I’m not an expert in many areas of the gaming industry. Technology (what’s AI?) and security/surveillance are two. I’m knowledgeable enough in some areas like slot operations, HR, and food and beverage, but I wouldn’t be the guy you’d call to consult with for those.
But I believe I am an expert when it comes to putting on casino-related conferences, seminars, and symposiums. Over the years, I’ve conducted over 100 of them on numerous topics, including marketing, customer service, slots, table games, player development, business-plan development, and a few others. I’ve also attended or spoken at a few dozen other gaming-industry learning and trade events.
So I know a thing or two about casino conferences. And I just spoke at the best one I have ever attended.
The Casino Operations Summit (COS) is held every spring in different locations in Europe –Slovenia, the Netherlands, Romania, and other interesting countries. COS grew from a precursor event called the Slot Summit (which was born out of the Slot Academy) that was geared mainly for European slot executives and held successfully for many years. Both the Slot Summit and the Casino Operations Summit were the brainchilds of Lucien Wijsman, one of the top gaming consultants in the world and a teacher/trainer extraordinaire.
The Casino Operations Summit I just attended in Thessaloniki, Greece, was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Regency Casino (a couple of miles away). I estimate that the conference had around 300 attendees and perhaps 400 total participants, counting speakers, sponsors, and staff. It began with an opening-night dinner reception on a Monday night, followed by three full conference days complete with sessions, lunches, and evening receptions with food and entertainment.
Rather than a blow-by-blow account of my experience at the Casino Operations Summit, I thought I’d break down the elements of the conference that made it the best I’ve have ever attended (or even conducted myself) in my 50 years in the gambling business. Here’s what makes COS great (other conference organizers, take note!):
1. It’s All About the Content – I’ve followed the COS program for years and the sessions are always fresh, pertinent, stimulating, and often, dare I say, entertaining (I hope my keynote session was at least that). In Greece this past year, there were sessions on land-based versus online casinos (friends or foes?); how exceptional teams work together; how to cheat a casino (the story of the Chinese Eleven in Switzerland); enhancing responsible gambling; getting the right slot games on the floor; Paddy Power partnering with the Hippodrome Casino in London to create a cool sportsbook/sports bar; gaming by the numbers in Europe (dry, but essential and interesting); gambling on cruise ships and what land-based operators can learn from it; an AI Masterclass for the gambling industry with a true AI expert from Dublin (who had AI create a promotion for a London casino while he spoke!); and much much more. COS understands content is king.
2. High-Powered Speakers from All over the World – The COS speakers came from England, the Netherlands, Ireland, the United States, Switzerland, Finland, Austria, South Africa, and several other countries. Sure, some speakers were more interesting and entertaining than others, but they were all experts in their field. And none of the sessions were disguised sales pitches!
3. The Conference Sponsors Included Almost Every Major Gaming Company That Serves the European Casino Industry – They were all there: IGT, EGT, Light and Wonder, Novomatic, Merkur, Interblock, Spintec, Amusnet, Zitro, Konami, PGS Nova, and others. Having put on “smaller” gaming conferences myself, I know it’s challenging to get the “big guys” to attend much of anything besides G2E, ICE, and IGA. But the vendors I spoke with at COS liked the conference’s intimacy, the chance for good one-on-one discussions with senior-level casino executives, the content, the camaraderie, and truth be told, the lavish parties EVERY NIGHT.
4. The Lavish Parties – I thought my former conference company knew how to throw a party. I don’t know how COS managed it – these evening soirees were lavish and no doubt expensive (maybe the loyal major sponsors and host casino property, Regency Casino, helped with the cost). But it couldn’t have been cheap, with gourmet Greek food, first-class authentic Greek entertainment, and all the drinks a casino executive group could handle. You have no idea how high the alcohol bill can go from an open bar for three hours all three nights.
5. The Cos Team – Lucien Wijsman gets a lot of credit for the successful COS franchise, but he’ll be the first to tell you that his team makes it all happen. Emilia Tomachinska has been the “silent motor” in preparing COS (and its precursor) for the last 15 years and gives a guiding hand in its execution (she can also tell Lucien when he has screwed up!). Yuliia Yanak is the face of COS at registration, where first impressions and thorough information are critical. She too is essential in the event preparation. Kimberly Kjaer of Studio Kjaer is an absolute jewel in the field of social media and photography – I made sure she captured my “good side” in all photos! Julia Kharlakevich, although from Germany, is the “Swiss Army knife” who will do anything and everything before, during, and after the conference. And Joris Dekkers, author of The Las Vegas Book, does a masterful job of coordinating all of the conference speakers – introductions, moderating duties, communicating time adjustments, etc. – and I know from experience that not only is that critical to a conference’s success, but it can also be very much like herding cats.
6. The Host Properties and Countries – COS does a great job of choosing interesting venues and countries for the conference. Consequently, each year is new and the already loyal conference attendees can have a different casino and country experience to broaden their horizons (in addition, sponsors like the fact that it provides a different feeder market each year).
7. Lucien Wijsman – What can I say about Lucien (who, as a result of a Dutch quirk, is called Lucas on his passport), other than the guy knows what he’s doing and after putting on scores of conferences, seminars, and training programs over the decades, his innovative genius is obvious. And his enthusiasm is infectious. Thank you, Lucien Wijsman, for the gem you’ve created for the international casino industry.
No matter where in the world you work in the casino industry, you will gain mightily by attending the Casino Operations Summit. The program is cutting edge, the networking is outstanding, and the parties are one of a kind. I have only one word of caution from my personal experience: Do not mix Negroni drinks with Ouzo shots.
And one word of advice: Don’t miss it in 2027.
