A PUBLICATION OF THE INNOVATION GROUP        
NEWSLETTER  |  December 18, 2018
IN THIS ISSUE

ELG NEEDS YOUR INPUT FOR 2019 PLANNINGSurvey
When The Innovation Group (TIG) formed the Emerging Leaders of Gaming (ELG) program in 2012, the goal was to provide promising young professionals an extra advantage for leadership opportunities and advancement in the highly competitive gaming, entertainment, leisure, and hospitality industries. Over the last seven years, ELG has experienced tremendous growth, diversifying across industry segments and reaching jurisdictions worldwide. 

TIG has answered this growth by expanding ELG networking opportunities beyond its annual event at Global Gaming Expo, launching a webinar series and continuing to develop new content for its ELG newsletter. An especially exciting update this year was formalizing the ELG partnership with  Global Gaming Business  magazine around its marquee program to create a combined "Emerging Leader of Gaming 40 Under 40." On the heels of this success, The Innovation Group is excited to begin planning additional updates for ELG in 2019 and we need your help!
 
It's our intention to take ELG to the next level, with expanded mentoring and networking opportunities, and even a new look. To help inform our plans, we're asking you to complete the brief survey below to get your feedback about what you've liked about the program, what you've found helpful and, most of all, what else you'd like to see the program offer. We hope you'll take a few minutes to respond so we can shape our future plans in a way that provides additional value and resources to you as you strive to achieve your professional goals.
FEATURES
Building a Network Throughout Your Gaming Career Feature
by Mick Ingersoll, 
Senior Manager, Education, Atrient
with Heather Lee, Media Marketing Associate, Atrient

"It's a small industry where everyone knows everyone," said every person I've ever known in the gaming business. They aren't wrong though. Coming up on the operations side and spending my most recent years on the vendor side, I've had the opportunity to see how connected we all are on a global level. There's tremendous opportunity to build partnerships and learn from one another but it can be overwhelming to people who are working to connect and build a network. We're an industry where workers are transient and company acquisitions often dictate paths that make it hard to keep track of one another. Global Gaming Expo (G2E) and ICE Totally Gaming are my favorite two weeks of the year because they're like family reunions where we all get together again. Heather Lee, an industry newcomer who has found her calling in gaming, and I collaborated to share our observations on navigating the personal conduits that stretch from company to company.

ICYMI
Watch Video of our 
ELG Webinar "Machine Learning in Practice: Applications for the Gaming Industry"  WebVideo
Luis Serrano
Head of Content
Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Udacity
Brian Wyman, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President
Operations & Data Analytics
The Innovation Group
During this session, mathematician, software engineer and data scientist Luis Serrano provided a primer on machine learning, breaking down the basics and providing examples of real world successes in practice. Following his presentation, Serrano and Wyman discussed machine learning in gaming, looking at forward thinking applications already at play and the vast opportunity that lies ahead. Visit our web page to view the video and download presentation materials.
10 Trends in 2019: Machine Learning TenTrends
For more on the applications of machine learning in gaming, check out Brian Wyman's contribution to Global Gaming Business magazine's recent 10 Trends for 2019 feature.
New Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40
FortyUnderForty

In early October, The Innovation Group (TIG) and its partners at Global Gaming Business magazine announced the 2018-19 Class of Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40, which recognizes gaming industry professionals under the age of 40 already making significant impacts on the casino gaming industry. Michael Soll, president of The Innovation Group noted that "Awareness of the Emerging Leaders program continues to grow... and [produce] an increasingly more diverse class of rising executives each year." Take a look  at the next generation leaders from the commercial, tribal, supplier and regulatory sectors that were honored this year during during Global Gaming Expo 2018.
Super Amenities in Asia  SuperAmenities
There is no doubt that the non-gaming amenities in today's integrated resort projects have been consistently gaining more weight of capital spend on a global basis. And these non-gaming projects continue to get bigger, bolder and better. Whether it's through sheer development size or diverse and dramatic elements, non-gaming amenities have evolved into something more than just a necessary evil and financial loss-centers for IRs. Super amenities have arrived - and they're here to stay. Learn more in this recent piece for Inside Asian Gaming by TIG's Michael Zhu and Mike Vanaskie.
Featured "Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40"Featurees

Julia Boguslawski
Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Investor Relations
AGS



Dustin Thomas
Director of Compliance
National Indian Gaming Commission


Joyce Arpin
Senior Vice President, Finance and Treasurer
Caesars Entertainment Corp.
Elaine Ho
Executive Director of Regional Premium Account Management
Marina Bay Sands
Being part of Emerging Leaders of Gaming has been an incredible honor, and has facilitated networking with the people who will be running the industry in 5-20 years."
 
-- Brett Abarbanel, Ph.D.
Director of Research
UNLV International Gaming Institute
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
ARTICLES OF INTEREST  InterestingArticles
WHAT WE'RE UP TO

PRESS:  Press
  • TIG SVP Michael Zhu recently spoke about the opportunity for gaming operators around ESports and VR.  "These can be a meaningful tryout for diversifying offerings at integrated resorts. It is at least a good option to spread risks," said Zhu. Read the full article from GGR Asia here.

EVENTS & CONFERENCES:  Events

PROJECTS:   Projects
  • New findings in an economic impact study produced by The Innovation Group show the Gun Lake Tribe has contributed $1.5 billion to the Michigan economy between 2011 and 2017. Learn more in this article and news segment or download the full report here.
  • The Innovation Group congratulates Choctaw Nation on its announcement of plans to break ground this spring on a major expansion of its Durant, Okla., casino and resort property that will more than double the number of guest rooms and create 1,000 jobs. Learn more at NewsOK.com.
STAY CONNECTED WITH EMERGING LEADERS:
ABOUT US
Emerging Leaders of Gaming has established itself as the go-to network for young professionals assuming the next generation of leadership in gaming, entertainment, hospitality, food and beverage, tourism, and leisure. We continue to support the growth and development of these rising stars as they achieve their fast-track to success, destined to fill tomorrow's senior-level and C-suite management positions.  

For more information, contact amccoy@theinnovationgroup.com or visit our page.



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