Vol. 4, No. 2, February 2007
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Building Bridges to a Career
Bryan Prettyman concludes his second decade in gaming with two simple rules that launched it. Never burn a bridge. Always make a friend.
The Vineland native and former Trump Marina marketing executive has been rewarded for applying those principles. Prettyman serves as director of marketing for the Treasure Island Resort Hotel and Casino in Red Wing, Minnesota, outside Minneapolis. A rich resource of relationships helped him thrive in a post-Atlantic City journey through Mississippi, South Florida, California, Chicago and now Minnesota.
“It’s the only thing I know anymore; it’s that thrilling,” Prettyman indicates. “It’s one of the largest industries in this nation when you look at all the gaming machines, the number of employees and the revenue that is generated. It’s also one of the smallest because no matter where you go, you know someone. Either you worked for them or they worked for you and in 10 years, you may do it again. Good relationships are important.”
Prettyman discovered gaming by accident. He had relocated to Florida, suffered the death of his father and contemplated a move back home when brother Jim suggested casinos. Jim Prettyman, a day-one Tropicana employee still employed there, dangled an incentive.
“He said he could get me a job in one day,” Prettyman says, laughing. “It took four months. For the first month, I was picky. In the second month, I started figuring I would try something for awhile. By the third, I needed to get something. By the fourth, I was begging.
“I still remember the employment offices, the big lines of people just waiting to get a job application. I applied for the promotions booth and a room-service waiter. The promotions booth came through first.”
Prettyman became the proverbial sponge, soaked up knowledge and increased his value. Trump Marina had combined all marketing departments into one call center. Prettyman thus learned the nuances of direct marketing, slot marketing, casino marketing, box office and restaurant reservations. He also witnessed a gaming revolution.
“It was table-games oriented at that point,” Prettyman says. “Casino marketing was on the fourth floor, the slot marketing room was the broom closet, off near the bathroom. We always had slot players, but had never catered to them as we do now. We started inviting them to some high-ended tournaments, getting them more comps.”
Prettyman developed the trust of casino executives and became a go-to guy for all nuances of player development.
“They felt comfortable contacting me whether it was to charter a yacht for a fishing trip, or an airplane,” Prettyman says. “It could also mean buying something for a player’s wife on her birthday. I probably had everyone’s credit card number taped on a piece of paper under my desk. Roger Wagner would need a boat for a player in Hong Kong and would ask for me to take him out. For a 21-year-old kid, having the president of the company trust you, that went a long way.”
Prettyman rose to the marketing manager level before leaving for Mississippi in 1993. He drove to Biloxi, poured substantial energy into the pre-opening of Gold Shore casino, and then saw it collapse in less than a year. But the personal network intervened. Bucky Howard, whom he had met in Atlantic City and was helping run the Mississippi operation, had a brother, Mike, in Greenville, Mississippi. Prettyman was soon working for the Cotton Club casino.
Over the years, scenery changed and lessons were adapted. Prettyman obtained a high degree of seasoning.
“Whatever you see, hear, taste and feel,” Prettyman says, “marketing plays a big role. I love being in the middle of that.
“You eventually realize that the high rollers who come in maybe twice a year are your dessert. When I started, it was all about the whale, those big players you catered to. Back then, we just placated the low-end players.
“Now, regardless of whether a person’s budget is $40 or $4,000, you have to treat him as an important customer. You have to excite his senses, send him an offer, let that person know how much you respect and appreciate the business.”
The theory becomes even more sharpened in Minnesota’s market. The surrounding region does not provide a big base.
“You need to develop more trust in a locals market,” Prettyman says. “In Vegas or Atlantic City, you can be stern with someone if you have to and go on to the next person, regarding comps, etc. Here, if you say no, you have to do it in a way that the person will still come back tomorrow. You have to be upfront about more things. You might tell someone you can comp him this time, but certainly not the next time based on his play and that’s all right.”
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