Southern Gaming Summit 2009 Set For Important Renewal

BILOXI, Miss. (January 20, 2009) — The 16th annual Southern Gaming Summit will be presented by The Mississippi Casino Operators Association and BNP Media Gaming Group on May 6-7, 2009, at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center here. It is the largest American commercial gaming trade show held outside of Las Vegas, and provides an unmatched local voice for the industry.

This year, the Summit includes a total of 16 hours of educational sessions, covering a variety of topics including marketing and customer service, slot and table gaming, security and food and beverage. Other sessions focus on the political and financial outlook for the gaming industry and corporate social responsibility. In total, these topics plus two general sessions will make this year’s Summit a must-attend event.

“We have carefully developed our conference program this year to addresses topics that are extremely important in today’s economic environment,” said Beverly Martin, executive director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association. “Never has it been more critical to join together and share ideas so we all have a better understanding of how to weather this whole new kind of storm.”

As part of its conference program, Southern Gaming Summit has partnered with the Tulane University School of Continuing Studies to offer a Tulane Certificate of Attendance to those with validated participation in four Summit sessions: Customer Service as a Marketing Tool; National Economic Impact of Gaming; Managing Human Capital in a Downturn; and Loyalty Marketing in Tough Times.

The topic of supplier diversity returns after its debut last year, with a special session presented by the Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Center (MMBEC), a Federally-funded program by the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), operated by the Arkansas-Mississippi Minority Business Council.

Plenty of networking opportunities are also available at the Summit, not only on the exhibit floor but through the Taste of the South reception and other events for attendees, including golf tournaments and the welcome reception.

In all, the Summit’s unique mix of education, networking and southern hospitality make it a necessary event for anyone doing business in or interested in developing business in the region. With this dynamic audience, it’s no wonder that vendors are reaching out with exhibit booths, sponsorships and advertising opportunities; contact Lesley Grashow at grashowl@bnpmedia.com for more information.

Complete conference details are at www.sgsummit.com.

Media Contact: Beverly Martin, Executive Director, Mississippi Casino Operators Association; WINMCOA@aol.com or (228) 388-0087