Amongst the latest and greatest products and services in gaming and hospitality, the AGE last month recognised pub titan Arthur Laundy AM with the inaugural Legend Award.
Over three days in August at ICC Sydney, the Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) for 2026 saw its strongest attendance growth in years, welcoming over 8,800 visitors from around the country and confirming its role as the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere and premier event for the hospitality industry.
This year also featured the Seminar Central program, providing attendees 15 world-class presentations and dozens of speakers – including a wide-ranging interview with Laundy on the family’s origin story and successes leading to the empire seen today, conducted by Dan Maloney, GM Policy Strategy Engagement at the Gaming Technologies Association (GTA), which hosts the Expo.
This keynote interview recognised Laundy’s long contribution to the industry, stretching back 80 years, and concluded with GTA chairman Anthony Ball presenting him with the first-ever AGE Legend Award.
Speaking with PubTIC of the event, the octogenarian said it was a “bit of a surprise” and speculated if it was due to or in spite of his age.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” he admitted. “I enjoyed it, it was an honour to be even considered, let alone get the inaugural award.
“I was happy to talk about my history. I’m so very proud of the efforts my mother and father made, taking us to the point we could get in the position we are in today.
“It’s lovely, these sort of mentions. It was an absolute delight. I enjoyed the chat, spoke to a lot of people after who were interested, and had a nice time.”
Presenting the trophy, Ball says the day had come to formally acknowledge the significance of Mr Laundy’s life and career and the decision to dub him the Legend was “an easy one” for the GTA.
“Arthur has built one of the great Australian family businesses from basically the ground up, that now stretches from Wilberforce to Wagga Wagga with a few dozen stops in between.
“But perhaps most importantly, he’s managed to do it all by treating everyone he encounters, from a glassy to the Prime Minister, with a respect and a knockabout humility that is all his own.”
Maloney concurs, suggesting that perhaps the best demonstration of the man was what happened before the interview started.
“We had arranged the VIP, ‘red carpet treatment’ for his arrival, but sensing the fuss, Arthur arrived ahead of time, sorted his own entry pass, and then quietly wandered around the Expo just like any other punter.
“And that is Arthur Laundy. Just a very humble, rolled gold, bloody top bloke,” Maloney said.
The Award followed the recent accolade of a Hotels Have Hearts Foundation initiative that had raffled off a lunch with Laundy at the Centennial Hotel.
“I’ve had quite a lovely couple of months,” he remarks. “I’ve been wondering if they got the right bloke!”
