BLOCK Issue 4

“ In the long run
this is definitely
a period of
opportunity for
the industry
- including
new start-ups,
product lines
and service
offerings ”
Besides, we also had to take some quick
and tough decisions in reducing our
headcount in some departments. Letting
people go, especially valid team players is
never easy. Yet, I believe that if done with
full respect, honesty and dignity, it makes
it slightly easier to handle for the employee.
Post-crisis it’s all about utilising this
time to organise and optimise with
some internal development projects
being brought forward given the time
and capacity to do so.
We’ve been actively in
touch with our clients to
maintain the necessary
rapport and updates.
IF THERE IS ONE THING
THAT YOU WOULD
LIKE TO SEE FROM
THE EMERGING TECH
INDUSTRY WHAT WOULD
IT BE?
One of the areas
where many could use
some improvement is
communicating technical
and emerging tech
information to nontechies.
Most times such
information focuses
more on the features
rather than the tangible,
consumer-focused benefits. It’s not that
the technical features are not key but if
the industry learns how to flip the focus to
a consumer-non-techie focus, then there
could be a greater onboarding from the
general public, investors, management
and consumers.
WHAT TREATS ARE IN STORE FOR AIBC
MANILA? WHY SHOULD THIS EVENT BE
ON EVERYONE’S CALENDAR?
In line with the sector itself, AIBC is constantly
evolving. We bring people together and
in doing so we act as a catalyst to help
propagate innovation and also create the right
environment for people and organisations to
create business alliances. Besides the latest
developments from our exhibitors in emerging
tech itself, at AIBC Manila one can also expect
a good mix of internationalisation - especially
with our drive to bridge Europe and Asia
closer together.
Besides this, AIBC Manila will also be held
on the same dates as SiGMA Manila and ICE
Asia. It’s the same venue but with separate
and dedicated areas, which means that
attendees and delegates can easily move
around and explore opportunities in
emerging tech, iGaming and land-based
casinos. Albeit traditionally separated,
there are definitely business opportunities
across these sectors within these verticals.
WHAT LESSONS CAN SiGMA AND THE
INDUSTRY AT LARGE LEARN FROM THIS
GLOBAL CRISIS?
There are many lessons to be learnt and
this global crisis is a wake-up call.
My top three are the following:
1. It’s what you don’t see that matters
the most.
2. Agility in taking decisions is critical.
3. Identify what can wipe out your
business model overnight and use it
to drive innovation before you need to
do it out of necessity.
28 | #AIBCsummit Issue 4