Ah, September in Fargo — the smell of school supplies still fresh in the air, the leaves starting to brown and fade, and the first twinges of arctic breezes urgently whispering winter’s chilly arrival. Wait, forget that — we’re going to Southern California! CasinoFest4 is breaking out of autumn and headed to Barona Valley Ranch in San Diego Sept. 24-26.
There, CasinoFest4 will once again provide the highest level of gaming education and value that the CasinoFest series is known for. And this CasinoFest is offering even more.
CasinoFest4 is proud to announce that Ernie Stevens Jr., chair of the Nation Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), has earned the first annual Indian Gaming Advocate of the Year Award, thanks to his diligence and commitment to protecting Indian Gaming from those who challenge it. Stevens is a former first VP of the National Congress of American Indians and is currently serving out the final months of his term as treasurer. Stevens also serves on the Executive Board to the Native American Rights Fund, the National Indian Child Welfare Association, the Boys and Girls Club of America (Native American Advisory Board), the National Indian Telecommunications Institute, and is honorary chair of the Institute of American Indian Art National Indian Support Committee. This year, under Stevens’ leadership, NIGA prevailed in protecting key aspects of Indian Country’s sovereignty when it comes to gaming. Stevens will be presented with his award during a special ceremony on the first day of the conference.
CasinoFest4 is also proud to introduce a new conference track to its schedule: the Gaming Management Forum. Tailored to fit the needs of C-level casino executives, the Gaming Management Forum will discuss compact negotiation, licensing, gaming law, gaming regulation, emerging technologies, architecture, construction, development, banking, finance, taxation, revenue management, executive recruitment, problem gambling and organizational motivation — whew! Side by side with returning tracks Slot Operations Management, Table Games Management and Casino Marketing, Casino Enterprise Management’s standards of excellence in gaming education will once again take center stage at CasinoFest4. From the keynote speaker to the very last session, you won’t be disappointed.
Speaking of the keynote speaker, CEM has selected Jay Walker, chair of Walker Digital, to headline CasinoFest4. Best known as the founder of Priceline.com and Synapse (businesses which respectively took the travel industry to a whole new level of value and service, and revolutionized the magazine subscription business), Walker is now bringing his magic touch to the gaming industry. Walker founded Walker Digital in 1994 with the vision that consumer-focused applications that sit on top of large-scale networks will be a key driver of business growth, focusing on creating new applications for casino gaming networks. Given the proven track record of his business visions becoming reality, this keynote address on the future of the industry is one that should not be missed.
CEM would also like to invite you to join your conference speakers, colleagues and the CEM staff on a post-conference deep-sea fishing trip. This overnight excursion embarks from the San Diego area Sept. 27 and — aside from the massive tuna sure to be reeled in — offers a networking opportunity beyond those that are already sure to be abundant at CasinoFest4.
See you soon!
Jaclyn King is the Events Manager for Casino Enterprise Management. She can be reached at events1[at]aceme.org or (701)-293-7775.