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Cuningham Group Architecture Inc.
A forward-looking firm, Cuningham Group Architecture Inc. is focused on creating the casino of the future. This has been a core concept for the firm for the last few years, and the team was eager to share that it looks like casinos are interested in pursuing development along these lines.

 “You can see just how far the economy has come at this show,” Vice President and Partner Tom Hoskens said. “There’s been a higher volume of exhibit floor traffic and more enthusiasm because now clients know they want to get projects started in the coming year. Our approach to 2014 is to continue focusing on the concept of casinos of the future and on the net generation. A whole new type of brick and mortar casino will be emerging, and in a market as big as Las Vegas, you can create a casino of the future.”

“This is an important, new concept for us to develop and our clients are excited to see the implementation in their property,” said Brett Ewing, director of resort development, Las Vegas. “Seeing the actualization of casinos of the future is exciting.”

When asked to pinpoint any themes in design that have recently emerged, Ewing said it’s all about the process. “People want to make small changes that can have a big impact on the property,” he said. “For properties on a tight budget that are looking to still incorporate design changes, we create a master plan and provide a cost-breakdown for each element. This can be used to guide decisions on what to update, and the projects can then be phased.”

“We continue to work with casino clients who are interested in remodels and renovations,” added Hoskens. “People are still strategic with spending but they are spending more.”

Cuningham Group also promoted the in-house updates the firm has made in the area of sustainability. New energy modeling tools and resources at Cuningham Group make it easy to evaluate various sustainable options on projects and measure the savings that can be generated by different options. The aim is for owners to better understand where money can be saved without compromising design and quality. Cuningham Group also has an in-house energy-modeling expert who specializes in analyzing buildings for maximum energy cost savings and increasing building efficiency.

Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG)
Energy levels are always high at the Hnedak Bobo Group (HBG) booth, and this year was no exception. “G2E is a great event because it appeals to both the commercial and the Indian gaming industry sectors, which are our primary business focus[es] as a design firm,” shared Dike Bacon, principal/director of business development. “It’s critical that we attend—gaming is our industry, and we’re committed to being a vital and active participant at G2E. Of course, many of our current and past clients attend G2E, which creates great opportunities to connect.” 

The team was excited to share details on its numerous projects and a brand-new tool in its arsenal. Images at the booth highlighted recently opened projects—Hard Rock Cafe in New Orleans, WinStar World Casino and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino—as well as the firm’s concepts for the Philadelphia license pursuit with PHL Local Gaming LLC. Casino Now, however, was the latest and most exciting reveal. “We’re excited to unveil Casino Now to the commercial audience,” Bacon said. “We’ve dedicated over four years of research and development to create this unique technology-driven casino design approach. The primary application of Casino Now is to accelerate the design process and reduce the total project delivery time; this gives HBG’s clients a ‘head-start’ to realizing gaming revenues sooner.”

Casino Now is evidence of HBG’s commitment to innovation, an approach reflected in the G2E theme, “Innovative Design, Innovative Experience and Innovative Delivery.” Bacon elaborated: “As your magazine described it in your August cover story, HBG ‘thinks differently,’ and that’s a message we’re spotlighting at G2E.” He further explained that in order to further their commitment to innovating design, the firm approaches its projects from multiple perspectives.

“We’re in a unique position to approach our projects from an owner's perspective because we have direct access to the workings of an upscale property through our ownership of the Westin Hotel in Memphis,” Bacon said. “We’re one of the few firms in the country that has been granted insight into the development process and a first-hand look at hospitality operations. We leverage this to our client’s advantage. We understand the implications design decisions have on every aspect of operations and the guest experience—and our projects reflect that level of thinking.”

JCJ Architecture
JCJ Architecture is passionate about what it does, and at this year’s G2E the company wanted to share its support for clients and partners. The team, comprising of Director of Hospitality Planning and Development Bill Dow, Design Principal Kristina Ennis, Managing Director Alex Lopatynsky and Chief Operating Officer Scott Celella, agreed the atmosphere of the show felt better than the last few years, with more people stopping by JCJ’s booth and increased enthusiasm for experienced planning and design services.

A number of JCJ’s projects are being kept under wraps, but the team shared trends from work currently on the boards. While the scale of projects has been decreasing in general, the level of complexity has not declined. Property owners want an approach to creating high operational efficiency and effectiveness and also maximizing design appeal. This increased market demand requires great attention to detail during early planning phases, as well as during project implementation, and the team said this is one of the firm’s many strengths and talents. The team absolutely believes and has demonstrated that properties can have operationally efficient facilities without compromising design aesthetic.

As the dynamic of the casino industry evolves, JCJ will continue to position itself within the national market, increase support of its Native American partners and refine the processes associated with the planning and design processes. 

“We are driving ourselves to further refinement in order to have a direct and positive impact on the client’s bottom line and the visitor experience,” Celella said.