The award recognizes Harrah�s Entertainment as a world leader in the area of data warehousing, and is the company�s second such award this year; in July, the TDWI presented Harrah�s with its Best Practices In Data Warehousing award.  Harrah�s was nominated for the Leadership Award by NCR Corporation in the Customer Relationship Management category.

Harrah�s was selected for the 2000 Leadership Award from 10 TDWI Best Practices award winners.  The TDWI panel of judges chose Harrah�s for the Leadership Award based on three main criteria�development of a practice that can be followed by others, its innovation, and its impact on the success of the business.

�Our company has spent tens of millions of dollars to develop the information technology that serves as the foundation for Total Rewards, the gaming industry�s only nationwide customer-loyalty program,� said Gary Loveman, Harrah�s Entertainment�s Chief Operating Officer.

�This commitment has generated increased cross-market play, higher frequency of visits and greater profitability per visit from Harrah�s customers,� said Loveman.  �The result has been double-digit increases in same-store revenues over the last six quarters.�

John Boushy, Harrah�s Entertainment Senior Vice President of Brand Operations and Information Technology, said the company is gratified with TDWI�s recognition of the capabilities Harrah�s has developed through a combination of innovative marketing approaches and a significant investment in information technology.

�Our data warehousing incorporates a �closed loop� marketing capability that allows us to refine our marketing interventions on a customer-by-customer basis,� said Boushy.  �Our database provides information on more than 19 million Harrah�s customers, enabling us to analyze, predict and maximize the value of each customer relationship and to better serve the needs of those customers in all the markets in which we operate.�

Ellen Hobbs, General Manager of TDWI, said Harrah�s faced fierce competition for this year�s Leadership Award.

�The competition this year for the Leadership in Data Warehousing Award was once again very strong,� said Hobbs.  �But several nominations stood out from the rest and truly demonstrated strong best practices that others can follow and learn from.  Among these, Harrah�s clearly emerged as a leader.�

The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI), a division of 101 communications, is the premier provider of in-depth, high quality education and training in the data warehousing and business intelligence industry.  TDWI sponsors and promotes a worldwide membership program, annual educational conferences, regional educational seminars, onsite courses, solution provider partnerships, awards programs for the best practices and leadership in data warehousing and innovative technologies, resourceful publications, an in-depth research program and a comprehensive Web site.

101 communications is an integrated media company in the business-to-business market, aimed at the many specialized targets within the greater information technology community. 101�s portfolio includes 16 magazines, over 30 conferences and extensive digital offerings in the United States and Europe.

Founded more than 60 years ago, Harrah�s Entertainment, Inc. is the most recognized and respected name in the casino entertainment industry, operating 21 casinos in 17 markets in the United States under the Harrah�s, Showboat and Rio brand names.