For the 350 participants who made the trip to Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., Sept. 8–10, CasinoFestTM7 promised to be an educational experience unequalled in the industry. It certainly lived up to that promise. The new two-classroom CEM Slot Machine Academy track was added to the signature CasinoFest tracks (Casino Management Forum, Slot and Network Operations, Casino Marketing, and Table Games Management) already on the docket, expanding the educational opportunities available for those from all areas of a casino enterprise. Dozens of distinguished panelists and speakers included the elite in the world of gaming.
Although CasinoFest7’s conference schedule was impressive and well worth the trip alone, those in attendance received much more than just three days of classroom training. Ypartnership Chairman and CEO Peter C. Yesawich kicked off the conference with a keynote address that shed light on what the future will hold for the hospitality industry. “Emerging Lifestyles and Travel Trends: Implications for Marketing Casino Resorts” was a tour de force in marketing strategy, but presented with the general ease of a town hall gathering, covering topics such as mobile marketing and the next generation of casino customers.
On Day 3, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell was honored as the second annual Indian Gaming Advocate of the Year. National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr., who received the honor last year, was on hand to help present the award. Praised for his tireless support of Native American sovereignty, Campbell served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987–1993 and in the U.S. Senate from 1993–2005. In 1997, he became the first American Indian to chair the Indian Affairs Committee. Upon receiving the Indian Gaming Advocate of the Year award, Campbell spoke to the audience about Indian gaming employing both Native Americans and non-Native Americans and the need to “welcome everyone on to the reservation.” He also touched on his work with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act 20 years ago, and his service to our country in the military and on Capitol Hill.
Buddy Frank, vice president of slot operations at Pechanga Resort & Casino, and Bruce Rowe, senior vice president of business development and strategic planning at Bally Technologies, teamed up to present attendees with an in-depth look at some of the latest technological advances in networked gaming as the two led a tour of Bally Technologies’ Networked Floor of the Future™ at Pechanga. Highlights included a look at back-of-the-house operations and service-oriented solutions such as Bally’s Business Intelligence™ and Download Configuration Manager™, and an examination of tools currently being used on Pechanga’s slot floor, including the iVIEW™ display and iVIEW Display Manager™.
Finally, CasinoFest7 featured one more all-new feature: a gaming expo. Seventeen vendors gathered to showcase their products and services for attendees, including DigitalPersona, Gaming Standards Association, INAG, West Coast Gaming, Café Bravo, CommerceTel, Joseph Eve and Co., Interblock USA, CI Innovations, NICE Systems, BMM Compliance, Casino Data Imaging, GameLogic, Gary Platt Manufacturing, IT Casino Solutions, New Wave Automation, and Radical Blue Gaming.
Thank you to all who attended CasinoFest7. Without your support, none of these learning and networking opportunities would have been possible. Please join us again next fall, or at any event in the CasinoFest series throughout the country.
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