What is the Biggest Curse of SBC Lisbon 2024?
I’m at the iGaming event in Lisbon, and instead of being amazed by the innovations, the first thing that strikes me is the phenomenon of cold emails. A flood of irrelevant messages and partnership proposals is overwhelming participants – not only during the event but also beforehand. Many of the people I’ve spoken to admit that their email inboxes and LinkedIn accounts are overflowing with irrelevant offers.
What is most irritating?
The most frustrating part is the lack of preparation. Companies, without any consideration, send out proposals without even checking what the recipient actually does. It gets even worse on-site – people approach booths hoping they can “push” their offer in a few minutes. But that’s not how this business works. Building relationships that have the potential to turn into long-term partnerships requires more than just a one-time conversation at an event.
Events like SBC Lisbon are fantastic for starting dialogues, building a network of contacts, and laying the groundwork for future business relationships. But expecting everything to be sealed in one day is completely unrealistic. It’s a process that takes time and dedication. I understand that there’s a lot of pressure to deliver results, but aggressive, unsolicited offers usually backfire.
Where does this come from?
Moreover, I see another problem – participants are simply unprepared for the event. I spoke with representatives from various sectors – affiliates, suppliers, and bookmakers – and all of them had encountered absurd partnership proposals. Unfortunately, most of these offers came from payment providers, who seemed to be shooting blindly. I personally had three people approach my booth offering to implement payment systems, assuming that we run an online casino. Never mind that our stand is clearly located in the media zone, where we showcase our industry portals that operate across different markets.
Out of curiosity, I asked one person why they were asking me about a casino when they could have easily checked who we are. The answer was surprisingly honest: “Because it’s easier to ask everyone than to check.” And well, let that be the takeaway from this first column.
SBC Lisbon: A Spectacular Event
This year’s SBC in Lisbon is a huge event, organized with a lot of flair. Despite some frustrating situations, which seem to be a common feature of such events, it remains one of the best places to forge valuable connections. But remember – it’s the quality of the relationships that counts here, not the quantity of messages.
Tomorrow, I’ll share more about the event itself.