PREDICTING CROSS-GAMING PROPENSITY USING E-CHAID ANALYSIS

Cross-selling different types of games could provide an opportunity for casino operators to generate additional time and money spent on gaming from existing patrons. One way to identify the patrons who are likely to cross-play is mining individual players’ gaming data using predictive analytics. Hence, this study aims to predict casino patrons’ propensity to play both slots and table games, also known as cross-gaming, by applying a data-mining algorithm to patrons’ gaming data. The Exhaustive Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (E-CHAID) method was employed to predict cross-gaming propensity. The E-CHAID models based on the gaming-related behavioral data produced actionable model accuracy rates for classifying cross-gamers and non-cross gamers along with the cross-gaming propensity scores for each patron. Using these scores, casino managers can accurately identify likely cross-gamers and develop a more targeted approach to market to them. Furthermore, the results of this study would enable casino managers to estimate incremental gaming revenues through cross-gaming. This, in turn, will assist them in spending marketing dollars more efficiently while maximizing gaming revenues

Examining the Effects of Casino Promotions on Gaming Volumes

Casino operators employ a variety of promotions such as play incentives, retail gifts and invitational events to stimulate casino visits and gaming volumes. Despite the wide use of promotions, there have been very few studies that assess the effect of casino promotions on gaming. However, concern has grown among researchers and managers regarding the cost effectiveness and profitability of casino promotions. This paper proposes a model for examining the effects of casino promotions on gaming volumes. The proposed model can be used by casino managers to identify promotions that affect gaming volumes and to guide development of successful casino promotions

Estimating the Impact of Free-Play Coupons Value on Players\u27 Slot Gaming Volumes

This study reports the results of a field experiment that assessed the relationship between free-play coupon value and a player’s slot wagering volume. Customers in the player database of a Las Vegas hotel casino were assigned to either a $50 free-play incentive (control offer) or a$100 free-play incentive (experimental offer). Results indicated little effect of free-play coupon value on slot gaming volumes. Furthermore, the estimated net cash flow per player by coupon value indicated that a $50 incentive was more profitable than a$100 offer. These findings imply that a higher incentive value is not necessarily more effective than a comparable lower incentive value in increasing a player’s slot gaming volume and coupon profitability

Estimating the impact of showroom entertainment on the hourly gaming volume of a Las Vegas hotel-casino

Along with the emergence of mega casino-resorts in the gaming industry, researchers have attempted to estimate the indirect gaming contributions of non-gaming casino amenities such as showroom entertainment and restaurants. However, the daily data of aggregate gaming volumes analyzed in previous gaming research did not allow exploring transient gaming volumes associated with casino amenities during a much narrower range of time periods (i.e., hourly). The current investigation addresses this limitation by proposing a model to examine the relationship between showroom headcounts and hourly slot gaming volumes for the hours falling adjacent to the show’s performance time. Considering a major investment in showroom entertainment at many casinos, the current study will help casino operators evaluate the showroom’s slot gaming contribution

Maximizing the impact of sponsorship: An examination of sponsorship on attendees\u27 recognition of sponsors and their attitudes toward corporate sponsorship

The purpose of this study was to measure the impact of sponsorships on trade show attendees. This study sought to understand whether different types of sponsorships, number of days attending at a show, and demographic characteristics differently influenced attendees\u27 recognition of sponsors and their overall attitudes toward corporate sponsorship; For this study, a questionnaire was designed to measure trade show attendees\u27 recognition of sponsoring companies, overall attitudes toward sponsorship, preferences for specific sponsorship types, and demographic information. Attendees were queried while exiting the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations\u27 Convention and Trade show (APRO) in Las Vegas from July 24 and to 25, 2002; In the recognition test, names of actual sponsors and non-sponsors (companies who were exhibitors only) were listed on the questionnaire and attendees were asked to indicate whether or not they recognized the name of sponsors at the show by checking yes or no. In addition, measurements to detect whether these different sponsorship types influenced attitudes towards corporate sponsorships in general were made. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Estimating the impact of entertainment on the gaming volume of Las Vegas hotel casinos

