Racing & Gaming Symposium’s tentative agenda released

The University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program
on Thursday released the tentative agenda for the 2013 Global Symposium on Racing &
Gaming to be held December 9-12 at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson,
Arizona.

Scheduled topics cover a wide range of issues and include:

Current Legal and Policy Issues in Racing and Gaming

Speakers will look at topics that have moved across the
radar screen of policymakers, regulators and operators. Speakers will address
issues like Florida’s Gretna case; the rise of geolocation as a regulatory tool;
the status of interstate Internet poker and other gaming in the United States; the
possibility of federal legislation on medication in racing; and how the seismic
change in the SARP in Ontario has changed the landscape and outlook for that
province and the cautionary tale it provides.

New Strategies in Regulating Racing

Racing regulators face the same problems as other
stakeholders. Budgets require doing more with less, which in some cases has led
to doing things differently — more efficiently, more transparently and more
creatively. One strategy calls for out-of competition investigation and testing
to help insure integrity. But in creating an out-of-competition testing scheme,
regulators face new issues, privacy issues, confidentiality issues and others
need to be addressed, to name just a few. This panel will address these issues
and more.

New Ways to Look at Numbers

Sports fans are traditionally a group of people who have an
insatiable hunger for facts, figures and statistics. Racing is a sport that is
data rich but that attribute hasn’t been marketed. Panelists look at new data
that could be presented to the racing audience, new ways to present the
information we currently provide as well as how all of it can be used to attract
new customers and increase the frequency of current players.

From Bridge Jumpers to Bettin’ the Chalk

From the creators of “JOCKEYS” comes a new racing-based
reality show, but this time it’s the handicappers who are the stars. Get a sneak
preview of the characters and story line for their new project, “HORSEPLAYERS,”
from the executives from Go Go Luckey Entertainment.

The Mark Kaufman Workshop presented by the Turf Publicists
of America

Pro-Active and Re-Active reporting: How can racing control
the message instead of the message controlling us?

Handicapping Contests — Are They an Area of Real Growth in
the Racing Industry?

Handicapping contests are attracting a lot of attention and
a lot of players. Learn about the different mindset and strategies of the
tournament player as compared to the traditional pari-mutuel player and find out
how to cater to them. You’ll also get a perspective on the track’s and ADW’s
goals for the tournaments as well as the results.

Being Prepared

Planning for the “worst case” scenario is a must today for
all businesses. From large tracks on their biggest international days to a
weekday at a small track with only simulcast racing — tracks must have a plan
in place for a myriad of “what if” situations. Speakers will address security
issues and strategies for preparing for the unexpected that are appropriate for
organizations of all sizes.

Horse Racing and Social Gaming — The Untapped Potential

Social Gaming has exploded over the past five years. From
games like Candy Crush Saga and Words with Friends to Zynga Poker and IGT’s
DoubleDown Casino, more people are playing and making money on social games than
ever before. Panelists will explain how the racing industry can tap into this
fresh new market.

Muckraking Journalism as a Positive Force — The Second
Annual Presentation of the Stan Bergstein
Writing Award

At this year’s Symposium, Team Valor will present a $25,000
award to the writer of a story embodying the work of the late Stan Bergstein, a
columnist and racetrack executive who worked tirelessly to promote horse
racing and shine a light on integrity issues. Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin
will lead a discussion with journalists on timely horse racing topics
and the importance of addressing issues for the good of the industry.

Cyber Security (or Lack Thereof)

As the Internet has grown, so have the threats to Internet
security and e-commerce. Current issues range from DDoS (distributed
denial-of-service), infiltration, and social engineering to hacking. The racing
industry must be prepared for a wide variety of security challenges. Panelists
will identify and explain the potential threats, their impact on business
operations and solutions to greatly reduce the risks.

Collaborating on Track Safety

Participants from the 12th Annual Track Superintendent’s
Field Day held at Del Mar report on the latest technologies affecting track
maintenance, as well as other issues presented at the August conference.

Speed Networking

Don’t miss this new opportunity to participate in a fast
moving event designed to put you in contact with a number of other racing
executives. Speed networking is a meeting format designed to accelerate business
contacts and involves multiple people who gather in order to exchange
information. Participants greet each other in a series of brief exchanges and
share their professional backgrounds and business goals thus giving them
exposure to new markets and/or expansion of their pool of vendors.

Workshops

Event Marketing — Building an Event to Grow Your Racing
Brand

Aftercare — Managing and Supporting the Business of
Caring; Racehorse Aftercare

Check for updates on panel sessions, speakers and events by clicking
here. The
early bird registration deadline to save $100 is
October 14. Those registering online can save an additional $50.

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