The Christmas season is finally upon us and as the iGaming industry conferences come to an end for the year, a myriad of parties, lunches, dinners, drinks and other celebrations take over our schedules. Now that we’re prepared for some fun, SBC will be hosting their Betting on Football Awards on December 2nd at the Playboy Club in London, an informal affair to kick off our holiday festivities.
With quite a bit of changes made to the event since last year, CalvinAyre.com spoke with our friends over at SBC to find out what’s in store for everyone on the big night. We hope to see you there and best of luck to all the nominees!
Becky Liggero: There have been some big changes with the BOF Awards since last year, can you explain why you decided to put on the awards as a separate event?
Andy McCarron: Well the truth of the matter is that the Betting on Football Conference was so much bigger this year than last year, it ended up doubling in size, that it quickly became apparent that to do the Awards night justice we had to separate the two events. And as we were heading towards the end of the year we thought it would be the perfect time to mix a little bit of Christmas cheer with top class networking while we recognise the best performers in our field.
BL: What new categories have been added and why?
AM: We only had four categories last year, Best Bookmaker, Best Innovation, Best Marketing Campaign and Best Affiliate, and we decided that these did not cover enough of the important and exciting parts of betting with regards to football. There has been great innovation in the fantasy space of late so we introduced a Best Football Fantasy Product. We’ve actually been inundated with nominations for the category, so it shows we were perhaps right in this regard. We’ve also recognised the growing importance of data suppliers in this regard as well and have introduced a Best Data Supplier Award. We’ve also broadened out some of the operator awards to recognise mobile and the best use of sponsorship.
BL: How many people are you expecting and what types of positions do they hold in the sports betting industry? What are some of the companies that will have a presence?
AM: We expect around 200 on the night and it’s from a great mix of companies. We’re looking to build on the high level attendance from the Betting on Football Conference, where the majority of the delegates were director level or above, but all are welcome on the evening. Among the firms represented are Bet365, SkyBet, Coral, Paddy Power, Unibet, Titanbet, SNAI, Pinnacle Sports, Sportradar, Colossus Bets, Oddschecker, bettingexpert.com, Sporting Index, BetConstruct, Kambi, EnergyCasino, Betsoft, Super Soccer, IMG and Roar Betting.
BL: What can attendees expect to happen on the night?
AM: Things will kick off with guests receiving welcome drinks in the shape of EnergyCasino’s own energy drink, they can then head over to the Betradar sponsored bar and enjoy themselves with free drinks for the most of the evening, while hopefully using the beer mats provided by TXODDS.
Editec’s Simon Burrell will be Master of Ceremonies and run through the awards and announce the winners. It’s a far more informal affair than most awards events though. The evening is more like a classic SBC social networking party.
Good entertainment, great networking, plenty of drinks, nibbles to please the hunger, and of course the chance to catch up and network with friends, colleagues and clients from the betting sector.
BL: Will there be Playboy Bunnies? 😉
AM: We have caved into popular demand and the famous Playboy Bunnies will be there in attendance, helping people with their drinks orders and also helping present our awards.
BL: Why should companies consider sponsoring this event and what kinds of opportunities do you have available?
AM: If a firm is servicing the betting industry then a focussed event of this type should be a no-brainer. BetConstruct, Betradar, TXODDS, Oddslife, Betmarkets, Pinnacle Affiliates and EnergyCasino have all recognised the compelling opportunity. We still have a few sponsor slots available for some of our Awards, as well as a couple of creative ideas for entertainment on the night itself. Contact [email protected] for more info.
Betting on Football Awards – Finalists
Best Football Bookmaker Sponsored by Betradar
Bet365
Sky Bet
Unibet
Best Mobile Football Bookmaker
Sky Bet
Unibet
SNAI
Best Football Marketing Campaign
Ladbrokes – Papa John Pizza Offer
NetBet – Make Some Noise
Bwin – Thinking Man’s Bookie Marquee Content
Best Innovation Sponsored by BetConstruct
Betgenius – Betslip re-targeting
Inspired Gaming – Rush Football 2
1X2 Gaming – Virtual Betting Pro
Bet IT Best
Best Football Sponsorship Partnership
West Bromwich Albion – TLCBet
Football League/Derby County – Sky Bet
Hibernian – Marathonbet
Best Fantasy Football Product Sponsored by BetMarkets
Sportego
Fanteam
Fantasybet
Best Football Data Supplier Sponsored by Oddslife
BetConstruct
Stratagem
Sportradar
GPS – Goalscorer Pricing & Settlement
Best Football Affiliate Sponsored by Pinnacle Affiliates
bettingexpert
BD Sport
Team FA – Footy Accumulators
Oddschecker
