TribalBond goals to foster connections at Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow — CDC Gaming

The price of attending the upcoming Indian Gaming Association Tradeshow & Convention in San Diego just isn’t cheap. There are journey, lodging and meal bills, plus charges if one is an exhibitor.

That’s why Frances Alvarez needs to make sure attendees get their cash’s value by TribalBond.

“They can have tons of traffic through their booths,” says Alvarez, who leads TribalBond, and is the President of the Native American Hall of Fame and Gaming Commissioner for the Wilton Rancheria Gaming Commission. “But that doesn’t equal the right connections.”

TribalBond is a networking initiative designed to attach tribal on line casino executives with resolution suppliers by structured, velocity networking periods. It’s based mostly on the identical premise as speed-dating – assembly a number of companions in a brief time period – to see whether or not there are potential shared pursuits. Launched at IGA’s 2025 Tradeshow, it proved to be so in style that it’s not solely returning, however increasing assembly instances from 5 to 10 minutes.

“At the five-minute mark, they were just getting into a conversation about what that service is,” Alvarez says. “So, we increased that to 10 minutes this year. …There is that first impression – they know right away, but it takes at least five minutes for them to identify it.”

TribalBond is geared to on line casino executives and tribal choice makers, together with leaders and council members, who’re searching for contacts and methods to supply higher companies at their operations.

“We pride ourselves in connections, in getting the right opportunity in front of our exhibitors,” Alvarez says. “They pay for this (TribalBond is free to attend for executives; exhibitors pay a small fee) and we want to make it worth their while.”

Attendees are assured 12 connections over two days – April 1 and a couple of – of TribalBond, with 4 periods every day. Exhibitors are invited to pick two of the periods that they need to take part in, and in every session meet six executives.

Alvarez realizes the fixed movement and move of IGA generally precludes making connections. A Vice President of Marketing will not be out there for a sure TribalBond session, however the Vice President of Human Resources can step in.

“They’re advocates for each other,” Alvarez says. “If they meet with someone who they find would be a unique solution for their property they’re going to advocate, and they’re going to take that information to their partners.”

Alvarez says TribalBond is worth it significantly for distributors who’re participating with Indian nation for the primary time. But it’s additionally useful for seasoned exhibitors.

“We get on this cadence of going to these conferences every year, and we know exactly what we’re going to do,” Alvarez says. “We’re going to attend a few training periods, and we’re going to hit the commerce present and arrange a couple of conferences.

“I consider (TribalBond) an elevated experience. I encourage tribal leadership and our executives to attend. It is no cost to them. In fact, we value their time, and we show that in the way that we treat them. It’s an opportunity to experience IGA in a way that they’ve never experienced before.”