Preeminent diversity think tank chooses MGM Resorts property for Company’s longstanding leadership in diversity
Las Vegas, Feb. 6, 2012 – MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) and Diversity Best Practices, the nation’s preeminent membership organization for diversity thought leaders, will join forces to host more than 100 diversity practitioners at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino for the Best Practices Regional Conference, a daylong summit discussing the importance of cultural competency in the modern-day workplace on February 9, 2012.
The conference will convene the nation’s leading diversity practitioners for a day of strategic thinking and collaboration about workplace diversity and inclusion. Conference speakers will include corporate diversity executives, university professors, and nationally and internationally known authors and speakers. The summit will cover such topics as cultivating cross-cultural competency through communication, product design and marketing, and adopting ethically appropriate policies with a cross-cultural perspective. The event is sponsored by MGM Resorts.
“As a company that embraces diversity and inclusion, we support the mission of Diversity Best Practices to promote diversity in our workplace and community, and look forward to joining thought-leaders and corporate executives from throughout the U.S. in stimulating discussions that advance our knowledge of diversity as a business tool,” said Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International.
The summit will mark the first conference Diversity Best Practices has held in Las Vegas, thanks to MGM Resorts’ longstanding commitment to diversity, says Andrés Tapia, President of Diversity Best Practices. According to Tapia, MGM Resorts’ robust diversity program, the first of its kind adopted by a gaming company, was the driving force behind his decision to make Las Vegas and the Monte Carlo Resort the organization’s newest conference destination.
“With half of its management being women and 37 percent minorities, coupled with a $120 million diverse supplier annual spend, MGM Resorts serves as an inspiring host for our conference and will provide our guests with firsthand examples of what corporate diversity looks like in the hospitality setting,” said Tapia. “MGM Resorts is on the forefront of embracing diversity and creating an inclusive environment for its employees and guests, and we applaud them for their efforts by bringing them our business.”
The conference’s agenda includes a keynote address and conversation, best practices panel discussion, and four think tank sessions designed to identify opportunities where diversity leaders can help propel their business and operational strategies forward.
In alphabetical order, announced speakers for the conference include:
Milton J. Bennett, Ph.D.
Director
Intercultural Development Research Institute
Elizabeth A. Campbell
Partner and Chief Diversity Officer
Andrews Kurth LLP
Dott. Ida Castiglioni
Assistant Professor
University of Milano Bicocca
Pamela Culpepper
Senior Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion Officer
Pepsico
Carol Evans
CEO
Diversity Best Practices
Sherri Gilligan
Senior Vice President of Marketing & Advertisement
MGM Resorts International
Linda Jimenez
Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer
WellPoint, Inc.
Fred Keeton
Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of External Affairs
Caesars Entertainment
Debra J. Nelson
Vice President of Corporate Diversity & Community Affairs
MGM Resorts International
John Sequeira
Senior Diversity Advisor, Global Diversity Inclusion Practice, Central HR
Royal Dutch Shell
Andrés T. Tapia
President
Diversity Best Practices
For more information about the Diversity Best Practices Regional Conference or to register, please visit www.diversitybestpractices.com.
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MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world’s leading global hospitality companies, operating a peerless portfolio of destination resort brands, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. In addition to its 51% interest in MGM China Holdings Limited, which owns the MGM Macau resort and casino, the Company has significant holdings in gaming, hospitality and entertainment, owns and operates 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investments in three other properties in Nevada and Illinois. One of those investments is CityCenter, an unprecedented urban resort destination on the Las Vegas Strip featuring its centerpiece ARIA Resort & Casino. Leveraging MGM Resorts' unmatched amenities, the M life rewards program delivers exclusive access, one-of-a-kind experiences, insider privileges, personalized rewards and partnership offers for both gaming and non-gaming members at the Company's renowned resorts nationwide. Through its hospitality management subsidiary, the Company holds a growing number of development and management agreements for casino and non-casino resort projects around the world. MGM Resorts International supports responsible gaming and has implemented the American Gaming Association’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Gaming at its gaming properties. The Company has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions for its industry-leading Diversity Initiative, its community philanthropy programs and the Company’s commitment to sustainable development and operations. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company’s website at www.mgmresorts.com.
Statements in this release which are not historical facts are “forward looking” statements and “safe harbor statements” Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and/or uncertainties, including risks and/or uncertainties as described in the company’s public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Media Contact:
Rey Bouknight
MGM Resorts International
702-891-1846
rbouknight@mgmresorts.com