For the past 25 years, TribalNet has connected tribal government, casino, and health leaders with the latest technological advancements. This year’s conference and tradeshow, scheduled for September 16-19 at the Westgate in Las Vegas, Nevada, will feature speakers and sessions showcasing solutions tailored to tribal organizations’ unique needs.
The conference features three keynote speakers, a dedicated tradeshow floor, nightly networking events, and seven unique tracks: Tribal Gaming & Hospitality Technology; Cybersecurity; General Technology; Leadership & Management; Tribal Government Technology; Tribal Health Information Management; and new this year, AI’s Revolution.
Michael Day founded TribalNet and TribalHub in 1999. He was then MIS Director of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.
“Navigating that complex landscape of technology vendors, regulations and best practices proved challenging,” said Day in a statement. “Understanding the absurdity of every tribe facing this challenge completely on their own is what led to my vision for TribalNet and eventually TribalHub.”
Day began outreach by sending a letter to the main tribal headquarters of every tribe across the United States, containing a newly coined TribalNet logo and collaborative mission statement, and an invite to attend a first gathering of tribal technology minded leaders. The first TribalNet Conference was held in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in 2000.
“The very first TribalNet conference was at Kewadin Casinos in their newly built convention center, ” said Day. “The event was sponsored by IBM and we had maybe 15 technology leaders from tribes across the nation in the room. It was a small start, but I could see the need, the potential, the benefits and the valuable community that this group could become.”
From that beginning, TribalHub has grown into the thousands that attend TribalHub and TribalNet events today.
“Each year that we’ve been able to host the TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow has been an opportunity to bring together an entire industry and provide a platform for connecting, learning, problem-solving, mentoring, growth and so much more,” said TribalHub Director of Operations Shannon Bouschor. “Celebrating 25 years for TribalNet this year, means celebrating 25 years of the evolution of technology at tribes and tribal enterprises and more importantly it means celebrating those who have been a part of that journey and the impact that they have made on their tribes and enterprises from maybe even just one year all the way to 25.”
“By getting everyone together and growing TribalNet, we have changed the isolated individual rural tribe model to showcasing tribes as a national purchasing and revenue generating powerhouse in technology,” said Day. “We’ve seen the awareness of tribes and of solution providers to tribes grow dramatically. Some large solution providers now have a dedicated team focusing on the needs of tribes because of our event showcasing the combined power, the relevancy and strength tribal governments, casinos and health facilities have.”
Educating tribal leaders working in the casino, government and health verticals on the number of opportunities technology can bring to their tribal communities is a cornerstone of the organization’s mission. TribalHub stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and community-building.
“In the future I see technology taking tribal organizations, enterprises and health facilities to a new level,” said Day. “Gaming within a Native American community is designed just as commercial gaming is, only with the greater goal to support the efforts of the tribe. It’s about people, services, and availability leading towards self-sufficiency. The most rewarding thing is helping tribes achieve that goal through an improved and expanded use of technology.”
