Download November 12-14, 2014 Las Vegas, Nevada

GAMING SEMINARS
November 12-14, 2014
Las Vegas, Nevada
The 2014 Slot Leadership Program (SLP) is designed for slot and marketing
professionals who are interested in getting fresh new perspectives on the
challenges they face and increasing their knowledge and skills, with the
ultimate goal of having a significant positive impact on their organization’s
performance and results.
With increasing competition and a challenging economic environment, there has
never been a greater need for leadership in the gaming industry.
The SLP is an opportunity to step outside the hectic flow of everyday life and
interact with thought-leaders and experts on topics that directly impact your
bottom line.
Set on the UNLV campus near the Las Vegas Strip, this program covers topics in
depth and is highly interactive. It includes exercises, case studies and lots of
opportunities for discussion, because this is the best way to learn.
The presenters are highly-experienced experts in their fields sharing their insights
into what makes a casino successful and what mistakes hamper a casino’s
performance.
The SLP is an investment in you and in your organization’s success. Don’t miss
this unique opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills and improve your
organization’s results.
REGISTER TODAY!
Speakers and Session Titles - page 2
Full Seminar Schedule - page 3
Hotel Info, Schedule and Costs - page 4
Session Descriptions and Presenter Profiles - page 5
All seminar attendees receive a certificate from the UNLV International Gaming Institute.
GAMING SEMINARS
Comments from Previous Slot Leadership Program Participants:
“It was excellent. Many other courses that I have attended have only scratched the
surface of these topics. This was more in-depth. Presenters were knowledgeable and
had practical experience to provide real life experiences.”
“Speakers were lively and intelligent. Also had passion for their jobs.”
“It was a great variety of subjects. It definitely opened my thought process.”
“Very beneficial and I learned a lot.”
REGISTER TODAY!
Speakers and Session Titles
John Acres
The Hero’s Journey: How to Use Ancient Storytelling to
Grow Casino Revenue
Randy Fine
It’s Not God’s Fault
Lon O’Donnell
Building Dashboards and Data Visualization to Make
Better Decisions
Jeff Jordan
Best Practices in Slot Floor Design
Vince Manfredi
5 Casino Marketing Ah Ha’s for 2015
Jenny Brinkman
Using Mobile Technology to Increase Time on Device and
Enhance the Customer Experience
Joseph Nayquonabe & Case Study: Increasing Customer Loyalty Through
Robbie Sawyer
Transparent Slot Volatility Marketing
John Wilson
Slot Machines, Math and Magic: Slot Machines from the
Ground Floor
Jeff Jordan &
Keith Russell
Understanding the Impact and Opportunities of
Picture-in-Picture Technology
2
GAMING SEMINARS
Slot Leadership Program Schedule
Wednesday, Nov. 12
8:30 to 9:00
9:00 to 9:15
9:15 to 10:45
10:45 to 11:00
11:00 to 12:30
12:30 to 1:15
1:15 to 2:45
2:45 to 3:00
3:00 to 4:30
Registration
Welcome and Introductions
It’s Not God’s Fault
Break
Slot Machines, Math and
Magic: Slot Machines from the
Ground Floor
Lunch
Building Dashboards and Data
Visualization to Make Better Decisions
Break
Case Study: Increasing Customer
Loyalty Through Transparent Slot
Volatility Marketing
Randy Fine
John Wilson
Lon O’Donnell
Joseph Nayquonabe
& Robbie Sawyer
Thursday, Nov. 13
9:00 to 10:30
10:30 to 11:00
11:00 to 12:30
12:30 to 1:15
1:15 to 2:45
2:45 to 3:00
3:00 to 4:30
The Hero’s Journey: How to Use
Ancient Storytelling to Grow Casino
Revenue - Part 1
Break and Informal Discussion
The Hero’s Journey - Part 2
Lunch
Using Mobile Technology to Increase
Time on Device and Enhance the
Customer Experience
Break
5 Casino Marketing Ah Ha’s for 2015
John Acres
John Acres
Jenny Brinkman
Vince Manfredi
Friday, Nov. 14
9:00 to 10:15
10:15 to 10:30
10:30 to 11:00
11:00 to 12:00
Best Practices in Slot Floor Design
Jeff Jordan
Break
Best Practices in Slot Floor Design (continued)
Understanding the Impact and
Jeff Jordan
Opportunities of Picture-in Picture
& Keith Russell
Technology
3
GAMING SEMINARS
REGISTER TODAY!
