A recent Forbes article speaks to a new wave of employee confidence to which company executives should take note.  In an economy that continues to struggle (with slight improvements) – employees are finding their confidence and slowly emerging from the “I’m just happy to have this job” fog.  Companies need to recognize that to motivate their employees to not just work harder but simply stay on the job – incentives are critical.

The article discusses the need for companies to launch incentives before their employees launch themselves into a new job.  What’s unfortunate here is that companies do not already have these incentives in place.  While times of economic struggle often cause companies to tighten their belts — these are the times when incentive programs are needed most and instead of being cut – should be embraced and enhanced.

When employees see their co-workers packing up their desks and being walked out the door – they need to be reminded that despite tough changes – they themselves still have value and are needed at the company.  What some executives don’t realize is that employees do not inherently know this and need to be reminded often – which is exactly the type of impact incentives can have.

The author also makes mention of wellness programs.  Many companies have begun implementing wellness initiatives and are best served when they opt to tie it in with an overall incentive program.  Wellness and incentives are not mutually exclusive.  When tied together these two initiatives can further engage employees and remind them that the grass is not always greener.

Forbes Article

The Southern Gaming Summit is the premier gaming conference in the region featuring insightful educational sessions along with a dynamic exhibit hall showcasing the latest gaming products. Who Attends Southern Gaming Summit? Executives and officials from all types of gaming operations, including commercial and tribal casinos, racetracks, racetrack casinos and charitable gaming; Regulators and legislators interested in the gaming industry Local officials, including tourism and hospitality leaders, who understand the importance of the gaming and hospitality industries; Consultants and analysts who follow gaming and know the value of this large regional gaming market; and Gaming and hospitality industry suppliers who want to reach an audience of thousands in the exhibit hall. All of these professionals all come together in Biloxi, where Southern hospitality meets unparalleled educational and networking opportunities.

As the only Trade Show & Convention created by the Trade Association of the Indian Gaming Industry, the National Indian Gaming Association, Indian Gaming ’12 is Specific to Indian Gaming. We have a niche in the market of gaming and take the time and care to develop the 4 days of events so that they are relevant to Indian Gaming and the related issues.

The attendees are the “Who’s Who of Indian Gaming!” Tribal leaders, Tribal Council members and delegates, Indian Gaming professionals and staff members. They come for the association’s Annual Membership Meeting, training, networking and fun! NIGA sets the standard for networking and training in Indian Gaming with innovative and comprehensive topics recognized for their excellence. Attendees come year after year for this one-stop-shopping on the latest in everything in the industry

The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA), established in 1985, is a non-profit organization of 184 Indian Nations with other non-voting associate members representing organizations, tribes and businesses engaged in tribal gaming enterprises from around the country. The common commitment and purpose of NIGA is to advance the lives of Indian peoples economically, socially and politically. NIGA operates as a clearinghouse and educational, legislative and public policy resource for tribes, policymakers and the public on Indian gaming issues and tribal community development.

Visit the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, FL…

The 7th Annual Florida Gaming Summit returns to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida February 27-28.

All eyes are on Florida right now as legislation is contemplated that would create three 2 billion $ resorts with an ultra friendly 10% tax rate and there has never been a more important time to hear the insider views on the future of gaming in Florida.

The Florida Gaming Summit is the perfect venue to discuss current events impacting the state’s gaming industry and examine what the future might hold for gaming in the Sunshine State. Hundreds of enthusiastic attendees have attended this popular conference every year, and the seventh edition in February is sure to be another hit. Gaming Operators, Regulators, Investors, Tribal gaming leaders, Attorneys, Architects, vendors and other industry related professionals will be in attendance. If you are involved in gaming in Florida or are interested in becoming involved, you need to have a presence at Florida Gaming Summit.

