Representatives from 18 countries get together in Switzerland from 5-10 October 2006 for the 19th CAI Casino Conference.

From 5 – 10 October 2006, representatives of Casinos Austria’s 75 casinos in 18 countries got together in Switzerland for the Casinos Austria International Casino Conference.

This year’s Conference proved a truly memorable experience for all participants with speakers including Dr. Philipp Boksberger from the Institute for Tourism and Leisure Research in Chur, Switzerland on Customer Value Based Management, Dr. Martin Hagleitner from the renowned Management Zentrum St. Gallen on Corporate Governance, Walter Junger from Walter Junger & Friends in Berlin with a highly insightful presentation on Current Trends in F&B and Professor Gerhard Meyer from the University of Bremen on The Effectiveness of Exclusion in helping to deal with problem gamblers.

Practical sessions included in-depth sessions on the various different cashless casino systems in use throughout the Casino Austria Group as well as the pros and cons of outsourcing F&B services or handling them internally in a casino environment.

On a lighter note, the 2006 Conference also included a somewhat different tour of the Swiss casino landscape by air with a breathtaking sightseeing flight through the mountain peaks and some absolutely stunning views of the Matterhorn on a perfect autumn day. The group also took a boat trip on Lake Lucerne and a ride in the worlds steepest cogwheel railway up Lucernes very own mountain: Mount Pilatus. With a maximum elevation of 2,132 meters, Mount Pilatus offers fantastic views of the Alps and Lake Lucerne.

An annual event in the Casinos Austria International calendar, the Casino Conference gives CAI‘s casino managers an opportunity to meet with corporate management and invited industry experts for an intensive week of training, focused, in-depth discussions and knowledge exchange. Each meeting spotlights a specific issue and takes place either in conjunction with a key industry event (such as the G2E in Las Vegas) or is hosted by one of the company’s newest casino locations.

The 2006 conference was jointly hosted by Grand Casino Luzern and Allegro Grand Casino Kursaal Bern, two of the most successful casinos in Switzerland and two of Casinos Austrias six casinos in the country. In 2006, Grand Casino Luzern was voted „Swiss Casino of the Year“ for the second time in three years.

Casinos Austria International is a leading player in the international casino industry. As of October 2006, CAI and its parent company, Casinos Austria AG, operated 75 casinos in 18 countries and on board 10 luxury cruise liners, and has two further casinos under development in Serbia and Chile. In 2005, the two companies posted revenues (wins, registered tips, entrance) of 1.17 billion euro (+17.1 ), welcomed a total of 18.5 million guests (+6.9 ) and employed around 10,400 staff (+13 %).

For further information, please contact:
Hermann Pamminger
Head of Corporate Relations and Customer Care
Phone: +43 1 534 40 524
E-mail: hermann.pamminger@casinos.at