FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2026

CONTACT:           
Tina Jordan
203-840-5384

Naomi Greer
202-637-6506

G2E CONFERENCE ADVISORY BOARD ENHANCED TO KEEP PACE
WITH EMERGING GAMING INDUSTRY GROWTH SEGMENTS 
Industry Leaders Will Help Shape Expanded Conference Program

LAS VEGAS— International and Native American gaming representatives, as well as senior executives from key growth segments in gaming such as food and beverage (F&B;) and casino resort design and décor, are among 16 new members recently named to the conference advisory board for Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2004.  The new members join representatives from the gaming industry as well as the regulatory, academic, financial and legal sectors on the 34-member board, which will help direct the development of educational content for G2E 2004, set for Oct. 5-7, 2004, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with the G2E Training & Development Institute being held Oct. 4.

One of the key additions to the advisory board is Ernest L. Stevens, Jr., chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association.  With Native American gaming interests playing an increasingly significant role in the evolution of the industry, Stevens will provide consultation on the direction and content of conference sessions dealing with a issues specific to this unique market. 

“The expansion of our conference advisory board demonstrates our continued commitment to strengthening the breadth and quality of informational content provided at G2E,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and chief executive officer of the American Gaming Association (AGA).  “As the largest, most comprehensive information interchange on the global gaming industry in the world, G2E’s conference program has evolved to keep pace with emerging trends in all areas of the industry over the last three years.  Our conference advisory board has also evolved, gathering some of the best minds in gaming and related industries to ensure that our education programs continue to be the bellwether.”

According to G2E Show Manager and Vice President Courtney Muller, several additions to the advisory board were made to coincide with the development of new features at G2E 2004.  With the planned debut of a unique special event F&B; at G2E, a culinary marketplace, as well as a new Design & Décor Pavilion, senior executives from each of these segments have been added to help shape the complementary conference sessions focusing on emerging issues in these sectors.

Rino Armeni, executive marketing director of Southern Wine and Spirits, will provide consultation on the new F&B; conference track.  A former executive at Caesars Palace, Disney World and Marriott Hotels who has been a leader in the F&B; sector for nearly 30 years, Armeni was the founder and first president of the Food and Beverage Directors Association of Nevada, as well as the Epicurean Club of Las Vegas, sponsor of F&B; at G2E.

Julie Brinkerhoff-Jacobs, president and chief financial officer of Lifescapes International, Inc., is also a new addition to G2E’s conference advisory board.  She will provide assistance in the development of the new design and décor conference track.  Brinkerhoff-Jacobs’ landscape architecture firm has designed more than 50 casino resort projects, including work on Agua Caliente’s new Rancho Mirage casino, Barona Casino Resort, Harrah’s Rincon, Spotlight 29 Casino, and several Las Vegas properties. 

G2E 2004’s conference program will also be expanded to offer increased educational opportunities related to the international gaming industry.  Several representatives from the international gaming community have joined the conference advisory board, including Sean Monaghan, gaming and wagering analyst at the Sydney, Australia branch of ABN AMRO, and David Marshall, international development and operations director at Accor Casinos in Paris.

Other new members to G2E’s 2004 conference advisory board include Ron Goudsmit, director of Holland Casinos; Walt Hawkins, director of public gaming at International Game Technology (IGT); Beverly Martin, executive director of the Gulf Coast Gaming Association; Kathleen McLaughlin-Harris, vice president of gaming development at Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.; Miguel Mikasinavec, managing director of IGT, Central and South America; Michelle Olesiejuk, executive director of the Gaming Standards Association; Lesley Pittman, vice president of corporate and government relations for Station Casinos, Inc.; Tom Reilly, eastern region vice president at Bally Gaming & Systems; Victor Rocha, editor of Pechanga.net; and David Schwartz, Ph.D., coordinator of the Gaming Studies Research Center University Libraries at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

“The talent, experience and diversity of our new and expanded conference advisory board is unprecedented,” Muller said.  “These members reflect the level of senior executives who attend G2E, so it is altogether appropriate that they shape the content for our program.  This group has insight into trends and developments across a wide range of topics important to the development of a successful gaming business, which ensures that our conference program is truly on the cutting-edge of this multi-faceted industry.”

G2E 2003 featured nearly 150 conference sessions, focused on a wide range of issues facing the modern gaming executive.  General topics included casino management and marketing, international expansion trends, the future of Native American gaming, emerging technologies, casino security and surveillance, and responsible gaming.

To register for G2E 2004 and to learn about the latest developments throughout the year, visit www.globalgamingexpo.com. 

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G2E is the international gaming trade show and conference “by the industry and for the industry.” Organized by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibitions, G2E made its debut in fall 2001, defining itself as the pre-eminent show for the gaming-entertainment industry. 

The AGA represents the commercial casino-entertainment industry by addressing federal legislative and regulatory issues.  The association also serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs, and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.

Reed Exhibitions is a world leader in creating high profile, targeted industry events where buyers and suppliers come together to do business.  Every year, Reed events bring together some 160,000 suppliers and over nine million buyers from around the world.  Today, Reed events are held in 35 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia/Pacific, and are organized by 30 fully staffed offices.  Reed’s portfolio of 470 events services 49 industries in 12 key sectors.

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