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G a m i n g N e ws W e d n e s d a y, M a y 1 4 , 2 0 1 4 8 YAPSODY UNVEILS NEW 'SECRET SAUCE' TO MAXIMIZE ROI FOR CASINO HEADLINE ENTERTAINMENT Can you really predict ROI on casino headline entertainment? Well, the answer is both "Yes" and "No." However, with Yapsody Entertainment's new scientific approach to artist selection, the answer has suddenly weighed much more heavi- ly on the "Yes" part. Yapsody Entertainment, F/K/A Resort Entertainment & Technologies, has just unveiled its YapStat Event Predictor database and reporting sys- tem, which promises to significantly reduce risk and greatly increase ROI for its concert clients. Up until now, casinos have not had access to any sophisticated means for significantly reducing the margin of error inherent in event pro formas. However, over the past five-plus years, Yapsody has amassed troves of concert and artist data via its Tickets Unplugged ticketing system and other reliable sources. The proprietary data is processed using algorithms that yield projections and give Yapsody com- pelling support for making artist recom- mendations to its casino clients. According to Yapsody Entertainment President Steve Seiden, "Not only is it important to know what artists will do well, but once you have identified the 'right' artists, one needs to know what is a good deal versus a great deal." Furthermore, Seiden explained, "To take it a step further, even though you might have a lot of promising options, the key is to know which artist combined with which terms are likely to yield the greatest return on investment for the casi- no. Depending on the size of a casino's entertainment program, over the course of a year, the net increase in ROI could amount to hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars, simply by mak- ing decisions driven by hard data to which no talent buyer within Indian country previously had access." YapStat Event Predictor is on display in booth 939 (behind Bally and Konami), along with other new products and servic- es by Yapsody. It should be noted that for privacy purposes, the algorithms used in the Yapstat Event Predictor yield stats and trends that do not identify any particular venues or artists. About Yapsody Entertainment Yapsody is the largest full-service con- cert entertainment company focusing on the Indian gaming industry. Yapsody has been providing talent buying services to casinos nationwide since 1996, as well as concert production and ticketing services since 2009. Today, Yapsody handles talent buying for well over 200 casino headline concert events per year; event production and logistical services for over 150 events per year; and event ticketing for thousands of events and millions of tickets per year. Yapsody's volume within the Indian gaming indus- try is unmatched. As a result, Yapsody clients enjoy unprecedented, unbeatable cost savings and the best access to choice artists. Furthermore, with approximately 2,000 presenters in just the first 10 months of operation, Yapsody's newest ticketing system (www.yapsody.com) is undoubtedly the fastest growing ticketing system in his- tory, allowing it to serve as a highly val- ued and effective platform for promot- ing Yapsody concert clients' events. Visit Yapsody at booth 939. THE UPSIDE OF ENABLING FROM KIDS QUEST/CYBER QUEST By Ann Zenor, New Business Development, Kids Quest/Cyber Quest It's always very interesting to see how people react when I tell them my compa- ny provides hourly childcare in resorts, spas and casinos. Their expression is at first quizzical, followed by an incredulous tilt of the head and then chased by a set of pointed questions. "What? Childcare in a casino? How does that work? Aren't you just enabling gamblers?" The answer I have is simple. Kids Quest and Cyber Quest exist so that children can have their own fun while vacationing at casino-based resorts. Our concept creates a happy and safe space for kids to enjoy while their parents explore all our host properties have to offer. The world has changed. Casinos are no longer just about gaming. Casinos have evolved. In fact, a recent gaming industry study reported that non- gaming amenities have surpassed slots and table games as a source of revenue for many casino-resort properties. People don't go to casinos to just roll dice or push buttons on a slot machine. They can now indulge in world-class dining, a massage or facial, a round of golf, a movie, a few lines of bowling or a con- cert. In fact, they may even pull out their credit cards and do some great retail shopping as well. Casinos are fast becoming entertain- ment centers, offering the very best leisure options for entire regions – a com- munity hub hosting activities for a wide variety of clientele. In addition, the advent of the term "destination resort" as a new standard compels casinos to accent the resort side of the equation, and those attributes will attract families for fun. Tribally owned casi- nos are