Location and Hotel Information
The workshop is held at the International Gaming Institute in the Stan Fulton
Building on the UNLV campus at 801 East Flamingo Rd. (the southeast corner of
Swenson St. and East Flamingo), about a mile north of McCarran International
Airport and a mile and a half east of the Las Vegas Strip.
Hotel information: www.unlv.edu/igi/hotels-nearby
or contact [email protected] for a list.
Workshop Schedule
Wednesday, Nov. 12
Registration: 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Seminar: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 13
Seminar: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 14
Seminar: 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon
Workshop Costs
Early Bird Rate: $895 (payment by October 22, 2014)
Regular Rate: $995
20% discount for additional attendees from the same organization
10% discount for paid subscribers to CDC Gaming Reports
REGISTER TODAY!
Registration includes workshop, training materials, continental breakfasts,
lunches on Wednesday and Thursday and morning and afternoon breaks.
Refund Policy: cancellations made more than one week in advance receive a full refund minus
a $100 processing fee. Cancellations made one week or less in advance receive a 50% refund.
Substitutions may be made at any time. If you wish to reschedule your training, we will apply
the full registration paid towards a future CDC seminar with no penalties or processing fees,
assuming space is available in that seminar
4
GAMING SEMINARS
Session Descriptions and Presenter Profiles
Wednesday, Nov. 12
It’s Not God’s Fault
Randy Fine will discuss and expand on the concepts in his widely-distributed
article “It’s Not God’s Fault.” The session will explore reasons why executives fail to
accept responsibility for performance shortfalls, a recent case study where
management did own its results, and the outcomes that followed. It will also
expand on the article, discussing the underlying reasons that casino performance
typically does suffer. Finally, the session will include an interactive exercise where
you will learn how to develop more innovative and effective responses to the
challenges you face at your property.
Randy Fine
Randy Fine is the founder and managing director of The Fine
Point Group. In a decade of service to the industry, he launched
the gaming industry’s leading loyalty program, managed 40,000
slot machines, helped Carl Icahn turn around and sell his gaming
company for a $1 billion profit, and built The Fine Point Group
into the casino industry’s largest full-service gaming consulting
and management company.
Named one of Global Gaming Magazine’s People to Watch in
2010 and In Business Las Vegas’s 2009 “40 Under 40,” he has an equal mix of casino
operations and marketing experience.
Fine has served as the Chief Executive Officer of two nine-figure gaming
companies, Detroit’s Greektown Casino Hotel and Santa Fe, NM’s Buffalo Thunder,
Inc., and was the corporate vice president for Harrah’s Entertainment’s 40,000
machine slot operations group.
On the marketing side, he served as chief marketing officer for Carl Icahn’s gaming
company and as corporate Vice President of Total Rewards for Harrah’s, where he is
the sole inventor of U.S. Patent 7,410,422 which secures its intellectual property.
As part of FPG’s growing litigation support practice, Fine has served as an expert
witness for financial institutions, policy advocacy groups, Indian tribes, and local
governments in matters in Michigan, Nevada, and California.
Before entering the gaming industry, Randy worked at McKinsey & Company,
Lehman Brothers, and for the U.S. House of Representatives, and taught Economics
at Harvard College. He holds both his undergraduate degree magna cum laude,
and his MBA degree, with high honors, from Harvard University.
