Sea, Sun and SiGMA - CasinoCoin

Sea, Sun and SiGMA

Matt recently dusted off his Passport, packed his flip-flops and set off to Malta to attend The SiGMA 2021 iGaming expo held at Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre. SiGMA has similarities to ICE that is held in London annually which may be more commonly known.

SiGMA is considered a key stop in the iGaming calendar, where exhibitors from all over the world come together to discuss business, forge new relationships and build on existing ones. SiGMA has absolutely everything under one roof, all levels of seniority and a complete index of the iGaming community.

Sadly the weather meant it was all business this trip, not like it’s sunny in November anyway, flip-flops away Matt!

These trade shows are known for long days with early morning starts and social evenings. For Matt, this meant time out of the office and disruption to his daily working routine.

This was his first SiGMA and we felt it was important that CasinoCoin was represented. After all, the token is made for gambling, right? — so where better to be seen than SiGMA. But what came of this trip? Was it worth the 4 hour flight, long days and time out of the office? Would it be better via a Zoom call? Let’s see.

Cancellation after cancellation… With so many live events cancelled due to covid this was a must-go-to event. Frankly, the industry was crying out for SiGMA. This showed in the enormous turnout. SiGMA 2021 did not let us down, with tens of thousands of people coming through the doors, conversation and drinks flowing from all angles, SiGMA was back and ready to show us what it had to offer in all its beauty.

Much of what CasinoCoin is trying to achieve can be made easier with so many key players all available under one roof, and many more crypto stands than previously . In fact, this year saw a separate crypto section at SiGMA for the first time.

Matt’s Point Of View

This was not only my first SiGMA, but my first representing CasinoCoin. With shiny new business cards and a handful of meetings in my diary, I was ready to take on SiGMA head-on. I didn’t expect it to be anywhere near as busy as it was but I made so many connections there it was well worth the trip.

I arrived at the convention centre on Day 1 to be immediately shocked by the number of people who had made the journey. The place was packed with stands and huge displays lit up like it was christmas and reps on every corner all jostling for my business.

Walking the room, I soon realised that SiGMA is a full-on sensory overload, with sounds hitting me from every direction and huge displays bombarding me with graphics of all sorts of colours and shapes. It was great for the player in me to see new slots, but there’s certainly a lot to absorb. I continued to do the aisles trying to take in as much as I could, looking out for the companies that I want to find some extra time

At first, mainly out of curiosity, I stopped at lots of stands on my walk. As the week progressed, this lessened — as I filter out those of little relevance. I am now adept at avoiding the pitfalls and tourist traps.

When I wasn’t doing the rounds, I would spend time at the conferences and talks that were being given. Day 2 was focused on crypto — so this was of great relevance and of interest to me. At this year’s SiGMA, crypto featured quite heavily, which was great for CasinoCoin. I chatted to like-minded people about the future of a digital currency in the gambling world and how we may all achieve this.

It’s hard to be quietly excited without being able to discuss some of the key meetings but we will drop those when possible. One thing I can say is that a few particular meetings, with some huge players, went very well. I can’t say who I had meetings with at this stage, but I had some very productive and positive discussions.

I had many discussions with influencers, Payment Service Providers, Operators, Suppliers, Affiliates, CRM Providers and even live casinos and streamers.

Frequently I was able to meet the decision makers too which would have been difficult to achieve without attending this event. This really displays the diverse levels of seniority that SiGMA has to offer.

In the evenings, I let my hair down and met up on a social level with many of the people I’d had meetings with during the day. Networking dinners and events are a major part of the whole experience and can be as valuable as attending the exhibition. It was great to chat to people face to face and relax after a long day (and especially after a covid-y eighteen months), with like-minded people in the same room.

The value of the trip will come further down the line as CasinoCoin announces new partnerships and projects. Granted, there is a lot of small talk, but this is all part of building our profile and making useful connections for the future. The footfall at these events is huge, so even if we only make an impression on a small fraction of those there, it can be highly beneficial. And I know we made a great impression.

Next stop: ICE 2022