This study addressed the indirect effect of entertainment on gaming volume (i.e., coin-in). Specifically, this study attempted (1) to gain an understanding of the relationship between show patronage and gaming volume; and (2) to estimate the magnitude of incremental revenue for each show attendee. Conceptual models to examine the indirect effect of daily show headcounts on gaming volume were proposed, including other variables previously found or theorized to influence gaming volume. Secondary data (i.e., show headcounts, daily coin-in and daily cash drop) were collected from two different Las Vegas Strip properties. This study employed multiple regression models with the appropriate autoregressive (AR) and moving average (MA) errors, to adjust or correct for autocorrelation present in time series data. Hypotheses associated with the show headcount variables were tested at a .10 alpha level, given the exploratory nature of this research; In regression models associated with the first subject property, the show headcount variable had a significant effect on both coin-in and cash drop. This finding supports conventional wisdom that shows drive gaming volume. Despite the positive linear correlation between show headcounts and gaming volumes, the economic significance of the incremental win per show attendee was not substantial. For the second subject property, the impact of show headcounts on coin-in was not statistically significant, whereas show headcounts had a significant influence on cash drop. In general, the results of this study suggest that show-goers are not necessarily avid gamblers; The findings of this study point to the importance of careful selection, investment and management of entertainment options. If the purpose of a show is to complement casino gaming, it should produce a strong spillover effect on gaming volume. If not, the show should be profitable on its own. It also better position itself as a necessary component of a full-service resort. With the findings of the current work, casino operators could further evaluate whether show attendees produce sufficient returns on investment. Additionally, this study adds valuable empirical results to the limited literature base associated with the impact of entertainment on gaming volume. Finally, it provides a platform for future research in this area

Estimating the Impact of Entertainment on Restaurant Revenues of a Las Vegas Hotel Casino

Considering the growing presence of non-gaming amenities in a mature casino market such as the Las Vegas Strip, this study examined the relationship between entertainment and casino-operated restaurant revenues. Using the internal data of a subject Las Vegas hotel casino, this research found a statistically significant and positive relationship between daily show headcounts and restaurant revenues. This finding seems to imply that customers attending shows are likely to patronize restaurants in the casino on the same trip. The positive entertainment- restaurant relationship suggests that casino executives should leverage show traffic with additional spending venues such as restaurants to optimize property cash flows

Customer Retention: Reducing Online Casino Player Churn Through the Application of Predictive Modeling

With the potential expansion of legalized online gaming in the United States as well as in the global market, customer retention is critical to the continued growth and success of an online casino. While customer churn prediction can be an essential part of customer retention efforts, it has received very little attention in the gaming literature. Using historical online gaming data, this study examines whether player churn (attrition) can be predicted through an application of a decision tree data mining algorithm called Exhaustive CHAID (E-CHAID). The results of this empirical study suggest that the predictive model based on the E-CHAID method can be a valuable tool for identifying potential churners and understanding their churn behavior. Additionally, this study shows how the classification rules and propensity scores extracted from a decision tree churn model can be used to identify players at risk of churn. The patron play and visitation parameters that are closely associated with churn are also discussed. This study contributes to the gaming literature by focusing on online players’ churn prediction through a data-driven approach. Finally, it discusses proactive approaches for churn prevention

An Exploratory Study of Hospitality Student Volunteers’ Motivation and Satisfaction in Food and Wine Festivals