5
GAMING SEMINARS
Slot Machines, Math and Magic: Slot Machines from the Ground Floor
In this lively 90-minute session seminar participants will gain a greater
understanding of slot math by creating their own working slot machine, including
the symbols, payouts and reel strips. A virtual simulator will be used to generate a
complete PAR sheet, which will be reviewed so you can better understand the
connection between the math and the numbers on the PAR sheet. The game
you’ve created will be played so you can experience it, providing you with insight
into the connection between game math and the customer’s experience. The
group can then fine-tune their creation, bringing it in line with real games,
providing a realistic payout and hit frequency.
This highly interactive approach will engage you like no other slot math program,
and provide you with a more complete understanding of how the slot math model
relates to game play, operator revenue, financial performance, and customer
satisfaction.
John Wilson
John Wilson, The Slot Mathemagician, has articles appearing in
ten magazines in four countries and five languages. John Wilson
is the owner of ICS Gaming and provides slot math training for
casino operators and the gaming industry. He frequently speaks
at conferences around the U.S. and is a prolific writer who has
appeared in numerous magazines. His experience in software
and hardware development allow him to bring a number of
simulations and visual aids to make learning easier.
Building Dashboards and Data Visualization to Make Better Decisions
In this session you will learn how to create stunning visualizations that quickly and
effectively communicate complex information.
Casinos are dealing with more information than ever. From gaming data to patron
data to financial data, it can be difficult to make sense of it all. Using off-the-shelf
software tools, you will learn how to create data visualizations that bring all of it
together. We will create interactive executive dashboards that make the data easy
to read and understand.
Creating powerful, reusable data dashboards is easier than ever. This course will
show you how to connect to your data, build a dashboard, and create interactivity
so that you get just the information you need.
6
GAMING SEMINARS
Lon O’Donnell
Lon O’Donnell is the President and Co-Founder of
CasinoAnalytica, LLC. He has 20 years of experience in the
gaming industry managing operations for several gaming
companies, including IGT and MGM Resorts.
In his experience with IGT, he led a team of consultants tasked
with assisting North American casino operators to improve
casino marketing initiatives, streamline operations, and
optimize revenue streams.
CasinoAnalytica is a Las Vegas based consulting firm focused on providing
analytics and data insights to the casino industry. Using modern predictive
analytics and data modeling, they build BI programs, develop data-backed
marketing strategy, streamline operations and optimize slot floors.
Case Study: Increasing Customer Loyalty Through
Transparent Slot Volatility Marketing
Being a smart casino consumer in a world with so many product choices can be
somewhat daunting. With so many slot options available, it is easy to get
overwhelmed with knowing what game to play that fits your machine preferences.
Let's face it, there are many factors to consider and the average casino-goer has no
viable information to base a decision on. It's not like slot machines come with a
window sticker. So how do we ensure our players are not spending their
entertainment dollars on an experience they don't want?
The gaming industry has grown and evolved, and so has the consumer. Gamers
want to know what they are getting for their dollar. Fortunately, we have options to
make your casino guest's "purchasing" process easier and to help gain consumer
confidence and loyalty. During this interactive presentation, you'll learn how to
utilize another metric based on player behavior and preference, a metric that has
driven results at two of the largest casinos in Minnesota. We'll break into small
groups to discuss how that relates to your own slot floor. We'll discuss relationship
marketing and how to use volatility analytics to influence your slot capital
purchase.
7
GAMING SEMINARS
Joseph Nayquonabe, Jr.
Joe Nayquonabe Jr. serves as the chief executive officer and
chair of the board of directors for Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures,
which analyzes new business opportunities and oversees the
Mille Lacs Band’s existing businesses, including Grand Casino
Mille Lacs, Grand Casino Hinckley, the Crowne Plaza St. Paul
Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul, Minn., the DoubleTree by Hilton in St.
Paul, Minn., and numerous small businesses.