In the ever-changing e-gambling industry, Zynga could be positioned to make the most noise.  With over 63 million daily active users of the online game “FarmVille” alone, Zynga could make a huge splash quickly if they decide to jump into gaming.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577173173534535212.html

If you ask someone to name the states with the largest annual gaming revenue most people in the know (even non-gamblers) would say “Nevada” and “New Jersey”.  Not so fast; make way for….Pennsylvania.  Hard to believe a state known for places like the Poconos and Amish Country has overtaken New Jersey with greater than 3 billion in revenue from its 10 operating casinos.  An 11^th will come on board as Valley Forge opens in the spring, and 3 other awarded licenses have yet to announce plans.  But with Atlantic City’s most anticipated opening since The Borgata opened – the long awaited Revel on the Northern most end of the Boardwalk – perhaps New Jersey can win back that #2 spot in 2013.

Pa. is now the country’s No. 2 state for casino revenue

In the ever-changing gaming industry, it can be difficult to keep your players coming back.  One of the best ways to create a memorable, positive gaming experience for your patrons is to host a Shopping Event.

A Shopping Event for your guests has many benefits:

• Increasing traffic at your property
• Improving your customer’s experience
• Building your customer relationships
• Reducing your point liability
• Giving the gift of choice

Allowing a guest to redeem their points for fabulous merchandise will create an emotional attachment to your property.  The guests that do attend will be treated to an experience they won’t soon forget.

Click here to learn about the Do’s and Don’ts of running Special Events.

These are all products featured at this year’s CES. The Consumer Electronic Show is the equivalent of 31 football fields full of emerging technology. This show never ceases to amaze me. There is quite a bit to see and comprehend in only 3 days. This year there was not a major focus on new categories. What I saw was several enhancements to existing categories. It appears to be the year of personal connection. Many manufacturers demonstrated how you can incorporate several of your electronic devices to communication with each other. Upload pictures/movies from your phone or camera to your TV, tablet or PC, etc.. Have your washer machine or dryer text you and tell you it is time to switch the clothes to the dryer. Now if they could just fold and put away for you.

My list of notable products from this year’s show;
• Samsung 55” OLED TV one of the largest of its kind in the market
• Sony’s Crystal LED display TV (approximately 600-million LED lights)
• Toshiba glasses free 3D TVs
• Sharp Freestyle Portable TVs – seriously you can take your TV anywhere (within 98’ of home base)
• Swiss Army Knife with a solid state drive (SSD)
• Ultrabooks, Ultrabooks, Ultrabooks – seems like everyone is coming out with the Ultrabook. A super thin, lightweight notebook to compete with Apple
• Apps, Apps, Apps – if you can think it, it is probably already out there and available for download
• Razor Fiona gaming tablet – conceptual at this time. Will run on Windows 8 with a $1000 price tag
• Roku streaming stick – turn your TV into an internet streaming device
• Phablet – Samsung is introducing the Samsung Galaxy Note. A cross between a phone and tablet
• OnLive – a free app that turns your iPad into a Windows PC desktop. Giving you access to games and Windows office
• Toshiba’s super thin tablet – only 7.7m and will run on the Android 4 platform (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• Coming soon – 4G for cars. OnStar has partnered with Verizon to bring 4G to your family car
• Waterproof, Dustproof and Shockproof HD video and digital cameras. Many include live streaming and GPS tagging
• And finally Life Technologies unveiled a DNA sequencer designed to decode an entire human genome in a day for $1,000 by the end of 2012. This one scares me.

With the announcement on 1/12 that MGM Resorts International is pursuing land in Brimfield, MA for its casino bid, it joins a significant list of top 10 gaming companies interested in setting up shop in the Bay State.  In fact, of the 7 known casino initiatives, all but the Mashpee Wampanoag’s have announced major industry partners as part of their proposal:

• Suffolk Downs  (East Boston) -  Caesars Entertainment
• Foxboro  -  Wynn Resorts
• Palmer  -  Mohegan Sun
• Brimfield  -  MGM Resorts Int.
• Holyoke  -   Hard Rock International
• Springfield  -  Ameristar Gaming

It has also been rumored that Penn Gaming, predominantly an operator of racetrack casinos (“racinos”) is interested in applying for the Western MA license in an undisclosed location.  The only noticeably absent national player not accounted for yet is Las Vegas Sands Corp., whose owner, Sheldon Adelson, is a major player in the industry AND a Massachusetts resident that grew up in Dorchester!

