The TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow is celebrating its 25th annual event this year in Las Vegas and is on track to set a record for attendance and vendors. Hosted by TribalHub, the largest community of technology-minded professionals from tribes across the U.S., the conference will be held Sept. 16-19 at the Westgate.
TribalNet is for technology-minded leaders, general managers, CEOs, financial representatives, and other gaming and hospitality executives from Native American tribes and casinos.
The main divisions represented at TribalNet include IT, cybersecurity, regulatory, finance, telecommunications, marketing, human relations, and more. Several tracks with nearly 100 speakers and over 40 sessions are available and for the first time an entire track of multiple sessions is dedicated to artificial intelligence. Those from both the tribal and commercial gaming industry attend.
“This year being the 25th anniversary, we’re trying to tie in some special events to highlight the community that’s been built over the years and the impact that TribalHub has had,” said Shannon Bouschor, director of operations at TribalHub. “We’ll be looking back to what things were like 25 years ago, not just at tribes, but in the world and gaming, and talking about the unknowns and opportunities for the next 25 ahead.
“TribalNet has played a part in advancing different initiatives specific to technology at tribes. Many vendors have even changed the way they have serviced tribes after attending TribalNet, a hub and platform to connect and better understand the market,” Bouschor said.
The trade show has over 200 booths showcasing cutting-edge products and services for Native American tribes.
“Through the last two-plus decades, we’ve seen people expand their careers professionally, as well as expand their network year after year as they’re impacted by attending TribalNet,” Bouschor said. “The community that gathers this year at TribalNet will have a lot of value in front of them during the week and to take home with them. So much comes together to create an elevated experience for people every year, but especially for the 25th anniversary.
“Las Vegas is a great locale to hold the conference, because it’s easy to get to and has plenty of places to stay, although most are onsite at the Westgate,” Bouschor said. “One of the things we love about this property as a venue is the size. It’s also off the Strip, but still easily accessible via the Monorail and new tunnel.”
Entertainment won’t be a problem to find at a TribalNet conference, Bouschor said. Evening events are plentiful and two of the crowd favorites are the Monday meet and greet and the Tuesday night cocktail hour where Brian Yazzie, a Navajo magician, is performing.
There will be seven educational tracks with multiple sessions focused specifically on tribal gaming and hospitality. Other tracks are dedicated to cybersecurity, AI, general technology, leadership and management, tribal government technology, and tribal-health information management.
“On the agenda, the biggest session specific to the gaming track is the Gaming Systems Panel with representatives from IGT, Aristocrat, Light & Wonder, and CasinoTrac. They’ll be discussing the current and future technology surrounding core casino gaming systems,” Bouschor said. “We had this panel last year and it went over well. The market at TribalNet isn’t looking at purchasing the newest slots and evaluating bonus programs. CIOs and IT decision makers are asking questions that are different than at other events and asked by other executives. This session is moderated by two CIOs from tribal-gaming properties who will be asking the things other CIOs want to hear answers to.”
The Cashless/Digital Wallet session will feature representatives from Everi, Acres Manufacturing, and Koin.
The gaming agenda also includes sessions on uncovering value from gaming-floor data, A/V content management systems, and hospitality operational efficiency.
Registration is open online and can be done onsite at the conference.
