The Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) took place this week at ICC Sydney, representing the largest gaming expo in the southern hemisphere and seeing growth indicative of industry trajectory.
Spread across 19,000sqm of ICC floorspace for three days, the event was officially opened on Tuesday with Aunty Norma Ingram and Jinesh Patel, CEO of host the Gaming Technologies Association (GTA), formally welcoming attendees.
This year brought more exhibitors, increasing to 221 industry suppliers, showcasing the latest in gaming technology, hospitality solutions and venue services.
Taking the annual AGE Exhibitor Stand Awards were American Beverage Marketers, honoured with Best Shell Scheme Stand, and RDM Pizza was awarded the Steve Cowan Memorial Award for Innovation.
In a first for 2026, a three-day program of panels, presentations and in-conversation sessions took place in Seminar Central, located for the first time in the AGE’s history on the show floor, drawing strong crowds of hospitality professionals.
Highlights included the Global Gaming CEO Forecast panel, featuring CEOs from Light & Wonder, IGT and Aristocrat speaking on their companies’ global product pipelines and the economic outlook shaping the sector, and a rare interview with Australian hospitality icon Arthur Laundy AM, covering a wide range of topics and the origin story of the Laundy empire with host Dan Maloney, GTA GM.
This was alongside discussions exploring issues such as venue succession planning, managing and engaging multi-generational venue teams and AML/CTF reform, plus an Exhibitor Spotlight Session.
Final figures show the strongest attendance growth for the event in years, counting 8,815 visits by people from across the country, which is reported to be an increase of more than 10 per cent on AGE 2025, with each day’s total surpassing the previous year.
Patel championed that the technology on show, the educational sessions and conversations within Seminar Central and the increased attendance confirm the AGE’s position as the region’s premier event for the hotel, club and gaming industries.
“AGE 2026 has been our best-attended show in recent years, and the growth we saw across every single day tells you everything about where this industry is heading.”
The AGE will return to ICC Sydney next year, Tuesday 10 August to Thursday 12 August 2027.
