Promoting diversity and inclusion, the European Casino Association awarded two scholarships in 2022, enabling two aspiring land-based casino executives to participate in the world-renowned Executive Development Programme in Nevada, US. G3 interviews both attendees, speaks to the ECA about the programme, interviews the driving force behind the EDP, Bo Bernhard, and talks to the sponsors about the importance of this initiative to the land-based sector.
In 2022, the European Casino Association awarded the ECA Diversity Scholarship to two successful candidates, sponsored by AGEM, Clarion and the UNLV International Gaming Institute. Now in its fifth year, the Diversity Scholarship is open to all ECA member employees, enabling successful candidates to participate in-person at the renowned Executive Development Programme, held at Lake Tahoe, US.
Te EDP is a pre-eminent gaming leadership course, the brainchild of a partnership between the UNLV International Gaming Institute and the University of Nevada, Reno College of Business and Extended Studies. Te ECA Diversity Scholarship covers the full cost of the programme, which in 2022 returned to its week-long in-person event staged at Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
practices with peers from around the world. Te jury from the sponsoring organisations examined the applications from across the ECA membership and awarded scholarships to two European land- based casino industry colleagues aspiring to a leadership position and hoping to broadening their professional education.
Te land-based casino sector is, by definition, an in-person industry, and so the return of the Executive Development Programme to the picturesque surroundings of Lake Tahoe is a significant moment for the casino sector. It is with great satisfaction that the ECA awarded two scholarships in 2022, at a value of €12,000 each, as a reward for the dedication and career-orientated focus of two casino professionals who have gained unique knowledge and insights from the EDP to utilise in their everyday roles. Te ECA is very proud to have found sponsors that share our vision and support this valuable contribution towards diversity and inclusion in the land- based casino sector.
Hermann Pamminger General Secretary European Casino Association
Now in its fifth year, the ECA scholarship programme has grown in renown among European casino executives who recognise the wider learnings offered by the Executive Development Programme to the daily roles of our hard-working employees. Te ECA awarded two outstanding candidates from Monte-Carlo Societe des Bains der Mer and Veikkaus’ subsidiary, Fennica Gaming, to take part in the programme to promote the individual growth of gaming professionals who, through their actions, have supported and enhanced diversity and inclusion within the industry.
Over three decades the EDP has become a reference point for gaming executives seeking to take their careers to the next level, whose aim is to build leadership and management skills and develop strategic thinking. It is a unique occasion to learn and share best
Second, we held two virtual EDPs online, in 2020 and 2021. We were concerned, of course, that the world had changed, and that an in-person EDP might be a thing of the past in a "Zoom World" today. What we learned in November of 2022: there is an enormous love and hunger for EDP, and a desire to work through the industry's toughest challenges together, in person, as the attendance was as high as it has ever been, from countries all over the world. I know it sounds self- serving, but I believe that - given all we learned during COVID - 2022 was the very best EDP ever, and the attendees were similarly overwhelmingly enthusiastic in their reviews.
What’s the benefit of having a diverse participation group at the EDP, inclusive of Europeans? What do they bring to the group?
Tis is, simply, the very best and most unique thing about EDP. Put another way, the very best thing about EDP is the composition of its attendees. Each year we have upwards of 20 countries and six continents represented - including, of course, from several European jurisdictions.
What this means is that in the famous "EDP Team Competition" (which alums brag about for decades afterwards, if they win!), we will put you on a team with someone from Monaco, someone from Mexico, someone from Ghana, someone from Macao, someone from Canada, and someone from Australia -- and you will all grow closer and work better together than you ever imagined on day one.
Bo Bernhard Executive Director, UNLV International Gaming Institute
Bo, how has the EDP remained relevant following the changes wrought by Covid? How do you continue to evolve the EDP?
I have to say that this was the most beautiful pleasant surprise of the year. During COVID, we did two things:
First, our alumni implored us to build an "impromptu EDP," and so we did, with free monthly meetings of the entire alumni base, focused on leading through excessively challenging times, and learning from our other brilliant alums and faculty like MGM's former CHRO Michelle DiTondo on managing crises.
Tere is no other programme on the gaming planet that puts you into working groups with everyone *from* the gaming planet, and our European attendees, dating back decades, I would say that they have always led in this way - specifically, I would note, because the mobile and sports betting universe in Europe is just so much more advanced, their expertise (and willingness to share!) is so very welcome.
Is the EDP relevant to European operators - or is it mainly focused on US operations and experiences?
EDP is completely and unapologetically global. As I think anyone who has attended would attest, our case studies, our faculty, our attendees are incredibly globally diverse, which is amazing - - think about it, this would hardly be possible a few decades ago, when the gaming world was smaller and less international.
WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS P37
Today, leaders in this industry need to understand global phenomena, and there is literally no place in the gaming community that is as enthusiastically global as EDP.
Who gets the most out of the EDP and why?
I would say those who want to be a CEO - or at least, those who aspire to higher ranks, and whose day-to- day worlds mean that they have very few opportunities to think about (let alone pursue) these dreams.
Each year, across six continents, EDP alums who graduated a few years back share amazing news: they've been elevated into a CEO role (or a different C-suite role). Ten, what happens next is special: the emails go out to all of their dozens of fellow alums from that EDP year, and the email thread absolutely explodes with happiness and promises to come visit. Tink about it: where else are you going to build a global fan club of similarly smart gaming people who will support you like that?
Do you have to be a leader to take part, or can leadership qualities be instilled by taking part in the EDP? Does it build leaders, identify leaders or refine leaders?
Both are true -- we ask that companies send people in whom they see leadership qualities, and EDP builds a leadership skill set that lasts for a lifetime. A quick LinkedIn search for alums and their posts always turns out quotes like this: "It changed my work life forever. It really did."
(And then, a global community of EDP alums jump into the comments, saying "it did that for me toooooo!!")
The land-based casino sector is, by definition, an in-
person industry, and so the return of the Executive Development
Programme to the picturesque
surroundings of Lake Tahoe is a significant moment for the casino sector. Hermann
Pamminger
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