For the third straight year, Paul Speirs-Hernandez will deliver the keynote address at the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association meeting.
And for the third year, Speirs-Hernandez will emphasize the “F” word.
No, not that one. Fun.
Gaming, Speirs-Hernandez says, needs to be taken seriously, but that doesn’t mean people can’t enjoy it.
“For a long time, gaming folks have said we’re part of the entertainment industry, and we demand to be treated like that,” he says. “However, we also need to start acting like that, because if people are having more fun doing anything else, and they’ve never had more options available to them than right now today, then we’re going to lose out. And so we have to make sure that we’re the most fun place people can go.”
The 2025 OIGA Conference and Trade Show will take place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, from July 14 to 16. According to organizers, the conference will draw nearly 3,000 vendors, visitors and guest speakers to Oklahoma City to celebrate tribal gaming.
Oklahoma is home to 39 federally recognized tribes and is host to more than 100 tribal casinos.
Courtesy photo
“We believe that the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference and Trade Show is important for the gaming industry as a whole and specifically tribal gaming for a number of reasons,” OIGA Chairman Matthew L. Morgan tells CDC Gaming. “Practically speaking, our show is convenient to get to – we are in the middle of the country at the crossroads of several interstate highways. The return on investment for organizations and individuals to attend is high. Our trade show floor is filled with industry leaders and our conference sessions are designed to offer actionable knowledge to professionals working in every segment of our industry from finance to F&B to marketing and more.”
Scheduled are conference sessions on human trafficking, anti-money laundering regulations, and bulking up cybersecurity measures to mitigate threats. Sports betting analytics, managing casino expansions and artificial intelligence in the gaming space also will be discussed.
Morgan said that it’s important for tribes and their members to meet in person, and not just online.
“We can forge new relationships, strengthen existing relationships and spark new ideas together,” Morgan said. “For all the technology, like Zoom and others that allow us to ‘meet’ virtually, there is still no substitute for coming together in person and sharing our experiences.”
And, of course, it’s fun.
“That’s not just the casino, that’s the entire experience,” says Speirs-Hernandez, who will incorporate some material from his Red Wagon Institute, which delivers “dynamic, experiential leadership training that drives engagement, boosts productivity, and ignites a culture of innovation” in his keynote.
“The hotel needs to be fun, the dining needs to be fun. People are going to have fun, and we have to step up and create a fun experience for them.”
