Global Gaming Women to hosts annual Kick Up Your Heels event, participate in several G2E panels

Global Gaming Women (GGW) announced the 14th Annual "Kick Up Your Heels" fundraising event to support the GGW Charitable Education Fund. The event supports scholarships and other development offerings for professional women in the industry and will celebrate honorees of the Patty Becker Pay It Forward award on Wednesday, October 9, from 5 to 7 p.m. at XS Nightclub at Wynn, Las Vegas. Tickets are $200 per attendee, increasing to $300 on September 28th and can be purchased here.

GGW also announced the return of Sip & Social with Guest Speakers Brittany Driscoll, co-founder and chief executive officer at Squeeze, and Hayley Paige, creative director and chief inspiration officer at SHE IS CHEVAL. 

Attendees can join for breakfast and networking on Thursday, October 10th, from 8 to 10 a.m. inside The Venetian Ballroom on Level 2 of The Venetian Expo. Tickets are $52 per attendee, increasing to $60 on the week of the event. Registration is required and available here. This event will also celebrate the honorees of CDC Gaming Reports' "10 Women Rising in Gaming", in partnership with Global Gaming Women.

Current and prospective GGW members, partners, and allies are invited to the G2E GGW Retreat, as a dedicated space for networking, podcasting, headshots, and swag, on Tuesday, October 8th, and Wednesday, October 9th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Venetian Conference Center, Lando 4201AB-4203, 4th Floor.

Directly prior to the opening of G2E on Sunday, October 6th at El Cortez Hotel & Casino, GGW will celebrate the official awards ceremony for 10 Women Rising in Gaming, presented in partnership with CDC Gaming Reports. All honorees will be recognized during this inaugural celebration event.

GGW leadership will also continue its work as an industry non-profit dedicated to supporting and influencing the development of professional women, with participation in a series of educational panels during G2E with three distinctive panels. Access to the academic track requires the purchase of an All-Access or 1-Day pass offered here.

GGW sessions in collaboration with G2E are set to present a variety of discussions aimed at promoting diversity and leadership within the gaming industry.

One of the key sessions, titled "Diversifying Professional Pipelines in a Mega Merger Market," will take place on Monday, Oct 7th, from 10:10 to 11:00 p.m. in Titian 2205.

Lorrie Bamford, general counsel at ECL Entertainment, LLC, will moderate the discussion, featuring panelists Ashley McCulloch, director of account management at Inspired Gaming Group; Lauren Westerfield, vice president of interactive at The Queen Casino & Entertainment; and Melanie Gross, senior vice president and head of product at Golden Hearts Games.

Later that day, from 11:20 to 12:10 p.m., the session "From Ideas to Impact: Women Entrepreneurs and Investors Pioneering Innovation" will also take place in Titian 2205. Sheila Bangalore, a board member at Games Global and StoneAge Waterblast Tools and venture partner at SpringTide Ventures, will moderate a panel that includes Anna Massion, non-executive director at Gaming Realms and Playtech; Anna Sainsbury, co-founder and CEO of GeoComply; and Kensie Shaw, managing director at Global Credit Advisers, LLC.

On Wednesday, Oct 9th, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., the session "Breaking the Glass Ceiling Cannot Be Done Alone: Celebrating Our Male Allies" will be held on the Main Stage in Venetian Ballroom F. This discussion will be moderated by Melissa Aarskaug, vice president of gaming at Gaming Laboratories International (GLI), and will feature Dominic Ortiz, CEO at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino; Matt Wilson, CEO at Light & Wonder; and Hector Fernandez, CEO at Aristocrat Gaming.

Additionally, the "GGW: Fair Game Podcast at G2E" is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct 9th, from 2:00 to 2:20 p.m. at The Lab, Booth #5824. The podcast will be hosted by Lauren O'Brien, director of global games at Aristocrat Gaming; Kate White, board member and board secretary at Global Gaming Women; Anika Howard, CEO of Wondr Nation; and Bronwen Gregg, director of sales enablement at Insight Global. This event will further discuss key issues and trends shaping the gaming industry.

Lauren Bates, President & Board Chair of Global Gaming Women said: "Global Gaming Women is leading an exciting lineup of educational programs at this year's G2E. Starting with Monday's sessions, followed by the 14th Annual Kick Up Your Heels Fundraiser on Wednesday evening, and culminating in Thursday morning's inspirational keynote at Sip & Social, we're also thrilled to unveil the all-new GGW retreat—a dedicated space for our members to network and engage in exclusive experiences throughout the event."

"Thanks to the steadfast support of our generous sponsors, we can continue offering these enriching opportunities for connection, empowerment, and collaboration. Together, we're advancing women's success and enhancing our industry."

A mix of high-profile sponsorship opportunities are available in support of Global Gaming Women's event offering at G2E, including the Kick Up Your Heels Fundraiser and the Sip & Social networking breakfast event. In addition, GGW's mission is realized year-round by the support of sustaining sponsors.

A limited number of scholarships are available to support GGW members in participating in this year's G2E events. These scholarship awards include a G2E All Access Pass, to Kick Up Your Heels, and entry to the Sip & Social. Those interested in applying for a scholarship award must complete an online application by September 27th, available here.

GGW membership represents women in commercial, tribal, suppliers, lottery, tourism, and digital. Soon after its launch, offering education and training, mentoring, and networking events, membership multiplied. GGW has more than 6,000 professional women members in all states and over 30 countries, with members in job level categories of 21% front-line leaders, 30% supervisors and managers, 25% directors, and 25% vice presidents or above.