Previously Nayquonabe oversaw Grand Casinos’ marketing
efforts as corporate vice president of marketing after serving in various marketing
positions at Grand Casino Mille Lacs. Nayquonabe has a bachelor’s degree in
marketing from St. Cloud State University, a master’s degree in business
administration from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management
and a master of tribal administration and governance degree from the University of
Minnesota Duluth.
In addition to his work, Nayquonabe serves on the Como Zoo board of directors,
the American Indian Advisory Board for St. Cloud State University, Minnesota
Lodging Association and the Downtown St. Paul Taskforce. In 2009, he was named
a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” honoree as well as St.
Cloud State’s “Graduate of the Decade” and in 2013 named a “Native American 40
Under 40” honoree by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise
Development.
Robbie Sawyer
Robbie Sawyer brings more than two decades gaming
experience to his role as Vice President of Slot Operations at
Grand Casino Mille Lacs. He began his career in the gaming
industry at Grand Casino Hinckley, serving in various
management roles in different departments like slot operations,
table games, food & beverage, and more recently as a Grand
Rewards manager in the marketing department.
In 2011, Sawyer was promoted to his current position where he
is responsible for all aspects of the slot department with more than 1,800 slot
machines and 66,000 square feet of total gaming space. Robbie was instrumental
with the rollout of Play Pulse®, Grand Casino’s slot volatility marketing campaign.
Sawyer holds an associate of arts degree in business management from Fond du
Lac Community College and a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the College of
St. Scholastica.
8
GAMING SEMINARS
Thursday, Nov. 13
The Hero's Journey: How to Use Ancient Storytelling to Grow Casino
Revenue
Today's casinos are managed by numbers. Hold percentage, coin in, theoretical
win, point accumulations and reinvestment rates. We've designed games, systems
and procedures that help us define and control these numbers with considerable
precision.
But profits are dropping. Is it because of increased competition? That younger
people don't like to gamble? Are expenses too high? Do you give away too much?
John Acres believes these are the wrong questions to ask.
In Part 1 of this session, John will talk about why casino gambling has never been
about the numbers or the money. What customers really want is something
powerful, emotional and meaningful. But how does a casino fulfill these desires in
its players?
The answer is found in the Hero’s Journey, which was defined by Joseph Campbell
many decades ago. The Hero’s Journey is a story pattern that illustrates what we
humans seek from life. Ancient myths and modern stories such as Star Wars, The
Hunger Games, and Harry Potter all follow this pattern, which is why they create
powerful emotional responses in so many of us.
In part 2 of this session, John will help you think of casting your own promotions
and play offerings in terms of the Hero’s Journey, to give your players the emotional
gratification they’ve always sought—and that you can profitably deliver.
Don’t miss this thought-provoking perspective on gaming from one of the
industry’s most influential innovators! You will return to your property with a fresh
approach to differentiating yourself from your competitors.
John Acres
John Acres is founder and CEO of Acres 4.0, a company focused
on improving player experiences through emotional
gratification. John's career in gaming began in a small Las Vegas
casino in 1972, and grew to include the founding of several
gaming supplier companies including Electronic Data
Technology, Mikohn and Acres Gaming. John is credited with
the invention of electronic player tracking and holds over 60 US
patents.
9
GAMING SEMINARS
Using Mobile Technology to Increase Time on Device and Enhance
the Customer Experience
During this session we will discuss strategies and provide case studies on
extending a players time on the machine for a larger share of their gaming wallet
while enhancing their overall experience at your casino – using new promotional
and marketing tools.
• The focus is “butts in seats” and “time on device,” but both are specific and
should be targeted differently. Discussion will include slot floor promotions,
mixing traditional with utilization of new technologies, including mobile, social,
and online to determine who, what, when, where, and how to make the most
revenue generating impact as possible.
• It’s all about having the right product on the floor for the right customer at your
property in your market. Discussion will include aspects of slot floor
optimization, customer research, social media assimilation, along with what
marketers need from slots.
