Suppliers

Caesars Entertainment is committed to procuring its goods, products and services from a diversified pool of vendors, contractors and professional service providers, and working with developing businesses to help them grow. Supplier and contracting diversity is a core strategy governing the way we reach out to, select and engage in our supply chain. Every member of our procurement team is aware that working with diverse suppliers brings benefits for our business, for local communities and, of course, for the suppliers themselves, with Caesars Entertainment often serving as a springboard for additional growth. We increase our procurement spend each year with MWDBEs (minority and women-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises), assisting them where we can to gain the necessary diversity certifications and mentoring emerging MWDBEs.

Advancing Diverse Suppliers

The Supplier Diversity Department reports to the Vice President of Procurement Jessica Rosman. Team leader Bridget Carter in the Midwest Region, along with Shakira Garcia in the Eastern Region and Michael Ruffin in the Southern Region, manage the program around five pillars:

1. Executive Leadership and Organizational Commitment/Support
2. Clear Policies, Established roles and Responsibilities.
3. Tools and Resources
4. Measuring Success
5. External Engagement

The Supplier Diversity team, along with Strategic Sourcing representatives, work with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation (USPAACC), and their regional affiliates to connect with qualified and certified suppliers for potential business opportunities. This focus on supplier diversity also helps us to produce positive economic impacts in the communities in which we operate and from which we obtain our employees.

We continue to diversify our supplier base and procurement spend with MWDBEs. (minority-owned, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises). Often, these companies require assistance to qualify as a Caesars Entertainment supplier or to expand their business with us. We connect widely and deeply throughout the U.S. market to ensure MWDBE vendors who have an interest in doing business with us know how to qualify as a supplier and are aware of business opportunities with the company. We also support a number of Chambers of Commerce that promote diverse suppliers, and we speak frequently at conferences and events designed to promote supplier diversity. These efforts have proven to be most beneficial in helping diverse suppliers improve their overall business operations and Caesars Entertainment -related performance.

Mentoring Diverse Businesses

Our Mentor Protégé program supports diverse suppliers by assisting them with all the steps needed to qualify as a supplier to Caesars and gain initial business, with support along the way to expand to additional properties or new services. More than ten suppliers have benefited from this program, with six currently under our wing in 2018. One of them, Burchell Upholstery, founded 25 years ago by Jamaican-born Robert Burchell, has been a supplier to Harrah’s Joliet Hotel & Casino for around three years. With the support of Bridget Carter, Senior Manager, National Supplier Diversity, the company has achieved considerable business expansion.

"For years, we remained a small business operating in the private sector, and it was challenging. After we became a supplier to Caesars, who reached out to us, Bridget Carter brought us into the mentorship program and encouraged us to think bigger, targeting new opportunities with other hotels and in the broader textile industry. As a result, we have moved into manufacturing in addition to upholstery services, and recently we won a large contract with a major airline to supply bedding for use on flights. Bridget is very passionate about helping our business grow and we are certainly happy about that!”

– Herbert Stokes, Marketing and Development Manager, Burchell Upholstery

Supplier Policies

Caesars Entertainment and its subsidiaries and affiliates conduct business in a highly regulated environment pursuant to licenses issued by numerous gaming regulatory agencies. As a result, Caesars Entertainment must be diligent in maintaining the highest standards of conduct and associations. To reinforce this commitment to these standards, Caesars Entertainment has a Compliance Program. Please refer to the policies and provisions in this section that must be adhered to in connection with business relationships with third parties.

The Supplier Diversity team partners with Diversity and Inclusion to implement supplier diversity initiatives, support participation at local, regional and national supplier diversity conferences, and monitor supplier diversity key performance indicators and metrics.

Holiday Gift Policy

Our Code of Conduct generally prohibits the solicitation or acceptance by any of our officers and employees, at any time of year, for themselves or on behalf of the Company, of any substantial gift with value exceeding $250, which directly or indirectly benefits them. This prohibition applies to gifts from any person or firm having or seeking a business relationship with the Company or any employee or agent of such a person or firm. However, non-cash gifts of nominal value are permitted.

While it is recognized that both giving and receiving of gifts, especially during the Holidays, might be considered proper and innocent, such a practice might be misconstrued by persons only partially informed and may prove to be embarrassing to both parties. More importantly, the discharge of responsibilities in a totally objective manner is difficult enough, and the acceptance of such gifts can only serve to make this task more difficult.

Accordingly, you are requested to refrain from offering substantial gifts to any of our employees. Your cooperative spirit in complying with this request will enhance our business relationship and prevent expense and effort on your part and ours.

Business Conduct and Policy:

To view the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, please click here.

Enrollment:

View our supplier selection criteria here.