Pechanga Tribal Nation

CNIGA sponsors Western Indian Gaming Conference

Pechanga to host major gaming conference

January 17, 2003
AGNES DIGGS - Staff Writer - NCTimes.com

PECHANGA RESERVATION ---- The eighth annual Western Indian Gaming Conference to be held next week at the Pechanga Resort & Casino will offer both a trade show and several workshops on subjects from tribal leadership to casino regulation.

Several prominent officials are expected to participate in the event, which will be held for the first time on a tribal reservation in a resort casino that's not only owned but operated by a tribe, said Susan Jensen, director of communications for the California Nations Indian Gaming Association, which is sponsoring the conference. Most Indian casinos are run by professional casino operators.

"We chose to have it here because we want to have it at a tribal facility and Pechanga is currently the only facility that has convention space," Jensen said.

The resort has a 40,000-square-foot conference center and 522 rooms, seven restaurants.

Philip Hogen, the new chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission, is slated to be a speaker on a panel on regulation and California Indian casinos, Jensen said. Hogen, who's from South Dakota and is a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, was confirmed chairman of the commission in November by the U.S. Senate. Nominated by President Bush, Hogen is serving his second term on the commission, first term as chairman.

"His views on the regulation of tribal government casinos here in California and throughout the country are certainly crucial to the future growth of gaming on Indian lands," said Brenda Soulliere, chairwoman of the association.

The conference is expected to draw more than 1,000 participants from across the country, including 600 vendors who begin arriving today. The event officially begins Wednesday and runs through Friday. The purpose is to provide an industry forum to network with tribal governments and industry professionals, Jensen said.

Several elected officials have agreed to participate in the conference, including Sen. Denise Moreno Ducheny, D-San Diego, and Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach. Organizers have set up several panel discussions on topics relating to gaming and tribal sovereignty, and a variety of political issues including financing and management.

"With tribal-state compacts being renegotiated, it is a time of both challenges and opportunities for tribal gaming in the state of California," Soulliere said.

The California Nations Indian Gaming Association, a nonprofit organization composed of 75 federally recognized tribal governments, was founded in 1988. The organization works on behalf of its members to plan legislative and legal policy, and serves as a forum for information and resources, according to information provided on its Web site.

The conference will be held at 45000 Pechanga Parkway. Onsite registration is $500. For information, call (916) 448-8706.

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