Jon Lucas confirmed as keynote speaker for 2021 Southern Gaming Summit
JACKSON, Mississippi (April 14, 2021) — The Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association (MGHA) announced Jon Lucas, Hard Rock International COO, will be the keynote speaker at the 2021 Southern Gaming Summit (SGS). The event, which returns after a one-year absence due to COVID-19, will be held May 4-6, 2021, at MGM’s Beau Rivage Resort & Casino located in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Prior to joining Hard Rock International, Lucas spent several years in Mississippi, including six years as president and general manager of IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi. Under Lucas’s leadership, IP Casino was the first property to open following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The property also housed and fed first responders and government personnel for months following the hurricane.
“We are honored to have Jon Lucas as our keynote speaker. His vast knowledge of gaming operations will offer the attendees an opportunity to learn about our industry from an executive who has done it all in the gaming industry,” said Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming & Hospitality Association. “We welcome him back home to share his many experiences in the gaming jurisdictions he has worked in.”
Lucas will speak on Wednesday, May 5, the first full day of the SGS. The event begins with a golf tournament, which will be held at the MGM Resort’s Fallen Oak Golf Course on Tuesday, May 4, followed by a Welcome Reception that evening on the Beau Rivage event deck at the pool area overlooking the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast.
On May 5, SGS attendees will hear from Lucas and will then have the opportunity to listen and participate in an extensive conference program consisting of four sessions. Sessions for registered attendees include online sports betting, coping with COVID-19, cashless gaming and manufacturing. All sessions will be held in the convention area on the second floor of Beau Rivage.
Gaming industry leaders will be honored during an evening gala with five being inducted into the Mississippi Gaming Hall of Fame. Those honored in the class of 2021 include Peter Carlino, chairman, president and CEO of Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc.; Jerry St. Pe´, former gaming chairman and former president of Ingalls Shipbuilding; Marlin Torguson, chairman and CEO of Torguson Gaming Group Inc.; Lorenzo Creighton, former executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission and president, consultant at Barbor Grande; and James Maida, esq., president and CEO of Gaming Laboratories International LLC. Past recipients will be recognized.
Registration and sponsorship information is now available online at www.sgsummit.org.