Tuesday
March 5thKeynote & Lunch
with David Patent, CEO of VizExplorerWhat You Need to Execute Strategy in a Tactical World
Presentation by Trevor TaylorToday, properties can’t survive without access to their data and the tools to draw meaningful, relevant and actionable insights in order to execute profitable business strategies consistently in their marketplace. Executing direct marketing campaigns, evaluating and revising their slot floor mix and managing the tools for their player development teams can keep property staff focused on the tactical.
Learn how to alleviate the “culture of crisis” that often impacts staff so senior and middle management can focus on executing mid to long-term business strategies that keep pace or outperform their competitive set.
Playing the Odds with Sports Betting
Panel moderated by Jennifer Roberts with panelists John English and Jill R. DorsonNow that a handful of states have legal, regulated sports wagering, this session will provide an overview of the current landscape of sports betting regulation, operational limitations, and lessons learned to date. This panel will examine many of the challenges and opportunities that operators face when implementing a sports book, including the current landscape, outstanding issues, and who the various entities are that are involved in shaping the sports betting ecosystem.
Emerging Slot Gaming Trends
Presentation by Jordan WhittenLearn more about the trends and insights that are impacting the slot gaming industry today on a nationwide and regional basis. This session will examine the most significant trends emerging across several key metrics, including theme, manufacturer, and denomination, and will help you better understand how to leverage these trends to identify areas you should be targeting to improve your slot floor.
Improve Guest & Player Experience On Autopilot
Presentation by Raj SinghToday's guests value their experience above all else. Casinos face mounting pressure to do more to wow their guests and players while managing day-to-day operations. It’s clear the path forward is to push marketing and operations closer and closer together to provide extraordinary guest experiences, but how can you get there without adding more headcount? Personalization has been an elusive holy grail for the gaming industry, but there are still too many disparate data sources, too many duplicative guest records, and guests not yet ready to interact with newfangled technology to get the personalization that we all imagine they want, right?
Learn how artificial intelligence, machine learning and IoT can come together to help you understand, anticipate and deliver useful, personalized content to guests that drastically improve service and player experience.
Wednesday
Mar 6thRegistration
Breakfast
What's the Real Impact of Higher Machine Hold on Coin-in?
Presentation by Malyssa Hinds, Angie Huang and Dr. Ralph ThomasSlot operators have long talked about the correlation between machine hold and coin-in, but few have really provided the data to back up their claims. Can a player or expert really tell whether a machine is tight? Or is their perception merely based on the fraction of time they were engaged on the machine?
See the results from a field study conducted over three years by Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort in Washington, and learn if higher machine hold actually scares players away like many believe.
Slot Innovation that Drives Player Loyalty
Panel moderated by Vince Catalano with panelists Jak Lysowski, Dan Schrementi and Buddy FrankThis panel will dive into the need for a continuously evolving slot product (both hardware/software) to cater to the various needs of players. While some slot products are developed around bonusing or base game play, others around the sleek design of the cabinet. How does this foster the desired experience to obtain player loyalty? What insights can be gathered from the past to help determine where to go in the future?
Using Player Behavior Data to Drive Floor Design
Interview with Jeffery Inman and Jordan WhittenJoin this session for a deep dive into how you can leverage player data to design a better slot floor layout. Learn how Route 66 completely remodeled their slot floor and leveraged insights on their players to create a completely new gaming area showcasing first-to-market slot games, as well as overall project implementation and guest response.
Lunch
How Business Strategy Changes with a 360-Degree View of your Customer
Interview with Jason Bonner and Dr. Ralph ThomasGaming is renowned for generating vast amounts of data, which has only increased as casino operators both on and off the Las Vegas strip have become fully diversified enterprises - offering hotel, entertainment, F&B and more to enhance the entertainment experience. With a consolidated 360-degree view of their customer, how does this change the way a property should evaluate the value of their guests?
Learn how external datasets render ADT and AMT metrics ineffective in your competitive landscape, and the customer insights you will have access to in order to drive loyalty at your property.
Table Games Technology and Data: What to Do With It
Panel moderated by Jeff Kowalchuk with panelists Lance G. Allen, Jak Lysowski and Todd CravensWith the maturity of table tracking systems, the gaming industry faces the challenge of implementing these new solutions and how best to take advantage of the information and insights they provide. The ability to capture the actual player bet, time played and decisions per hour is transformational for table game operators - but what do you do once you have the real value of your players and performance of your tables?
Join this panel to learn how to leverage the latest advancements in table games technology, and how you will need to change the way you think about and compute table hold.
Demystifying Slot Floor Decision Science to Empower Casino Operators
Presentation by Dr. Ralph ThomasInnovative math models and machine learning tools are enabling slot floor operators to "see into the future" and make better real time decisions to optimize game counts, floor design, and revenue. Dr. Ralph Thomas will define and demystify the top six techniques that will deliver analysis and results, so operators can instantly take action. If you have never heard of Whole Floor Occupancy Optimization, Drillable Quartals, or Lease Fee Optimization, then don't miss this presentation!
Find out how you can apply machine learning techniques to optimize game counts for all game themes across the gaming floor; recognize when games are placed in the wrong section of the floor, based on customer experience metrics; and explore new formulas for identifying the win per day minimums for more expensive leased games.
