The “must attend” gambling industry conferences of 2014

gaming industry conferencesThroughout the course of every year there are dozens of gambling conferences taking place around the world, with more and more popping up as time goes on. The events range from massive expos to invite-only high level gatherings to territory specific to niche & session heavy to online affiliate industry conferences and beyond.

While it’s literally impossible to hit every single industry conference in existence (trust us, we’ve tried), there are a handful of larger events across the year that every gambling professional should be aware of and consider adding to their calendar.

Europe

ICE Totally Gaming: February 4-6, London
Without a doubt, this event delivers the biggest bang for your buck no matter what you’re doing in the gambling industry. ICE Totally Gaming attracts thousands of delegates from around the world, hundreds of exhibitors serving both the online and land based sectors and a large selection of seminars that cover the latest and greatest from all corners of the industry.

iGaming SUPER Show: June 24-27, Amsterdam
The SUPER Show is the largest event of the year dedicated to the global online gambling industry. Since its inception in 2010, the SUPER show has grown and developed, appealing to a wider and more mature audience. The event includes the Amsterdam Affiliate Conference and a number of other “mini conferences” targeting all facets of the online gambling industry in addition to featuring a massive expo floor.

London Affiliate Conference, February 6-8
If you could only attend one online gambling affiliate industry conference per year, this is the one to choose. The LAC annually welcomes the most affiliates, just about all the affiliate programs, and hosts some of the biggest and best networking events of the year. Delegates can expect a very fun, busy and social expo floor, with less of a focus on the sessions.

Barcelona Affiliate Conference, October TBD
The BAC is similar to the above but a bit smaller, warmer and nearer to the beach.

EiG Totally Gaming, October TBD, Barcelona
The EiG traditionally served as a conference dedicated to the B2B European iGaming market, but as hot topics in the industry expanded beyond the borders of Europe, so did the topics covered at EiG. The passes to this conference are notoriously expensive but the speakers are top notch, so you’ll get the most value if your priority is to listen and learn vs. cruise an expo floor.

North America

G2E, September 30-October 2, Las Vegas
G2E has been running for more than a decade and has maintained its position as the largest, must attend gaming event in North America. Known for its flamboyant booths, show floor exhibitor promos and PR stunts, the expo is loaded with models, celebrities, midgets and gaming professionals from around the world who want to see it all. High profile casino CEOs are known to make presentations and appearances at G2E as well.

GiGse, July 14-16, San Francisco
Born in Toronto, raised in Montreal and now living its adult life in San Francisco, GiGse has been a staple in the online gambling industry since its inception. After the passage of UIEGA, GiGse transformed itself into a conference that focuses mainly on the regulated and soon to be regulated US market. This event revolves around the sessions and is a must attend for established online gambling companies who want a piece of the American pie.

iGaming North America, March 19-21, Las Vegas
iGaming North America is a conference that caters to American gambling companies that want to get involved with the online side of the business and need to learn how. The sessions are more introductory than advanced, with a good amount of time set aside for mentoring and Q&A for those who need it. If you’re an online gambling expert and want to partner with existing American gambling companies, this is the place to do it.

Asia

G2E Asia, May 20-22, Macau
The Asian gambling industry is the biggest and most lucrative in the world. To get an understanding of who the big players are and what the latest innovations include, G2E Asia is where you will find it all. The expo floor is loaded with Electronic Table Games, Chinese slots, dragons, baccarat and anything else that is popular in the Asian gambling world- this is the place to truly get your senses tickled.

iGaming Asia Congress, March 4-6, Macau
This conference is much smaller and more intimate than the above, with an emphasis on the sessions rather than the exhibitors. Those who will benefit most from attending iGaming Asia Congress are established online gambling companies that are interested in expanding into the complex Asian market.

South America

SAGSE, November TBD, Buenos Aires
An exciting geographical region to watch is South and Central America, an area of developing countries, thriving economies and opportunity for the gambling industry, especially the online side. SAGSE is an established gambling event in South America, traditionally with a land based focus, but now expanding into the online arena making it a must attend for anyone interested in pursuing this exciting market.