Top Industry Communicators Honored at Ninth Annual AGA Communications Awards

LAS VEGAS — The American Gaming Association (AGA) named the winners of its ninth annual AGA Communications Awards today, and gaming companies representing four different industry sectors – gaming equipment manufacturers, commercial, racetrack and tribal casinos – took home Gaming Voice awards, giving the program its most diverse group of winners in the awards’ history.

The Gaming Voice awards, which recognize outstanding corporate communications, public relations and advertising in the gaming industry, were presented at a ceremony held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in conjunction with Global Gaming Expo (G2E). 

“The advertising and communications efforts we honored today are prime examples of the creative and innovative work that is making customers, employees and even competitors sit up and take notice,” said Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., president and CEO of the AGA, who served as master of ceremonies for the awards presentation. “The fact that our winners came from so many different parts of our industry reflects the trend that sectors like tribal and racetrack casinos are driving much of the industry’s overall growth.”

The day’s biggest winner was Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside, Calif., which took home the top spot in five different categories – Best Web Site, Best Corporate Social Responsibility Publication, Best Direct Mail Piece, Best Direct Mail Campaign and Best Web Advertisement, which made its inaugural appearance as a category this year.

MGM MIRAGE also was a big winner, taking home four trophies.  The company’s corporate operation was honored with two awards, one for Best Employee Publication for “The Daily Momentum” and the other for Best Communications Campaign for its employee benefit-focused “The People Place”.  Adding to the company’s success was Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, an MGM property located in Biloxi, Miss., which was recognized for Best Outdoor Advertisement and Best Outdoor Advertising Campaign.

Silverton Casino Lodge in Las Vegas, Nev. was the only other casino property to take home multiple honors, as it was recognized for Best Customer Publication and Best Multi-format Advertising Campaign for its impressive launch of the “Silverton Casino is Livin’ Lodge” campaign.

Two racetrack casinos demonstrated the marketing prowess of that industry sector, with Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona, Iowa winning Best Print Advertising Campaign for its “Ostrich and Camel Racing” campaign and Indiana Live Casino in Shelbyville, Ind. garnering top honors in the Best Broadcast Television Advertisement category.

WMS Gaming Inc. made sure that the gaming equipment manufacturers were represented amongst the winners with its triumph in the Best 2008 Annual Report category.  Other winners included the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood in Hollywood, Fla. for Best Print Advertisement and Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Ill., which took home the Voice award for Best Broadcast Radio Advertisement.

In addition to the juried awards, the AGA honored Alan Feldman, senior vice president of public affairs at MGM MIRAGE, with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Gaming Communications.  During the course of his 20 years with both Mirage Resorts, Inc. and MGM MIRAGE, Feldman has established a reputation built on integrity and candor and is the “go-to” man for any reporter covering the gaming industry or Las Vegas.  In addition to his role as the voice of MGM MIRAGE, he is active in the responsible gaming arena, serving on the boards of the National Center for Responsible Gaming and the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.

“I can think of very few people who have his level of institutional knowledge about the gaming industry over the last 20 years,” said Fahrenkopf during the presentation of the award. “Alan has been a witness to all of the major sea changes the industry and Las Vegas has experienced during that time – the opening of The Mirage, the marketing of Las Vegas as a family destination, the rise of non-gaming amenities, the building boom, and now the opening of CityCenter.”

Awards were presented in 16 categories, and a panel of judges with expertise in advertising, marketing, public relations, Internet design, graphic arts and financial communications pared down almost 200 entries to determine the winners.

The AGA Communications Awards were made possible with generous support from Piercy Bowler Taylor & Kern (PBTK) and Global Gaming Expo (G2E).

2009 Gaming Voice Award Winners

Best 2008 Annual Report
WMS Gaming Inc.
(Assisting agency: Access Communications)

Best Broadcast Advertisement – Radio
Grand Victoria Casino – “You Rule Radio – Great Rulers”
(Assisting agency: The Glenn Group)

Best Broadcast Advertisement – Television
Indiana Live Casino – “Indiana Live Obama TV”
(Assisting agency: The Media & Marketing Group)

Best Communications Campaign
MGM MIRAGE – “The People Place”
(Assisting agency: Aon Consulting)

Best Corporate Social Responsibility Publication
Barona Resort & Casino – “The Barona Valley Environmental Sustainability Program”

Best Customer Publication
Silverton Casino Lodge – “Silverton Las Vegas: Welcome to the Future”
(Assisting agency: SK+G)

Best Direct Mail – Single Piece
Barona Resort & Casino – “Randy Travis Spring VIP Concert Event Invitation”

Best Direct Mail Campaign
Barona Resort & Casino – “2009 Club Barona Tier Aspiration and Migration Program”

Best Employee Publication
MGM MIRAGE – “The Daily Momentum”

Best Multi-format Ad Campaign
Silverton Casino Lodge – “Silverton Casino Lodge is Livin’ Lodge in 2009”
(Assisting agency: SK+G)

Best Outdoor Advertisement – Single Piece
Beau Rivage Resort and Casino – “Beau Rivage Airport Baggage Belt”
(Assisting agency: Masterminds)

Best Outdoor Advertising Campaign
Beau Rivage Resort and Casino – “Big Winners Outdoor Campaign”
(Assisting agency: Masterminds)

Best Print Advertisement – Single Piece
Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood – “Kiss the Sky Air Tran Ad”
(Assisting agency: 1 Trick Pony)

Best Print Advertising Campaign
Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino – “Camel and Ostrich Races”

Best Web Advertisement
Barona Resort & Casino – “Barona Video Contest”
(Assisting agency: ideawork)

Best Web Site
Barona Resort & Casino – “Speakeasy” – www.barona.com/web-projects/speakeasy
(Assisting agency: ideawork)