AGA Announces Winners of Seventh Annual Gaming Industry Communications Awards

WASHINGTON — The winners of the seventh annual American Gaming Association (AGA) Communications Awards proves that the gaming industry is a force in the entertainment industry across the country.  In addition to the 12 awards won by Las Vegas-based casinos and gaming companies, Gaming Voice Awards also are being taken back to Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon and New York.

The awards, which recognize outstanding corporate communications, public relations and advertising in the gaming industry, were presented Monday during the AGA Communications Awards Presentation and Luncheon at the Training and Development Institute, a Global Gaming Expo (G2E) event at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

“The winners of this year’s awards represent the gold standard for advertising, public relations and marketing, not just for the gaming industry, but across all industries,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the AGA, who served as master of ceremonies for the awards presentation. “This year, more than any other year, the winners illustrate that the gaming industry is much larger than just Las Vegas and Atlantic City, it has become an important part of the economic mix for communities all across America.”

Two MGM MIRAGE properties, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, MS were the day’s biggest winners, each taking home four awards.  Mandalay Bay won awards for Best Print Advertisement, Best Broadcast Television Advertisement and Best Direct Mail Piece, and tied with two Beau Rivage entries for Best Print Advertising Campaign.  In addition to its two awards for Best Print Advertising Campaign, Beau Rivage took the top prize in the Best Broadcast Radio Advertisement and Best Outdoor Advertising Campaign.

Three of this year’s winners reflect one of the industry’s most recent trends – the urbanization of Las Vegas and new casino development across the country.  Two of Las Vegas’ most exciting new developments, Project CityCenter and Echelon Place, both took home awards.  Boyd Gaming Corporation won Best Customer Publication for Echelon Magazine.  MGM MIRAGE’s Project CityCenter won the award for Best Public Affairs Campaign for its CityCenter Residential Sales Launch.  Winning development projects were not confined to Las Vegas as Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.’s new Lumière Place development in St. Louis took the prize in the Best Multi-format Ad Campaign for its Lumière Recruitment Campaign.

Native American casinos also were well-represented at the awards, with Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Red Wing, Minn. winning Best Web Site, Wildhorse Resort and Casino in Pendleton, Or., taking first prize for Best Broadcast Radio Advertisement and Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y., taking home Best Direct Mail Campaign.

In addition to the juried awards, the AGA also honored the long-time manager of the Las Vegas News Bureau, Don Payne, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Gaming Communications.  Throughout his tenure with the Las Vegas News Bureau, he worked to promote the city to print and broadcast media from around the world and helped turn the city into an instantly recognizable travel brand and one of the world’s premier tourist destinations.

Gaming Voice Award winners were chosen in 18 categories, including best 2006 annual report, best customer publication, best print, outdoor, radio and television advertisements, best direct mail and best Web site.  This year’s awards also featured four new categories: best corporate social responsibility publication and best employee communications, public affairs and corporate social responsibility campaign.  A panel of judges with expertise in advertising, marketing, public relations, Internet design, graphic arts and financial communications evaluated more than 200 entries, the highest number in the award program’s history.

The AGA Communications Awards were sponsored by market analysis and investment firm Goldman, Sachs & Co., with support from Wells Fargo Bank, Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern (PBTK) and Global Gaming Expo (G2E).

2007 Gaming Voice Award Winners:

Best 2006 Annual Report: Commercial or Native American Casino
MGM MIRAGE (Assisting agency: SK+G)

Best 2006 Annual Report: Public Agency or Association
Iowa Gaming Association – “Building Iowa’s Communities Through Philanthropy” (Assisting agency: Flynn Wright)

Best Broadcast Advertisement: Radio (Tie)
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino – “Braves Radio – Versus” (Assisting agency: Masterminds)
Wildhorse Resort and Casino – “Hunting Widows’ Weekend” (Assisting agency: Citrus)

Best Broadcast Advertisement: Television
Mandalay Bay – “Wonderlay Bay – New Brand TV” (Assisting agency: DRGM Advertising)

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign
Station Casinos, Inc. – “Caring for our Community” (Assisting agency: Crear Creative Group)

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Publication
MGM MIRAGE – “MGM MIRAGE 2006 Annual Diversity Report”

Best Customer Publication
Boyd Gaming Corporation – “Echelon Magazine” (Assisting agency: SK+G)

Best Direct Mail: Single Piece
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – “Mariah Carey Invitation” (Assisting agency: DRGM Advertising)

Best Direct Mail: Campaign
Turning Stone Resort & Casino – “Turning Stone Brochure Series”

Best Employee Communications Campaign
Ameristar Casinos, Inc. – “Ameristar Casinos: Workplace Giving” (Assisting agency: Eleven, Inc.)

Best Employee Publication
Ameristar Casinos, Inc. – “Winning” (Assisting agency: Eurie Creative)

Best Multi-format Ad Campaign
Lumière Place – “Lumière Recruitment” (Assisting agency: SK+G)

Best Outdoor Advertisement: Single Piece
Station Casinos, Inc. – “Fortune 100” (Assisting agency: Crear Creative Group)

Best Outdoor Advertisement: Campaign
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino – “Just Over an Hour” (Assisting agency: Masterminds)

Best Print Advertisement: Single Ad
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – “StripSteak Brand Ad” (Assisting agency: DRGM Advertising)

Best Print Advertisement: Campaign (Tie)
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino – “Promenade Shops Ads” (Assisting agency: Masterminds)
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino – “Somewhere Ads” (Assisting agency: Masterminds)
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino – “Pollstar Event Ads” (Assisting agency: DRGM Advertising)

Best Public Affairs Campaign
MGM MIRAGE – “CityCenter Residential Sales Launch” (Assisting agency: Kirvin Doak Communications)

Best Web Site
Treasure Island Resort & Casino – www.theislandiscallingyou.com (Assisting agency: Periscope)

The American Gaming Association (AGA) is the national trade association for the commercial casino industry. In addition to representing the interests of its members on federal legislative and regulatory issues, the AGA serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs, and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.