NEWS

LAS VEGAS (July 5, 2005) – In just its second year, Casino Marketing: The 2005 Conference has grown into a truly global affair, with attendees coming from the United States, Canada, Austria, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, Australia and Costa Rica.

More than 300 top marketing and gaming professionals representing more than 120 commercial, tribal, local and mega-casinos and gaming support companies are expected at the three-day summit, July 17-19 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Amy Henry of TV’s “The Apprentice” will kick things off at the opening night reception July 17. Her keynote address is titled "Speak Up, Step Up, Move Up: Business and Life Lessons Learned from The Apprentice.” She has spent the past 10 years working for leading technology companies across the United States.  She is the author of the book, “What It Takes: Speak Up, Step Up, Move Up.” An estimated 27 million viewers watched Henry in action as the “last woman standing” on the reality show, “The Apprentice.”

Jim Rogers, CEO and President, Kampgrounds of America, and a former senior executive with Harrah’s, will share his unique perspective, “What I Learned About Casino Marketing Around the Campfire,” at the July 19 luncheon keynote. His career in the hospitality industry started nearly 30 years ago when, as a new graduate from the University of California-Berkeley, he joined Kampgrounds of America, Inc., as a management trainee. In 1978, he went to work for Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., where he served as vice president of marketing, director of marketing and promotions and senior financial analyst before being named senior vice president and general manager of Harrah’s Reno in 1994. He returned to KOA in January 2000 to become the president and CEO.

View the full lineup and register online at www.casinomarketing2005.com. This marks the fourth partnership between Reno-based Raving Consulting and Ascend Media Gaming Group, the gaming industry’s business-to-business media leader. They have presented Casino Marketing and the Northern Nevada Gaming Summit the past two years; and will join forces again to present Raving’s 8th Indian Gaming National Marketing Conference, Nov. 7-9, 2005, at Grand Casino Hinckley, Hinckley, Minn.

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Media information and registration contact Stephen Gibbs, Ascend Media Gaming Group Marketing Director, 913-344-1334, sgibbs@ascendmedia.com