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Tuesday, September 24, 2013 Gaming News SIENA HOTEL SPA CASINO COMBINES MODERN LUXURY WITH FUTURE TECHNOLOGY By John English, Senior Vice President of Gaming Arts When it comes to traveling or just spending your free time with some good entertaining fun in the casino, there are many options to choose from—particularly in Nevada, where hotels and casinos abound. In Reno, Nev., right on the banks of the beautiful Truckee River, sits one of the city's most treasured jewels, the Siena Hotel Spa Casino. The Siena sets itself apart from the rest; once you enter the property you get the feeling that you've been transported to contemporary Italy. From its ultra-high-tech lighting and vibrant colors, to the rich marble floors and water features, the Siena is a modern renaissance. TripAdvisor recently awarded the Siena its prestigious certificate of excellence based on its great Ghirardelli (Cont'd. from p. 1) chocolate manufacturer, Ghirardelli has established its position as America's premium chocolate company for more than 160 years. We are one of very few American manufacturers that make chocolate starting from the cocoa bean through to finished products. Throughout the process, we take special steps to ensure that our premium chocolate delivers our signature intense, smooth-melting chocolate taste. GN: Are you introducing any new products? AB: We continue to hand-select the world's finest cocoa beans and use only Spec International (Cont'd. from p. 1) engineering department is constantly designing new product offerings and working with our customers to improve any existing designs they may send us. Our fabrication shop uses several patented technologies along with state of the art equipment and an experienced workforce JCJ Architecture (Cont'd. from p. 1) leadership from the design team at this phase is crucial to project success. I think our effectiveness in this phase speaks to the value and importance we place both on the business AND the design aspects of project delivery. This is a unique edge and capability – and something we refer to as "JCJ Architecture +" GN: Give me an example of how JCJ's additional level of service or the "+" has been effective. SC: A prime example is the transformation of the Aqueduct Racetrack into Resorts World Casino New York. The term "melting pot" could refer to not only reviews. The Siena is also the only four-star hotel on the riverfront and the property has gained great accolades from their visiting customers and from their loyal player base. The newly remodeled property has rooms that are second to none: the Siena's oversize rooms and world class suites are equipped with large flatscreen televisions, free wireless internet, beautiful views, and comfortable accommodations surrounded with designer décor. The Siena is perfectly situated for ease of travel and for recreation. Only 35 minutes to beautiful Lake Tahoe and very close to northern California, the Siena is positioned well for locals, vacationers or business travelers. There are three great restaurants, including the premier restaurant in Reno, Da Vinci's. There is something for everyone at the Siena, with its beauthe purest ingredients for our award-winning, distinctively intense chocolate. Ghirardelli specializes in premium promotional products, corporate gifts, event favors, hotel and travel amenities, and employee and customer recognition gifts. In addition to our prize packaging, we are introducing two new chocolate bar flavors; Toffee Crunch and Mint Cookie. GN: What products do you see being the hottest this year? AB: Anything caramel! Our milk and caramel continues to be a number one favorite with Ghirardelli fans. In terms of packaging, our gift towers continue to shine as top sellers. Smaller promotional items are always hot for every- to deliver high quality products at an affordable cost. We also have an integration department to assemble all the components and ensure the quality of the final product. GN: What has been your biggest challenge? tiful view of the river, amazing menu, and attentive staff. Get a great night's rest, hit the spa, have a great dining experience, and then enjoy the casino or the nightlife entertainment at the nightclub or the lounge. The casino is the center of the Siena with its bustling crowd, great table games, and loose slot machines it has become the favorite place for those who enjoy gambling entertainment. Just recently the casino has given away two brand new cars and countless large payouts on the many promotions the Siena offers. There has been a large amount of winning activity and the casino is gaining notoriety and loyal customers by the day. The boutique riverfront resort casino is owned and operated by gaming mogul David Colvin. David is no stranger to the gaming business, who also runs Las Vegas-based bingo comday and holiday use. GN: Tell our readers about your trade show objectives, plans, products and promotions. AB: Attending the G2E for the second year in a row, we feel like we are relatively new arrivals to such a vibrant and expansive industry. Our objective of the show is to meet as many attendees as possible, share our award-winning chocolate, and show what kind of partnerships we can develop with this industry in terms of using chocolate for guest recognition and rewards. Chocolate makes ideal rewards, gifts and prizes for VIPs, high rollers and various player's club members. We also are offering a show special the past several years, we have seen decreased spending across the board from most of our customers. We have taken this time to develop many attractive new products we will be unveiling at the G2E show. LT: With the economic downturn over GN: How can our readers find out more about your company? the project's context of Ozone Park– a compact and dense neighborhood in the borough of Queens– but also to the network of regulatory agencies and stakeholders whose complex, and sometimes conflicting requirements, needed to be met so the development could move forward. The project required JCJ to mediate the concerns of the State of New York, and the building and landowner: the NY Office of General Services (agent and Authority Having Jurisdiction), the New York Lottery as administrator (the 'landlord'), and NYRA (second anchor tenant who was consolidated, relocated and renovated during the project). Not only that, but portions of the site were owned by the State of New York, the City of New York, and Port Authority of NYNJ, where both site improvements were being made, and applications and permitting for major projects needed to occur. Within the building and on the site, JCJ advised the owner and led the design team through this mass of regulations, varied code standards and authorities, and multiple permit and variance applications, gaming and camera layout approvals, vendor layouts and approvals, a blend of City and State Code requirements, and a host of building improvements and mitigation issues requiring detailed review and approval by the State and their own consultants. All this was happening in the background while our team was managing a $500 million project on an accelerated schedule, utilizing multiple permit submissions, multiple bid packages, and multiple phased openings, while maintaining competitive 33 pany Gaming Arts and internet poker start-up Z4 Gaming. By developing Z4 Gaming's own interactive online gaming platform, and building on proprietary backend technology, Colvin envisions to bring a unique and modern poker product to life which will be available across all platforms, including mobile, tablet and Facebook. By branching into the online business, the Siena aims to gain an edge by offering a complete package not found elsewhere in Reno. For more information, visit www.gamingarts.com or stop by booth 4035. for expo attendees. Come by our booth, 4145, to receive information on this rare show promotion. And, get some chocolate too! GN: How can our readers find out more about your company? AB: First, come by our booth and touch, taste and smell our premium chocolate. Then, contact our expert customer service team at 888-402-6262 or email at abrading@ghiardelli.com to find out more about packaging that will fit your needs. For more information, visit booth #4105, go online to www .ghirardelli.com, call 888-402-6262, or email abrading@ghirrdelli.com. LT: Please visit www.specinter national.com or call us at 616-2483022 to speak with our experienced staff and find out how we can help your business. For more information, visit booth 3847, go to www.specinternational.com, or call 616-248-3022. design fees. The final product is a facility with access to one of the strongest markets in the U.S., and one that continually sets new records in terms of attendance and revenue. When we look back at a project like Resorts World, we take pride at what is seen and what lies below the surface – those untold stories of conflict, analysis, problem solving and resolution. This aspect of project development does not typically get much discussion, but our emphasis on the business AND design aspects of project delivery is one of the "+'s" to working with the JCJ Architecture team. For more information, visit booth 3437, go to www.jcj.com, call 860-247-9226, or email info@jcj.com.