We had a terrific time at the 2011 NIGA Indian Gaming Tradeshow.  (More on our panel on Internet gaming later.)  Here's a report of our tour of the tradeshow floor.

The tradeshow featured a very impressive range of vendors:

- gaming machines, of course, including the latest and brightest
- casino architecture and interior design
- cards, dice, chips
- machine and table seating
- signage
- air freshener system (the Wynn and Encore, by the way, has our favorite scented casino air)
- paper products, including all the different grades of toilet paper you would want to choose from
- tobacco products, including "sweet" cigarettes (one of the few free samples we passed on)
- chocolate (we definitely did not pass on the chocolate!)
- nutrition and meal replacement bars (tried these, too -- made us feel better about sampling the chocolate)
- software systems for computerized tracking of liquor pours
- facial identification software systems, both for security and serving high-end customers
- comedy and musical acts, along with Raging Wolf ultimate fighting (Steve posed for a pic with the championship belt)
- sweet grass scented hotel amenities, including shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and soap
- insurance and financial services

In short, something for every operation and need in a casino.  Intriguing to see the range of products and services, and great fun to meet the folks behind the vendor tables.