Fourth Annual General Manager & Casino Executive Exchange
February 12-14, 2017
Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA

This event will bring together GMs and Casino Executives from Tribal-owned casinos for two+ days of professional, moderator-led round table discussions, small group break-out sessions, peer-to-peer dialogues and plenty of networking opportunities. This is a C-Level event to build alliances within your industry. The General Manager & Casino Executive Exchange is about the expressing of common concerns and the sharing of information.
This is an outstanding prospecting opportunity for our Forum Partners to meet and establish professional connections in a casual environment with GMs and Casino Executives who have discretion over multi-million dollar budgets. The time and costs associated with this event are small when compared to those for coordination of travel and scheduling on your own; the opportunity to connect with so many members of this prestigious crowd would take months.
This is not an exhibit hall style event. Exclusivity and access to these General Managers & Casino Executives is the key for each Forum Partner to maximize their ROI. Forum Partner Executives will be with the attendees during scheduled meetings, meals and all social events.
Please call us at 201-857-5333 for more information.
Highlights from our 2017 Event!

Hotel Information
Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines
10950 North Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037
+1-858-558-1500
Fourth Annual General Manager & Casino Executive Exchange
February 13th-14th, 2017
Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines – La Jolla, CA
Sunday, February 12th
7:30 – 8:30 PM
Opening Welcome Reception –Fairway Terrace
As you arrive at this hotel featuring spectacular views of the world-famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and the breathtaking views of the coastline, please join us Sunday evening to unwind at a Welcome Reception on the Fairway Terrace. Enjoy a glass of wine and light hors d’oeuvres under the stars as you re-connect with old friends and eagerly meet new ones.
Sign up sheets for 1-on-1 meetings will be made available at the registration desk.
General Managers and Casino Executives will have the opportunity to meet with our Partners for one-on-one meetings throughout the event in a designated area. Sign-up sheets will be available starting on Sunday, February 12th at the Opening Welcome Reception for you to schedule a time to meet if desired. These meetings are completely voluntary and for all General Managers and Casino Executives who participate in a minimum of three (3) one-on-one meetings, you will be entered into a Grand Prize drawing to win a $500 AMEX gift card to be announced prior to the golf outing departure on Tuesday.
Monday, February 13th
7:30 – 8:30 AM
Conference Registration and Breakfast in the Fairway Foyer and Terrace
8:30 – 8:45 AM
Welcoming Remarks in the Fairway I & IV Ballroom
Justin O’Connor
President
Native Nation Events, LLC
8:45 – 9:30 AM
The Importance of Employees’ First 30 days: Hiring and Keeping Great Employees
This interactive session will cover specific programmatic solutions to increasing employee retention, training staff for excellence at all levels and reducing turnover. Topics include:
- Designing or improving programs for onboarding and training stellar employees.
- Understanding the qualities and abilities necessary to hire the right recruiters, trainers, and onboarding specialists.
- Designing an employee’s first 30 days: Simulation activity in the spirit of “Undercover Boss.”
- How effective onboarding and employee training affects Customer Satisfaction.
Stephanie Licata
Managing Director of Training & Business Development
Native Nation Events-Leadership Solutions Group
9:30 – 10:15 AM
Market Saturation in the Gaming Industry
As the gaming industry has continued to expand and mature around the country, there have been increased concerns about market saturation. Get the latest, cutting-edge research on the topic with Dr. Alan Meister, an economist who specializes in gaming industry analysis. Dr. Meister will review the essential concepts and principles related to market saturation, how to measure it, and methods for assessing whether it exists in current, expanding, and potential gaming markets. Dr. Meister will also discuss the practical implications of market saturation.
Dr. Alan Meister
Principal Economist
Nathan Associates
10:15 – 11:45 AM
Interconnective Speed Session in the Upper Fairway Garden
At this round robin style event, Forum Partners will have the opportunity to sit and speak with all participating General Managers & Casino Executives for an allotted amount of time while enjoying a coffee refresh and beverages. This event will provide exposure to a larger number of people in a short amount of time and give you the opportunity to introduce yourself and your company early on which will allow you to build on your relationship during the event.
