Lessons from Las Vegas

Jacobus Jansen Van Vuuren, software technical lead for BET Software

Software technical lead at BET Software, Jacobus Jansen Van Vuuren, has just returned from the Las Vegas development trip. He shares some lessons from the city.

What was the primary goal of the trip, and how was it was achieved?

The primary goal of the trip was for team members to attend the G2E conference and gain valuable insights from global leaders in the gaming industry. Furthermore, each team member also had individual professional goals for the trip as we were all from different departments within the bigger Hollywood Group.

Apart from attending the G2E conference, we made sure to visit the local hotels and casinos to get a feel for how they operate, because the Hollywood Group thrives in this industry. We discovered that the movies don’t do the city justice as we were mesmerised by the ambitious architecture on the strip, and impressed with the level of service provided by the hardworking members of the service industry.

We also attended a couple of local events to get a sense of what the city has to offer and to be inspired to bring these ideas back into our daily work.

What aspect of Las Vegas’ work culture stood out to you, and how did the city inspire you?

The employees in the service industry are all very dedicated and hardworking. Their primary goal is to ensure that a visitor to their city leaves feeling welcomed, and they are always ready to go the extra mile to ensure that your stay is nothing other than out of this world. It isn’t difficult to be inspired by Las Vegas.

In summary, the culture of Las Vegas is one of service excellence and they don’t fail to deliver on that ideal at any point.

Are there any new trends or innovations you came across whilst attending the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) that you think could impact BET Software?

I was fortunate to meet several attendees from other companies in the industry at the G2E conference and get a sense of where the industry is going. In doing so, I got to hear about the trends and innovations first-hand – the future is most certainly an exciting one.

How do you think this experience will shape the future of your projects at BET Software?

Being inspired by the service industry in Las Vegas means I will keep a customer-focused mindset when doing future projects at BET Software. Our goal should be to “wow” our clients and make sure that they have the best experience that we can provide.

What was your biggest professional takeaway?

My biggest takeaway from this trip is that anything is possible and that we should not limit ourselves. There are always more heights that you can reach if you are willing to put in the effort. It may not be easy, but it is possible.

What advice would you give to someone preparing for a development trip like this?

I would say that someone taking this trip should keep an open mind and be ready to absorb new ideas. The world becomes very interesting once you start experiencing how people live. You may be surprised to find that your preconceptions about a place are very different to reality. Lastly, it is important to make the most of the time given to you. There is a lot to see in Las Vegas and you should never have regrets about not getting around to all the sites that you wanted to visit.