At 11:00AM on January 12^th in the historic Hitchcock Academy, located in the sleepy town of Brimfield, MA, David Callahan announced that MGM Resorts International is his partner in a push for the lone Western, MA casino license.  A well known local, and owner of Palmer Paving Company, his family has hundreds of acres of land that abut the Massachusetts Turnpike in the extreme Northwestern area of town.  With Mr. Callahan to trumpet the news was Jim Murren, the CEO of MGM Resorts, and Bill Hornbuckle, the #2 in command and Chief Marketing Officer.  A number of other team members joined them.  So you can add MGM to the mix that already includes the longtime presence of Mohegan Sun in neighboring Palmer, as well as Ameristar and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, to those that have expressed interest in operating a resort casino in this part of the state.   This will be a long and arduous process, and the casino licensing commission is not yet formed, so stay tuned!

Though there will always be a need for the basic tee with conventional screen printing or golf shirt with traditional embroidery, it appears that there will be new trends for 2012.

The consensus from ASI suppliers seems to be:

“The Retail Look”:  Corporate apparel is definitely moving toward a more upscale, retail appearance and quality.  There is also more attention being paid to women’s attire and youth lines.  These more fashionable garments are being treated with two polarized methods of decoration.        

1. Subdued locations and colorations (smaller logos on the arm, hem, and back yoke placements and more subtle tone-on-tone treatments of logos).

2. Larger designs in more creative positions and / or using non-traditional media (wrap-around the waist, over the shoulder imprints, or all-over messaging and rhinestones, glitter, metallic inks, and foils).

So depending on the message you are trying to “put out there” with your wearables; tasteful, tactful, corporate conservatism, or bold, brassy, and “in your face” messaging, there are new styles and fresh decorating approaches this year.

In sales and business in general, we are always looking for ways to generate leads, make connections, promote our business, and network. With social networking sites and online tools, it has never been easier (or more overwhelming) to get connected and be heard. But with all of the options – what is the best and do we really need to have our name associated with every site out there? The answer to those questions is subjective but certainly one thing is undeniable – you can’t ignore it (it’s not going away)!

Click here for a graphic representation of some of the things that happen every 60 seconds on the internet (and think about how many of them could positively impact your business if you were connected to them).

With electronic devices changing so quickly some may be wondering what is the best way to discard the old.   Do my old electronics have any value, should I resell, should I donate to someone who could use them, where can I drop off products to be recycled?  All great questions and all depend on what the old electronic item is that you have to dispose of. Best Buy and Staples offer a cash-back program. Recyclebank allows you to earn points for recycling. Gazelle.com has paid out over $25M for used consumer electronics. Close the Gap refurbs your old computers and sends them to underprivileged individuals in Africa.

To help you decide what is best for you visit the following like for a variety of options.

http://greenergadgets.org/recycling-responsibly.html

The implications of this Forbes article are far ranging but from the standpoint of Employee Engagement the message is clear.  Companies that ignore the need to interact with their employees on a higher level than was normal in decades past risk finding themselves the victim of destructive undercurrents at the hands of their own staff.

Click here for the full story

In the article “The Top Ten Reasons Why Large Companies Fail to Keep Their Best Talent,” I believe that the writer omits one very significant reason.  Rewards and recognition clearly play a critical role in keeping top talent at both small and large companies — but were left out of the article.  Companies that choose to ignore this fact will notice that it is a contributing factor to their best and brightest walking out the door.

The fact is, no matter what a person’s position within an organization, they want to be recognized and rewarded for their hard work.  Many companies will say, “Well, that’s why they get paid the big bucks.”   And on some level that is true.  But compensation only goes so far.  Employees inherently desire to be patted on the back for a job well done.

According to a survey conducted by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM),  voluntary resignations are rising – 90% of employees cite lack of recognition and feeling underappreciated as reason for leaving.

So, while the writer of the article makes many valid points, rewards and recognition simply cannot be left off the list.  The benefits of a carefully structured rewards and recognition program go well beyond employee retention to encompass employee motivation and goal attainment, customer satisfaction and retention, and more.