Native American gaming leaders can look forward to a keynote on the future of tribal gaming, conference sessions providing practical, real-world solutions, one-of-a-kind networking opportunities and more as part of the programming focused on tribal gaming issues at Global Gaming Expo 2006.
G2E is scheduled for November 14-16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the G2E Training & Development Institute taking place November 13. “With the increasing success of resort-style tribal gaming properties and the ongoing regulatory issues that affect the industry, tribal gaming leaders are seeking innovative tools and solutions to help them remain competitive in the broader gaming landscape,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA).
After the successful debut last year of the first tribal gaming-focused keynote, G2E 2006 will once again turn the spotlight on these issues in Tribal Gaming Summit: The Future of Indian Gaming, the keynote panel scheduled for November 16. In a session with tribal gaming leaders, Ernie Stevens, Jr., chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) will moderate a panel discussion of the most pressing issues in tribal gaming today and their expected economic impact.
“Indian gaming continues to be the most successful economic development program for Indian country and is our best opportunity for tribal self-sufficiency and self-determination,” Stevens said. “
This year, the G2E Signature Series will take a closer look at important issues faced by tribal gaming professionals in the conference session Investing in Indian Gaming: Wall Street Is Watching which will examine how Class II gaming casinos can be financed and how to find investment capital without a management company, as well as the current Congressional mood and proposed regulations and legislation.
Sessions will treat issues such as how to maximize increasing amounts of leverage on Native American gaming enterprises, unusual project financings and how to handle the many non-registered issues in the market. They include The Money Train: Financing Indian Gaming, The Next Wave: Staying Competitive, Tribe-to-Business: Working with Tribal Governments, The Compacting Process: Does It Really Work?, Media Matters: Indian Gaming & The Press, Tribal Diversification: Investment Portfolio Strategies and more.
The conference track will not only survey the regulatory issues facing the industry, but provide a forum for new insights into the practical business concerns and strategies for running a successful tribal gaming operation as well. In addition, the G2E Training and Development Institute, scheduled for November 13, will address the specific challenges faced by tribal gaming operations by providing further, focused training in sectors such as operations, security and surveillance, marketing and more.
Native American gaming professionals also will have access to a host of networking opportunities at G2E 2006 designed to foster important business connections between gaming professionals from every area of the industry. Among them will be the Same Suit Networking luncheon for Native American leaders featuring Valerie Spicer, co-chair of the NIGA National Research Subcommittee, co-chair of the American
Indian Business Network and member of the NIGA Executive Committee.