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NEW YORK (November 28, 2000) – Gaming publications giant GEM Communications announced today it has hired Peter N. Havens as Executive Vice President for GEM Communications U.S., Publications and Trade Show. Havens will assume the position immediately.
Havens’ hiring comes after an extensive nationwide search, and marks an important development in GEM’s efforts to strengthen its position as the worldwide gaming industry publishing and trade show leader. GEM President and CEO Bill Newman explains:
Havens will be responsible for the success and growth of all of GEM’s U.S. publications and trade shows. Publications include International Gaming and Wagering Business (IGWB) and its quarterlies, and Casino Executive. Trade shows include World Gaming Congress and Expo, Bingo World, California Indian Gaming Summit, and Slot Manager Institute. He will also help guide GEM’s successful new e-enterprise venture, worldgaminglive.com, to become the industry’s leading portal web site.
As an accomplished publishing executive, Havens comes to GEM Communications from PennWell Publishing. Havens turned around the group’s financial performance in just one year in his role as Group Publisher for the Optoelectronics Group.
He spent the first part of his career with Chilton Publishing, Chilton/Cap Cities, Chilton/Disney Publishing, and finally Cahners Business Information. As a group publisher overseeing 10 different publications, he managed overall business growth from $6 million to $14 million in nine years.
“I am excited about this tremendous opportunity with GEM Communications,” Havens said. “I will work closely with the managers and staffs of all of GEM’s diverse products to exploit the strengths within each group, and to promote the synergies shared across all of GEM’s core products.”
Havens will lead a strong GEM team as it faces several unique challenges, Newman said.
“We will face new competition to our established World Gaming Congress and Expo in 2001. Our competitors are making a lot of noise about their perceived strengths as they attempt to launch their startup show,” Newman said. “But they can’t duplicate the experience or customer loyalty we have gained from running a successful show for 14 years, nor do they enjoy the tremendous editorial support that we have available through our many, diverse publications. I have full confidence that Peter and our entire staff will meet the challenge head-on, and will take GEM Communications to a higher level than we could have perceived.”
GEM Communications publishes nine trade magazines serving the Gaming and Entertainment industries around the world including IGWB, Slot Manager, Indian Gaming Business, Lottery Business, Casino Executive, Gaming for Africa, InterGame, InterGaming and InterPark. GEM recently entered into a letter of intent to acquire the trade publishing assets of Casino Journal Publishing Group, Inc., which include a monthly trade publication Casino Journal; the weekly National Gaming Summary; and a trade show division which includes the five leading regional trade shows serving the Gaming industry.
GEM also organizes the World Gaming Congress and Expo (WGCE), the largest and most successful international trade show for the Gaming industry for the past 14 years. More than 28,000 people from 103 countries attended WGCE 2000, beating the old attendance record by 3,000. Also, a record 745 companies exhibited at WGCE 2000. The 15th Annual World Gaming Congress and Expo is set for October 17-19, 2001, in Las Vegas. More than 1,400 booths have already been reserved for the Expo.
GEM Communications LLC is a subsidiary of The Official Information Company (TOIC), headquartered in New York, specializing in collecting a wide range of data and information electronically, adding value by customizing it and then distributing it primarily electronically to customers worldwide.
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