Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/750768
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2016 Gaming XIX You just closed the eighth edition of the Malta iGaming Seminar (MiGS) on the 9th of November. How was the response and what type of delegates attended? This edition was a super success – we reached the 400-delegate target and re- ceived several positive reviews over the last days. Our event is more geared to the senior executive – mainly key peo- ple that are decision makers. We have CEOs, CFOs and managers of opera- tors and service providers, regulators from various countries as well as some affiliate management staff attending MiGS. This year we moved to the Grand Master Suite at the Hil- ton Malta Conference Centre which is a very prestigious venue and we received lots of positive feedback in that the set-up was impressive and that the exhibition space had a much better layout. In terms of feedback about the confer- ence itself we received plenty of raving reviews about the line-up of speakers as well as the topics chosen. In fact, up until the final session we were adding more chairs at the back of the conference centre. MiGS was founded 2008 and has over the years became a huge success where today it has grown into an internationally recognised iGaming calendar event. How does that feel? It feels great to be recognised, how- ever the fact that we have a high-profile audience the pressure lingers on every year and drives us to not only keep the same high-level experience of the conference but to also continue to add more value. This year we brought over John Andrews from the Economist to provide a different angle to our audi- ence. Through our follow-up surveys our delegates at times request different per- spectives from outside the industry, and so we do our utmost to deliver within context a high-level speaker that must also relate to our audience as well. Mr Andrews, being the Consulting Editor of the Economist, was the perfect match. We also introduced the iGaming idol, which was very well received from the Industry and was very well attended. How can delegates benefit from the knowledge that was shared at MiGS? MiGS was developed by profession- als for professionals and in saying that anybody that maybe concerned in knowing more and being updated on the Industry should attend. We provide a great amount of content. Sue Schnei- der, the world's most recognised gam- ing expert, leads the role of building our conference schedule and putting together the right speakers for the right topics. Her experience in the industry is invaluable. We touched upon many topics from the ever-changing tax changes, costs of regulation, new and changing markets, eSports, virtual currencies, player retention, and we also discussed Brexit. John Andrews went over what he felt would be the challenges of the new US President and how this may affect Europe, Asia and beyond. Our experience in the industry also positions us in a perfect position to invite world institutions like International Masters of Gaming Law to present a Master Class and other companies like Deloitte to drive a discussion panel. The bottom line is that there is a world of benefit for the C-Level managers in the industry to attend but not only for the sessions. We have very tight-knit social networking events throughout the day, which ensure that delegates get a chance to meet and discuss topics amongst each other. You have just launched the iGaming Idol event at MiGS. Can you elaborate a bit more on this event? iGaming Idol is what we believe was the missing link in the industry which we have filled, in that we are the first ever awards event that recognises employ- ees in 11 different categories. The event was a major success and was created based on three pillars. One being recog- nition, the other entertainment whereas the third is charity, where we pledged ten per cent of the revenue generated from tickets to the Malta Community Chest Fund. The 11 categories were Product Idol of the Year, Marketing Idol of the Year, Tech Idol of The Year, Finance Idol of the Year, Compliance Idol of the Year, HR Idol of the Year, Design Idol of the Year, Data and BI Idol of the Year, Live Casino Idol of the Year, Customer Service Idol of the Year and finally Outstanding Contribution to the Industry. Finalists can be found here: www. igamingidol.com/winners-2016/ Being the COO of one of the leading real estate agencies in Malta, do you think the gaming industry is partly responsible for the real estate boom? The real estate boom has many aspects to its so-called boom and it not only has to do with iGaming Industry. Yes – the increase in foreign expats has substantially increased the demand for rental investments from Maltese looking to jump on the bandwagon. We believe that there is a mix of a lot of hard work being done through the government, which continued to be in- novative throughout the year in creating schemes to promote Malta and increase foreign investment in Malta. The Highly Qualified Scheme, Residency Schemes, IIP as well as the special conces- sions for the finance industry, iGaming industry and software industry play a part of what has made our country an attraction for major foreign investment into Malta. This surge in interest has also sparked the high-rise controversy in that devel- opers want to go up to 40-odd floors instead of sideways. However, before that it was Tigné Point and Pender Garden and before that Portomaso and other developments including in Gozo. Malta has become attractive, whether in terms of setting up a company, becom- ing a resident, working in Malta due to the excellent infrastructure, the lifestyle, as well as the highly-educated English- speaking population. MiGS: A resounding success Meet Jeffrey Buttigieg, COO at REMAX, one of the leading real estate agencies in Malta, who explains the effect of the gaming industry on Malta's real estate boom