11:45 – 12:45 PM
Lunch in the Fairway Garden
12:45 – 1:30 PM
Awareness & Preparation – Liability & Training
- What does the culture in the U.S. look like today vs. 20 years ago?
- Do you have armed staff? Have you validated their training?
- Are your training programs sufficient enough to withstand a lawsuit? Would your employees agree?
- What is the advertised response from local or on-site law enforcement?
- Is your organization prepared and properly trained to effectively respond to an Active Threat event?
Michael Biller
President/Chief Operating Officer
Tomahawk Strategic Solutions
1:30 – 2:15 PM
Executive Mindfulness
Some of the largest most well-known organizations invest in mindfulness training for their top level executives. Companies such as Google, Aetna, Target, and Intel sponsor specific initiatives to bringing mindfulness to the workplace.
The results? “It has decreased people’s stress levels while improving focus and clarity, listening and decision-making skills, and overall well-being. Perhaps most importantly from a management perspective, mindfulness gives employees permission to think. Mindfulness is the essence of engagement. Being fully present — and allowing your team to be fully in the moment — will reap rewards on a personal and professional level.” – Harvard Business Review 12/28/15.
This interactive mindfulness training includes strategies for:
- Achieving Mental Clarity in the Midst of Chaos.
- Self-Motivation for the Executive.
- Becoming your role: what you can do with 5 minutes to yourself.
- Impacting workforce behavior AND the bottom line through emotional intelligence.
Jim Stroker
Training Specialist
Native Nation Events-Leadership Solutions Group
2:15 – 2:30 PM
Break in the Fairway Foyer
2:30 – 3:15 PM
Increasing Revenue In Today’s Slow/No-Growth Market
- National Gaming Trends/Forecasts.
- Is additional revenue achievable? At what cost?
- Increasing bottom line while maintaining revenue.
Jay Sarno
President
Jay Sarno & Associates Analytics
3:15 – 4:00 PM
It’s the Gambling, ______!!!
- Mike Meczka has conducted research projects for and consulted with scores of tribal and non-tribal casinos. In the process, the MMRC team has interviewed hundreds of thousands of casino patrons.
- Along the way, Mike discovered a universal truth coining the phrase, “It’s the Gambling, Stupid!” as a constant reminder of what is most important to player and operator alike.
- Mike will share his learnings regarding how well or not casinos know their patrons, as well as his views on free play, millennials, high hold games, players club rewards and the most profitable gaming segments, to name a few. Casino practices that patrons cite as negatively impacting their loyalty and their casino experience.
- This Casino Marketing Lifetime Achievement Award honoree will throw down the gauntlet testing current casino strategies.
Michael A. Meczka
President
Meczka Marketing Research and Consulting, Inc.
4:00 – 4:45 PM
Closing Master Executive Coaching
Executive Coach Stephanie Licata will facilitate a live individual and group executive coaching forum to create a tangible strategy and goals for bringing information back into the workplace.
Stephanie Licata
Managing Director of Training & Business Development
Native Nation Events-Leadership Solutions Group
4:45 PM
Day 1 Concludes
5:30 – 7:00 PM
Cocktail Reception
Sponsored by Imagine This
Join us on the Ballroom Terrace from 5:30-7:00 pm for an evening reception full of a wide variety of hors d’oeuvres and carving stations. Prior to embarking on your dinner plans, you’ll have time to unwind and mingle while enjoying live entertainment and a full bar that will feature a bourbon tasting of some of the top bourbons in the country.
Tuesday, February 14th
7:30 – 8:15 AM
Breakfast in the Fairway Terrace
8:15 – 8:30 AM
Energize: Morning Habits of Great Executives
This quick wake up session will get you energized for the day and give you insight on simple strategies that can dramatically impact your ability to create results.
Jim Stroker
Training Specialist
Native Nation Events-Leadership Solutions Group
8:30 – 9:30 AM
Core Business Issue Exchange
This interactive consultative session will support General Managers and Casino Executives in zeroing in on core business issues that they would like to find tangible solutions for. It involves interactive sharing of various perspectives from other peers in the industry to solve the business issues that are most pressing for you and your casino now.
