ICE Totally Gaming and the London Affiliate Conference (LAC), two of the biggest events in the iGaming and affiliate marketing calendars, kick off the 2018 conference schedule next week. Income Access will be exhibiting at both conferences in London’s ExCel Exhibition Centre and can be found at the following stands:ICE - Stand N1-300 (6th-8th February)LAC - Stand K10 (7th-10th February)Over 30,000 people descended on the UK capital for ICE Totally Gaming last year, while more than 5,000 delegates are expected to attend LAC 2018. In this blog post, we discuss how you can maximise your experience in London this year.
Tip #1: Devise a Schedule that Leaves Room for the Unexpected
Plans are prone to alteration in all walks of life, and industry conferences are no exception. While meetings might overrun, you’re also likely to have valuable discussions with delegates you hadn’t scheduled time with beforehand. These opportunities shouldn’t be missed, as the best business relationships often stem from unplanned encounters.
We therefore recommend keeping some time slots free and creating flexible plans. You can use your downtime to explore the conference floor and visit exhibiting stands, enjoy conversations with fellow delegates, collect business cards, or even evaluate your game plan for the following day’s activities.
Tip #2: Plan the Sessions You’re Attending in Advance
A range of seminars will take place throughout ICE, while various panel discussions are also scheduled during LAC.
Our VP of Strategy, Sarafina Wolde Gabriel, will be moderating the LAC panel discussion, ‘The African Market – what you need to know about the opportunities’, at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, 9th February. The panel will be a great chance for attendees to gain expert insight on an emerging market that has been an increasingly popular topic of discussion in the iGaming industry.
Attending this session will also equip you with information about the region’s various regulatory frameworks and the most effective marketing tools for expanding your affiliate business. Africa is much less saturated than other established iGaming markets, so the opportunity is there for you to be successful if you know how to attract players.
Planning which seminars you want to attend in advance will also ensure that you allow enough time to accommodate those unplanned encounters mentioned earlier.
Tip #3: Acquire More Knowledge on Industry Trends
From Betfair introducing Face ID login for iPhone X users to Facebook announcing algorithmic News Feed changes, and Twitter trialling paid moments – much has already changed in technology, digital marketing and gaming this year. We therefore recommend upskilling and consuming as much content as possible related to these and other developments.
Gaining further insights on industry-relevant trends will enhance your own understanding and strategy going forward. The benefits of this endeavour may be seen in your product developments, marketing strategy or even a reimagining of your business model. Moreover, it will contribute to more productive conversations with other ICE and LAC attendees.
The End of the Conference is the Start of New Business Relationships
Many clients become exactly that because of discussions they’ve had at ICE and LAC. These events are great for building a strong business relationship straight away and laying the foundations for progressing it afterwards.
We advise keeping a list of prospective clients you meet and their contact details. Following the conference, you can develop a follow-up strategy for these prospects. This process, which should commence within two weeks of the conference end date, will include emails inviting your contacts to participate in follow-up meetings in which you’ll be able to reconfirm levels of interest and determine next steps. After this initial post-conference communication, you can also connect with them on LinkedIn, Twitter and any other relevant channels.
Finally, be sure to maintain regular contact with them over the long-term. You’ll benefit more from maintaining these relationships when it comes to future business initiatives and other potential collaborations. It will also look much better than sending a message after months of no contact.
If you’re attending ICE Totally Gaming and/or LAC 2018, we’d love to meet! Email inquire@incomeaccess.com to schedule some time or stop by our stand at either event.
To find out more about our affiliate software and range of affiliate marketing services, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
