UNLV’s innovation hub to move the industry forward

The idea of ​​helping UNLV turn UNLV into a hotbed of hospitality innovation started making pizza with friends.

Caesars Entertainment was looking for a R & D lab where iconic gaming companies could test slot machines and other new gambling and hospitality technologies before deploying at the resort. A topic taken up at lunch between Robert Rippee, who taught at UNLV’s Hospitality Innovation Lab, and Les Ottolenghi, a friend and Chief Information Officer of Caesars at the time.

From sun-dried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, and thin dough pepperoni to pizza toppings, Lippy vividly remembers the conversation.

“[Caesars]often saw that the industry was too vendor-dependent to introduce new technology. We couldn’t test it in a real environment,” Lippy said.

Rippee brought the idea to Zach Miles, then Vice President of Economic Development at UNLV. Miles was considering building the first building at 122 acres of Harry Reid Research and Technology Park in southwestern Las Vegas Valley. It is about 10 miles from UNLV’s main campus.

“I introduced, and here we are sitting inside the building,” said Rippee, who is now Executive Director of the Black Fire Innovation Hub as a result of the collaboration between UNLV and Caesars.

The Blackfire Innovation Hub represents UNLV’s first foray into the world of business accelerators where ideas take shape and startups thrive, said UNLV’s Deputy Economic Development Officer this year after Miles got a job in Oklahoma. Bo Bernhard, who took over the president, said.

The building opened in January 2020 with the simple goal of bringing together universities and the local business community to test and develop ideas and products in the areas of gaming and hospitality.

The focus on innovation is clear everywhere in the 43,000-square-foot space. There is a mock resort complete with casino floor and sportsbook, hotel rooms where the latest UV disinfection robots and connection technology have been tested, kitchen and dining area. A small cobot, the Gita (cobot), is also mounted on the wheel, allowing you to chase the stadium’s beer vendor while you’re carrying beer, eliminating the need to carry beer on your back or shoulders.

However, this space goes beyond gambling and hospitality. From augmented reality to smart toilets to the latest trends in competitive gaming at Black Fire’s esports arena, it’s a place to test all kinds of technology.

It’s not hard to understand why 80 companies have or plan to have space on Black Fire, including big tech companies like Intel, Panasonic and LG. According to Bernhard, the corporate value of these 80 companies totals over $ 1.134 trillion, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses with only two employees.

Stephanie Repoli, Chief Administrative and Accounting Officer of Caesars Entertainment, oversees the company’s Blackfire.

Caesars’ main investment in space was financial, Lepoli said. However, at the beginning, there was also a research and development lab that triggered the conversation.

Given how tightly regulated slot machines are in Nevada, it’s very important to be able to test them in the gaming world, Lepoli said.

“This is a great opportunity to test all these features in a non-live environment to make sure they are working as expected,” says Lepori.

Another kind of classroom

Innovation hubs don’t just help people realize their ideas. It also helps UNLV change higher education head-on.

According to Bernhard, at Blackfire, students are moving away from the traditional university format of reading the yellow memos that professors have used for over a decade and are seeking more active involvement.

“What if your mission was to invent the answer instead of being passively lectured?” He said.

This is a model that Lippy’s students soon fell in love with.

“Feedback from participants in my program, they absolutely love it. They can’t believe we have these facilities. When they first entered, they said,” Do we really have this? ”Has this look,” Lippy said. “It’s a great fit for what we’re doing. It’s a great place to collaborate and actively learn.”

Expansion is planned

Blackfire is Harry Reid Technology Park’s first flagship building, but soon a company will be formed.

According to Bernhard, a second building is currently under construction in the park and will closely reflect the Blackfire setting. According to Bernhard, the university already has commitments from “two major tech companies” planning to open offices in the building, but it’s still unclear who they are.

The third building is being built by tech giant T-Mobile, while Tech Park’s fourth planned building focuses on medical technology.

Please contact Colton Lochhead ([email protected]). Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.

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