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BingoWorld 2009 Conference
BingoWorld 2009 features an all-new streamlined conference program that will help you maximize your bingo hall revenues in these challenging times. You won’t want to miss a minute of the conference action that includes 12 full hours of sessions and three special extended programs, all included in your BingoWorld registration fee:
Sellin’ Paper and Callin’ Balls, a popular half-day customer service workshop on March 3 led by Raving Consulting’s Steve Browne, featuring all-new subject matter for 2009!
Bingo and the Internet, a new three-session program on March 4 designed to explore the popularity of bingo as both a money game and a free-play game on the Internet, and to help you maximize the marketing potential of your hall’s Web site.
Bingo University, an intensive hands-on marketing workshop on March 4; workbooks will be provided to each attendee.
Schedule at a Glance
Tuesday, March 3
· 7:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Registration Open
· 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Sellin’ Paper and Callin’ Balls
· 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. BingoWorld Conference Sessions
· 1:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. BingoWorld Conference Sessions
· 5:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Welcome Reception/Exhibits open
Wednesday, March 4
· 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Registration open
· 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Bingo and the Internet
· 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Bingo University
· 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Exhibits open
BingoWorld Conference Program
Current as of February 18, subject to change
Tuesday, March 3
9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Sellin' Paper and Callin' Balls
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
New Politics, New Economics…New Opportunities?
A new administration with the prospect of new appointments to key bodies such as the National Indian Gaming Commission and the Department of the Interior creates the potential for change on many key issues. Meantime, states are running a collective deficit of $71 billion and are looking for new ways to raise revenue and cut costs, and the charitable sector has a new case for liberalized rules to enhance their ability to raise funds while easing the pressure on state budgets. This session will examine what all of these new factors mean for bingo operators across the board.
Moderator: Charles Anderer, Group Publisher, Gaming, BNP Media
Speakers: Philip N. Hogen, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission; Ravi Mehta, Managing Partner, Capitol Advocates; Victor Rocha, Owner/Editor, Pechanga.net
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Networking Break
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Class II Gaming: The Road Ahead
After many years of industry and government-to-government debate, new technical standards for Class II gaming machines along with new minimum internal control standards for tribal casinos were imposed last fall, creating a new environment for vendors and operators alike. This session will consider the impact of new rules and standards, the real cost of compliance and the prospect of new legal challenges and/or congressional action to address the remaining concerns of the various stakeholders in tribal gaming.
Moderator: Charles Anderer, Group Publisher, Gaming, BNP Media
Speakers: Tracy Burris, Gaming Commissioner, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians; Norm DesRosiers, Vice-Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission; Aaron Rubin, Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, VGT, Inc.
11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Networking Break
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Bingo Mexico
Mexico’s Class II gaming establishments have emerged, over the past few years, as one of the fastest growing new markets in the world. Mexico’s licensed gaming operators have created a new trade group – The Association of Gaming and Sweepstake Licensees (Associacion des Permissionarios des Juegos y Sorteos) and the government is in the process of developing a state-run certification process. This session will examine the state of Class II gaming in Mexico and the efforts to build a legal and regulatory framework will impact it today and in the coming years.
Moderator: James Rutherford, Editor, IGWB
Speakers: Charles Harrison, Managing Director, Harrison & Montoya Associates; Jorge G. Santistevan, Managing Partner, Santistevan Abogados, S.C.; Karen Sierra-Hughes, Manager, Latin America/Spain Development, Gaming Laboratories International
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Bingo Hall Survival in Today’s Financial Crisis
If you have to cut costs, where do you cut? If you have to cut or reschedule staff, how do you do it? These and a variety of other crucial questions, including how to offset dwindling attendance and whether or not to reduce advertising, will be the focus of this session. Hall managers from Canada and Las Vegas and from tribal bingo games will share their thoughts and experiences.
Moderator: Michael Capen, Gaming Laboratories International
Speakers: Scott Gothberg, Bingo/Pulltab Manager, Mystic Lake Casino; Dennis Kronberger, General Manager, Bingo Palace; Mike McMillan, Business Development Manager, American Games
Marketing in Your Community on a Shoestring Budget
In this session, industry expert Stephen R. Kaplan will review the tools you already have – telephones, faxes, computers, staff, volunteers, charities and players. He will offer an analysis of free and nearly-free community facilities that could be available to you. And finally, he will provide concrete suggestions to combine these tools with the community to increase your awareness, your attendance and your revenues.
Speaker: Stephen Kaplan, President, The Bingo Game Group
Reinvent and Rebuild Your Bingo – Part I
This special session has already been described as the “Seminar of the Decade,” and is so large that it will be offered in a rare two-part format. It will include an analysis of customer service, prize structure and game formats; offer a proven method to find and keep new players; provide a program to recruit, train and retain volunteers and paid staff; and send attendees home with solid steps to take toward bingo hall profitability.
