SIGMA Casino Group - Interview with the Events COO
SiGMA Group has become a renowned brand in the iGaming industry, connecting professionals and entrepreneurs in the field through a series of successful events and initiatives. One of the driving forces behind the company's continued success is Emily Micallef, the COO of SiGMA Events. With over three years of experience in the company, Emily has been instrumental in planning and executing SiGMA's impressive lineup of events.
In this interview, Emily discusses her role at SiGMA, the company's response to the challenges of the past two years, and its plans for the future.
Please introduce yourself and your role in SiGMA. How long have you been working in the company, and how did it change since?
I started out three years ago as the Events Director for the SiGMA Group. I am incredibly appreciative of the company recognizing my efforts over the past three years with a promotion to COO of SiGMA Events. I have spent most of my days coordinating sales events, marketing and video and conference productions, to mention a few! With such a full calendar of events coming up this year, it’s organized chaos at the best of times, but that’s the lay of the land at an events company, and I live for it!
SiGMA’s core business is getting people working in the iGaming business together. How many events do you organize per year?
This year we’ve really upped our game with an ambitious plan for 2023! We will host six main events over the coming months, some of which will be bigger in scale, such as the Dubai event in March, Manila in July, and Malta in November, while regional shows set to take place in Africa, Brazil, and Cyprus will feel more intimate in nature.
In addition to a focus on the iGaming sector, our events also explore other emerging verticals – including cutting-edge tech like blockchain and AI, the digital health sector, and affiliate marketing. Tapping into the crossover of multiple sectors has allowed us to offer added value to delegates keen to explore new business avenues.
How many types of events do you have, and how do you find your speakers?
While SiGMA is known for hosting large-scale expos and conferences, we also hold a number of roadshows, online conferences, and networking dinners throughout the year.
When it comes to our speakers, we look for thought leaders with a vision for the future. Providing expert-led, quality content is key to maintaining top-tier events that seek to play a role in shaping the way forward for emerging industries. Ensuring our conference continues to attract new voices and nurture cutting-edge ideas drives our agenda, we look for fresh faces committed to redrawing the lines on the map and pushing the boundaries of innovation.
Covid had a strong impact on all live events for a couple of years. Now it seems things are getting back to normal, but how did SiGMA reinvent itself during those times?
While the last two years have undoubtedly been difficult for many, the industry has been resolute, embracing the challenge of adapting to a fast-changing landscape. We took the opportunity to rethink our role and broaden our scope. Branching into affiliation and opening new offices in Cyprus and Belgrade, we aspire for our brand to be known as a world authority in internet gambling and believe that turning our website into a portal for news, reviews, education, and events is the way forward.
For this reason, it's time to revise our old slogan from "The World's Gaming Festival", which focused exclusively on our events, to "The World's Authority in Internet Gambling".
You have a wise experience in this field. How do you see the future of iGaming?
With scores of new nations across multiple continents embracing regulated internet gambling, the future seems bright for the SiGMA Group and its global mandate as a leading authority. Smart regulation will be the key to ensuring the growth of iGaming over the next few years, especially in new and emerging markets. We’ll be exploring this in more depth throughout 2023 with debut events in Brazil and Kenya.
What makes SiGMA a world-class group?
We are committed to providing a quality experience, which means there are no half-measures when it comes to the way we work. Our squad is made up of a diversely skilled team, which we plan to continue to expand throughout 2023, each member playing a vital role in ensuring a top-tier approach to the services and products we provide. Whether an intimate iGathering dinner, a 25,000 strong expo, or the latest issue of SiGMA magazine, it is crucial that excellence continues to reach our delegates.
You recently launched Sigma Play. Would you tell our readers what it is and how the project is going?
With our affiliation branch and digital products growing exponentially, we are expanding our team, with 2023 focusing on a fresh new aesthetic and revamp of the SiGMA website.
We’re continuing to establish this authority through quality products and very promising partnerships. SiGMA Play is focused on contributing a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution for the iGaming sector. Key to this is creating a space where operators are clearly represented, and customers can easily source the best casinos for their needs.
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