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NEWS
LAS
VEGAS (July 8, 2004) – The inaugural “Casino Marketing 2004: The
National Conference,” July 25-27, 2004, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel
and Casino in Las Vegas, is drawing a stellar line-up of nearly 50
speakers and presenters from every segment of the gaming industry.
Topping the bill is a richly diverse mix of keynote presentations.
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Tom
Bedell is the CEO of Pure Fishing, the world’s largest
fishing equipment manufacturer based in Iowa, with numerous
manufacturing plants and retail distribution centers all over
the globe. He was tabbed to run the family business, then called
Berkley, Inc., by his father, four-term U.S. Rep. Berkley Bedell,
in the mid 1970s. The business was failing, and as a U.S.
Congressman, Berkley Bedell no longer had time to tend to
business affairs. Tom’s previous business experience had been
selling Guatemalan clothes out of the back of his Toyota to earn
spending money while at Stanford. Using a unique customer- and
employee-focused strategy, Tom Bedell rescued Berkley and
aggressively grew it into what is now Pure Fishing. The company
has acquired a number of competitors by seeking out similar
family-based fishing equipment manufacturers that share its core
values. In his July 27
luncheon address, he will reveal how he created the
“biggest and best” from a “mom and pop” start.
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Marilyn
Winn, Senior Vice President of Harrah’s Las Vegas
Operations, will deliver the July
26 luncheon keynote address on “Current Marketing
Challenges of the North American Gaming Industry.” She is
responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of both
Harrah’s Las Vegas and the Rio, which combined have more than
7,800 employees. Winn has been with Harrah's Entertainment, Inc.
since 1988. She has held various executive positions, including
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Senior Vice President
and General Manager of Harrah’s Shreveport Hotel-Casino in
Louisiana, and Vice President of Human Resources for the
company’s Southern Nevada operations.
-
Ginny
Shanks, Senior Vice President of Acquisition Marketing for
Harrah’s, will provide the opening night keynote on July 25. Shanks oversees the nationwide
casino promotions, brand marketing, motor sports, strategic
alliances and market research for the company’s 26 properties.
She previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing for
Harrah’s western division, where she developed and implemented
strategies to drive incremental revenue growth, customer
retention and loyalty efforts. Shanks is a recipient of the
Chairman’s Award for outstanding performance in 1997 and also
received the company’s highest executive award, the Corporate
Excellence Award, in 2000.
The
two-day conference lineup is equally diverse and rewarding,
featuring nearly 50 top marketing leaders from inside and out of the
gaming industry. To view the full lineup of session topics and
speakers, and to register, visit http://www.casinomarketing2004.com.
“Casino Marketing 2004: The National Conference” is co-produced
by Raving Consulting and Ascend Media Gaming Group, with the support
of Signature Sponsor IGT and Acres Gaming.
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Media
information and registration contact Stephen Gibbs, Ascend Media
Gaming Group marketing manager, 913-344-1334, sgibbs@ascendmedia.com
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