Moderator: Larry Farrell, Consultant, Planet Bingo/3rd Rock Gaming
Speakers: Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director, Ontario Charitable Gaming Association; Steve Waller, Retail Products Division, Planet Bingo
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Networking Break
2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
New Bingo Technology: How It Can Help You
New bingo technologies have been designed to allow your bingo hall to compete in a challenging environment. Whether offered or not in your jurisdiction, knowledge of what is available better prepares you to work with your regulators and politicians. Electronics alone or with paper have been proven to increase revenue. This session will allow you to intelligently discuss your needs and the capabilities of the various manufacturers as you visit them in the BingoWorld exhibit hall.
Moderator: Andrejs (Andy) Bunkse, President, Catalyst Strategies Group LLC
Speakers: Eric Casey, Sales Manager, Planet Bingo; Tamara Dietrich, Managing Director, Electronic Bingo Manufacturers Association; Dirk Schillebeeckx, Founder and President, Kodiak Entertainment
In-House Marketing: It Will Work For You
In many cases, in-house advertising and marketing has been forgotten. It is, however, both inexpensive and one of the most effective ways to publicize your activities. This session will explore the use of fliers (what makes an effective flier?) and television monitors (which can earn extra revenue dollars), the proper placement of signage (to recognize winners among other things), the use of word puzzles to amuse your players and much, much more.
Speaker: Clyde Bock, Manager, Imperial Bingo Connection
Reinvent and Rebuild Your Bingo – Part II
This is a continuation of the “Seminar of the Decade” that began with Part I in the previous hour. It will include an analysis of customer service, prize structure and game formats; offer a proven method to find and keep new players; provide a program to recruit, train and retain volunteers and paid staff; and send attendees home with solid steps to take toward bingo hall profitability.
Moderator: Larry Farrell, Consultant, Planet Bingo/3rd Rock Gaming
Speakers: Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director, Ontario Charitable Gaming Association; Steve Waller, Retail Products Division, Planet Bingo
3:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Networking Break
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
Accounting and Finance: The Basis of Success
Whatever the size of the bingo hall, accountability of paper and cash is essential to overall success. That success is based on trust – by your players, by your staff and by your regulators. This workshop will review the basics of bingo hall accounting and finance, including creating a budget, explaining both the obvious and hidden costs, developing profit margins and creating successful game programs.
Moderator: Steve Waller, Retail Products Division, Planet Bingo
Speakers: Jan Linkhart, Bingo Manager, Three Rivers Casino; Michael Menefee, Game Training & Licensing Manager, Division of Charitable Gaming, Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Across the Ages – Managing the Young and the Old
The generation in which a person is born affects everything about him or her including tastes, ethics, beliefs and work style. The ability of a bingo hall to succeed is, therefore, largely dependent on developing positive attitudes and behaviors in all staff, paid or volunteer, despite their differences in age. Managers having a clear understanding of these differences will be better equipped to oversee staff and to reach the financial objectives of the hall.
Speaker: Frank Bellis, Principal, The Pharos Group, LLC
New Life for Your Bingo Hall!
This is a live chat room/open forum in which both the questions and answers are provided by those attending the session. What can be done, based upon the size and budget of your hall, to use layout, paint, lighting, sound, monitors, tables, chairs and floor coverings to create a cleaner, brighter and happier environment? This session will allow you to look at your bingo hall from a completely new and different perspective.
Speaker: Terrie Hendrix, Bingo Manager, Swinomish Casino
Wednesday, March 4 – Special Concurrent Programs
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
The Hottest Game on the ‘Net
Bingo is prospering as a live Internet game in many jurisdictions around the world, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden and others. With more than 250 online bingo sites already operating, many are predicting that bingo will be the next Internet poker. This roundup will examine bingo’s performance as an Internet gaming product in these markets and review how the industry is changing as a result.
Moderator: Scott White, President and Chief Executive Officer, Parlay Entertainment Group
Speakers: Andrew Branscombe, Chief Executive Officer, TheGamingNetwork.com; Patrick Duffy, Managing Director, Palatial Leisure/Palace Bingo; Lara Wood, Director of Marketing, Emerging Brands, Atlantic Lottery Corp.
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. Networking Break
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Internet Bingo – A New American Tradition?
Although online bingo games for money have yet to be offered in the United States, operators in several states have pushed for change, and it may only be a matter of time before this option becomes available. The sagging economy and governments’ need for revenue could be all it takes to open the floodgates. In the meantime, the popularity of bingo as a free play online game has risen significantly. Speakers in this session will examine what is happening in the U.S. and how the free play model benefits the bingo industry.
Moderator: Victor Rocha, Owner/Editor, Pechanga.net
Speakers: Anthony N. Cabot, Partner, Lewis and Roca LLP; Mark Herrmann, Chief Operating Officer, GameLogic; Trent Schwartz, Managing Director, Gabdab.com
11:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Networking Break
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Your Bingo Hall and the Internet
Even if providing live games on the Internet isn’t an option, bingo halls should be taking full advantage of what the Internet offers. The ability to fully market and promote your games at very little cost, especially in today’s economy, is one very tangible benefit. At the very least, operators should keep a customer database and reach out to those customers on a regular basis. You can provide coupons, special offers and a virtual wealth of information online. Experts in this session will help you simply and effectively build a Web site and provide ways for you to best utilize that site.