Stephanie Licata
Managing Director of Training & Business Development
Native Nation Events Leadership Solutions Group
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Exceeding Customer Expectations
This session was voted one of the top two keynotes in the world by the Meeting Professionals International Association in 2011. Casinos can no longer have the goal of simply meeting the guest’s expectations; the goal today must be to exceed them. What does that look like from the guest’s perspective? Brad will entertain you with great stories and hilarious examples of businesses that step out of the box and find ways to “Wow” the guest. You will learn about how guests create their perceptions of your employees and your entire organization. Learn why exceeding guest’s expectations is as simplistic as changing one or two critical behaviors and being consistent with those behaviors. You will walk away with actionable information with which to make changes the very same day. The goal is to turn apathetic guests into advocates, who promote your casino to others. Plus, your regular guests come back more frequently – the end result is a potential 20% increase in revenue. Topics include:
- Using Pedestal Words
- How People Judge Us
- Three Guest Level Types
- The Three Levels of Listening
- Creating Emotional Attachments
- Perception Becomes the Guest’s Reality
Brad Worthley
Owner
Brad Worthley International
10:30 – 11:00 AM
Wrap Up & Support
Over the last two days, you’ve been able to sit back and have some inspiring and thought provoking conversations with your peers and other experts. Now we will discuss the ideas you take and next steps.
- Design a short-term immediate action plan to tackle your current #1 business challenge.
- Create a structure for leveraging the mentoring and networking relationships you’ve made during the exchange.
- Invitation to follow up through virtual communities provided by Native Nation Events.
Stephanie Licata
Managing Director of Training & Business Development
Native Nation Events Leadership Solutions Group
11:00 AM
General Manager & Casino Executive Exchange Ends
11:15 AM
At 11:15 am the bus will depart for our 12:30 Shotgun Start to the beautiful Maderas Golf Club which is one of only two San Diego courses named to Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Courses in the U.S.
12:30 PM
Golf Scramble/Boxed Lunch
Sponsored by CIS Technology & MGT-Micro Gaming Technologies, Inc.
A Johnny Miller masterpiece, Maderas Golf Club offers both beauty and challenge as it winds through the cliffs, rock outcroppings, creeks, and multi-million dollar homes of San Diego’s inland hill country. After we will gather back at the bar for some libations and food and hear the winners of the long drive, closest to the pin and several other prizes for this fun but yet slightly competitive outing!
Forum Partners
Exclusive Monday Night Dinner/Reception Sponsor
Exclusive Golf Outing Sponsors
Corporate Partner
“It was very informative and a great way to network.”
– Bruce K. Barnett, CEO, Otoe-Missouria tribe/ 7 Clans Casino
“Great opportunity to gather information, contacts and information from those who work in the Gaming industry.”
– Aaron Moss, General Manager, Black Oak Casino Resort
“Very valuable.”
– Deana Scott, General Manager, Redwood Hotel Casino
“As a GM or CEO this conference is invaluable in many ways, especially the face time with the many vendors represented at the conference.”
– Glenn Smithson, General Manager, 7 Cedars Casino/Jamestown
“Great job providing a forum to connect with the GMs. The event offers valuable insight and good interactions between vendors and decision makers.”
– Mark Bryant, President, Micro Gaming Technologies
“This is a great chance to meet GMs and have good 1-1 time with them. It’s a great conference run by great people.”
– Ralph Thomas, Chief Data Scientist and General Manager of Gaming & Strategy, VizExplorer Software
“This is a great opportunity to meet with different GM’s, from both existing customers and prospective customers. I’ve already recommended this Exchange to other vendors.”
– Craig Brown, Senior Sales Account Manager, VGT
“I enjoyed this very much and will attend others in the future!”
– Bruce McKee, CEO & General Manager, Firekeepers Casino
“It is a rare enjoyment to be in the company of top tier operators that are willing to share their valuable insights. The facilitators did a masterful job orchestrating and keeping us on task and productive.”
– Scott Sirois, General Manager, Soboba Casino
“Fantastic! Where else can you get in front of dozens of GMs for two days with no interruption?”
