The Global
Gaming Expo ("G2E") will be held from September 12th through
the 15th at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This is the major trade show
for the gaming industry which each year attracts a larger crowd, reflecting
the explosive growth of the industry. This year, over 25,000 people will
attend. Most of the major gaming suppliers introduce new product lines
in connection with the show, resulting in attendance by industry insiders
throughout the entire world.
The 2005 event will
kick off with the G2E Training & Development Institute, which features
two new tracks this year. The first is a Tribal Government Track of
seminars. The second new track is one sponsored by Casino Connections
magazine. The Training & Development Institute provides an opportunity
for focused education, a day prior to the opening of the trade show
floor.
The trade show starts
on September 13th and runs through the 15th. This year, the show will
once again feature a dedicated Food & Beverage pavilion, together
with new pavilions for Air Quality, Amenities and Technology. Also,
new this year is the opportunity for off-site casino property tours.
Once again this
year, Emmy Award Winning Talk Show Host Larry King will moderate a keynote
panel. This year, the panel will feature some prominent Las Vegas entertainers
who will discuss the state of entertainment in Las Vegas - what it was
like in the past, how it has evolved and where it is headed.
Another keynote
event will be moderated by the American Gaming Association's President
and CEO Frank Fahrenkopf. This discussion, entitled "Industry Leaders
in the Spotlight," will feature Terri Lanni, chairman and CEO of
MGM Mirage, and Gary Loveman, president and CEO of Harrah's Entertainment.
These industry insiders will talk about the recent mergers and acquisitions
(MGM Mirage acquired Mandalay Resort Group, Harrah's acquired Caesars
Entertainment) and how the gaming industry is changing.
The Conference program,
featuring over 400 speakers with specialized educational tracks, was
organized by a cutting-edge group of industry advocates and leaders.
The Conference Advisory Board for the 2005 G2E was led by Executive
Committee Members: Judy Patterson, senior vice president and executive
director, American Gaming Association; Courtney Muller, industry vice
president & executive director, Global Gaming Expo; and Ernie Stevens,
chairman, National Indian Gaming Association.
The Advisory Board
includes the following at large members: Paul Dworin, publisher, Global
Gaming Business; Roger Gros, editor, Global Gaming Business; Allison
McCoy, conference director, Global Gaming Expo; and Keli Wallace, director
of special projects, American Gaming Association.
Advisory Board Members
responsible for specific conference program sections include:
Bingo Track Leader:
Tamara L. Dietrich, managing director, Electronic Bingo Manufacturers
Association, Inc.
Design &
Décor Track Leaders: Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, president/CFO,
Lifescapes International, and Victoria Erickson, business development
& marketing consultant
F&B Track
Leaders: Rino Armeni, executive marketing director, Southern Wine
and Spirits of Nevada; George Burkhardt, president, Burkhardt Associates;
and Sarah Lee Marks, author, Reservations Required
Finance &
Money Track Leaders: Glenn Christenson, CFO, Station Casinos, Inc.,
and Maureen Mularkey, CFO, International Game Technology
Games & Technology
Track Leader: Bruce Rowe, president, Renaissance Casino Solutions,
Inc.
Gaming Development
Track Leader: Bruce Rowe, president, Renaissance Casino Solutions,
Inc.
Gaming Law &
Regulation Track Leader: Lloyd Levenson, senior partner, Cooper
Levenson, Attorneys at Law
I-Gaming Track
Leader: Sue Schneider, president & CEO, The River City Group
International
Track Leader: Frederic Gushin, managing director, Spectrum Gaming
Group
Marketing Track
Leaders: Jim Wise, director of corporate communications, Argosy
Gaming Company, and Marcus Prater, senior vice president of marketing,
Bally Gaming and Systems/ SDG/ Alliance Gaming Corp.
Operations Track
Leader: Virginia McDowell, senior vice president, Sales & Marketing,
Argosy Gaming Company
Racino Track
Leaders: James Rafferty, president, Wheeling Island Racetrack and
Gaming Center, and Richard Thalheimer, professor, Department of Equine
Administration, University of Louisville, and president, Thalheimer
Research Associates
Research &
Public Policy Track Leaders: Wes Ehrecke, executive director, Iowa
Gaming Association, and Dean Hestermann, corporate director, Public
Affairs, Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.
Security &
Surveillance Track Leader: Alan Zajic, security consultant
Slot Operations
Track Leader: Jack Bulavsky, executive director, AGEM
Slot Technology
Track Leader: Michelle Olesiejuk, executive director, Gaming Standards
Association
Training &
Development Institute Operations Track Leader: Robert Russell, senior
gaming analyst, Fraser Trebilcock Davis & Dunlap P.C.
Table Games Track
Leader: Mark Yoseloff, chairman & CEO, Shuffle Master Gaming
Tribal Government
Track Leaders: Knute Knudson, vice president, Administration, Sodak
Gaming; Jana McKeag, vice president, Government Relations, VCAT (Venture
Catalyst Incorporated); and Kate Spilde, visiting scholar, Center for
California Native Nations, University of California
The G2E also presents
the opportunity for gaming industry professionals from around the world
to network with one another. Attendees can meet people they may have
spoken with previously, as well as meeting many, many more. The ability
for gaming industry professionals to interact with others in their field
from around the globe is an excellent means of sharing information,
knowledge and both positive and negative experiences. It allows people
to communicate promotional and marketing strategies, understand how
another property may operate, compare rules and regulations, share security
strategies and ways of addressing problem gambling. More industry professionals
will attend this show than any other, and it will be the perfect opportunity
to witness and understand how gaming works around the globe.
The G2E continues
to be the gaming industry trade show and conference organized "by
the industry and for the industry." In any industry - particularly
one that is rapidly expanding and utilizing cutting edge techniques
and technology - trade shows are extremely beneficial. With the strong
backing of the American Gaming Association, which is celebrating its
10th Anniversary, this year's G2E will surely stand out as the industry's
premier event. Information regarding the Global Gaming Expo is available
at www.globalgamingexpo.com.
