< Previous| tribalnetonline.comFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM10$When Rita Lopez from Mashpee Wampanoag needed help, Arctic IT answered the call.Problem. The tribe was using the Progeny solution and was frustrated with the lack of reporting and flexibility. As the tribe was looking to expand their level of engagement with their community, it was clear they needed a platform that was scalable and flexible to accommodate their evolving needs. Solution. By moving to Tribal Platforms™ by Arctic IT, Rita provided the tribe with a better member management system that empowers the tribe to use their data strategically. They now have the ability to expand the technology into all aspects of member services.RUN WITH USTRIBALPLATFORMSby ARCTIC IT_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 109/19/17 5:04 PMtribalnetonline.com |11TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017$844.461.9500tribalsales@arcticit.comarcticit.com“THIS SOLUTION BRINGS SO MANY BENEFITS TO MY TRIBE.”—Rita Lopez, Enrollment DirectorMashpee Wampanoag TribePublic safety now has access to real-time information. This has been invaluable in emergency situations.The system performed over 500 queries required to receive a federal grant to benefit their child welfare program.Adoption of the database grew from 1 to 12 departments, resulting in a better experience for every tribal member.Tribes pay a low monthly fee with no hidden costs. Unlimited support and system upgrades are included.COSTThe information is in a secure database. Each department has access only to the data they need.SECURITYSpreadsheets and man-hours are gone. Changes take seconds versus months.TIMESAFETYFUNDINGSHARED DATAStrategy. Rita needed better access to her member data. She worked with the Tribal Platforms team to create an application designed for flexibility and consistency. The data was moved to one secure and centralized system available to the entire tribe. Rita’s results after implementing Tribal Platforms:_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 119/19/17 5:04 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com12MANAGEMENT | THE NEW WORKFORCETRIBALNETkeynoteSPEAKER2017Gen Z, a generation of 60 million young Americans born between 1996 and 2011, is now only a few years away from entering the workforce. And if you assume Gen Z will be similar to Millennials with the hopes that your Millennial workplace will satisfy the Gen Z workforce, you may be sorely disappointed. Here is what you need to know about Gen Z to prepare your workplace for their arrival and to avoid missing out on the wave of young talent they are sure to bring. WHO IS GEN Z?Born after 9/11, knowing nothing of the dark pre-social-media age and raised in a recession while playing video games with their unemployed Millennial siblings, Gen Zers are a distinct generation all their own. Coming of age amidst the Great Recession and wars in the Middle East, Gen Zers have been molded by their place in history. They possess traits which, as Alex Williams notes in the New York Times, more closely resemble the Baby Boomers than any other recent generation. They are a generation that wants stability. They want to make an impact on the world. They value authenticity. They are socially accepting. And they also show signs of being fairly nice compared to other generations. And that is all well and good. Many employers will be excited about welcoming any generation other than BY. DAN NEGRONIFOUNDER AND CEO, LAUNCHBOXMake Way for the New WorkforceUnderstanding Generation ZMillennials. But how do employers cater to this young and massive generation? LOYALTY AND STABILITY ARE CRITICAL FOR ATTRACTING GEN ZDuring the last 10 years, Millennials and employers have developed an unfortunate understanding: both see the other as replaceable, and neither expects any long-term loyalty from the other. With Gen Z, employers may be able to bank on more long-term loyalty. As Jeremy Finch reports on FastCompany,“We found that while Gen Z like the idea of working for themselves, the majority are risk-averse, practical, and pragmatic.” They are shying away from the flashiness of developing the next great app, and instead “are biased in favor of financial stability.” They show their pragmatism through their desire to be trained and invested in by traditional employers. In fact, Lydia Dishman of FastCompany reports that “84% of new grads expect to receive formal, on-the-job training.” The reward for employers willing to invest in Gen Z appears to be loyalty. According to Dishman, “62% [say] they expect to stay at their first job for at least three years”—a far cry from the job-hopping Millennials. This presents a big shift in how employers and employees relate to one another. If you are an employer who does not want to miss out on the talent coming from Gen Z, the message is clear: invest in them. Provide them the professional development opportunities they crave, and in return for your investment, you will receive the loyalty you may not have ever received from Millennials. THEY WANT YOU TO HELP THEM SAVE THE WORLD Gen Zers have made it clear to retailers during their teen years that if retailers want their money, they need to actively demonstrate social responsibility. (Think Tom’s shoes or Warby Parker. These are socially conscious companies whose brands are closely tied with their effort to make the world a better place.)And when Gen Zers hit the workforce, they are going to expect the same from employers. As employers, you can expect job interviews with Gen Zers to be peppered with questions about your company’s values, its efforts to support the local community, its CSR policy and what volunteer opportunities you offer your employees. And employers damn well better have a genuine, authentic answer because Gen Z doesn’t just talk the talk: 26% of Gen Zers are already volunteering and 76% are concerned with humans’ impact on the planet. They have a genuine belief that they can change the world, and they are going to expect their employers to help them in their mission to do so.HAVE YOU WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ESTABLISH A WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT AND POLICIES PERFECTLY TAILORED FOR ATTRACTING MILLENNIAL TALENT? IF SO, GREAT WORK! IT’S TIME TO DO IT AGAIN. _!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 129/19/17 5:04 PMtribalnetonline.com |13TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017 FLEXIBILITY AND OPENNESS FOR EMPLOYERS ARE BIGThough Gen Z is more cautious and willing to succeed within “the system,” they will also be expecting the continuation of progressive workplace policies that emphasize multiculturalism, acceptance of all people and work-life balance. Employers need to keep in mind Gen Z’s historical context: they come on the heels of social changes that have seen a 400% increase in multiracial marriages, a 50% increase in multiracial youth, and less emphasis on gender roles. Gen Z has also grown up with a black president, legal gay marriage and the legalization of marijuana in several states.WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN? If employers want the loyalty that Gen Z potentially offers, they need to make sure that their workplace environments and policies reflect the world that Gen Z has been raised in. That includes everything from the obvious (equal pay for men and women) to the more creative: flexible schedules, telecommuting opportunities and other work-life balance benefits. The good news about adjusting your workplace for the incoming Gen Zers is that those adjustments will result in a better workplace environment overall. What workplace couldn’t benefit from more professional development opportunities for staff, starting socially conscious and CSR initiatives or making workplace policies more in line with the times? As I always like to remind people, each generation has its own quirks, but they share more similarities than differences. It is universal human nature to want to have a meaningful experience at work, have the opportunity to learn and be accepted by one’s colleagues. It will be the employers who understand these foundational human values who will be able to evolve fast enough to harness the young talent that sits on the horizon.Dan is the quintessential next generation business management and talent development coach solving today’s critical multi-generational issues. Dan leverages his authentic, no-nonsense approach and a successful 20+ year career as a CEO, attorney, senior sales and marketing executive, to help companies bridge the gap between managers and their millennial workforce.ABOUT THE AUTHORTO OUR 2017CONFERENCE SPONSORS_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 139/19/17 5:04 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com14What can you tell us about your role and areas of oversight at Isleta Resort & Casino?As the CFO; I oversee Finance, the Casino Bank (Cage), Purchasing & Receiving, Casino Compliance, IT, and all development projects. Reporting to and directly supporting the CEO, our structure allows me to function more as an operational CFO than you might typically see in this position. My focus is business operations, profitability, expansion, and process and procedure improvement which, while keeping a tight handle on cost control, lets us spend “smart” money. Having IT report to me creates an environment that promotes solid investment choices in technology. As an executive, if you don’t understand how important technology is for your business, then you are missing the boat. If you do it right, it’s worth the investment and if you don’t maintain it and reinvest in it, it can be costly. What can you tell us about Isleta Resort & Casino?We have nearly 1100 employees. The property itself is an 80,000 sq. ft. tribal casino, with 1783 slots, 22 tables, a poker room, and bingo making up our gaming offerings. The resort side supports a 201 room resort hotel, spa, indoor/outdoor pool, retail, and 65,000 sq. ft. of convention and meeting space. We also have a separate bowling and arcade facility, a 27-hole PGA golf course, an RV park, and fishing lakes. Recently, we launched a 40 million dollar expansion and renovation project. By taking the lead on this project and several other initiatives I am committed to helping make Isleta Resort & Casino the entertainment & hospitality destination of choice in our area. What is your take on IT reporting to Finance?I think it’s a very logical reporting structure. As CFO, I focus on the overall aspects of IT investments and make sure the IT operations support the direction and vision of the property. I leave the details to the Director of IT and his staff, but stay involved enough to understand what IT activity makes the entire property more effective and efficient and that our end user needs are met. While not an IT expert, I like to say I know enough about IT to ask the appropriate questions and determine if the answer I am getting makes sense. What is your viewpoint of IT’s place in the organization? Information Technology is NOT just an expensive cost center —it is a critical support operation—if run and supported properly. IT budgets are one of the most important operational budgets in a casino. IT is mission critical, so their budget is also mission critical. Unfortunately, many executives look at IT as just an expensive cost center. I view it as an expensive (smile) opportunity. I believe the IT budget should include a 5-7 year average refresh of the entire system or it falls behind. Our IT budget gained a new focus last year when I came on board and is now second only to slots for our operational CapEx. And yes, we are playing catch-up. We would like to thank Scott for taking the time to meet with us on this interview. His leadership, direction and viewpoints on technology make him an excellent member of TribalNet’s Leadership/Executive Committee which is putting together the Executive Track for non-technical leaders at TribalNet 2017. Meet Scott, the rest of the committee and other Leadership/Executive peers in the industry at TribalNet this fall! He welcomes your questions and comments at scott.cannaday@isleta.comF. SCOTT CANNADAY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ATISLETA RESORT & CASINOQUESTION + ANSWER | EXECUTIVE_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 149/19/17 5:04 PMtribalnetonline.com |15TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017At MiCamp Solutions, we understand payments.With MiPoint, our mobile, EMV-capable, PCI-compliantpayment solution, you get secure payment technologythat’s everything you need – anywhere you go. And, MiPoint integrates seamlessly with point-of-sale (POS) systems like MICROS and POSitouch, so you can quickly start accepting payments.From The Casino FloorTo The Poolside Lounge,We’ve Got YourPayments Coveredmicamp.com | 800.396.0246 | marketing@micamp.comWE UNDERSTAND THE CRITICAL ROLE TECHNOLOGY PLAYS IN UPHOLDING YOUR MISSION.Contact us today to discover how our trusted, objective advisors are supporting organizations seeking to further develop their IT operations, bolster their security, and make informed decisions. TINA BODE, Management and IT Consultingtbode@berrydunn.com 800.432.7202 berrydunn.comMISSION ACCOMPLISHED.What would be your advice to executives and leaders relating to technology as a topic?Non-IT leaders need to do two things when addressing technology—(1) understand the technology—don’t just look at IT as an expensive requirement but really understand the technology and how it benefits them, and (2) don’t think that technology will solve operational problems—processes and procedures must work with or without the technology. Technology automates processes, reduces time, eliminates error, and aids in compliance.TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 159/19/17 5:04 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com16TECHNOLOGY | DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS & GAMIFICATIONIn 2004, the Yankelovich Center for Social Science Research at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) conducted a breakthrough study which showed that 65% of respondents felt that they were being “bombarded with too much marketing and advertising.” The report went on to state that the average consumer was inundated with between 5,000 and 10,000 marketing messages daily, but could only effectively process 10 to 12. “Marketing saturation models only work when more marketing creates a noticeable breakthrough that consumers welcome,” Yankelovich President J. Walter Smith pointed out. “The traditional assumption that consumers can deal with clutter by self-selecting what to watch ignores the evidence to the contrary—that choosing from a super-abundance of options makes consumers less likely to choose at all.” Winning the Digital Communication CompetitionThirteen years later, the digital communications landscape has become supersaturated. As consumers tweet, chat, blog, pin, post, snap, tumbl and flick about every imaginable topic, casinos aren’t just competing against other casinos for people’s minds, hearts, and wallets— they’re competing with other forms of digital entertainment. So, how do modern-day marketers effectively engage and motivate their audience in a crowded digital landscape? It turns out the answer might be a powerful, simple communication strategy that’s been around for centuries. This communication method may have changed names over the years, but “gamification” (the application of typical elements of game playing to other areas of activity) has proven itself to be a highly adaptable and effective motivational tool. There are plenty of examples of gamification in play. McDonald’s wildly successful “Monopoly” game is a perfect example, but another effective and far less obvious example is FitBit’s inclusion of competitions. Companies like Google have used gamification to motivate their workforce: a gamified travel expense program increased employee submission compliance to 100% in under six months. Examples like these prove that whether it’s a competition, activity, choose-to-use program, fully-realized game or mobile app, gamification has proven to be a highly-adaptable and effective motivational tool. The Age of Digital Disruption: Is Gamification the Answer? BYJERRY EPSTEIN CEO, ENGAGED NATION®AS CONSUMERS TWEET, CHAT, BLOG, PIN, POST, SNAP, TUMBL AND FLICK ABOUT EVERY IMAGINABLE TOPIC, CASINOS AREN’T JUST COMPETING AGAINST OTHER CASINOS FOR PEOPLE’S MINDS, HEARTS, AND WALLETS—THEY’RE COMPETING WITH OTHER FORMS OF DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT.Jerry Epstein, CEO of Engaged Nation, is a pioneer in strategic gamified marketing, as well as a recognized leader in marketing communications development with over three decades of experience in branding, new product launches, corporate positioning and general consumer and digital marketing for major Las Vegas and regional casinos.ABOUT THE AUTHOR_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 169/19/17 5:04 PMtribalnetonline.com |17TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017The Strategic, Gamified Marketing CycleIf anyone knows that games can be good business, it’s casinos. But they’re well aware that you can’t create long-term modifications in people’s behavior with a one-off initiative. Just as you would never expect to permanently modify anyone’s perception of your brand with one ad, a single gamified email, activity or online event isn’t likely to make a lasting impression. That’s why casinos looking to adopt digital gamification need to be strategic in how they incorporate gamified marketing into their programs. The best approach to gamification is one in which a digital experience evokes memories of the casino property experience and enhances on-property events. By creating an environment players can return to online, casinos can leverage educational, entertaining games and activities as well as structured events and drawings to motivate consumers to visit the property. Add an additional segmented rewards system that makes it advantageous for players to interact online (such as incentives that encourage visitation or an on-property “bounce-back” that returns customers to engage with you online) and you create an incredibly powerful “engagement cycle” that generates incremental lift in revenue and visitation, and creates strong consumer loyalty on an ongoing basis. Gamification: A Boon to Tribal Gaming OperatorsDespite the fact that gamification is not a new concept—it’s been successfully implemented by a variety of companies ranging from Nike to American Express, Chevrolet, Google and many others—it’s been slow to permeate the casino industry. There are high levels of excitement and trepidation about utilizing gamified marketing within the casino industry, but it’s slowly becoming more prevalent on the national scene. You have probably experienced gamification in some way without even knowing it; that’s the subtle way it works. Although gamified marketing has now gained acceptance by major national operators, the benefits of effective gamified marketing can, perhaps, be experienced in no better segment of the gaming industry than tribal casinos.A strategic gamified marketing program can help tribal casinos entice big players to the property and reactivate old players, in addition to driving steady foot traffic. By creating a focused digital experience to capture a specific player type, tribal casinos can offer an exclusive experience or product that effectively entices players to the property. A gamified online component also increases the geographic reach of regional casinos and extends their voice, while unique game offerings, incentives and events can help them leapfrog their competitors. Even better news? This type of progressive marketing is now available at affordable rates to tribal casinos that do not have the internal bandwidth to build their own platform. As gamification takes its place as a vital component in forward thinking digital marketing strategies, companies are realizing there is no end to the ways they can apply this approach to broaden their markets and strengthen consumer connections and bottom-line results. TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 179/19/17 5:04 PMFEATURE | TRIBALNETONLINE.COM| tribalnetonline.com18According to the American Gaming Association’s 2016 State of the States report, 2015 was a record-setting year for Indian gaming. Increased investments in this multi-billion dollar industry fueled by consumer demand increases the need tribes are investing in data analysis tools. To better ensure they understand how to best capture and maintain guest interests. But they also need to understand the importance of that data, including how to capture, analyze and leverage it to best support their business goals.Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are driving high levels of interest in the value of data in the business sector, and tribal gaming operations are no exception. Gaming operators can capture and analyze information from multiple systems to reduce fraud, increase customer satisfaction, enhance marketing efforts and optimize operations. It’s all part of the transition to the digitally driven business environment.In our minds, there is no bigger Big Data application than video surveillance. In fact, it is forecasted that video surveillance will produce 15.1 zettabytes of data annually. Video surveillance is already mission-critical in the gaming sector. Tribal casinos have invested heavily in video technology to stay vigilant against a wide variety of risks, such as fraud, crowding, loss and other issues that impact the safety of employees and customers. Surveillance solutions not only enhance security and reduce fraudulent behavior but can also be useful for tracking advantage players, identifying lost items and reducing employee theft. Some casino’s are finding new ways to leverage video data to benefit the entire operation’s overall business, not just fraud reduction. With so many new cameras, video use cases and emerging solutions like 360-degree surveillance devices and video analytics, casinos are collecting more data and putting immense pressure and challenges on their infrastructure — leading to rising costs and complexity, poor performance (video frame loss can lead to non-compliance) and increased likelihood of downtime and data loss (which also leads to major costs, liabilities and non-compliance).Tribes are looking to gain increased situational awareness and targeted intelligence from their technology investments. Connected devices further drive the capability to collect actionable information from multiple locations. For example, marketing teams in a tribal network of casinos in Oklahoma look to use video to determine the success of promotional and marketing campaigns while front-desk staff can leverage captured data to identify top-tier guests. These new use cases are only the tip of the iceberg, but demonstrate the growing benefit of video surveillance as a security and business optimization tool. However, capturing, protecting and mobilizing this data pose challenging tasks for traditional surveillance storage methods. As the value of video increases, ensuring the investment is secured becomes of even greater importance. It is not enough to only invest in cameras: tribal casinos need better methods to store all this valuable data. Betting on Video BYBRANDON REICHSURVEILLANCE PRACTICE LEADER,PIVOT3 ABOUT THE AUTHORBrandon Reich is the Surveillance Business Leader at Pivot3, where he directs all product, go-to-market and partnership strategies. Brandon came to Pivot3 in 2014 from Honeywell Security Group, where he led the Product Marketing and Global Strategy functions for the commercial and enterprise technology business unit. Prior to Honeywell, Brandon spent 10 years leading a security consulting and engineering firm focused on large enterprise, institutional and critical infrastructure engagements. In 2016, Brandon was named one of the Top 12 Influencers in the Physical Security and Video Surveillance industry by Security World.Best Practices to Ensure Your Video Data is ProtectedTECHNOLOGY | DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE & INFRASTRUCTURE_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 189/19/17 5:04 PMtribalnetonline.com |19TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017System failures—from both storage and video management platforms—are not tolerable because they open doors to increased risks, new vulnerabilities and potential operational interruptions, all of which are undesirable liabilities for any tribal casino. Video needs to be protected in the same way that an enterprise would protect corporate and IT data. Because tribes require storage platforms that secure data, the most robust solutions for this task are those proven within the rigorous walls of the IT world.Performance is the single most important aspect of delivering high-quality video. The ability to store large amounts of video without dropping frames, which leads to image quality degradation, is paramount to meeting gaming board regulations. System resiliency is also critical because in order to ensure uninterrupted business operations, casinos need to eliminate downtime and data loss. Live and recorded video must be available and accessible at all times, even when hardware fails. Scalability is also a significant requirement because it allows facilities to start small and expand systems as needs, technologies and budgets change over time.To address the video storage needs of the gaming market, new technologies and infrastructure platforms are being introduced. Flash technology, while still cost prohibitive for primary video storage methods, can be used strategically to improve video capture performance and prevent image quality degradation.Hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) is another beneficial option because it eliminates complexity and cost while providing enterprise-class technology to gaming environments. At a very basic level, HCI combines enterprise-class data storage and server hardware through software into a simple appliance-based solution. In fact, one tribal gaming provider deployed HCI and saved more than $300,000 in server acquisition costs, and reduced data center build-out costs by eliminating hardware once necessary with traditional solutions. HCI is gaining traction in security and surveillance environments because of the significant limitations of other systems, and is being leveraged in a number of tribal gaming environments, from California to Rhode Island. NVRs and DVRs (DAS-based systems) are no longer ideal options for storing critical surveillance data because they are difficult to manage when used in larger video deployments. Traditional IT systems often don’t work well with intensive surveillance workloads or can be prohibitively expensive. It is important that you discuss your current and future needs with your integration partner and your IT department to find a solution that fits your tribe’s needs.As more tribes adopt video for Big Data and security applications, and invest in new innovations such as high-resolution panoramic cameras and video analytics, traditional IT storage solutions will be challenged by the write-intensive nature of surveillance. Storage and data management platforms that can deliver enterprise-class IT capabilities, advanced levels of video and data protection, and higher system performance are the future of surveillance operations and IT data centers. Regardless of the size of casino, tribes need to closely evaluate how they can incorporate advanced IT platforms into their video storage infrastructure to be able to address the needs of today as well as the data-intensive requirements of the future. THE MOST ADVANCED IT INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE CENTER OF THE MODERN SECURITY AND SURVEILLANCE ECOSYSTEMPivot3 hyperconverged infrastructure delivers the performance, resiliency and scalability that protects data from millions of cameras in 54 countries around the world. NO DATA LOSS. NO UNPLANNED DOWNTIME. NO DROPPED FRAMES.TO LEARN MORE VISIT HCIZONE.COM/GAMINGTRIBALNET | FALL 2017TRIBALNET MAGAZINE | FALL 2017_!TNMag_FALL17_FINAL.indd 199/19/17 5:04 PMNext >