– Linda Roe, Vice President Client Development, TBE Architects (Thalden Boyd Emery)
“Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?”
– Chris White, Gaming Director, 7 Clans Casino
“Not only were the presentations awesome, but the roundtable input from the incredible brain-trust and experience around that table was invaluable beyond words. To hear what worked and what didn’t work, with hard data to back it up…..it just can’t be duplicated anywhere else.”
– Dave Matheson, CEO, Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel
“Great event – perfect on time and number of days.”
– Che Downs, General Manager, Kickapoo Casino
“Great exchange. Good interactions. Liked the group sharing ideas.”
– Kathy George, Hotel Manager, Firekeepers Casino Hotel
“Well run and attended by GMs.”
– Eric Tom, Executive Vice President Global Sales, IGT
0 - C
- 7 Cedars Casino
- 7 Clans Casino
- 7 Clans First Council Casino Hotel
- Agilysys
- Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa
- Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort
- Apache Gold Casino Resort
- Apsaalooke Nights Casino
- At Work Uniforms
- Atrient, Inc
- Augustine Casino
- Black Oak Casino Resort
- Blackhawk Casino
- Brad Worthley International
- Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino
- Cache Creek Casino Resort
- Camel Rock Casino
- Casino Arizona Talking Stick Resort
- Casino Pauma
- Chinook Winds Casino Resort
- CINTAS Corporation
- CIS Technology, Inc.
- Clarabridge
- Cliff Castle Casino (Yavapai-Apache)
- Coeur D’Alene Casino Resort Hotel
- Colusa Casino Resort
D - L
- Dakota Connection Casino
- Dakota Sioux Casino and Hotel
- DataSpade
- Diamond Mountain Casino and Hotel
- Eagle Design Group
- Eagle Mountain Casino
- Eclipse Gaming Systems
- Feather Falls Casino
- Fire Rock Casino
- FireKeepers Casino
- First Data Corporation
- GT Advertising , LLC
- Harrah’s Phoenix Ak-Chin Casino
- Harrah’s Resort Southern California
- Hidden Oaks Casino
- IGT
- Imagine This
- KeyBank
- Kickapoo Casino Harrah and Shawnee
- Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino
- KlasRobinson, Q.E.D
- Lac Vieux Desert Casino
- Little Creek Casino
- Little River Casino Resort
- Lode Star Casino and Hotel
- Lucky Dog Casino-Skokomish Tribe
- Lucky Eagle Casino
M - R
- Market Metrix
- Mazatzal Hotel & Casino
- MiCamp Solutions, LLC
- Micro Gaming Technologies, Inc. MGT
- Morongo Casino, Resort, & Spa
- Muckleshoot Casino
- Nathan Associates, Inc.
- Native Insight, LLC
- Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise
- Navigators Global, LLC
- Northern Ute Indian Tribe
- Northern Winz Casino
- Palm Springs Spa Resort Casino
- Paradise Casinos
- Pechanga Development Corporation
- Plasma Air International
- Potawatomi Hotel & Casino
- Power Strategies
- Prairie Wind Casino
- Quinault Beach Resort & Casino
- Red Fox Casino & Bingo
- Redwood Hotel Casino
- River Spirit Casino
- Robinson Rancheria Resort & Casino
- Route 66 Casino Hotel
S - Z
- Santa Ana Star Casino
- Santa Claran Hotel & Casino
- Seven Feathers Casino Resort
- Skokomish Indian Tribe
- Sky Ute Casino
- Smashburger
- Snoqualmie Casino
- Soaring Eagle Casino
- Soboba Casino
- SVT
- Sycuan Casino
- Talking Stick Resort
- TBE Architects (Thalden Boyd Emery)
- The M&M Group
- The Point Casino
- The Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
- Thunder Valley Casino Resort
- Thunderbird Casino
- Tohono O’odham Desert Diamond Casino
- Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reservation, California
- Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort
- Ute Mountain Casino Hotel and Resort
- Valley View Casino
- VGT
- Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
- Viz Explorer (Formerly BIS²)
- Wells Fargo Bank
- Yakama Nation Legends Casino