Tuesday
March 5thKeynote & Lunch
with David Patent, CEO of VizExplorerHow to Maximize your Marketing Campaign Strategy Using Test & Control
Interview with Lana Kotur and Jennifer ProvenceRelying on your regular monthly mailer to move the needle just doesn't cut it any more. Casino marketers face a bevy of challenges, from shrinking budgets to the need to create compelling new campaigns that excite their patrons - marketers today have to pull out all the stops in order to remain competitive. How do you ensure that you are getting the most out of your marketing campaigns?
Learn how successful marketing organizations transform data into dollars in the form of test & control, strong campaign strategy and sound data-driven methodology to target the right audience while optimizing marketing spend.
Is Your Data a Dynamic Resource for Decision Making?
Presentation by Chris ArchundeIs you data a dynamic resource for decision making or does it sit on the shelf in a black hole of raw files? In this age of colossal data and endless integration, does your software wag the dog? Not everyone has a NASA-sized analytics team, so how do we use our data in the real world?
This session will get down to the nitty gritty of pinpointing three “W’s” of data driven decisions: What do we measure, why do we measure, and who sees the measurements. Attendees should come away from this session with practical models that they can apply to their own strategies. We will cover consistent lingo, universal reporting, and calibration-based decision making.
Mobile Apps, Artificial Intelligence and Guest Experience
Panel moderated by Lana Kotur with panelists Rich LeBaron, Steve Dahle and Raj SinghHow can data, mobile apps and artificial intelligence all come together to shape the guest experience? This panel will explore the latest methods, technologies, and implementations that have helped operators redefine the guest experience inside a property's four walls.
Utilizing your VIP Business to Elevate your Brand
Presentation by Erica Kosemund and Walter AllenWhen it comes to growing revenue, branding matters. However don't forget player development as it's an important tool in building your brand. Find out how to think about your VIP customers so you can build who you are as a brand—while growing revenue at the same time.
Wednesday
Mar 6thRegistration
Breakfast
Database Marketing and Player Development: Bridging the Gap
Panel moderated by Lana Kotur with panelists Walter R. Allen and Mick IngersollHow do you coordinate across teams to maximize revenues leveraging events, offers, and more?
This panel will explore the benefits of cross collaboration between marketing and player development departments, and how this can increase the overall engagement and effectiveness of both teams. We will also discuss cross-team collaboration tips and techniques that have proven successful in the casino environment.
How to Implement Real-Time Casino Marketing Strategy Digitally
Interview with Darren Withers and Trevor TaylorIn this interactive session, we will analyze the challenges faced by the gaming industry in developing a comprehensive digital strategy and identify what factors have resulted in success. We also will demonstrate how you can easily incorporate a digital prospect list into an Omnichannel marketing path. Prepare for full engagement, as this session is designed to allow for an extensive Q&A period with our industry experts.
How to Cash in on Esports and Blockchain at Your Property
Panel moderated by Kevin Lemieux with panelists Stephen A. Crystal, Blaine Graboyes and Mick IngersollEsports and blockchain garners lot of attention in the gaming industry today, but what do they both hold in common? Millennials! Not only are they much more likely to adopt crypto currency, but they enjoy watching video games and betting on their favorite gamer. How can you leverage these solutions to tap into new markets and how will these new players differ from the traditional gambler?
Attend this panel for a closer look at the technologies, real-world implementations, potential revenue drivers and operational implications you should keep in mind as an operator.
Lunch
Big Data Combined with Thick Data in VIP Analysis
Presentation by Mick IngersollCasino marketers have more information at their disposal than ever before, but determining which elements of data to utilize as leverage to grow revenue can turn into a guessing game. Even when we win the guessing game and get it right with a blend of metrics, what elements of thick data can be incorporated to capture market share and better understand guests' behavior?
Learn to take a synchronized approach to your thick data with your big data to meet your targets year after year.
The Art of "Promotainment"
Interview with Jeremy Jakubowicz, Michael Michaud and Michael J. BroderickTraditional gaming, dining, and hotel promotions are the bread and butter of a casino’s promotional activity. However, as consumer entertainment options expand and evolve, competition for your players’ entertainment dollars has never been fiercer. Casinos are in the business of entertainment, so why shouldn’t your promotions add to the overall entertainment experience?
In this session, we will discuss strategies for designing and implementing interactive promotions, “Promotainment,” that generate positive guest interaction based primarily on the experience, rather than the result. We will also discuss techniques for quantifying the return on these promotions outside of the traditional post-forma.
Promotions with Emotions: Determining if Your Promotions Contain Emotions
Presentation by Michael LaffeyIn today's competitive casino environment, we tend to rely more on data, math, and predictive analytics than ever before. What we cannot do is rule out the emotional factor that today's selective players require to make playing decisions. You can use your data to figure out the emotional connections players have to your brand, your products, your people, and your prizes.
Here's a a quick way to find our if your promotions contain emotions: If the first thing out of a players mouth after a win is "can I have the cash," that should answer your question! Using the data and resources at your disposal to make connections with guests drives loyalty and creates relationships with players.