G2E Asia has confirmed the relocation of its 2022 event, which will move from its traditional home of Macau to Singapore, and will be known as “G2E Asia Special Edition: Singapore”.
It was revealed by organizers Reed Exhibitions and the American Gaming Association (AGA) that the event will take place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on August 24-26, 2022, replacing the previously announced trade event scheduled for August 30 – September 1 at The Venetian Macao, another Sands property.
The news is the latest in a number of scheduling changes for G2E Asia, which was twice postponed in 2020, first from May to July and again to December, before being cancelled altogether. In 2021, the show had a new rescheduling opportunity for May 2021, but then was moved to August and then to November. It was finally postponed and rescheduled for August 2022. Prior to COVID-19, G2E Asia had been held annually since 2007. The show has not been held since pre-pandemic May 2019.
The decision to relocate is also linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the authorities in the sovereign state dropped almost all restrictions on fully vaccinated international arrivals, which would allow visitors to only provide a negative PCR test prior to departure.
Show exhibitors based in Macau will face a number of challenges to attend the showcase as they will include logistical issues due to the change in location and, upon returning to Macau, they will face a 14-day quarantine following by seven day of “self-health management”, provided the measure is still mandatory by then.
This could mean a smaller-than-ususal showcase, as was also the case for the first post-pandemic G2E Las Vegas show, and is also the csae for the first post-pandemic installment of the ICE London, to be held April 12-14.