With a massive shift in daily activities and behaviors caused by the pandemic, IGT has re-imagined how we collaborate with our customers. Many normal channels of communication are evolving, and as annual industry events went digital, IGT took it as an opportunity to engage with our customers and industry colleagues in new and meaningful ways.
Replacing a three-day, networking-intensive conference, this year’s PGRI’s Lottery Expo: Transformed and POST-COVID-19 Lottery: The Movie brought educational sessions online. IGT took a leading role, ensuring that customers know we’re here for them and focused on their success, regardless of what’s going on in the world. Jay Gendron, Chief Operating Officer Global Lottery, opened the conference by explaining the steps the company has taken to not only weather the storm but to leverage unique opportunities to support customers’ growth in the current environment.
A testament to this collaboration, IGT’s North American customers have seen a 4.4% increase in sales through the first 36 weeks of 2020, with instants sales up 11% year over year.
With the focus on cashless and contactless solutions, IGT remains committed to enabling Connected Play experiences that drive growth for our industry partners. Kaari Paavilainen, Senior Director PlayLottery Operations, Content and Connected Play, and Andrea Williams, Senior Marketing Manager PlayLottery, presented a case study on Georgia’s booming growth in the iLottery category through its branded Diggi Games product. To read the full story, click here. Additionally, Michelle Carney, VP Global Lottery Marketing, participated on a panel discussing the digitization of in-store shopping and the player experience, and Williams participated on a panel discussion on iLottery and what’s next for the vertical.
NASPL also took its annual conference virtual this year, debuting the free-to-all NASPL DeskCon 2020. Paul Riley, VP Retail Innovations and Partnerships, represented IGT on a panel discussion focused on the increasingly desirable and ever-evolving in-lane solutions. An engaging panel discussion and thoughtful Q&A session helped unpack why in-lane is incredibly relevant for today’s retail trends and should no longer be an untapped opportunity for lottery growth.
In addition to industry conferences, we’ve also used digital platforms to engage with customers on a deeper level. This year saw the ninth annual Lottery Retail Workshop transform from a two-day, in-person event to weekly virtual sessions held each Thursday in October. Representatives from IGT, 17 international lotteries, and two industry vendors used these weekly Teams video sessions to share challenges, best practices, and lessons learned throughout the pandemic and in this rapidly changing environment. Sharon Duncalf, IGT Vice President Global Insights & Planning, presented on “COVID-19’s Impact on Retail Trends: The Great Consumer Shift” (stay tuned for more on this in the coming weeks). While virtual sessions can’t fully replace the usual in-person experience, participants took away valuable learnings and a bit of welcomed human interaction during these challenging times.
IGT typically hosts the annual Texas Lottery’s State Sales Meeting at locations around the Lone Star State. This year however, we were tasked with bringing the massive meeting online for close to 250 participants across both organizations. The meeting included remarks from Lottery leadership, including the Texas Lottery Commission’s Executive Director Gary Grief, presentations from key Lottery stakeholders, and comments from IGT leadership including Global Lottery Chief Executive Officer Fabio Cairoli and IGT Texas site team leaders. IGT also provided product demonstrations to round out the resoundingly successful event.
In the coming weeks, IGT will be holding virtual customer meetings for our North American customers to ensure we continue to communicate closely on new challenges, trends, and successes within the industry. Additionally, educational sessions with IGT product managers, various customers, and local IGT site team staff are planned to collaborate on evolving business plans. Despite current barriers to in-person interaction, IGT’s collaborative spirit continues to persevere, and we look forward to finding innovative ways to connect with customers until we can safely come together again. Interested in connecting with IGT? Reach out to your Account Development Manager for more information.
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