The North American edition of SBC’s highly-successful virtual conference and exhibition series takes place on July 14-16 2020, with content and associated networking sessions from the Land-Based track spread across all three days.
Opening the event is In Conversation With Jay Snowden, which will see the President & CEO of Penn National Gaming interviewed by Roger Gros of GGB Magazine about the state of the industry and the steps his company is taking to move forward after the recent months of disruption.
Also happening on day one is The Next Generation of Venues session, featuring a panel that includes Seth Schorr (CEO, Fifth Street Gaming). Panelists will share insights on how to develop sportsbook offerings at casinos and also explore whether settings such as sports bars, arenas and stadiums are realistic options as sports betting venues.
Attention then turns to the market north of the border, with the Single-Event Sports Betting in Canada: The Time is Right session, which will assess the chances of sports wagering being legalized and also look at the prospects for the industry in Ontario. Panelists include Paul Burns (Founder & CEO, Canadian Gaming Association) and Don Bourgeois (Principal, Gaming & Regulation Group), with Amanda Brewer (Principal, ABCo Ltd) in the moderator’s chair.
There is also a perfect opportunity for delegates with an interest in the Canadian market to make valuable new business contacts at the Future of Canadian Gaming networking session, which counts Carrie Kormos (Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, Gateway Casinos), Doug Pollard (CEO, Pollard Banknote Limited), and Ron Segev (Founding Partner, Segev LLP) among the featured guests and Terry Debono (Partner, The Debono Group) as the moderator.
Day two’s content includes Time to Shine? The New Sporting Outlook, which will see a panel of senior executives examine whether unusual sports markets, such as table tennis and Nicaraguan soccer, that came to prominence during the shutdown of the major leagues can continue to attract money from bettors. Dustin Gouker (Head of Content, US, Catena Media) chairs a panel that includes Bryan Bennett (COO, Betfred USA Sports) and Edward Moed (CEO, HPL Digital Sports).
It is followed by a Tribal Gaming networking session, which will be an open discussion about how the tribes are coping with the unique challenges of 2020 and whether they are ready to take advantage of the emerging sports betting opportunities.
The focus will stay on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tribal casinos during day three’s Assessing the Tribal Gaming Landscape conference session. Jonodev Chaudhuri (Partner, Quarles & Brady LLP), Conrad Granito (General Manager, Muckleshoot Casino), James Wise (VP of Marketing & Sports, Firekeepers Casino), and Sheila Morago (Executive Director, OIGA) will share their ideas for how tribal casinos can recover from their huge financial setback and return their operations to normal.
Another crucial part of the gaming ecosystem is under the spotlight on the final day of SBC Digital Summit North America, with the State of Play - US Lotteries During COVID-19 session, sponsored by IGT. Bishop Woosley (Director, Arkansas Lottery), Gregg Edgar (Executive Director, Arizona Lottery), Gordon Medenica (Director, Maryland Lottery and Gaming), Charles McIntyre (Executive Director, New Hampshire Lottery), and May Scheve (Executive Director & President, Missouri Lottery) will assess how badly the ability of state lotteries to raise funds has been hit by the shutdown and what steps they can take to mitigate the effects.
The final networking session of the day is Women in Gaming, co-hosted by All-In Diversity Project and Global Gaming Women. The featured guests taking part in this discussion about the issues affecting women in the industry include Virginia McDowell (Board Director, GVC Holdings), Christina Thakor-Rankin (Founder, All-In Diversity Project), Ellen Whittemore (Executive Vice President, Wynn Resorts), and Trish Lewandowski (Sportsbook Manager, Caesars Entertainment), with Christie Eickelman (VP of Global Marketing, Gaming Laboratories International LLC) acting as moderator.
Sue Schneider, SBC’s VP Growth & Strategy, Americas, said: “Commercial casinos, tribes and lotteries have all taken a huge financial hit from the COVID-19 shutdown, so it has never been more important for the industry to work together to find ways to recover and start to rehire the workers who have been laid off.
“The Land-Based track at SBC Digital Summit North America will play a role in the process. The senior executive speakers include some of the gaming industry’s most innovative thinkers and their ideas on how to collaborate and move forward over the second half of the year will be invaluable.”
SBC Digital Summit North America will use an advanced technological platform to allow delegates in their homes and offices to access high-level conference content, explore the latest sports betting innovations, and connect with people from across the industry.
The conference element of the virtual trade show includes four further tracks - Regulatory, Online, Innovation, and Sports. Each of them have associated themed networking sessions, which will provide delegates with a straightforward way to connect with operators, suppliers, and affiliates from their part of the gambling industry.
Delegates can also view market-leading products from international suppliers at the 30-booth interactive exhibition, which will be accompanied by a program of product presentations, workshops, and exhibitor activities throughout the three days. Staff from the suppliers will be available to answer questions, conduct product demonstrations and talk business.
