Below is the 2011 program sessions for you to recapture the excitement we had last year.
Tuesday, 7 June
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM (Tuesday, 7 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Global Markets Forum
Macau: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Gaming stakeholders the world over continue to marvel at the record-setting revenues coming out of Macau. Despite the challenges presented by an increasingly complicated VIP process, restrictions on growth and employment uncertainties, the Macau market remains one of the most vibrant in the world. At this session, leaders of the local industry will examine the challenges and opportunities facing this market today and discuss why cooperation between casino operators will be essential to maintaining the current level of success.
Moderator: Anthony Lawrance, CEO, Intelligence Macau
Speakers: Kevin Clayton, executive vice president, marketing operations, Sands China Limited; Gavin Isaacs, chief executive officer, Shuffle Master, Inc.; Gary Pinge, senior vice president, regional head of consumer & gaming research, Macquarie Securities
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Tuesday, 7 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Global Markets Forum
Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines
The Southeast Asia market is maturing. With the Ho Tram Strip under construction, how will Vietnam's first integrated resort impact the market when it opens in early 2013? With casinos legal in the Philippines since the 1980s, the new chairman of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has mentioned privatizing the government agency, but has already opened opportunities to outside gaming companies. And in the transitioning Cambodian market, will political leaders allow their casinos to become all they can be? Learn about these fascinating markets in this session.
Moderator: Paul Bromberg, chief operating officer, Spectrum OSO Asia Ltd
Speakers: Timothy McNally, chairman of the board, NagaCorp; Cristino L. Naguiat, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer, Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR); Lloyd C. Nathan, chief executive officer, Asian Coast Development Ltd
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM (Tuesday, 7 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Global Markets Forum
Song of Singapore: One Year Later
In this session, experts will examine the Singapore gaming experience and discuss the nation's casino regulations, gaming potential and social impact now that two integrated resorts have been fully open in Singapore for more than a year. Additional topics for discussion include why revenues have met and exceeded expectations; and the impact on tourism, non-gaming businesses and the community.
Speakers: Sean Monaghan, senior consumer & gaming analyst south east asia, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited; Thomas Arasi, president and CEO, Harbinger Advisers, L.L.C.
2:45 PM - 3:45 PM (Tuesday, 7 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Global Markets Forum
North Asia: South Korea, Taiwan and Japan
North Asian countries represent the least penetrated areas of the region's gaming market. Learn why foreigners-only casinos in South Korea may expand and whether Taiwan is truly considering implementation of a law permitting integrated resorts. As the debate continues in Japan, does legalization move closer and is their competition or opportunity to be found in the nearby gaming zones of Russia and Mongolia? Find out more about these growing markets during this session.
Moderator: Jonathan Galaviz, chief economist, Galaviz & Company LLC
Speakers: Jeffrey Jones, chairman, Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Advisory Board; Andrew Klebanow, principal, Gaming Market Advisors; Norman MacKillop, managing director, macau, Spectrum OSO Asia, Ltd.; Toru Mihara, director of center for amusement industries studies, Osaka University of Commerce
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Tuesday, 7 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Global Markets Forum
Down Under: Australia and New Zealand
Once the largest gaming industry on the Pacific Rim, the casino industries in Australia and New Zealand are now under siege. A social backlash against the purported negative effects of gaming is impacting the clubs and the pokies around the region. Large casinos are viewed as tourist attractions, but restrictions on VIP business puts them at a disadvantage when competing with more convenient Asian casinos. At this session, learn about possible changes and improvements in the market.
Moderator: Peter Cohen, director regulatory affairs, The Agenda Group
Speakers: Chris Downy, executive director, Australasian Casino Association; Danny Gladstone, CEO, Ainsworth Game Technology; Nigel Morrison, CEO, SkyCity Entertainment Group
Wednesday, 8 June
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM (Wednesday, 8 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Middle Management Track
Budgets That Work: Living Within Your Means
With soaring gaming revenues in Asia, there is often little emphasis on cost control as demands for more service in almost every department outweighs the expense. But at some point, revenues will flatten and expenses will get more attention. At this session, experts will explain how to build budgets that can handle growth but also create efficiencies that can adjust quickly to any situation.
Speaker: Cory Morowitz, chairman & managing member, Morowitz Gaming Advisors, LLC
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM (Wednesday, 8 June; Room: Naples 2705)
Senior Management Track
Non-Gaming Amenities: Something for Everyone
In most cases, Asian casinos are developed not only to create jobs, tax revenue and infrastructure, but also to attract tourism and meeting, incentive, convention and events (MICE) business. This session will address what non- gaming amenities have proven to be valuable to the Asian visitor. Are integrated resorts the answer with meeting space, entertainment, gourmet dining and high-end retail or will a more segmented approach, which develops those amenities outside the gaming setting, prove more successful? Learn how and why different jurisdictions and operators have approached their non-gaming business during this insightful session.
Moderator: Mary Mendoza, managing director, Platinum Limited – Platinum Marketing Solutions and PrintCare
Speakers: Ed Bowers, vice president global gaming development, MGM Resorts International/MGM Hospitality; Dean Macomber, CEO, Fontana Hot Spring & Leisure Parks; Niall Murray, director of operations development, Joint Ventures & Business Development,Sociedade De Jogos De Macau, S.A.; Sunny Yu, vice president, entertainment & project, Melco Crown Entertainment Limited
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM (Wednesday, 8 June; Room: Naples 2703)
General Session
VIP Vision: How Junkets Work Across Asia
VIP junkets drive the casino business in Asia. Whether it's Macau, Singapore, the Philippines, Cambodia or elsewhere, the ability to bring groups of high-level players to a property is crucial. What is also crucial is to understand how the system works in each country - what the economic and regulatory procedures are and how players are satisfied so they return again and again. At this session, experts in the field
will examine this system and its regional nuances for your benefit.
