European Gaming Lawyer magazine Spring 2014 | Page 7

[ President’s Message ] Joerg Hofmann, [email protected] W President Joerg Hofmann elcome to another issue of the premier periodical on gaming law in Europe. This is my first ‘message from the president’ for the European Gaming Lawyer, and I must confess to writing it with some pride given I am based in Europe. Over the years, this publication has served as a key reference point for developments in all European jurisdictions, and it will continue to do so in the future. Despite a near declaration of war by certain transport workers in London, once again, ICE 2014 in London proved to be a resounding success for the IMGL. Our traditional ‘IMGL Reception at ICE’, generously co-hosted by Jeffery Green Russell, was heavily oversubscribed. I trust that, for those of you who attended, it offered you the perfect platform to further develop your network and establish new contacts. Our new event during the ICE week, the ‘IMGL Masterclass at ICE’, was a success which went above and beyond our expectations. Soon after starting, it became apparent that the seating allocated for attendees of this event was well below what was needed. Fortunately, additional seating was on hand to meet the high demand. Aside from the high attendance, another particularly pleasing aspect was the diversity of attendees we attracted, which ranged from our usual well known lawyers, educators and high level representatives from gaming operators, plus many new faces from around the world. On account of this success, another IMGL Masterclass is in the pipeline – keep your ears open as further details will follow in the future. The IMGL spring conference, to be held in San Diego, is just around the corner. As a reminder, the dates are 23 – 25 April 2014, and I strongly encourage all of you who have not yet committed to the San Diego conference to book your flights and accommodation. As you would expect, we have put together a high level educational programme for attendees. It is made up of what could be called a ‘dual-track’ agenda; one track is dedicated to global gaming, while the second track is dedicated to Indian gaming. It is my great pleasure to thank the organizing committee, with truly unique commitment perfectly co-chaired by John Maloney and John Roberts. Additionally, our networking events will offer unrivalled networking opportunities, highlighted by our reception and dinner on Thursday, 24 April 2014, aboard the USS Midway, which saw action in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf. For our next engagement, we look across the Pacific, from San Diego, to east Asia. Our ‘IMGL Member Reception at G2E Asia’ will again take place at the Venetian Macau on 21 May 2014. This has become an annual fixture on the calendar, and its popularity is growing year-on-year. If you are visiting G2E Asia, please ensure that you prioritise this event. It gives me great pleasure to inform members of the newest event on the IMGL Calendar: East Meets West Regulator Summit on 24 and 25 May 2014. To be held on the stunningly beautiful Boracay Island in the Philippines, this is a unique concept. The overall objective is to create an environment where regulators and lawyers can come together in order to transfer their knowledge and experience. From a personal perspective, this is particularly pleasing because one of my objectives as president is to make the IMGL a more inclusive organization for regulators. More broadly, it represents the IMGL’s continuing commitment to engage with regulators, and generate further brand awareness in emerging jurisdictions, particularly those in East Asia. As a brief reminder, our autumn conference, or our European conference, is being held in Florence, Italy, this year. Our final dates have not been finally confirmed as of now, but it will likely be held during 5 -7 November 2014. When our dates are finalised, you will be immediately notified. As always, I encourage you to attend, not only for maintaining and building your professional profile among your peers, but also for the chance to visit the ‘birthplace of the Renaissance’. Accordingly, during the first half of 2014, the IMGL is keeping up a busy schedule. As IMGL members, you have special privileges at these events, and taking advantage of these privileges can only further your professional development. I look forward to meeting and greeting you soon! European Gaming Lawyer | Spring Issue | 2014 | 7