Victor Rocha is used to being the leader of the band. For 16 years, he has strapped on his guitar, gathered some fellow musicians, and played a monthly gig at his Pechanga Resort & Casino in California.
The band he helped gather together this week is much, much larger, but he has enjoyed being an orchestrator.
“I’ve been getting incredible feedback from vendors, Native Americans, NIGA, all 360 degrees of it,” said Rocha, in his second year as chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association Conference & Tradeshow.
The NIGA job is in addition to, but is related to, his personal business, Victor-Strategies, a professional firm that provides business insights to the gaming industry, particularly Indian gaming.
“We help people make better, more informed decisions,” he said.
Rocha began branching away from music almost two decades ago, when he started getting more involved with the tribe, eventually creating Pechanga.net, a web site that aggregates Native American news and gambling news.
“My tribe was under attack, and I was just trying to find a way to make a difference through educating people,” he said, referring to legal challenges tribes faced in California back then.
He said he’s thrilled with the conference, which this year drew more than 8,000 visitors.
“The fact we’ve been in Vegas makes it’s easier for the manufacturers. Instead of spending money on transportation, they’re spending it on booths,” he said.
He also has wanted to bring the NIGA annual event’s focus back to business.
“It’s a really strong business conference. I felt NIGA had drifted too far. We in the industry have the tendency to do the same things over and over,” he said. “We (NIGA) are special. We’re not a social organization, we’re a business organization. That’s what NIGA is about, the business of gaming.
“Natives work in the industry … the slot techs, the hospitality people, the back office support, everyone within the industry at all levels. And at NIGA, our role is to educate.”
Educational sessions at the conference consisted of 13 tracks: casino operations, emerging gaming, enterprise development, finance, gaming technology, legislation and policy, management and development, marketing, the National Indian Gaming Commission, regulation and compliance, security and surveillance, tribal gaming protection, and women in tribal gaming.
“Our audience is Native American, that’s who we’re looking (to reach),” he said. “It’s the small- to mid-sized casinos sending five, six, seven people who work the floor and around gaming.”
He also thought it was important that the conference help casino operators explore all their options.
“The reservations are getting smaller as the casinos are getting bigger and looking for other gaming opportunities,” he said. “When the rooms are packed, I’m happy.”
To Rocha, the conference is directly related to his Victor-Strategies company.
“I started Victor-Strategies when I started seeing substandard work in Indian country,” he said. “I was seeing companies taking tribes to the cleaners. I said, ‘You know, I think I can do a better job.’”
Newer topics for Victor-Strategies produced conferences include cannabis and sports betting.
“It’s just like anything I do,” he said. “It’s trying make a difference.”
