May 25, 2012
It reached about 105 degrees this week so I know summer is officially here in Tucson. Good news is that it will be in the high 80's for the holiday weekend on Saturday and Sunday. I shall enjoy what might be the last break in temperature for the summer.
We are now in the active planning stages for the Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming in December. There will be some changes this year in the works and more news to come but this week we made our first announcement and the response has been great. We announced a new event to be held in conjunction with the Symposium.
With a growing international attendance at the past few symposiums and request from many of those attendees that they desired to make more contacts to do business in North America, we decided to see if we could provide more ways for global networking. On day one of the Symposium a new event for content providers and buyers will be held where those interested in international simulcasting can meet and hopefully expand their business. http://ua-rtip.org/symposium_racing_gaming/global_simulcast_marketplace
I have already received applications from 3 more companies in one day, joining the list of 16+ companies that have already committed to participation at the Marketplace. I suspect this summer our supply of free tables will be quickly exhausted due to space limitations.
This week the faculty also was learning about new interactive teaching software that will enable us to bring out content to the internet for international classes. It will also make it easy to bring in more guest speakers to the classroom virtually via the internet. I hope some of the executives in racing with a webcam at their desk but that may not have the time to visit the students in person can visit a class over the internet. Let me know if you might volunteer? I have already had a number of speakers in the class via Skype but now with this new software I think it will be even easier.
It was great to see racing have another Triple Crown contender at the Belmont. I wish I could have made it to the Preakness in person and visit family in Maryland. Hard to believe this is the 12th attempt since Affirmed to be the 12th Triple Crown winner.