More than 1,200 members of Canada’s gaming industry are expected to converge on Montreal over the next three days (April 29-May 1) to attend the Canadian Gaming Summit.
The Summit is a three-day event consisting of over 40 workshops and seminars, more than 100 exhibitors of gaming products and services, and a charity awards gala.
“This is a unique opportunity to come together and discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping our industry today,” said Bill Rutsey, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), which is hosting the Summit. “The recently released National Economic Impact Study confirms that gaming is the country’s largest and most economically significant entertainment industry.”
Attendees will represent all aspects of Canada’s gaming industry, including casinos, horseracing, bingo, lottery, charitable, gaming equipment suppliers, legal and financial professionals, First Nations representatives, security experts, and many others.
Keynote speakers are Gary Loveman, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Harrah’s Entertainment, (April 30) and Allan Gregg, Chairman of Harris/Decima (April 29).
Other topics to be covered at the 12th annual Summit include amenities and entertainment in gaming, responsible gambling, security and surveillance, employee recruitment and retention, public opinion research, First Nations gaming, the role of technology in the sector, and many other areas.
New this year is the Standardbred Wagering Conference, the only event of its kind in North America to deal solely with the issue of Standardbred horse wagering. The 2008 Summit includes a one-day focus on charitable gaming in Canada called Our Changing Landscape, conducted in partnership with the Ontario Charitable Gaming Association and sponsored by Loto-Quebec. Taking place April 29, the conference will explore trends and directions in the country’s charitable gaming sector.
In addition, the Summit features the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Casino Security Directors, and a Legal and Regulatory Program.
The Summit will conclude with a charity gala to present the Canadian Gaming Industry Awards (May 1). The beneficiary for 2008 is Quebec Cancer Foundation, dedicated to improving “the quality of life of people with cancer and their loved ones through lodging, information and support services.”
“We are looking forward to another productive conference in Montreal,” said Mr. Rutsey. “We’ve got a full and robust agenda that includes the trends, challenges and ideas that are important to Canada’s gaming sector both economically and socially.”
The Canadian Gaming Summit is Canada’s preeminent annual gaming industry event, co-owned by and produced in partnership with MediaEdge Communications Inc. MediaEdge is a privately held Canadian company with offices in Toronto, Winnipeg, Vancouver and Gainesville, providing a full range of publication, trade show and conference services across multiple markets.
The Canadian Gaming Association represents the gaming industry’s leading operators, manufacturers, suppliers and other stakeholders nation-wide.www.canadiangaming.ca
Complete information on the 2008 Canadian Gaming Summit can be found at www.canadiangamingsummit.com.
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