The TV in the American Gaming Association executive headquarters at the Global Gaming Expo was tuned to a news channel reporting updates on the Las Vegas massacre.
At the day’s first educational session, Phyllis Gilland, senior vice president and general counsel at American Casino & Entertainment properties, dispensed with her planned cheery greeting.
“Usually, of course, we would start with a ‘Good morning!,’ but today we will start with just a ‘hello,’” she said, kicking off this year’s edition of the G2E at 9 a.m. Monday with a session on networking.
“It’s hard to stand up here, considering what happened,” said. “But Las Vegas is a strong community.”
She then asked the room for a moment of silence.
Roberta Perry, the featured speaker in the session, titled “The Power of Networking for Game-Changing Career Growth,” decided against opening on stage as her “usual cheerleader self.” Instead, she asked attendees to turn to their left and greet their neighbor, then turn to their right and do the same.
“Tragedy happens,” she said. “It happens in our lives and our communities.”
“But there are two things I know. No. 1 is that there is more good than evil, and No. 2, it’s the American way to come together and support each other,” she said, citing the hurricanes in Houston, Florida and Puerto Rico, in addition to last night’s mass shooting outside Mandalay Bay.
“It’s the power of networking and working individually that each of us can change the world,” she said.
