Analyzing data sounds like a boring career. But for Trevor Taylor, data isn’t really about numbers; it’s about people.
“My love of data has been a cornerstone of my career,” says Taylor, vice president of managed services and consulting for VizExplorer.
The company helps clients step away from day-to-day task management to focus on longer goals. “Direct marketing campaigns, evaluating and revising their slot floor mix and managing the tools for their player development teams are executed by our team.”
Taylor’s work history led him to VizExplorer. “From my start in the gaming industry, my career has perfectly prepared me for this role. I have found tremendous success as a data-driven executive, and I know the team I am building at VizExplorer will be able to deliver this to our customers.”
Growing up in Victorville, California, Taylor worked in many of the family businesses, which included a bowling alley, nightclubs, restaurants and real estate. His grandfather planted the seed that guest experience was the “end-all, be-all even before Disney coined the term,” he says.
His father says success depends on honesty and integrity. “Say what you mean and mean what you say.”
Taylor began his career as a slot attendant in a Colorado casino in 1994, but by 1996 he “started flirting with data, working as an executive host. With hard work and some luck I was fortunate to become the youngest general manager in Colorado, running the Colorado Grand in Cripple Creek.”
In 2007, Taylor headed to the Seminole Casino in Hollywood, Florida before joining Nevada Gold & Casinos, first with Oceans Casino Cruises, then with the corporate offices in Houston and Las Vegas, where he served as vice president of business development and operations.
“This is where my love of data and what you could do with it really took off. I was visiting properties all over the country to find the diamond in the rough that was prime for an uptick. By 2012, I had helped grow the corporate portfolio by 66 percent,” Taylor says.
In 2013, he left for Global Market Advisors, spent two years at Profit Builder and a year at Gaming Technology Group before landing at VizExplorer in September.
“Whether evaluating market, financial or property data, I rarely deviate from what the data is illustrating. As such, VizExplorer was a natural fit,” he says.
Guest data fundamentally changed everything in the industry. “We’ve evolved the ability to use data to drive revenues and reduce expenses, which has made us more profitable as an industry,” says Taylor, who likes to travel to coastal areas in his Airstream with wife Linda.
Throughout his rise, Taylor worked with great people—and not so great ones. “The opportunity to work with Robert Sturges, CEO at Nevada Gold, was very fortuitous for my career. His ability to push you to meet his expectations, his extensive gaming knowledge and work ethic are all traits I try to emulate.”
He also cites Andrew Klebanow from Global Market Advisors for pointing him into consulting. “It allowed me to take my experience and realize my passion to work with multiple assets versus a single property.”
Bryan Brammer, managing partner of Profit Builder, still remains one of Taylor’s closest business contacts.
“Without these three influential professionals, my ongoing journey wouldn’t have been as insightful and rewarding. I still have my eyes open for my next mentor.”
If there is a lesson for young people, it’s that properties can’t survive without access to their data, Taylor says. But remember, it’s about people. “Our connections and interactions shape our customers, and it’s more important than ever to not forget the small things. Write the hand-written thank-you cards, shake hands, and don’t forget to have fun while you’re doing it.”
