Playboy Enterprises Chairman and CEO Christie Hefner to Deliver Luncheon Keynote Address at the First-Ever Interactive Gaming Expo & Conference

Business Wire, Sept 25, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 25, 2001

Christie Hefner, chairman and chief executive officer of Playboy Enterprises, will be the luncheon keynote speaker at the first-ever Interactive Gaming Expo & Conference being held from Sept. 26 to 28 in the Grand Ballroom complex at the Bellagio, 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas.

The conference is the first and only event bringing the regulated casino industry together with interactive gaming, according to Interactive Gaming Institute of Nevada (IGI) President Richard Fitzpatrick.

Hefner will deliver the keynote address, "Playboy: Betting on Brand Power," during the show's luncheon at noon on Thursday, Sept. 27.

Hefner, whose company operates PlayboyGaming.com, PlayboySportsBook.com, PlayboyRacingUSA.com, and PlayboyCasino.com, will discuss how Playboy has built a brand-driven, multimedia enterprise and the company's plans to leverage these assets in the online gaming space.

Hefner oversees policy, management, and strategy in all areas of Playboy Enterprises. She joined Playboy in 1975 and worked in a variety of the company's businesses before being named president in 1982. In 1988, she was elected to her present position of chairman and CEO with the New York Stock Exchange-listed international media and entertainment company.

Hefner is regularly interviewed by reporters from major media around the world, including The New York Times, Fortune, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, 60 Minutes, The Washington Post, The Economist, and Business Week.

Her work has led to many speaking engagements before such groups as the National Press Club, World Economic Forum, American Advertising Federation, National Newspaper Association, Forrester Research, and the National Cable Television Association.

She also has lectured on college campuses nationwide, including the Harvard Business School, University of Chicago, the Wharton School of Business, Columbia University, and Northwestern University, where she also delivered the commencement address in 2000.

In addition to Hefner, more than 40 speakers are scheduled to appear including former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan; Phillip Muhl, senior vice president of business and legal affairs of The Walt Disney Co.; former Nevada Gaming Commission Chairman Brian Sandoval; Keith Cohn, president and CEO of Jackpot.com; Andrew Pascal, president of Wagerworks; Leonard Barshack, founder and chairman of Bigfoot.com, NeoPlanet.com and TribecaTables.com; and Colin McQuade, chief technology officer for helloNetwork and former director of engineering for Yahoo! Europe.

The Interactive Gaming Expo & Conference will also include panel discussions that explore a variety of perspectives on technology and regulatory issues and a series of in-depth workshops that explore some of these complex topics. In addition, the expo will feature exhibits of interactive gaming hardware, software, and the services needed to establish and manage interactive gaming venues.

For more information on IGI and the Interactive Gaming Expo & Conference, visit the organization's Web site at www.IGINevada.com, e-mail Richard Fitzpatrick at rfitzpatrick@IGINevada.com, or call 702/317-0761.