Supplier Diversity To Be Featured In Special Southern Gaming Summit Session

BILOXI, Miss. (April 17, 2008) – The important topic of supplier diversity will be discussed in a special session at the 15 th annual Southern Gaming Summit, to be held here at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center May 7-8.

Presented by the Mississippi Minority Business Enterprise Center (MMBEC), a Federally-funded program by the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), U.S. Department of Commerce, operated by the Arkansas-Mississippi Minority Business Council, the session is entitled PowerConnect Plus: Leveraging Supplier Diversity for Global “Smart Growth” and is set for Thursday, May 8, at 12:30 p.m., immediately following Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour’s keynote presentation at the Summit.

“The Minority Business Development Agency focus is to provide services for mid-to-large size minority firms that have the capability to expand, increase gross receipts and create new jobs,” said MMBEC Project Director Michael B. Anderson. “Clearly, facilitating new contracting opportunities is a strategic priority for the agency. Participation in the Southern Gaming Summit is the start of many mutually beneficial partnerships on the road to recovery. We are so excited to be conference partners this year.”

The session will provide guidance to help companies improve their supply chain solutions, increase access and utilization of minority business enterprises and meet customer/government compliance requirements. Speakers include MBDA Regional Director Patricia Hanes, MBDA National Director Ronald N. Langston, and Richard Speights, Director of Minority and Small Business Development for the Mississippi Development Authority.

In addition to this special presentation, the Summit includes more than a dozen other educational seminars, including a general session on building a destination; a series on gaming law, developed in partnership with the International Masters of Gaming Law; a series exploring the latest trends in slot gaming, and additional sessions on Class II gaming, business intelligence and analytics, game protection, a view from Wall Street and the political outlook in the South. In total, some 70 expert speakers are already confirmed for the Summit.

The Southern Gaming Summit is the largest commercial gaming trade show held outside of Las Vegas, and provides an unmatched voice for the local industry. For a complete speaker list and up-to-date information, please visit www.sgsummit.com.

Media Contact: Beverly Martin, Executive Director, Mississippi Casino Operators Association; WINMCOA@aol.com or (228) 388-0087.