2026 Casino Marketing Boot Camp Midwest Agenda

Before a casino marketing calendar gets filled with offers, events, drawings, gifts, emails, and deadlines, there is one question every team should ask: Does this reinforce who we are and why guests should choose us?

In this opening session, Julia Carcamo will introduce brand as the filter that helps casino marketers make stronger decisions before campaigns are built. Attendees will learn how to evaluate promotions, events, messaging, creative, and guest touchpoints through a brand lens so their calendars do more than stay busy — they create clearer differentiation, stronger guest connection, and more intentional experiences.

Building on the idea that every guest interaction is a brand moment, this session will help attendees identify what their property should be known for, what guests should feel, and how each marketing decision can either strengthen or weaken that perception.

Attendees will leave with a practical brand filter they can use throughout the workshop to pressure-test ideas, improve campaign planning, and build a calendar that feels more focused, more memorable, and more uniquely theirs.

Session Coach:

Julia Carcamo, J Carcamo & Associates

Julia Carcamo is a casino branding expert and the author of Reel Marketing: The Art of Building a Casino Brand. As president & chief brand strategist at J Carcamo & Associates and founder of Casino Marketing Boot Camp, she aids casinos in building and maintaining engaging brands and tactical marketing programs. Following a successful tenure at Caesars Entertainment, where she developed the initial brand architecture for Harrah’s core brands, including Total Rewards, she answered the call from Steve Wynn to open his signature resort, Wynn Las Vegas. She was at the helm of the reinvention of the Isle of Capri house of brands, introducing new brands, successfully connecting with new and inactive customers, and reintroducing the iconic Lady Luck Casino brand. Recognizing the impact the Hispanic market is having now and will have in the future, she has co-founded espÑOLA, a Hispanic marketing and engagement agency.

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The best promotions are not random ideas. They are systems.

In this hands-on workshop, we’ll break down the mechanics behind some of the most effective casino promotions and show you how to build frameworks your team can reuse, adapt, and scale without reinventing the wheel every month.

From vertical kiosk game boards and floor-traverse formats to digital versions and layered matrix structures, we’ll explore how promotional mechanics create anticipation, influence behavior, encourage repeat visitation, and keep guests engaged over time. You’ll learn how suspense is built, how progression systems work, and why the structure behind the promotion often matters more than the theme itself.

Then, the room goes to work.

Each table will be assigned a promotional format and challenged to develop a fully reskinnable concept that can be adapted across seasons, player segments, and budgets. Teams will share their concepts with the room, creating a take-home library of promotional ideas and frameworks attendees can immediately bring back to their properties.

Because sometimes the smartest promotional strategy is not finding the next new idea. It is learning how to build smarter systems around the ideas you already have.

Session Coach: 

Chris Province, MA, Player Performance Group

Chris Province is the founder of Player Performance Group, a Tulsa-based agency revolutionizing gaming and hospitality through data-driven strategies and inspired leadership. Chris transforms complex analytics into compelling narratives that align teams, elevate performance, and bring bold visions to life. With a passion for empowering courageous leaders, Chris has helped hundreds of gaming professionals achieve personal and organizational breakthroughs. Drawing on decades of experience—from global analytics roles in technology fields to leadership in marketing and operations in gaming and hospitality—Chris bridges strategy, operations, and human potential to capture premium market share and build sustainable success. A Maxwell Leadership-certified trainer and coach, Chris developed the Purpose-to-Profit™ process, an empirically researched model to activate performance acceleration for service businesses. Chris holds degrees from Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma and specialized certifications from the University of Nevada – Reno and the Project Management Institute.

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The highest-worth players are not just looking for offers.

They are looking for experiences that make them feel valued.

This session examines how casinos can use exclusive experiences, hosted events, elevated service moments, and personalized hospitality to strengthen relationships with VIP and high-worth customers — particularly those in the top deciles.

Using real-world examples and collaborative exercises, attendees will explore concepts such as Derby-style experiences, chef-led dinners, hosted entertainment events, curated local excursions, premium access moments, and other relationship-focused activations designed to strengthen loyalty beyond free play and cash offers.

Then the room gets to work.

Each group will develop hospitality-driven VIP event concepts tailored to different player types, property personalities, and budget levels. The goal is to create experiences that not only reward top guests, but also build emotional connection, increase trip frequency, and generate lasting word-of-mouth.

Because the properties that win long term are not always the ones giving away the most.

They are the ones creating experiences guests do not want to miss.

Session Coach:

Coach: Richard Colton, Three Rivers Casino Resorts

Rich Colton, a proud member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, was born and raised in Oregon. For the past 18 years, he’s been leading the marketing efforts at Three Rivers Casino Resorts in Florence, helping the brand break new records and grow significantly.

He focuses on building strong customer loyalty and creating exceptional experiences, especially through memorable VIP events. Rich brings a team-oriented mindset to everything he does and enjoys mentoring emerging marketers, promoting creativity and continuous learning throughout the process.

When he’s not at work, you’ll probably find him kitesurfing or exploring somewhere new, always seeking fresh ideas and new perspectives.

Great casino marketing is not just creative.

