The Global Gaming Expo, the gaming industry’s biggest trade show, will open as planned this week in Las Vegas. Security at the massive event will likely be tightened in the wake of the mass shooting which took place on the Vegas Strip on Sunday night.
In a statement to the media on Monday morning Geoff Freeman, Predisdent and CEO of the American Gaming Association, which sponsors the event, addressed concerns about the safety of convention goers after Sunday’s shooting saying:
G2E annually welcomes 26,000 visitors and is scheduled to open, as planned, (Monday) with the G2E conference program, while exhibitor move-in continues for the show to open tomorrow (Tuesday). The AGA and Reed Exhibitions will be in constant contact with local and national law enforcement and our host, Las Vegas Sands. We will closely monitor the situation and safety remains our priority.
While the event is scheduled to go on as planned, it seems impossible that it would not be impacted by what it now the deadliest mass shooting in America’s all-too-long list of mass shootings. One place where the ripple of effect of mass murder will almost certainly be felt was pointed out by the Las Vegas Review Journal; a scheduled panel discussion titled, “Active Shooter: Violence in the Workplace.”
Tourism, including convention travel, is a massive business in Nevada and it’s still not known how much of an impact Sunday’s tragedy will have on the industry.
In his statement, Freeman added that the industry’s thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by the tragedy and the people of Las Vegas.