Agenda
12.00 Welcome and Registration
12.00 – 13.00 Lunch
13.00 – 13.05 Opening Remarks
Ron Goudsmit, ECA Chairman and Secretary Executive Board at Holland Casino, The Netherlands
13.05 – 13.20 Keynote Speech
Ellen Hausel Heldahl, Swedish Ministry of Finance
As holder of the EU Presidency in the run up to ICC 2010, Sweden is in the driving seat of the EU debate on gambling and has an important say on the shaping of future policy developments in this area. Ellen Heldahl of the Swedish Ministry of Finance represents the Presidency on the Council Working Group on Gambling, which was initiated in 2008. Prior to being replaced by Spain as the succeeding EU Presidency in January 2010, the Swedish Presidency will present a progress report to the Council in December on the work done by the Council Working Group, which will also include recommendations for the next Presidency on how to proceed on the issue of gambling.
In her speech, Ms Heldahl will offer insights into the status of the regulatory debate on gambling, the work accomplished by the Swedish Presidency in that respect and what it believes should be done in the coming months. In doing so, she will set the frame and direction for the subsequent EU panel session, providing an excellent starting point for the panellists and discussions to build on.
13.20 – 14.00 EU Gambling Regulatory Framework: Quo Vadis?
Panel Session
How gambling will be regulated at EU level in the future remains a topic of much controversy – despite the important clarifications brought by the European Court of Justice's "Santa Casa" ruling. A number of Member States have already begun reviewing their national gambling frameworks, yet the approaches they have chosen seem to differ fundamentally. Many questions remain unresolved, and the contradictory positions of the different stakeholders offer a clear indication of just how challenging it will be for the EU institutions to devise a common framework solution.
This panel brings together national regulators, legal experts and representatives of European institutions at the forefront of influencing change in Brussels for a frank discussion of regulatory trends and perspectives for the European gambling sector and an assessment of the options for a common solution.
Moderator:
Philippe Vlaemminck, Partner, Vlaemminck & Partners, Brussels, Belgium
Panellists:
Ellen Hausel Heldahl, Ministry of Finance
Gilles Crespin, Director Authorisation and Supervision, Autorité de Régulation des Jeux en Ligne (ARJEL)
Francesco Rodano, Head of Remote Gaming, AAMS, Italy
Michael Aendenhof, Belgian Permanent EU Representation
Reuben Portanier, CEO, Maltese Lotteries and Gaming Authority
14.00 – 14.30 Paul Steelman Masterclass
Speaker Session
The world’s leading designer of entertainment, hospitality and gaming architecture paints a visionary image of a future in which casinos will take their place as entertainment destinations of choice. In doing so, he takes a critical look at how casinos need to change to compete against the array of other entertainment offers on the market.
Established in 1987, Steelman Partners crafts exemplary casino/resort designs for an ever-increasing global market, with well over 2500 designed projects worldwide, including The Sands Macau - the first Las Vegas style casino in the People's Republic of China.
Speaker:
Paul Steelman, CEO, Steelman Partners
14.30 – 15.15 The Future of Gaming in Europe and Beyond
Panel Session
The gaming industry is currently undergoing a period of fundamental change. Boundaries are shifting, new companies and opportunities are emerging on the market and everyone is seeking to secure their own share of the pie. Yet the size of the market is also being influenced by regulators, whose driving force is the well-being of the population at large.
- So how big is this extended gaming market really and what role do national and EU regulators and lawmakers play in determining the size of the gaming pie?
- Who wants – and will actually get – the different pieces of the pie?
- What developments are already underway and what can be expected in the future?
- How will consumers react to these changes?
Moderator:
Ron Goudsmit, ECA Chairman, Secretary Executive Board at Holland Casino, The Netherlands
Panellists:
Paul Herzfeld, CEO, Casinos Austria International
Dick Flink, CEO, Holland Casino
Annette Kok, President, Euromat
Olivier Ou Ramdane, CEO, SPS
Mark Davies, Managing Director Betfair
Jurian van der Meer, Head of International Gaming Business Development, Endemol
15.15 – 15.30 Coffee Break
15.30 – 16.15 Innovate or Die – The Supplier Perspective
Panel Session
It’s not even on the market yet, but it will happen and it will change the face of gaming.
- How do gaming industry suppliers view and influence industry trends?
- What is the current focus of their R&D spend?
- Have R&D policies changed as a consequence of the global economic crisis?
- How do they see the situation in their customers’ casinos and what developments do they expect in the coming year?
- How much research is done into player preferences in each market?
- What new machine and systems technologies will be introduced in the coming year?
Moderator:
Benjamin Chilcott, CEO, Iris
Speakers:
Marcus Prater, Executive Director, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM)
Gerhard Burda, Senior VP Gaming Solutions, GTech
Kurt Quartier,V.P. International Casino Markets, IGT
Daniel Lindsay, GM Europe, Aristocrat Technologies Europe
16.15 – 16.45 Loyalty: Marketing Play or Strategic Tool?
Speakers Session:
Loyalty can, of course, help casino operators grow revenues from thier existing customers, but what are the real benefits of such loyalty programmes? How do such programmes help casinos develop an in-depth understanding of who their customers are, how they behave and what they really want? And when they have this knowledge, how can they then use it to change the way they attract new players and create real business growth? How can loyalty programmes complement and work hand-in-hand with responsible gaming activities and regulations? In this customer services oriented session, loyalty programme developers, strategists, industry experts and operators take an in-depth look at the pros and cons of customer loyalty systems in a casino and gaming environment and illustrate how casinos can use this intelligence to transform their gaming portfolio and the services they offer.
Moderator:
Benjamin Chilcott, CEO, Iris
Speakers:
Andrew Webb, Managing Director, VIAGE
Dennis Conrad, President, Raving Consulting Company
Thanasis Tsatsoulis, Marketing Director, Club Hotel Casino Loutraki
Richard Noble, Chief Operating Officer, Aspers Group Limited
16.45 – 17.30 Social Media: A New World of Virtual Opportunity?
Speaker Session
- With revenues from (non-gaming) activities on social networking sites expected to top $1bn in 2009 and $1.6bn in 2010, everybody seems to want a share of the action. But do virtual social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and YouTube really represent a new marketing tool for real-life casinos?
- What are the opportunities (and risks) of tweeting and blogging? Who in the industry is already marketing their products on these sites?
- How are they doing so? What are the critical success factors of marketing via social media?
Moderator:
Hermann Pamminger, ECA Spokesperson and Corporate Head of Marketing at Casinos Austria International
Speakers:
Martin Blach, CEO, Zum Goldenen Hirschen
Yseulys Costes, President, MilleMercis
17.30 – 17.40 Closing Remarks from the Chair
18.30 - 21.00 ICC Party sponsored and hosted by The Ritz
