On Thursday, October 27, the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program released the agenda for the 2016 Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming.

The symposium will be held from December 5 – 7, 2016 at Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona.

Scheduled topics focus on racing’s core products. Details on the topics appear below.

Racing’s Identity Crisis: Who and What Are We?
As racetracks are under increasing competition for the wagering dollar, the question needs to be asked: Is horse racing a sport, entertainment or just another gambling option? Is it really a mix of all three, and if so, how should racing market appropriately to such diverse customer segments?

What If We Cared About Our Customers?
Tom Tuchschmidt, Regional Vice President of Player Development, MGM Resorts International (and fan of horse racing) discusses the importance of player development, customer service and why it’s more critical than ever to cultivate customer loyalty. He’ll share strategies that can be used in racing at tracks of all sizes.

Making Smart Data Sexy
Angel Suarez, Executive Vice President of Red Circle, will share how his tenure working with big sports companies such as ESPN, Gatorade, and USA TODAY Sports led to an understanding of how to use data to evolve breakthrough creative advertising concepts to action-generating marketing tactics. Attendees will learn the best practices of some of the biggest sports brands in the world and how racing marketers can leverage data to increase visits and overall revenue.

The Mark Kaufman Workshop, presented by Turf Publicists of America
The TPA brings a media focus to the symposium in a discussion with Sports Illustrated’s racing journalists about their coverage of horse racing-past and present.

Bridging the Horseracing-Academic Divide
Academics combine with industry management to dispel an ancient disconnect where industry decision makers have long relied on experience and heuristics while lamenting the dearth of relevant academic insight–meanwhile a passionate quorum of business and economic researchers confront scarce industry data and limited outreach forums. Speakers will bridge this divide by highlighting modern business/economics research findings relevant to industry agendas such as takeout, wagering demand, regulatory design and penalty structure, state-bred programs as economic development, and more. The panel further will demonstrate that a vigorous body of research professionals stands at-the-ready to attack our important questions.

Racinos: Is the Marriage Headed for a Divorce?
Intense competition from new gaming states is pressuring mature gaming markets to take a look at the value of racing. Purse money has been siphoned away, decoupling is a very real threat in the major racing state of Florida, and the thought is that it will happen in more jurisdictions. Panelists will discuss the issues, how to tackle them, and how to keep racing relevant in saturated gambling markets.

Innovators’ Circle
Racing’s first pitch contest is back after a rousing success last year. The competition’s final round, presented as a symposium session open to all attendees, consists of the entrepreneurs’ pitch to a panel of judges. The pitch will be followed by a Q & A session during which the judges will have the opportunity to challenge the entrants with a series of questions. The winning participant/team earns a cash prize of $15,000.

The Animal Rights Agenda: An Issue That Can No Longer Be Ignored
Animal rights protesters were found in large numbers outside racing’s two most iconic tracks this summer, Saratoga and Del Mar, and they aren’t going away. Is there any middle ground racing can find with these groups? Panelists with years of experience dealing with these types of groups will enlighten the audience of tactics these organizations use, some successful campaigns used against them as well as the animal rights groups successes that have fundamentally changed the way a number of animal industries operate. Now is the time for racing to seriously consider how the actions of these groups may forever change the face of the sport.

Pari-Mutuel Sports Wagering: Coming to a Track Near You?
Representatives from USFantasy will discuss their launch in Nevada, and how their product can complement traditional wagering on track, at an OTB or through an ADW.

Making Wagering Great Again!
As the national handle on horse racing continued to stagnate, several tracks conducted experiments in lowering takeout and tweaking wagering menus to increase churn. Panelists will discuss the results as well as the possibility of introducing new wagering products into the market place to grow the sport.

Best Practices at the Test Barn: Chain of Custody and Operating Efficiency
Pre and post-race sampling at the racetrack test barn are the industry’s front line for ensuring fair, safe racing through medication and substance integrity. The RMTC and the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance provide best practice recommendations for the efficient design and operation of test barn facilities plus seamless chain of custody protocols.

Specific days and times of panels will be announced at a later date.

(RTIP)