The University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program has released the tentative agenda for the 2013 Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming, to be held December 9-12, 2013 at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tucson, Arizona.

Scheduled topics cover a wide range of issues and include:

Current Legal and Policy Issues in Racing and Gaming

Speakers will look at topics that have moved across the radar screen of policymakers, regulators and operators. Speakers will address issues like Florida’s Gretna case; the rise of geolocation as a regulatory tool; the status of intrastate internet poker and other gaming in the U.S.; the possibility of federal legislation on medication in racing; and how the seismic change in the SARP in Ontario has changed the landscape and outlook for that province and the cautionary tale it provides.

New Strategies in Regulating Racing

Racing regulators face the same problems as other stakeholders. Budgets require doing more with less, which in some cases has led to doing things differently – more efficiently, more transparently, and more creatively. One strategy calls for out-of-competition investigation and testing to help insure integrity. But in creating an out-of-competition testing scheme, regulators face new issues, privacy issues, confidentiality issues and others need to be addressed, to name just a few. This panel will address these issues and more.

New Ways to Look at Numbers

Sports fans are traditionally a group of people who have an insatiable hunger for facts, figures and statistics. Racing is a sport that is data rich but that attribute hasn’t been marketed. Panelists look at new data that could be presented to the racing audience, new ways to present the information we currently provide as well as how all of it can be used to attract new customers and increase the frequency of current players.

From Bridge Jumpers to Bettin’ the Chalk

From the creators of ‘Jockeys’ comes a new racing-based reality show, but this time it’s the handicappers who are the stars. Get a sneak preview of the characters and story line for their new project, ‘Horseplayers’, from the executives from Go Go Luckey Entertainment.

The Mark Kaufman Workshop, presented by the Turf Publicists of America

Pro-active and re-active reporting: How can racing control the message instead of the message controlling us?

Handicapping Contests – Are They an Area of Real Growth in the Racing Industry?

Handicapping contests are attracting a lot of attention and a lot of players. Learn about the different mindset and strategies of the tournament player as compared to the traditional pari-mutuel player and find out how to cater to them. You’ll also get a perspective on the track’s and ADW’s goals for the tournaments as well as the results.

Being Prepared

Planning for the ‘worst case’ scenario is a must today for all businesses. From large tracks on their biggest international days to a weekday at a small track with only simulcast racing – tracks must have a plan in place for a myriad of ‘what if’ situations. Speakers will address security issues and strategies for preparing for the unexpected that are appropriate for organizations of all sizes.

Horse Racing and Social Gaming – The Untapped Potential

Social Gaming has exploded over the past five years. From games like Candy Crush Saga and Words with Friends to Zynga Poker and IGT’s DoubleDown Casino, more people are playing and making money on social games than ever before. Panelists will explain how the racing industry can tap into this fresh new market.

Muckraking Journalism as a Positive Force – The Second Annual Presentation of the Stan Bergstein Writing Award

At this year’s symposium, Team Valor will present a $25,000 award to the writer of a story embodying the work of the late Stan Bergstein. Stan was a columnist and racetrack executive who worked tirelessly to promote horse racing and shine a light on integrity issues. Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin will lead a discussion with journalists on timely horse racing topics and the importance of addressing issues for the good of the industry.

Team Valor International is the thoroughbred ownership group that campaigned Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup winner Animal Kingdom.

Cyber Security (or Lack Thereof)

As the internet has grown, so have the threats to internet security and e-commerce. Current issues range from DDoS (distributed denial-of-service), infiltration, and social engineering to hacking. The racing industry must be prepared for a wide variety of security challenges. Panelists will identify and explain the potential threats, their impact on business operations and solutions to greatly reduce the risks.

Collaborating on Track Safety

Participants from the 12th annual Track Superintendent’s Field Day held at Del Mar report on the latest technologies affecting track maintenance, as well as other issues presented at the August conference.

Speed Networking

Don’t miss this new opportunity to participate in a fast-moving event designed to put you in contact with a number of other racing executives. Speed networking is a meeting format designed to accelerate business contacts and involves multiple people who gather in order to exchange information. Participants greet each other in a series of brief exchanges and share their professional backgrounds and business goals thus giving them exposure to new markets and/or expansion of their pool of vendors.

Workshops:

• Event Marketing — Building an Event to Grow Your Racing Brand
• Aftercare — Managing and Supporting the Business of Caring; Racehorse Aftercare

Check for updates on panel sessions, speakers and events here.

The early-bird registration deadline to save $100 is October 14 – plus save $50 more by completing registration online.

(RTIP)