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF HOSPITALITY STUDENT VOLUNTEERS’ MOTIVATION AND SATISFACTION IN FOOD AND WINE FESTIVALS Hang Wu School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Florida International University Eunju Suh School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Florida International University Jinlin Zhao School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Florida International University ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to explore and examine the motivation and satisfaction of hospitality student volunteers in food and wine festivals. It aims to investigate and identify the factors that festival managers need to use to motivate, satisfy, and retain hospitality student volunteers in order to organize a successful event, and enhance festival operation, marketing, and personnel management. Data will be collected at the10th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival in 2011. A survey questionnaire will be distributed to hospitality student volunteers over a full four-day event period. This study will contribute to the availability of the volunteerism literature and help to attract and increase festival organizers’ and hospitality educators’ interest in hospitality students’ festival volunteering practice. Keywords: festival, hospitality student volunteers, motivation, satisfaction INTRODUCTION Volunteers are an important human resource in festival and event operations every year. Rolfe, Ryan, and Bates estimated 76% of the festivals in the UK used volunteers (as cited in Elstad, 2003, p. 99). The majority of events were at least somewhat dependent on volunteer labor; and without the commitment from the volunteers, many events could not have been arranged (Elstad, 2003). The volunteer team works as a crucial component in the overall success of many major festivals and events. With a significant reliance upon volunteer workforces in festivals and events, studying volunteers’ motivation and satisfaction becomes a practical need. It is vital that festival- and event-organizers understand volunteers’ motivation and their satisfaction in order to respond effectively to management needs in the areas of recruitment, operation, and retention. How well organizers understand the motivation and satisfaction of the volunteers is likely to be important in their management and, consequently, the overall efficiency of the festival operations (Farrell, Johnson, & Twynam, 1998). There has been some valuable research on festival and event volunteers, but available literature specifically on hospitality student volunteers is scarce. The purpose of this study is to explore and examine the motivation and satisfaction of hospitality student volunteers in food and wine festivals. It aims to investigate and identify the factors that festival managers need to use to motivate, satisfy, and retain hospitality student volunteers in order to organize a successful event, and enhance festival operation, marketing, and personnel management. This study will contribute to the availability of the volunteerism literature and help to attract and increase festival organizers’ and hospitality educators’ interest in hospitality students’ festival volunteering practice. LITERATURE REVIEW Festival and event volunteers’ motivation Researchers have investigated festival- and event-volunteers’ motivation and satisfaction. People are motivated to volunteer for various reasons. Knowing why an individual is volunteering can have a major impact on the success of the event or program (Dunn, 1989). Cnaan and Goldberg-Glen (1991) indicated the importance of understanding motivation to volunteer because agencies would be able to use this knowledge to appeal more persuasively to potential volunteers. Berger (1991) also noted that understanding the motivation for volunteering has critical importance for the recruitment and retention of volunteers because organizations base their recruitment and retention efforts on their assumptions about volunteers’ motives. The primary conceptualization in the literature about volunteer motivation is altruism. Based on the findings of the literature review and combined with the researcher’s personal festival volunteering experience and observations, a conceptualization framework was conducted for this study: four elements contributing to the motivation of hospitality student volunteer include (1) altruistic motivation (Dunn, 1989; Fitch,1987; Govekar & Govekar, 2002; Love, 2010; Schrock, 1998; Smith,1981; Winniford, 1991; Ziemek, 2006); (2) material reward motivation (Elstad, 2003; Strigas, 2001); (3) self- and career-development motivation (Chapman,1985; Ellis, 1994; Tsai, 2000; Zakour, 1994); and (4) social and leisure motivation (Arrington, 2006; Henderson,1984; Jensen,1977; Tedrick, 1989; Tsai,2000). Each of the elements was hypothesized to significantly motivate hospitality student volunteers at the festival. Festival and event volunteers’ satisfaction