Moderator: Patricia McQueen, Events Editor, Gaming, BNP Media
Speakers: Terry Debono, Partner, The Debono Group; Scott Gothberg, Bingo/Pulltab Manager, Mystic Lake Casino; Art Harnack, Bingo Manager, Westside Gymnastics Parents Club, Sunset Bingo
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Bingo University- Marketing
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
BingoWorld’s third annual Bingo University continues the tradition of a successful hands-on, interactive learning experience in classroom-style environment, featuring exercises and plenty of time for feedback. The goal is tangible learning and giving you the tools you need for success in your jobs. Attendees will be issued workbooks, be encouraged to interact continuously with instructors and moderators, and will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the workshop in recognition of their efforts.
Three specific areas will be discussed:
1. Getting to Know Your Players
Find out what your customers want and give it to them – sounds like the perfect recipe for effective marketing. But do we really listen to our customers or are we making decisions based on what bingo managers want? And how do we know what our customers are looking for in the bingo experience? During this session, we’ll talk to a few dedicated bingo players, find out the questions you should be asking your players and show you how to conduct your own customer focus groups.
2. Marketing to Your Target Audience
This subject area will help you understand who you’re trying to reach and how to make use of proper planning using the most effective marketing tools, including direct mail, advertising, free publicity and word-of-mouth to drive more players to your bingo hall and to keep revenues coming through the door. We will share proven marketing strategies to help you attract new players and keep the players you have coming back.
3. Bingo Promotions for All Seasons
We’ll look at the ways bingo operators are keeping the game fresh, fun and exciting with year-round promotions. The presenters will examine effective promotions from around the world of bingo, and encourage participants to brainstorm and share their own creative ideas. Remember, it’s not about reinventing the wheel, it’s about finding out what works and tweaking it to make it yours
Introduction: Lou Hilford, President, Loudon Consultants
Moderator and Speaker: Toby O’Brien, Vice President of Marketing and Client Services, Raving Consulting Company
Additional Speakers: Nicole Barker, President, Barker Enterprises; Clyde Bock, Manager, Imperial Bingo Connection |
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Bingo University’s popular marketing workshop returns.
Learn more
Explore bingo’s place on the Internet, and learn how to maximize your hall’s Web site. See the whole program here.
Confirmed speakers as of February 18:
Charles Anderer, Group Publisher, Gaming, BNP Media
Nicole Barker, President, Barker Enterprises
Frank Bellis, Principal, The Pharos Group, LLC
Clyde Bock, Manager, Imperial Bingo Connection
Andrew Branscombe, Chief Executive Officer, TheGamingNetwork.com
Steve Browne, President, Raving Service
Andrejs (Andy) Bunkse, President, Catalyst Strategies Group LLC
Tracy Burris, Gaming Commissioner, Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
Anthony N. Cabot, Partner, Lewis and Roca LLP
Michael Capen, Gaming Development Representative, Gaming Laboratories International
Eric Casey, Sales Manager, Planet Bingo, Inc.
Lynn Cassidy, Executive Director, Ontario Charitable Gaming Association
Terry Debono, Partner, The Debono Group
Norm DesRosiers, Vice-Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission
Tamara Dietrich, Managing Director, Electronic Bingo Manufacturers Association
Patrick Duffy, Managing Director, Palatial Leisure/Palace Bingo
Larry Farrell, Consultant, Planet Bingo/3rd Rock Gaming
Scott Gothberg, Bingo/Pulltab Manager, Mystic Lake Casino
Art Harnack, Bingo Manager, Westside Gymnastics Parents Club, Sunset Bingo
Charles Harrison, Managing Director, Harrison & Montoya Associates
Terrie Hendrix, Bingo Manager, Swinomish Casino
Mark Herrmann, Chief Operating Officer, GameLogic
Lou Hilford, President, Loudon Consultants
Philip N. Hogen, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Commission
Stephen Kaplan, President, The Bingo Game Group
Dennis Kronberger, General Manager, Bingo Palace
Jan Linkhart, Bingo Manager, Three Rivers Casino
Mike McMillan, Business Development Manager, American Games
Patricia McQueen, Events Editor, Gaming, BNP Media
Ravi Mehta, Managing Partner, Capitol Advocates
Michael Menefee, Game Training & Licensing Manager, Division of Charitable Gaming, Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services
Toby O’Brien, Vice President of Marketing and Client Services, Raving Consulting Company
Victor Rocha, Owner/Editor, Pechanga.net
Aaron Rubin, Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs, VGT, Inc.
James Rutherford, Editor, International Gaming & Wagering Business
Jorge G. Santistevan, Managing Partner, Santistevan Abogados, S.C.
Dirk Schillebeeckx, Founder and President, Kodiak Entertainment
Trent Schwartz, Managing Director, Gabdab.com
Karen Sierra-Hughes, Manager, Latin America/Spain Development, Gaming Laboratories International
Steve Waller, Retail Products Division, Planet Bingo
Scott White, President and Chief Executive Officer, Parlay Entertainment Group
Lara Wood, Director of Marketing, Emerging Brands, Atlantic Lottery Corp.
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