics were interesting from beginning to end”

On the other hand, another point that stood out from this edition of GAT was the party that was marked by the Colombian imprint. In Aguirre's own words, “The Colombian festival had a large turnout and great joy from the visiting public with that Colombian folklore and culture that seems to have been perfect. That sets a path for us to continue in future editions in which we can present cultures other than the coastal one.”

According to Aguirre's vision, for this GAT to have been so special, the union of different areas of the gaming industry was key. This is how he tells us that “To celebrate 25 years we managed to unite all sectors: Colombian lotteries, sports betting, live casino, transactional” he lists and deepens “The quality of the visitors is another thing to highlight, you don't find people that has nothing to do with the sector or does not have a specific interest in the business. All the people who have come have an executive or business level and are obviously betting on legal gambling. “This makes the results highly positive.”

He also adds that “What we saw was also very important in relation to the synergy between the gaming and esports sectors, which results in this industry thinking about sponsoring the regulation of esports, the academy to be able to achieve the professionalization necessary for all the investments of these young people to have a future and faster growth with the support of this industry. Winning sponsorship for esports is a winning result."

"What pleases me most is that we ended up talking not only about betting but about the growth of the sector and the support for a sector that finally needed a boost to be able to formalize itself and that was raised and that is how we have been seeing year after year how this community feels every most comfortable day in this setting”

 When asked about the feedback he received from the exhibitors at each stand, Aguirre did not hesitate to show his satisfaction and highlights that “Despite the difficulties that can be experienced in administrative matters at ColJuegos, the interest has been evident and sales have been made. at the stands despite the uncertainty in the regulatory issue. But the most important thing to mention is the good vibes of very happy people. The rest of the fairs in the world are very stuffy and limited to business.”

Finally, the CEO of GAT leaves some advice on how to be successful in organizing these important events. “The point is to be authentic, cordial, kind,” he lists and elaborates, “always being willing to respond to any criticism or requirement in a very constructive manner and we apply those recommendations year after year. When people come back the next year and see that you did what they recommended, they feel very good.”