LAS VEGAS, NV – For the past 25 years, TribalNet has been connecting tribal government, casino and health leaders with the latest advancements in technology. This year’s conference and tradeshow will feature an impressive lineup of speakers, insightful sessions and an expansive tradeshow floor showcasing cutting-edge solutions tailored to the unique needs of tribal organizations.
Twenty-five years ago, tribal gaming was still just beginning to develop across the nation. Tribes were working to use this newly emerging opportunity to offer casino-style gaming as a means to build their communities with the higher end goal of becoming a self-sufficient tribal nation. This growth of tribally-owned casino facilities led to an explosive growth in the number of employees, facilities, infrastructure and services that each tribe was tackling.
“Navigating that complex landscape of technology vendors, regulations and best practices proved challenging,” said Michael Day, founder of TribalHub and TribalNet. “Understanding the absurdity of every tribe facing this challenge completely on their own is what led to my vision for TribalNet and eventually TribalHub.”
Day began an outreach initiative by sending a simple U.S. postal letter to the main tribal headquarters of every tribe across the United States, containing a newly coined TribalNet logo and collaborative mission statement and an invite to attend a first gathering of tribal technology-minded leaders. This was the beginning, culminating in 1999 with planning and hosting the very first TribalNet Conference held in Sault Ste. Marie, MI, in 2000.
“The very first TribalNet conference was at Kewadin Casinos in their newly built convention center, ” said Day. “The event was sponsored by IBM and we had maybe 15 technology leaders from tribes across the nation in the room. It was a small start, but I could see the need, the potential, the benefits and the valuable community that this group could become.”
The primary goal was to discuss common technology challenges, to share effective technology solutions and to foster a new collaborative network that would serve to support and educate all tribal technology leaders in their own effort to grow innovation and success within their own tribal government and enterprises. From that humble beginning, TribalHub has grown into the thousands that attend TribalHub and TribalNet events today.
TribalNet thrived from the grassroots efforts of numerous volunteer tribal technology leaders across the nation who believe in and support the shared goals of networking, information sharing, education, and open communication among the nation’s tribal technology leaders. They focus on how ever-changing and constantly advancing technology can be best implemented to grow tribal enterprises and improve tribal membership services.
“Each year that we’ve been able to host the TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow has been an opportunity to bring together an entire industry and provide a platform for connecting, learning, problem-solving, mentoring, growth and so much more,” said Shannon Bouschor, Director of Operations for TribalHub, who has been with TribalHub since 2005. “Celebrating 25 years for TribalNet this year, means celebrating 25 years of the evolution of technology at tribes and tribal enterprises and, more importantly, it means celebrating those who have been a part of that journey and the impact that they have made on their tribes and enterprises from maybe even just one year all the way to 25.”
TribalHub and the TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow have been a catalyst to driving change within this industry. “By getting everyone together and growing TribalNet, we have changed the isolated individual rural tribe model to showcasing tribes as a national purchasing and revenue generating powerhouse in technology,” said Day.
Not only has TribalHub grown tribe to tribe connections, but also the connection between solution providers and tribes. “We’ve seen the awareness of tribes and of solution providers to tribes grow dramatically,” continued Day. “Some large solution providers now have a dedicated team focusing on the needs of tribes because of our event showcasing the combined power, the relevancy and strength tribal governments, casinos and health facilities have.”
Educating tribal leaders working in the casino, government and health verticals on the number of opportunities technology can bring to their tribal communities is a cornerstone of the organization’s mission. TribalHub stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and community-building. Its legacy is not just in the technologies it has helped implement, but in the relationships it has forged and the trust it has instilled among tribal nations, technology providers and its members alike.
“In the future, I see technology taking tribal organizations, enterprises and health facilities to a new level,” said Day. “Gaming within a Native American community is designed just as commercial gaming is, only with the greater goal to support the efforts of the tribe. It’s about people, services, and availability leading towards self-sufficiency. The most rewarding thing is helping tribes achieve that goal through an improved and expanded use of technology.”
This year’s conference will take place Sept 16-19, 2024, at the Westgate Las Vegas. It will feature three keynote speakers, a tradeshow floor, nightly networking events, and seven unique tracks including Tribal Gaming & Hospitality Technology, Cybersecurity, General Technology, Leadership & Management, Tribal Government Technology, Tribal Health Information Management and AI’s Revolution.