It is financially intentional.

This session connects segmentation strategy, matrix planning, and reinvestment decisions directly to profitability — helping marketers better understand how marketing choices impact the broader business.

Attendees will explore how to think beyond offers and evaluate programs through a financial lens, balancing worth, visitation patterns, reinvestment levels, profitability, and long-term guest value. The session will break down how segmentation and matrix structures can influence trip behavior and offer strategies for operational efficiency and marketing ROI across different player groups.

Designed for marketers who want stronger conversations with finance, operations, and executive leadership, this workshop focuses on practical decision-making rather than complex financial theory. Topics include reinvestment strategy, segment prioritization, profitability thinking, behavioral targeting, and structuring programs that align marketing goals with business outcomes.

Because the strongest marketing plans are not just exciting.

They make financial sense.

Session Coach:

Daniel White, Dan White + Associates

A marketing professional for the past 27 years, Dan White has spent the last 19 years in the tribal casino industry. He was the Director of Marketing at Muckleshoot Casino, the largest casino in the Pacific Northwest and one of the largest casinos in the United States. He has served in executive and officer-level roles at several properties in both marketing and casino operations. Since 2009, Dan has been part of various qualitative and quantitative research pr studies regarding casino consumers and has championed the value of research in building strategies. Dan received his bachelor’s degree from Central Washington University’s School of Journalism in 1993 and is currently pursuing his certification in Behavioral Economics from Texas A&M University. He is a former United States Marine.

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Print is not just about design.

Production choices communicate value before a guest ever reads a word.

This workshop explores how the physical construction of direct mail influences perception, response, and player behavior — particularly in highly competitive casino markets where mailbox presence still matters.

Attendees will learn the practical fundamentals behind print production and provisioning, including formats, folds, coatings, paper stocks, sizing, inks, die cuts, closures, personalization techniques, and finishing decisions that can elevate perceived value and improve engagement. The session will also examine how production choices should align with player worth, offer strategy, and campaign objectives rather than simply increasing cost.

A featured portion of the workshop includes the Best Mail Piece Showcase — a curated review of standout casino mail pieces submitted by attendees. Together, the room will break down what made each piece effective, how it was constructed, what operational or production decisions influenced the final result, and which ideas can realistically be adapted back at attendees’ own properties.

Because in direct marketing, the experience begins before the envelope is opened.

Rachel DeFoe, TPI

A successful event is not just about filling the room. It is about managing demand, capacity, guest expectations, and business value. In this session, attendees will think through (and test) smarter ways to manage RSVPs, event inventory, traffic flow, and high-demand experiences. Using event concepts developed earlier in the Boot Camp, attendees will explore how to turn RSVP and capacity planning into a more strategic part of the marketing calendar.

Session Coach: 

Bryan Thurston, BadJupiter

Entertainment can be more than a perk or giveaway. In this session, attendees will learn how to think more strategically about tickets, events, VIP access, and entertainment inventory. Whether a casino has an on-site venue or relies on external tickets and partnerships, attendees will learn how to align entertainment assets with player value, trip goals, and marketing strategy. The session will include a practical case exercise to help participants make smarter decisions about who gets access, when, and why.

Session Coach:

Chris Giles, Fan Rally

The best gifting programs do more than give something away.

They reinforce value, strengthen loyalty, and encourage the behaviors your property wants to see more often.

This workshop explores how casinos can design gifting and continuity programs that balance guest experience, operational practicality, and profitability — rather than treating gifting as a standalone giveaway.

Through real-world examples and collaborative discussion, attendees will examine “good, better, and best” approaches to gifting strategy across different player segments and business objectives. Topics include continuity programs, tier-based gifting, earned versus surprise-and-delight approaches, perceived value, operational execution, redemption flow, inventory considerations, and how gifting moments can support visitation, retention, reactivation, and trip-driving behavior.

Then the room gets to work.

Each property will map a gifting opportunity to a specific calendar moment and define:

1. the target segment,
2. the delivery or pickup strategy,
3. the operational considerations,
4. and the intended behavioral outcome.

The goal is to move beyond random giveaways and build gifting strategies that feel intentional, operationally sound, and worth returning for.

Because the most effective gifts are not always the most expensive.

They are the ones tied to the right experience at the right moment.

Session Coach: 

Chris Province, MA, Player Performance Group

Chris Province is the founder of Player Performance Group, a Tulsa-based agency revolutionizing gaming and hospitality through data-driven strategies and inspired leadership. Chris transforms complex analytics into compelling narratives that align teams, elevate performance, and bring bold visions to life. With a passion for empowering courageous leaders, Chris has helped hundreds of gaming professionals achieve personal and organizational breakthroughs. Drawing on decades of experience—from global analytics roles in technology fields to leadership in marketing and operations in gaming and hospitality—Chris bridges strategy, operations, and human potential to capture premium market share and build sustainable success. A Maxwell Leadership-certified trainer and coach, Chris developed the Purpose-to-Profit™ process, an empirically researched model to activate performance acceleration for service businesses. Chris holds degrees from Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma and specialized certifications from the University of Nevada – Reno and the Project Management Institute.

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