Outside experts share insights at G2E 2017

Wednesday 23rd of August 2017

Global Gaming Expo (G2E), presented by the American Gaming Association (AGA) and Reed Exhibitions, will bring in leaders from neuroscience, marketing and generational studies to share their knowledge on how casino professionals can sharpen their leadership skills.

From October 2-5 in Las Vegas, attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leadership experts beyond the casino gaming industry who can help spur innovative and creative ideas. This year, G2E has increased its investment in outside speakers including:

Bill Benjamin, Institute for Health and Human Potential – Benjamin brings rare experience and a practical look at how the brain responds under pressure from his 25 years of real-world business experience.

Phil Gwoke, Generational Expert – A resident Gen Xer, Gwoke is a generational expert with Bridgeworks with years of experience on how to effectively communicate and collaborate across generational divides.

Jeff Hurt, Executive Vice President, Education and Engagement, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting – Hurt is one of the leading authorities in the association and meetings industry on adult education, association governance, conference design, digital events, participation experience, strategic thinking and transformative learning.

Kelly McDonald, Founder of McDonald Marketing – McDonald is considered one of the nation’s top experts in consumer trends, generational differences and leveraging the customer experience.

Dee O’Neill, SMART – Through her 15 years in research and clinical neuroscience roles, O’Neill helps people maximize their cognitive potential by facilitating high-performance brain training through the Center for BrainHealth-developed SMART program.

Tuesday, October 3

Kelly McDonald, founder of McDonald Marketing

How to Work With & Lead People Not Like You (11 AM): This session will identify key ways to effectively communicate, guide and lead a diverse workforce. Gaming leaders face daily the challenges of inspiring, communicating and executing strategy with their teams. Regardless of gender, age, life stage, race, ethnicity or even communication preferences, attendees will learn to create a deep, values-based connection between associates, clients and prospects.

Changing Demographics and How this Affects Your Business Today and Tomorrow (2 PM): One-in-three Americans is not white. Four states have "minority majority" populations. Young people increasingly are opting not to get married. Asians have the highest household income of any race or ethnicity. Rural communities are losing population fast. This session will help leaders understand the changing demographics of the communities and customer groups the gaming industry serves.

How to Delight & Engage the Customers Your Competitors Don’t Understand (3:30 PM): Deliver a better business experience, for every kind of customer. This session will show how companies, brands and products struggling to differentiate themselves in a sea of sameness can foster long-term loyalty and brand preference with exceptional and customized customer service.

Phil Gwoke, Generational Expert, Bridgeworks

When Generations Connect: Communicating Across Generational Divides (2:00 PM): Today’s workplace is more complex than ever before. Five generations are working together side-by-side, each tackling different stages of their careers. Baby Boomers are delaying retirement, Gen Xers are vying for leadership positions, Millennials are still trying to shed harmful stereotypes, and Gen Zers are trickling into the workforce and bringing their fierce competitive drive. Gaming organizations are feeling the pain as they flex to accommodate distinct workplace preferences, be it feedback style, views on leadership, or perceptions on workplace formality. This program cuts through all the clutter and examines why each generation behaves they behave the way they do.

Deeper Dive – When Generations Connect: Communicating Across Generational Divides (3:30 PM): This session will provide a brief overview the previous presentation and deeper dive on generational differences, the rationale behind those distinctions and inform how to more effectively communicate and collaborate across generational divides. The audience will be equipped with tools for enhancing generational collaboration – and prove how having different points of view at the table result in a better result for everyone.

Wednesday, October 4

Bill Benjamin, Partner, Institute for Health and Human Potential

Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When it Matters Most (1:30 PM): This program is based on the New York Times and Amazon bestselling book “Performing Under Pressure.” Pressure changes how the brain functions; it diminishes our cognitive success tools – our ability to think, deal with change, make decisions, focus and pay attention. Focusing on managing under pressure, this program will provide attendees with techniques and tools to help overcome the sabotaging effects of pressure to think clearly and strategically, make decisions, perform complex tasks and lead others.

Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Emotional Intelligence (3:00 PM): Why do smart people fail? Why do technically brilliant individuals have trouble managing others and collaborating on a team? It is not because they lack intelligence or technical skills. Far from it. What they lack is a critical level of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and the ability to manage their own emotions and others’ when they are under pressure.

Thursday, October 5

Dee O’Neill, M.S., LPC, Program Manager for Corporate SMART, Brain Performance Institute at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas

Leading From The Frontal Lobe: The Neuroscience Of Leadership (10:15 AM): Businesses in the gaming industry can’t afford for leaders’ brains to decline—not even for a day. The brain’s frontal lobe unequivocally contributes to work success. It builds resilience in difficult times. It contributes to accurate and forward-learning executive functions of integrated reasoning. Attendees will learn to harness the incredible potential of the brain to inhibit success—personally and professionally.

Jeff Hurt, Executive Vice President, Education and Engagement, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting

The Casino Industry Professional Innovators' DNA (11:30 AM): Innovation. It's the heartbeat of today's economy. It's also where you as a professional need to focus your attention, time and resources to compete in today’s marketplace. Average gaming experiences are planned by average professionals. Yet, most gaming guests don't want to pay for an average experience. They want a unique experience! So is innovation a talent from birth or something that can be learned and acquired? Good news...you can be more innovative and creative. You can change your behaviors and adopt critical innovative strategies.