Some of the best minds in racing will be sharing their views at what promises to be a fascinating and hugely important forum next month - the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program (RTIP) Global Symposium on Racing.
There are some logistical issues that the symposium in Tucson, Arizona, on December 6-8, has to deal with.
First, the event was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic and there are still residual effects that could impact participation. Also, at the end of 2020, longtime and highly regarded RTIP Director Wendy Davis retired after 30 years with the university, and that required a detailed recruiting effort.
Fortunately, in the last year and a half, RTIP has made two significant hires.
The first was Phil O’Hara, who joined the faculty of RTIP as an Assistant Professor of Practice and to assist in the development and execution of the annual global symposium. O’Hara has worked in the racing industry as CEO of Equibase and, prior to that, as Executive VP of Pari-Mutuel Operations for Penn National Gaming. While he was at Equibase, I had the opportunity to see him in action as I sat on the Equibase Board of Directors.
Strong program
Since 2012, O’Hara has operated his own firm, P T O’Hara Jr Services, and has spent many hours listening to the needs of racing industry stakeholders.
The most recent critical hire came in June, bringing Robert Hartman on board as Chair of RTIP. Hartman, like O’Hara a graduate of the RTIP, has extensive experience in marketing and management positions in racing at the New York Racing Association, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields.
When the 2021 symposium opens next month, Hartman will have been in position for only six months. However, in reviewing the depth of the panels and the credentials of the panelists, this could be one of the best symposiums of the last decade.
I hope you will take a few minutes to review the program details here.
Hartman, O’Hara and their team have put together a strong 3-day program (Monday to Wednesday) of important and timely industry challenges and issues. They have also attracted some of the best minds in the business to speak on the panels. Perhaps one of the best examples is the panel I will be moderating at 3.30 pm on the Tuesday - Charting a path forward - industry leaders share their 3-year plan. The panelists are:
- Shannon Arvin, President/CEO, Keeneland
- Aidan Butler, COO, 1/ST Racing (The Stronach Group)
- David O’Rourke, President/CEO, NYRA
- Josh Rubinstein, President, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club
For the ten or more symposiums I have attended over the years, I cannot recall another instance where the four CEOs or COOs of some of the most important racing organizations spoke on the same panel regarding important strategic issues.
As I was discussing with Hartman my role as the moderator for the panel, a discussion developed about his view of the strategic role of the RTIP. His response was impressive and well thought-out. I asked him to write this out and this is what he wrote:
“The Race Track Industry Program is one of the most unique education programs in America. It was designed by the racing industry to serve the racing industry.
“Almost 50 years ago, a group headed by Frank Vessels Jr, of Los Alamitos, had the forethought to create a collegiate program focused on training racing’s future leaders with hands-on experience so they would be ready to contribute on Day 1. The program curricula always included the concept of holding a seminar to bring industry leaders to campus for an exchange of information and ideas with RTIP students. Sure enough, in 1974, the first symposium was held at the University of Arizona, with 45 people in attendance.
“Fast forward to today, and the symposium still plays an important role for the industry. It has morphed from a small on-campus event to a forum where racing leaders from around the world meet face to face to discuss the most pressing issues facing the pari-mutuel industry. The continued global growth of symposium is an opportunity we have to seize.
“As the new RTIP Chair, I quickly realized that the symposium will only stay relevant if the industry wants it to remain relevant. This is not my symposium or even the RTIP’s symposium, it’s the racing industry’s symposium.
“I’ve been on the job for five months and spent much of my summer contacting, and listening to, a cross-section of industry stakeholders. In a short time, I surprisingly heard many of the same industry opportunities and challenges across various breeds and geographies. There is more that connects us than separates us.
“The 2021 symposium agenda was formed from these listening sessions. For what I consider to be a rebuilding year, the quality of the 2021 speaker line-up is the strongest we’ve seen in quite some time. Both industry attendees and our students will be treated to two days of powerful content.
