The Public Relations Director is responsible for promoting everything in the resort including the hotel, casino, showrooms, nightclubs, restaurants, and theaters. The Public Relations Director also publicizes any promotional and special events held at the casino or hotel.
The P.R. Director tries to develop various angles and conceive different methods to promote the facility. The P.R. Director often has a staff that assists in many of the individual’s responsibilities. The Casino Public Relations Director is responsible for developing and writing press releases for media distribution. Targets include print, television, and radio. Stock press releases must be prepared, as well as releases on hotel and casino news and events. The P.R. Director must also make sure fact sheets on all areas of the casino and hotel are prepared. These might include interesting facts such as the number of eggs or steaks or shrimp served per year in one of the restaurants, the ratio of employees to rooms, or the amount of quarters won in slots annually.
The difference between advertising and publicity is that advertising has a cost factor. A full page ad in a major newspaper or magazine, or a commercial on national television can cost thousands of dollars. While it often costs money to generate publicity, there generally is no charge to get feature stories and articles written in the print media or have stories appear on television. The Casino Public Relations Director generates publicity ideas so that editors and producers find the concepts interesting and want to do articles or stories.
The Public Relations Director acts as a liaison between the casino hotel and the media. A great many events occur at any one time in a casino hotel. A big slot tournament might be scheduled, as well as the opening of a well-known celebrity act in the showroom, a major boxing show, interesting new slot machines, or a major convention. The Casino Public Relations Director must know which media to call for specific events—sports editors, entertainment writers, gaming media, and hotel or hospitality columnists. The P.R. Director must have a good working relationship with all media, print as well as television, cable, and radio.
The casino hotel P.R. Director works with the facility’s marketing and advertising department. Together, they may develop and implement a variety of special events designed to promote the facility and its activities. These might include press conferences, parties, extravaganzas, promotions, or tournaments. Because guests often travel to casinos and casino hotels from other areas, the Public Relations Director must generate both local and national media exposure. Other duties of the casino hotel Public Relations Director may include:
Factors affecting earnings include the geographic location, size, and prestige of the specific casino hotel, as well as the experience and responsibilities of the individual. Generally, those with the most experience working in larger, more prestigious casinos hotels, in the gambling capitals earn the highest salaries.
Employment prospects for casino and casino hotel Public Relations Directors are fair.
The greatest number of opportunities exist in areas where there are a large number of casinos. Las Vegas, Reno, Laughlin, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, Biloxi, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Detroit offer the greatest number of job possibilities. Other employment settings include casino hotels in other areas of Nevada, Mississippi, New York, Louisiana, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, and California. Other regions hosting Indian gaming and land-based or riverboat gaming facilities offer additional opportunities. Individuals may climb the career ladder in a number of ways. Some people gain experience and professional reputations and locate similar positions in larger or more prestigious casinos. This results in increased responsibilities and earnings.
Casino Public Relations Directors may also advance their careers by being promoted to positions such as vice president of P.R., Corporate Public Relations Director, or Director of Marketing. Generally, most casinos and casino hotels prefer their Casino Public Relations Directors to have a bachelor’s degree. Good majors include public relations, marketing, communications, journalism, English, or liberal arts. Courses, workshops, and seminars in publicity, writing, and the hospitality industry are useful.
The Public Relations Director working in a casino or casino hotel may be required to be licensed by the state. Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits Experience working in public relations is required to become a casino or casino hotel Public Relations Director. Some people start out as journalists or publicists. They then move up to positions as assistant directors of public relations prior to their appointment as P.R. Director. Experience working in the hospitality industry, hotels, or casinos is required or preferred. Casino Public Relations Directors are creative individuals with excellent writing and communication skills. They enjoy working with the public and are outgoing and articulate.
Those interested in learning more about careers as casino hotel publicists can obtain additional information by contacting the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMA), the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), or the human resources departments in casino hotels.
1. You might also want to check out recruitment and search firms dealing in the public relations or hospitality industries.
2. Get your foot in the door of a casino hotel. Most promote from within. You might have to start as a publicist, but you can obtain experience and move up the career ladder.
3. Jobs may be advertised in the classified sections of newspapers in areas hosting gaming. Look under classifications such as “Hotel Public Relations Director,” “Casino Hotel Public Relations Director,” “Director of Public Relations,” “Public Relations,” “Communications,” or “Casino Opportunities.”
4. Skills are transferable. If you have worked as a P.R. Director in another industry, you might have a good shot if you are in the right place at the right time.
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