Moderator: Ben Lee, managing partner, IGamiX Management & Consulting Ltd
Speakers: Shaun McCamley, managing director, APC Management; Luis Mesquita de Melo, Gaming Lawyer; Samuel Tsang, chairman, Century Legend Group
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Wednesday, 8 June; Room: Naples 2705)
Senior Management Track
Protecting the Investment: Risk Management and Compliance in the Gaming Industry
Casino operators in Asia certainly are caught in the middle when it comes to compliance. The western ideals of compliance are often somewhat different in Asia. At this session, learn how Asian operators are dealing with ever-increasing regulatory and compliance requirements and how licensing, procedures, marketing and client acquisition can be affected by these standards. This can’t-miss session will provide real strategies and approaches for managing compliance issues within your gaming organization.
Moderator: Fredric Gushin, managing director, Spectrum Gaming Group
Speakers: Jonathan Galaviz, chief economist, Galaviz & Company LLC; Ian Hughes, senior director of engineering & client services, Gaming Laboratories International (GLI); Glenn McCartney, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Macau
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Wednesday, 8 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Middle Management Track
Taking the Floor: The Ideal Mix of Tables, Slots and Amenities
Designing the layout of a casino floor is both an art and a science. The floor must be aesthetically appealing as well as economically profitable. In Asia, the proliferation of tables makes the layout a bit more complex. And when you add the new electronic tables to the mix, the possibilities are endless. During this session, learn how to identify the perfect balance of slots with live and electronic tables for your facility and customer.
Moderator: Roger Gros, publisher, Global Gaming Business
Speaker: Catherine Burns, managing director & vice president, asia pacific, Bally Technologies, Inc; Ben Lee, managing partner, IGamiX Management & Consulting Ltd; Steve Rittvo, chairman, The Innovation Group of Companies; Pete Wu, general manager, vice president of operations, Sands Macao, Venetian Macau Limited
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Wednesday, 8 June; Room: Naples 2705)
Senior Management Track
Electronic Table Games: From Single Machines to Stadium Seating
The popularity of table games across Asia sometimes makes it difficult for those players who can't afford the higher limits or who may be intimidated by crowds surrounding live-action play on the floor. The solution to capturing these and many other lost segments is the electronic table game. With simple instructions, straightforward betting and a similar level of excitement, these e-games can often be a big profit center. Learn about the different opportunities offered by different tables and how each may enhance your casino floor.
Moderator: Roy Student, president, Applied Management Strategies
Speakers: Jens Halle, managing director, Novomatic; Matt Hurst, vice president, gaming machines, City of Dreams; Ken Jolly, vice president, Asia, Shuffle Master Asia Ltd; Tim Richards, vice president of product management, Interblock-USA
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Wednesday, 8 June; Room: Naples 2703)
Middle Management Track
Working for a Living: Hiring—and Keeping—Casino Resort Staff
In Macau and Singapore, there are requirements about hiring locals to staff the casinos. In both jurisdictions, however, most citizens who want to work in a casino already are doing so, which makes it a difficult process to attract—and retain—new, reliable employees. At this session, experts will explain how they cope with the regulations as well as how they maintain morale and create advancement opportunities for local employees.
Moderator: William Wong, Técnico Especialista, Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT)
Speakers: Trevor Martin, senior vice president, Human Resources & Administration, Galaxy Entertainment Group; Dato' Dr. Alan Soh, senior advisor, Dimension International College
Thursday, 9 June
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM (Thursday, 9 June; Room: Naples 2703)
General Session
The Chinese Consumer: How to Appeal to the Regional Giant
Like the proverbial 800-pound gorilla, the Chinese market dominates the Asian gaming industry—and its importance is not likely to diminish. Understanding your customer is the foundation of any successful marketing program. At this session, learn about regional and cultural differences in Chinese consumers as well as successful ways to appeal to the country's growing middle class.
Speakers: Desmond Lam, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing, University of Macau; Ricardo Siu, Ph.D., associate professor of business economics, University of Macau
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM (Thursday, 9 June; Room: Naples 2703)
General Session
Legal Language: Gaming Law Issues in Macau
Macau's experience in gaming law is relatively new, but there are many issues that gaming attorneys in the SAR will be considering over the next few years. During this session, experts will examine the legal impact of the proposed Macau smoking ban, the increase in age for admission and employment in Macau casinos from 18 to 21, the ramifications of the distribution of Stanley Ho's equity in SJM, the licensing and regulatory structure of the VIP market and much more.
Speaker: Jorge Godinho, associate professor, faculty of law, University of Macau; I. Nelson Rose, professor of law, University of Macau, Whittier Law School
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (Thursday, 9 June; Room: Naples 2703)
General Session
Finding Finance: Following the Money
Many large casino companies operating in Asia now have a publicly-traded security, providing access to the equity capital markets. With the rise of the Asian gaming industry in Macau, Singapore and elsewhere, the ability to raise capital is more important than ever -- for growth and new project financing as well as refinancing existing debt. At this session, financial advisors, capital markets experts and chief financial officers of some of the major gaming companies will discuss the health of industry balance sheets, how market conditions impact share prices and the ways that gaming companies can access the debt capital markets. The availability and sources of investment capital also will be reviewed.
Moderator: Adam Rosenberg, managing director, global head of gaming group, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Speakers: Thomas Arasi, president and CEO, Harbinger Advisers, L.L.C.; Robert Drake, group chief financial officer, Galaxy Entertainment Group; Eric Greenberg, managing director, Goldman Sachs & Co. (Asia); Sean Monaghan, senior consumer & gaming analyst south east Asia, The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited