Caribbean Leaders Positive About Region’s Economic Vitality.

Leading executives of the Caribbean Basin’s gaming and hospitality industry will deliver an upbeat message to colleagues and competitors at the third annual Caribbean Gaming & Tourism Conference scheduled for June 12-14 at the Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Against a backdrop of increased capital investment throughout most of the region and individual success stories, including the dramatic influx of tourists to Cuba, noted industry experts believe that the economic outlook for the region is robust. Three keynote addresses will open each day of the conference which attracts industry leaders from throughout the Americas:

Tuesday, June 12

Cuba: The Sleeping Giant Awakens

Speaker: John S. Kavulich, II, President, U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, New York, NY

Focus: An assessment of the Caribbean’s awakening giant and how hospitality and tourism developments in the island nation will affect the entire region.

Wednesday, June 13

Caribbean Economics for the 21st Century

Speaker: Jose Villamil, Chairman, Estudios Tecnicos, Inc., San Juan, PR; Chairman of the Board, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, Puerto Rico

Focus: A five-year economic forecast for the region based on current and planned expansion, the competition for capital, and market conditions outside the region that will impact tourism and spending patterns.

Thursday, June 14

The Internet-Caribbean Marriage … Why the Love Affair?

Speaker: Sue Schneider, Chief Executive Officer and President, River City Group, St. Louis, MO

Focus: A look at the competitive impact of Caribbean-based Internet gaming and why Caribbean governments have issued more Internet gaming licenses to date than all other parts of the world combined.

This year’s Regulators’ Roundtable features an outstanding panel of speakers headed by moderator Frederic E. Gushin of Spectrum Gaming Group:

* Guillermo Cabret, Director of the Gaming Division, Puerto Rico Tourism Company;

* Dennis Leroy Richardson, Former Governor, St. Maarten;

* Carlos Fonseca Sarmiento, Manager, Legal Department of the Gaming Commission of Peru; and

* Eileen Peterson, Chairwoman of the Virgin Islands Casino Control Commission.

Additional key topics at this year’s Caribbean Gaming & Tourism Conference include slot marketing, and surveillance and security. All sessions will have simultaneous English-Spanish translation.

Conference participants represent every gaming jurisdiction in the region as well as parts of Central and South America. Delegates range from Chairmen of the Board to slot directors, CFOs, and security specialists to pit bosses. In addition, exhibit space at this year’s event is selling much faster than expected.