• What’s in the pipeline for slot marketing and how these factors may play a part
in securing those precious slot revenue dollars; online gaming with bricks and
mortar, new slot machine designs and styles, and if Millennials are the next
generation of gamblers or just a distraction from the core slot customer.
Jenny Brinkman
Jenny Brinkman has over eleven years in the casino industry
with the trifecta of experience – she began her career as an
operator, continued as a consultant and turnaround specialist,
and most recently joined a world-class manufacturing, sales,
and service organization.
In her current role with Aristocrat Technologies, she combines
her previous work experiences to specialize in casino marketing
strategies, professional services, onsite assessments and
training customers during installations, upgrades, and conversions. She focuses on
successful utilization and implementation of Aristocrat’s Oasis 360 Marketing
applications, to provide customers with a high level of return on investment.
Prior to joining Aristocrat she was the Director of Loyalty Programs and Systems
Architecture for The Fine Point Group (FPG), a casino marketing consultancy &
turnaround firm, and held a progression of increasingly responsible positions
10
GAMING SEMINARS
within Caesars Entertainment (formerly Harrah’s Entertainment). During her years
with FPG, Jenny assessed loyalty programs, promotions, direct marketing
campaigns, player development strategies and competitive pressures in order to
present a comprehensive marketing diagnostic blueprint along with
recommendations for improvement & provided operational support. With Caesars,
she started in operations as a Total Rewards Supervisor in Atlantic City and rose to
the position of Corporate Marketing Systems Manager for the nearly 40 properties
in the U.S. In that position she was the business owner and manager for electronic
promotional applications, developed & supported non-gaming programs, and
implemented new technologies on the slot floor.
Her passion is merging marketing with information technology.
Five Casino Marketing Ah Ha’s for 2015
Correctly approaching the casino marketing process is essential in today’s world as
we recover from “The Great Recession” and face a shrinking market. Ready or not,
the rules are changing rapidly. We need resolve and an updated tool-set in order to
effectively compete.
Manfredi’s program will leave you with at least five practical, actionable tips you
can utilize immediately in your day-to-day work and as you put the next layer of
polish on your 2015 planning.
1. Feeling isolated? You’re not alone. Technology, specifically smart phones,
tablets, PC’s, Facebook etc. impose isolation upon us. So much progress leaving
our core needs unaddressed. What can we do to leverage a sense of belonging
through marketing? Building campfires.
2. Are you comfortable with your current social media effort? If you think there
may be more to it than offering a discount to the first 25 respondents on alternate
Tuesdays you’re right. More and more Americans turn to the web every day for
advice on making purchasing decisions. What should your approach be?
3. How to avoid a free play fiasco. Currently a hot topic, the use of free play, once
touted as the manna of casino marketers, is now under fire. When is enough
enough?
4. Making better decisions. All too often, we’ll implement a marketing program
based on a hunch, or because the GM’s wife had a dream. From pricing
promotions to fine-tuning a segment, we’ll find better ways to use data.
11
GAMING SEMINARS
5. Recognition. A practical guide to better understanding loyalty and developing
a short list of easy-to-implement loyalty building techniques.
Manfredi will share some of his biggest Ah Ha Moments from the past year with his
straightforward, lighthearted and high-energy presentation.
Vince Manfredi
Manfredi is an action oriented, collaborative marketing
executive with 30+ years of providing profitable solutions for
Gaming and Hospitality companies. Manfredi has served in
senior marketing positions for major gaming corporations and as
a hands on consultant improving casino operators’ profitability.
Manfredi founded a consultancy in 2012 and his group provides
strategic guidance and tactical support to casinos as well as
gaming industry suppliers. Vince sits on the board of directors
of the California Council on Problem Gaming.
Friday, Nov. 14
Best Practices in Slot Floor Design
In strategizing the pricing, placement, and position of the slot floor, Jeff Jordan
brings together several important themes to holistically address slot
merchandising. Expand on your ability to maximize revenue leveraging best
practices in slot floor design. Develop an understanding of how real-estate effects
such as traffic paths and game locations impact your design and merchandising of
slot machines. Gain an understanding how to price your slot machines based on
real-estate effects of traffic paths and game locations.
