This issue of Casino Enterprise Management marks the first month it has been designated as the “Official Publication” of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). So what does that mean, how did such a deal get done and why should you care? All good questions.
Taking a step back for those of you who may not be familiar with AGEM, I serve as the executive director of a nonprofit trade organization representing suppliers to the global gaming industry. Our mission statement is as follows: “The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers is an international trade association representing manufacturers of electronic gaming devices, systems and components for the gaming industry. The Association, as a good corporate citizen, identifies and acts upon issues relating to education, trade show representation, regulation, manufacturing and licensing standards, and promotes the expansion of responsible gaming for the benefit of its members and the industry.”
AGEM was established in 2000 when a few of the big slot machine companies banded together to address an issue that had the potential of reaching the Nevada Legislature. Since then, the organization has grown steadily. Over the past 12 months, AGEM has taken a big leap forward, more than doubling its membership to more than 70 companies, including a strong influx of international representation from companies based in Austria, Bulgaria, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
To capitalize on building a higher profile, AGEM began a review of its existing relationship with Casino Journal magazine as the organization’s “Official Publication.” Now, before I get into the particulars of that, it’s important to provide a little more background. For starters, I have always been a print media junkie, starting really when I was about 10 years old. I began writing for my high school newspaper, the mighty Bruin News, when I was a sophomore and then worked for the local daily newspaper during high school before heading off to college with an eye on a journalism degree. At the University of Oregon, a job at the campus newspaper, the Oregon Daily Emerald, turned into a position with the Eugene daily, The Register-Guard. From Eugene, it was off to Casper, Wyo., of all places, where I spent six years as an editor and columnist of the statewide newspaper, the Casper Star-Tribune, which hit doorsteps from Jackson Hole, Wyo., to Cheyenne, Wyo. When I finally came to my senses and realized there was more excitement (and salary) in the gaming industry, I made the switch, some 16 years ago now. But I never lost my passion for the daily newspaper in the driveway, the USA Today on the street corner, a London tabloid in a pub or the International Herald Tribune on an airplane somewhere far away from home.
When I dove into the gaming industry, first with Ameristar Casinos on the operator side, and prior to AGEM as the head of marketing at Bally Technologies on the supplier side, I soaked up all of the information in the various trade magazines. I remember seeing International Gaming & Wagering Business (IGWB) at airport newsstands and bookstores, right alongside other industry “bibles” such as Advertising Age and Billboard. Now, here it is, the spring of 2009 and IGWB has folded, sadly a victim of a tough economic climate and one too many corporate buyouts.
IGWB’s demise aside, the trade magazine world in gaming has remained fairly steady and stable, both here in the U.S. and in the U.K., where the most prominent “international” magazines are based. While the editors and advertising sales teams like to take gentle jabs at their competition, it is a subset of our industry where everyone generally gets along. It’s safe to say the various rivalries don’t compare to the fisticuffs between British reporters during the heyday of Fleet Street.
I do know our industry probably has more trade publications than just about any comparatively sized industry. Some would say we have too many. When it comes to IGWB, the free market clearly said we have too many. My offices through the years have always included heaping piles of trade magazines that dated back at least a couple of months because they stacked up as I struggled to find time to even quickly thumb through them.
Despite the sheer volume of competition, CEM Publisher Peter Mead jumped into the fray in 2002. Through a unique approach that has appealed to both readers and advertisers, Peter has proven the skeptics wrong and separated this magazine from the clutter of a crowded landscape. And so when AGEM decided to revisit its “Official Publication” arrangement with Casino Journal, the nine-member AGEM Marketing Committee made CEM the overwhelming choice to partner with going forward. The partnership calls for AGEM members to receive advertising discounts, a variety of editorial opportunities, including a cover story in the annual Global Gaming Expo (G2E) issue, involvement at CEM-produced events and other incentives and opportunities.
And so, coming back to the beginning, why should you care? Well, AGEM is the leading trade organization representing global gaming suppliers, including all of the leading slot machine companies, and so our members help drive the overall industry forward. As we all fight our way out of this economic mess, AGEM members will make a difference throughout the industry all around the world. To stay informed of AGEM-related activity, CEM is the new place to be. And to keep reading the gaming trade magazine that has the most life to it, keep any eye out for Casino Enterprise Management every month.
Marcus Prater is Executive Director of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). He may be reached by e-mail at AGEM.org@cox.net or by phone at (702) 812-6932. The association’s website is www.AGEM.org.
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