Inside Asian Gaming

August 2013 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 19 INSIGHTS enjoyed only by high-rolling junket players. It is, as the corporate literature states, “the most exclusive aspect of the Pavilion membership to date”. Deputy Chief Operating Officer Gabe Hunterton is the man in charge of making all this work. A Yale alumnus and a 15- year industry veteran, he joined Galaxy Entertainment Group in 2009 and served as chief operating officer at StarWorld Hotel before making the move to Cotai last December. He recently spoke with Inside Asian Gaming about the strategy behind the Pavilion Club and the factors he considers key to Galaxy Macau’s continued growth in the lucrative premium-mass segment. IAG : How is the Pavilion Club different, or rather how does it complement, what you’ve been offering your premium mass players? Mr Hunterton: The first thing is, it’s a carded access area, which means there’s always going to be fewer players in there, so it’s a more exclusive environment. It’s built to a more luxurious standard than the other areas around it. And it’s a different experience. The players who are playing in there kind of want to be segregated from the main gaming hall and want to be able to gamble in a more exclusive area. And, obviously, there are the heavy service levels in there and the elevated design levels. It’s a tiered card system: How does that work in premium mass? Or rather, how does it work as you go up the tiers? The four tiers are Gold, Platinum, Pavilion Platinum and Pavilion Black. Basically, they represent differences in the amenities that are extended to the customers. There’s a higher reinvestment rate as you move up in the tiers and also larger discounts available. Customers can earn rewards on all their gaming and non-gaming spending at both Galaxy Macau and StarWorld Hotel. And of course there are escalating privileges and benefits ranging from free ferry tickets to tickets for concerts, as well as events that are restricted to the members of the Black Card club. Galaxy Macau has created a similar area for high-limit slot players, a very innovative concept for the market. How did that come about? It’s a very similar model with a very different player in mind. Again, it’s a high- disposable-income person who really enjoys playing slots, and because of the amount that they play they deserve a superior experience, and we give them that experience. They get a much more exclusive private area designed by Paul Steelman and extending to 4,000 square feet with two private gaming rooms. There are also enhanced amenities, including a gourmet food and beveragemenu. And this luxurious environment is perfectly complemented by Galaxy Macau’s inimitable “World Class, Asian Heart” hospitality. It’s interesting how slots have gone from an afterthought in Macau to a sector that demands dedicated luxury playing spaces. We’re finding the number of players is growing at an amazing rate. Many casino operators are trying to play catch-up in order to service this group, but at Galaxy Macau we feel we’re quite a long way ahead of the game. It’s been quite an evolution. How do you continue to respond effectively? Given our world-class facilities and “Most important is service. Our guests need good service. And good service means different things to different guests. Here at Galaxy Macau we believe in a level of attention to detail which we call our signature “World Class, Asian Heart” service. Some guests want to be extensively pampered and constantly have things delivered to them. For example: some guests just want a cup of hot tea. The key to delivering a highly attentive experience is having staff that can deliver that level of personalized and sincere service. Anyone can build a beautiful gaming room. Not everyone can have staff that can deliver a first-class gaming experience. I think that’s the key differentiator.”