Jeff Jordan
Jeff Jordan has 20 years’ experience in the Gaming Industry and
is the founder of Jordan Gaming Consulting Group (JGCG) and a
company called Reward View. JGCG has been involved in greater
than 20 engagements serving clients from start-ups to
multi-billion dollar firms.
Before opening his own company, Jeff spent five years with IGT
in Corporate Strategy/Business Development roles where he
sourced and executed $500M in acquisitions and strategic
12
GAMING SEMINARS
partnerships, including Walker Digital, Wager Works, and PGIC. Specific areas of
focus were transformative acquisitions, internet gaming, and activities in mainland
China.
Prior to joining IGT, Jeff was VP Materials Management & Corporate Development
at Acres Gaming, where he was responsible for patent strategy, advanced research
and development, strategic partnerships, and operational planning and
procurement. Jeff led the development of a game concept that merged player
information into a game mechanic, quadrupled the number of patents being
prosecuted, and reduced inventory requirements by $2M while improving the
delivery of products to the field.
Jeff’s career began with eight years’ experience in slots with Mirage Resorts/MGM
Mirage, including the position of Executive Director of Slot Operations and
Marketing at the Bellagio, where he was responsible for executing $20M in capital
purchases and implementing a specially-designed CRM solution for slots. The
technology developed and procured help drive operational efficiencies and new
methods of marketing to slot customers.
Jeff has an EMBA from the University of Southern California, with emphasis on
Strategy, Marketing, Entrepreneurial Activities, and General Management, and a
Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from UNLV.
Understanding the Impact and Opportunities of Picture-in-Picture
Technology
Hear why you should become an expert on picture-in-picture technology. Keith
Russell and Jeff Jordan will explore how this technology has the potential to
revolutionize content delivery and extend your capital investment in older slot
machines. Gain an understanding of the current suppliers and what system
suppliers don’t want you to know about this technology. Absorb the technology
challenges that operators are facing in choosing and implementing this
technology.
Keith Russell
Keith Russell brings more than 25 years of engineering
experience and is a pioneer in high-performance real time
multiuser software applications and games. Keith has been
involved with numerous verticals such as telecommunications,
artificial intelligence, high-speed data acquisition, finance,
gaming, and more. Customers have run the spectrum from
startups to multinational corporations, from governmental
agencies to small business clients.
13
GAMING SEMINARS
Prior to joining with JGCG, Keith was CTO and acting COO of a vibrant social
gaming company. During his tenure there he rapidly built an engineering team
from the ground up, managed an outsourced legacy development team, and in
parallel led the new team in a development effort that delivered a new social poker
experience on mobile, desktop, and web enabled clients. Keith assumed all
responsibilities for social media, online marketing/promotions, monetization
strategies, and player acquisition.
While at Reward View, Keith served as VP of Product Development and was
instrumental in the definition of product feature sets for the online application. In
addition he was responsible for managing and delivering on all engineering tasks
– from architecture, code development, testing, deployment, and management of
all server hardware. Via collaboration with the founder, Jeff Jordan, the two were
able to deliver a first ever solution to provide a 360 degree view of a casino player’s
spend habits across all properties and brands.
Prior to Reward View; Keith held multiple technical, creative, and leadership roles at
IGT including Game Studio Director and R&D Director at IGT Labs, and Advanced
Game System Development servicing the Mega-Jackpots Business Unit. While in
the gaming industry, Keith has worked within advanced R&D with particular focus
on the convergence of player services across all relevant gaming distribution
channels; web, mobile, and casino floors. In these positions, he has been directly
responsible for defining strategy and managing design teams to deliver on cutting
edge loyalty and gamification solutions for both domestic and international
business units.
Keith received his B.S. in Computer Science from Troy State University. He is serial
inventor and holds multiple patents in the gaming space.
14