From February 6 to 8, SUZOHAPP participated in the latest ICE edition to showcase its portfolio innovations. The expo served as a platform for the gaming manufacturer and distributor to network and meet clients and prospective customers, in addition to highlighting its new global trade platform and its latest distribution partnership.
In an exclusive video interview with Yogonet, Tim Kennedy, Vice President of Sales for Europe at SUZOHAPP, reflects on the main takeaways from the event, discusses what is new in the company’s proposition and shares his expectations for ICE’s first edition in Barcelona.
With the latest edition of ICE now over, what are your main takeaways from the event? Which products and topics drew the most attention from attendees at SUZOHAPP’s stand?
The event was very well visited; probably the busiest gaming event in the world, and certainly the final one in London, at least for some time. We presented a number of different product areas at the show, which were all equally well received.
We showcased gaming components, sports betting products, and some payment solutions and a couple of new product areas, and we had some very positive feedback right across the board.
What can you tell us about the profile of the visitors to SUZOHAPP’s stand, in terms of their main inquiries and their countries of origin?
There was a very diverse range of nationalities represented this time compared to the last one. There’s always some level of international visitation, and this time we had visitors from the US, LatAm and Asia, so it was a truly international show.
Our new products got particular attention from them. People are definitely looking for innovation. And also on the components side, we tend to receive some very welcomed inquiries, and that’s certainly something that has not gone away. There’s some resurgence in looking for new components.
Ahead of ICE, SUZOHAPP announced it would launch its new marketplace at the event. What can you tell us about this platform and the opportunities it opens for both casino operators and original equipment manufacturers?
It is a trading platform to link suppliers and buyers together through a global network. We all lived through the Covid times when there were some supply chain difficulties. Consequently, I think we’re faced with a different problem now: some people overbought and have overstock.
The marketplace platform, dedicated to gaming, solves this problem with SUZOHAPP working as a facilitator in the middle. Everyone we spoke to thought it was a great idea, and we’ve properly launched it now. We’ve started trading and we’ve made our first deals, so we’re very excited about the potential it has.
We’ll be making some announcements in the future. We’re just recruiting people right now, both on the supply side and also on the customer side, so we’ll be updating the market as we progress.
Also ahead of ICE, SUZOHAPP entered into a strategic partnership with LED Studio. What can you tell us about this collaboration? And were these advancements in display technology highlighted at the showcase?
We have been pushing into the solution space for some time now, trying to bring products to market that offer enhanced value for our customers. LED Studio, and the LED products that they offer, really provide a neat solution that can meet the requirements of not only casinos, but sports betting operators as well.
They offer a range of packaged products that we can also already see some application in our customers. But behind the scenes, we’re also working on a range of customized products with specific applications in gaming, which we will announce over the coming months.
We showed a range of products, and again, we had a lot of particularly international interest in them. We’re pursuing those opportunities right now.
SUZOHAPP’s lineup of products for sports betting was also at the forefront at ICE, including full kiosk formats, tabletop, and over-the-counter models. Which were the main novelties showcased in this area this time around?
SUZOHAPP has a main USP (unique selling proposition) in this area with its sports betting ecosystem. We offer a complete range of hardware solutions, including the payment platform, which we can integrate into a number of different casino management systems.
That went down well; we’ve got a number of opportunities where customers have selected a platform provider, but they haven’t yet made the decision on the hardware. So they are looking for a partner who can take care of that, and that’s where SUZOHAPP can offer a lot of value.
What are your expectations for ICE’s relocation to Barcelona next year? Do you expect to see a different customer profile or other changes as a result of this move?
ICE next year in Barcelona has the opportunity to be even bigger. Travel in mainland Europe will be a lot easier, and we’ll get a lot more Spanish visitors because it’ll be very straightforward for them to get there. Also, many Spanish operators have very close links and subsidiaries in LatAm, so I expect a greater presence from that region.
The industry is very excited about the move; it’s something that has been talked about for a long time, to move the show to mainland Europe. Everything looks set up to be a very successful show next year again.