“2021 represents what perhaps are the most significant changes in our industry in a generation, with regulation shifting to a federal basis for some, a revision of our medication and safety procedures, new forms of wagering exponentially expanding, and our racetracks facing an almost impossible task of carding sufficient starters to satisfy our fans. The agenda tackles the most pressing issues and provides content from a wide variety of perspectives.
“While we couldn’t fit every topic from the listening session on this year’s agenda, important issues, including aftercare, computer robotic wagering, industry consolidation, and the early retirement of racing’s stars, are on our short list for the future symposia.
“The symposium is also the RTIP’s key fundraising event. Therefore, growing attendance and sponsorship revenue must remain a key focus. Growing symposium attendance in and of itself creates a stronger event. More people translate into more dialogue, more viewpoints and more shared understanding. My goal for this year is to get the symposium squarely back on the industry’s radar. While the 2021 symposium won’t set any attendance records, we’re out to prove the important role we can play as a forum to bring together the industry.
“Register for the 2021 Global Symposium on Racing by November 19 to save $100. Visit racingsymposium.com to register and for a complete list of panel sessions and speakers.”
Timely panels
I would like to point out some symposium panels I believe are extremely important and timely. When you click on the link above, you will see a brief description of each panel and a list of all of the panelists and their business affiliations.
The first is the keynote address by Tom Rooney, the new NTRA President, at 8:10 am on December 7.
Rooney was a Congressman from Florida from 2009 to 2019. He will share his vision, outline the racing industry’s most pressing needs, and discuss advocacy efforts in Washington DC.
On TRC, we publish a regular column, What They’re Thinking, where we ask each industry participant the same five questions. Rooney participated shortly after he was hired by the NTRA - click here to read it.
Next, there will be three presentations from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority between 8:45 am and 11:45 am on the same day. The first will be from HISA Board Chairman Charles Scheeler and subsequent presentations will be by committee members from both the HISA Racetrack and Safety Committee and the HISA Anti-doping and Medication Control Committee.
On November 11, HISA released three draft documents from the Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program for public comment and presumably there will be some discussion regarding these.
A first for senior HISA figures
It is important to note that, other than an appearance by Scheeler and Dr Tessa Muir, Director of the Equine Program at USADA, at the Jockey Club Roundtable in August, and some industry media appearances, this will be the first time that Scheeler and representatives from the two HISA committees will be speaking at a public racing industry event.
Congratulations to the executives from RTIP for devoting the time and resources to attracting such strong HISA representation at this very important time.
Wednesday, December 8, features six forums with strong industry expert panelists. I will be focusing particularly on these two - Seizing the fixed odds wagering opportunity and Riding the sports betting wave - because they represent business and revenue opportunities that the American racing market is not taking advantage of currently.
I believe a third panel is fascinating too: Unmasking the lessons learned from 2020.
What are other tracks doing to improve their handle by experimenting with race dates, race times, wagering menu etc. Eric Halstrom, who previously worked at Canterbury Downs and the Fairgrounds, is the VP/General Manager at Indiana Grand Racing and Casino. He made changes so that a majority of the track’s live racing days are Mondays through Thursdays, with occasional Saturdays.
Indiana Grand finished its 2021 season in mid-November with handle records on both Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing. It also set a new total handle record compared to similar dates in 2019. As is the case with most of the symposium’s panels, the panelists are proven successful managers and innovators.
For some of the other panels, such as Increasing field size to drive the bottom line, I am looking for new business opportunities based on my personal experience, but there is no question that this panel features a collection of the best racing office executives in the industry.
In closing, for any racing industry participant, I would strongly suggest that you look carefully at the panels and assess the opportunities that might benefit your business in the next racing season. The more that the industry does to support the Race Track Industry Program and the Global Symposium on Racing, the more talent the RTIP program can recruit to the undergraduate courses. This means more talent for all aspects of the racing and breeding industry.
There is still time to get registered for the symposium and take advantage of the racing insight and talent that will be in Tucson on December 6-8.
The last word goes to Robert Hartman: “Listening to the needs of racing industry stakeholders will be an important first step as we begin to reshape the program. The Global Symposium on Racing has been the premier industry gathering for the exchange of ideas and best practices. We plan to continue to build on that success.”