Te Executive Development Programme (EDP), the flagship executive-education initiative run by UNLV International Gaming Institute (in partnership with the University of Nevada, Reno), brings together senior and rising-star gaming professionals from around the world for an intensive eight-day immersion in leadership, strategy and global-market thinking at Lake Tahoe. For 2025, the European Casino Association (ECA) awarded full scholarships to two European industry executives, Nataša Kosnjek (HIT, Slovenia) and Edith Idriss (JOA Group, France), enabling them to attend the programme inclusive of tuition, travel and accommodation.


To illustrate the real-world impact of EDP, we asked Natasa and Edith to share what the programme meant to them, how it challenged and transformed them, and how they now view leadership, the industry and their daily roles differently.


How would you describe the EDP?


Natasa: “EDP is hard to describe without smiling - because it truly surprised me. I went in expecting a leadership programme, but what I found was something much deeper. It felt like stepping into a space where everyone - from operations, hospitality, finance, HR, gaming or technology - shared the same passion, intensity and curiosity for our industry. Te participants made it feel almost like a family: a group of


people who understand your world, your pressures, your dilemmas. No judgment, no ego - just openness. Everything felt connected.”


Edith: “For me, the EDP is more than a professional programme - it’s a mirror. You learn about the industry, of course, but even more about yourself: your strengths, your limits, what drives you, and sometimes what holds you back. It challenges you, stretches you, exhausts you a little… but it also reveals you. You walk out with greater clarity, a steadier mind and a wider sense of what you’re capable of becoming.”


What did you know about EDP going in - and what surprised you?


Edith: I knew the programme was well regarded - but I didn’t expect how “human” and enriching it would feel. Speaking with participants from Macau, Las Vegas, Singapore - hearing about their markets, resort models, regulatory contexts - was eye-opening. Teir realities were so different from mine, and that global exposure turned out to be one of the biggest and most valuable surprises of EDP.


Natasa: Before joining, I knew EDP had a strong reputation. I expected a high-level leadership course with top-tier speakers and new knowledge to take home. And while that was true - what actually surprised me was how real everything felt: people being honest about pressures, mistakes, growth, and the realities of leading


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