Understanding volunteers’ satisfaction is important for the stability, retention and success of the festival and event. A review of the literature revealed that while there is extensive research on job satisfaction for paid workers and employees, volunteer satisfaction has not been given much attention to date by researchers. Gidron (1983) discussed in his study that one reason little is known about job satisfaction in volunteering is that volunteer work was popularly perceived as a purely altruistic act—an act which provides a person an opportunity to give, but not to receive. Gidon’s study found that overall satisfaction of volunteers was related to two facts of job content (work itself and achievement) and two facts of job context (convenience and absence of job stress factors). Yet research related to factors influencing volunteer satisfaction still has limitations. There is a need for more research to enrich the body of literature related to volunteer satisfaction. Elements affecting volunteer satisfaction surfaced in the literature review and formed a foundation for identifying the factors affecting volunteer satisfaction in this study. This foundation was strengthened by the researcher’s personal festival volunteering experience and observations, and developed into a conceptualization framework consisting of four elements affecting the volunteer satisfaction: work itself (Arrington, 2006; Galindo-Kuhn & Guzley, 2002; Silverberg, Marshall, & Ellis, 2001); achievement and reward (Clary et al., 1998; Galindo-Kuhn & Guzley, 2002; Silverberg, Marshall, & Ellis, 2001); support service (Gidron,1983), and relationships (Galindo-Kuhn & Guzley, 2002; Gidron,1983). Each of the elements was hypothesized to relate to and affect volunteer satisfaction. Considering these findings in the literature review regarding festival- and event- volunteers’ motivation and satisfaction, five research questions are advanced below: RQ1: To what extent do the following factors motivate individual hospitality student volunteering in the Festival: altruism, social and leisure, material rewards, and self and career development? RQ2: To what extent do the following factors affect the satisfaction of hospitality student volunteers: work itself, achievement and reward, support services, and relationships? RQ3: What other factor(s) is (are) not included but has (have) significant importance in motivating hospitality student volunteers working for the Festival? RQ4: What other factor(s) is (are) not included but is (are) significantly important in affecting hospitality student volunteers’ satisfaction? RQ5: Is there a significant positive relationship between hospitality student volunteer satisfaction and retention? METHODOLOGY A survey instrument will be developed and administered for this study which will identify and analyze the reasons for hospitality student volunteers’ motivation, the factors affecting their satisfaction, and the relationship between their satisfaction and retention in the Festival. The survey will be conducted at the 10th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival, which will be hosted by Southern Wine and Spirits of Florida, and Florida International University (FIU). The South Beach Wine and Food Festival is one of the largest and most well-known festivals of its kind in the United States and a major local event in Miami. Hospitality majors and minors who will participate in the 10th Annual Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival in 2011 will be chosen as the research population. The survey questionnaire will be designed based on the literature of Farrell, Johnson, and Twynam (1998); Tsai (2000); Siverberg, Marshall, and Ellis (2001); Chun (2003); and Arrington (2006) and specifically modified for use in this study. A pilot study will be administered to 20 hospitality students who have previously attended the 2010 Festival. The survey questionnaire will also be sent to the Festival professionals and experts at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management of FIU for pretest review to further ensure validity and reliability. This study targets a sample size of at least 300 respondents. The researchers will distribute and administer the survey at the 2011 Festival. Respondents will be selected by a convenience sample method of data collection. Respondents will be asked to complete the survey on a voluntary basis. The data collection will be over a full four-day event period. Frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations will be utilized to describe the data. The data analysis will be conducted with SPSS 17.0. A structural equation model (SEM) will be applied in the study. REFERENCES Arrington, W. (2006). Involvement, satisfaction, and organizational commitment among current and former Extension 4-H volunteers in Mississippi. Ph.D. dissertation, Mississippi State University, United States -- Mississippi. Berger, G. (1991). Factors explaining volunteering for organizations in general, and for social welfare organizations in particular. Ph.D. dissertation, Brandeis University, The Florence Heller Graduate School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare, United States -- Massachusetts. Chapman, T. (1985) Motivation in university student volunteers. In L. Moore (Ed.). Motivating volunteers. Vancouver, B.C.: Vancouver Volunteer. Chun, H. (2003). A study of volunteers\u27 motivation and satisfaction in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea Japan. M.S.S. dissertation, United States Sports Academy, United States -- Alabama. Clary, E. G., Snyder, M., Ridge, R. D., Copeland, J., & et al. (1998). Understanding and assessing the motivations of volunteers: A functional approach. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(6), 1516-1530. Cnaan, R. A., & Goldberg-Glen, R. S. (1991). Measuring motivation to volunteer in human services. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 27(3), 269-284. Dunn, T. H. (1989). Volunteers and predictable motivations. Ph.D. dissertation, Colorado State University, United States -- Colorado. Ellis, S. J. (1994). The volunteer recruitment book. Philadelphia, PA: ENERGIZE, Inc. Elstad, B. (2003). Continuance commitment and reasons to quit: A study of volunteers at a jazz festival. Event Management, 8(2), 99-108. Farrell, J. M., Johnston, M. E., & Twynam, G. D. (1998). Volunteer motivation, satisfaction, and management at an elite sporting competition. Journal of Sport Management, 12(4), 288-300. Fitch, R.T. (1987). Characteristics and motivations of college students volunteering for community service, Journal of College Student Personnel, 28(5), 424-430 Galindo-Kuhn, R. & Guzley, R.M.(2002). The volunteer satisfaction index. Journal of Social Service Research, 28(1), 45 — 68. Gidron, B. (1983). Sources of job satisfaction among service volunteers. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 12(20), 20-35 . Govekar, P. L., & Govekar, M. A. (2002). Using economic theory and research to better understand volunteer behavior. Nonprofit Management & Leadership, 13(1), 33-48. Henderson, K.A. (1984). Volunteerism as leisure. Journal of Voluntary Action Research, 13, 55-64 Jensen, C. R. (1977). Leisure and recreation: Introduction and overview. Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger. Love, G.(2010). Relationship among volunteer motivations, festival context factors, and retention of festival volunteers in the Southwest. D.B.A. dissertation, University of Phoenix, United States -- Arizona. Schrock, D. S. (1998). A functional approach to understanding and assessing the motivation and retention of university extension Master Gardener volunteers. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Minnesota, United States -- Minnesota. Silverberg, K.E., Marshall, E. K., & Ellis, G.D. (2001) Measuring job satisfaction of volunteers in public and recreation. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 19(1), 79-92. Smith, D. H. (1981). Altruism, volunteers and volunteering. Journal of Voluntary Action Research, 10(1), 21-36. Strigas, A. (2001). The assessment of motives and the development of a typology of motivational factors for volunteers in marathon running events. Ph.D. dissertation, The Florida State University, United States -- Florida. Tedrick, T., & Henderson, K. A. (1989). Volunteers in leisure: A management perspective. Reston, Va: American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. Tsai, C.-F. (2000). An exploration of volunteers\u27 motivation and job satisfaction in Arkansas Literacy Councils. Ed.D. dissertation, University of Arkansas, United States -- Arkansas. Winniford, J. C. (1991). An analysis of the motivations and traits of college students involved in service organizations. Ph.D. dissertation, Texas A&M University, United States -- Texas. Zakour, M. J. (1994). Measuring career-development volunteerism: Guttman scale analysis using Red Cross volunteers. Emmitsburg, MD: National Emergency Training Center. Ziemek, S. (2006). Economic analysis of volunteers\u27 motivation: A cross-country study. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 35, 532-555

Examining How Festival Attendees\u27 Motivation Affect Their Involvement and Satisfaction; Food & Wine Festival Attendees\u27 Perspective

Research on wine tourism is recent and mostly attraction-based. This study aims to understand how motivation could influence tourists’ involvement, perceptions and intention. Data were collected in a Wine and Food Festival in Miami, FL and SEM method was used to analyze it. The results show that novelty seeking and socialization motivation are positively related to pleasure experience whereas socialization motivation is negatively associated with risk probability and importance. Pleasure experience, risk probability, and risk importance are related to satisfaction, yet the directions are different for the two aspects of satisfaction. Only satisfaction of intangible service is related to loyalty