designed to rival the finest properties in the world. With that pro- gressive thinking, they too have included features and ameni- ties that inevitably bring families to their resorts. Kids Quest and Cyber Quest very capably entertain those guests. As for the moral part of this mix, we agree children do not belong in casinos – they belong in Kids Quest. Our existence on-property mitigates minors being left unattended and at risk. When childcare is readily avail- able, people will do the right thing. They just need casino ownership to give them that opportunity. Parents love their children and will travel with them in tow, but there will always be a need to spend time apart in order to reconnect with their spouse, partner or friends. Most adults need just a few hours away to be on their own or to feel like a couple again, and to restore themselves so they can be better par- ents; well-rested, intellectually stimulat- ed and spiritually revived parents. To that end, I will admit that at Kids Quest we are indeed enablers. We enable adults to enjoy much-needed free time, we enable children to partake in play time, and ultimately, we enable our busi- ness partners to say they have fully addressed the needs of their guests and promoted responsible gaming practices. Visit Kids Quest/Cyber Quest at booth 1547. For more information, go to www.kidsquest.com, call 800-941-1007 or email azenor@kidsquest.com. CHUMASH CASINO RESORT: A CALIFORNIA LUXURY PROPERTY Like many other tribes in California 20 years ago, the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians stepped into the gam- ing industry with a bingo hall and the promise of a brighter future. Indian gaming was a very different industry when the Chumash Casino opened its doors in 1994. In the early days, visitors to the Chumash Casino arrived at a cinderblock building, which housed bingo, slots and table games – a far cry from today's luxurious facility. Still, the casino opened the first day with 300 percent more guests than expected. In spite of its instant popularity, however, the gaming industry was shaky in the half decade after the Chumash Casino opened. But in 1999, when the tribe negotiated a compact agreement with then-Governor Davis and Proposition 1A was passed by 64 percent of California voters, it was a clear sign that Indian gaming was here to stay. Nearly a decade after opening its doors, the tribe embarked on a new era by consolidating the hodgepodge of buildings on its reservation and building a new gaming facility that housed an expansive gaming floor, restaurants, a showroom and a gift shop. One year later, the tribe opened the doors to a lux- ury hotel which received an AAA Four Diamond Award of Excellence three months after opening. Recently, tribal members passed a tribal ballot measure for improvements and additions to the Chumash Casino Resort property. The tribe is about to embark on a project that would further enhance the already luxurious facility. "When the Chumash Casino Resort hotel was built in 2004, it was dramatically down- sized during the trib- al environmental review process," said Vincent Armenta, Tribal Chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. "We were trying to address the concerns of the community, but we did ourselves a disservice by building a hotel much smaller than the market dictated and certainly not large enough to address the potential future growth in the market." The tribe recently hired an architect and a builder for the project, and is in the process of developing plans to improve the facility. A few improvements the tribe is considering include: adding 215 rooms to the Chumash Casino Resort Hotel; possibly relocating the non-smoking area and poker room from the third floor to the second floor gaming area, allowing expansion of the two restaurants on the third floor; adding a new parking garage for 750 vehi- cles; widening the gaming floor by approximately 60,000 square feet (no new gaming devices – the tribe operates at the maximum of 2,000 machines allowed in its tribal-state compact). "We are confident that the changes we make on the property will help with potential market growth," said Chairman Armenta. "In addition, the project will also create more than 400 jobs and con- tribute significantly to the local economy." Visit booth 1806 to learn more about the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. For more information, go to www .chumashcasino.com or www.santaynez chumash.org, call 805-325-1187 or email francesvsnyder@gmail.com. investments, the implication of select improvements and any inherent risk. This process laid the groundwork for short and long-term success. Addressing these factors are all part of JCJ Architecture ( Cont'd. from p. 4) the process of making developing a com- petitive advantage and appealing to advancements in technology and chang- ing expectations. Visit JCJ Architecture at booth 1443. For more information, go to www.JCJ.com, call 860-247-9226 or email info@jcj.com.