What are the IRAA Awards?
The idea for the IRAA Awards grew out of a need to recognize the valuable and meaningful contribution to our industry of many of our industry’s executives. Such contributions have been highlighted by the difficult times the industry is currently suffering with the global pandemic.
The Asian IR and gaming industry currently has two ceremonies which recognize industry excellence:
- The Asian Gaming Power 50, which recognizes the 50 most powerful and influential individuals in the industry.
- The G2E Asia Awards, which recognizes the very best in industry solutions, offerings and corporations.
The Power 50 (established in 2008) ranks the 50 most influential people of an industry in which an estimated 200,000 people participate. As such, it tends to honor the millionaire and even billionaire owners of Asian IRs, or the very top executives of those IRs such as CEOs and Property Presidents.
The G2E Asia Awards has a Rising Star category, which recognizes five executives under the age of 40 each year, but this is the only G2E Asia Awards category which recognizes individuals, out of a total of 12 categories.
This leaves a gap where many very senior industry executives, some with decades of experience working at operators, vendors or elsewhere, do not have an opportunity for encouragement or recognition by their peers.
This is why the IRAA Awards were developed.
What categories does the IRAA Awards have?
The 1st IRAA Awards took place in 2021. To begin with, the IRAA created three categories:
- Industry Legends: This division will be awarded from 2022 onwards, with Industry Legends selected from the pool of Industry Icons (which started in 2021).
- Industry Icons: Executives who have demonstrated consistent contribution to the overall growth and success of the industry with lasting results, through great leadership, innovation and/or other activities, and who have gained the respect of their industry peers.
- Industry Rising Stars: Industry executives under the age of 40 who have demonstrated consistent leadership, innovation and/or contributions to the industry, with great potential for more to come.
The precise Industry Rising Star eligibility rule is that the member’s year of birth must be no more than 40 years prior to the year of the awards. Hence for members to be eligible for the Industry Rising Star category at the 2022 awards, their year of birth must be 1982 or later.
The 2022 IRAA Awards will see the addition of other department-specific categories.
How are the awards determined?
Only Professional Members of the IRAA are eligible to vote or to receive IRAA Awards. Winners of the awards are determined by general election by all Professional Members of the IRAA. All members have equal voting power.
The awards process is as follows:
- Call for Academy member nominations: During this stage, any Academy member may nominate any other Academy member for the Industry Icons division, and any Academy member may nominate any other Academy member under the age of 40 (as at the beginning of the calendar year) for the Industry Rising Stars division.
- Determination of official nominees: The organizing committee selects the shortlisted official nominees for each award category from amongst the Academy members nominations received, to make an appropriately sized list of official nominees.
- Voting period: All members of the IRAA are eligible to vote. Voting is conducted through an online form while the voting member is logged in to the IRAA website.
- Winners determined: At the end of the voting period, the votes are tabulated and audited and winners announced in due course.
In 2022, there will be 10 official nominees and three award winners for each of the “Rising Stars” and “Industry Icons” categories. Other categories will have one winner.
Is there an awards ceremony?
The first year of the IRAA Awards saw an after-work cocktail reception at The Londoner Macao, with no formal dinner. All IRAA members were invited at no charge. In 2022, the IRAA also plans to have an awards ceremony. All winners will also be announced through various IAG channels and of course on this IRAA website. We plan to grow the event, and the annual awards ceremony, as the years roll on.