Delegate numbers were around the same (1,500) as last year according to show organiser Clarion, but the ninth European iGaming Congress and Expo certainly felt a little quieter this time around.
Held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen for the second year running, it was announced this week that EiG will move to Milan’s Milano Convention Centre in Italy next year, from September 20-22 2011.
The news of the move was much welcomed by many visitors who remarked at the high-cost of Copenhagen, but the organisers told iNTERGAMINGi that they were pleased with the turnout of delegates for the range of seminars and for the trade show, adding that they had made several changes - including shuttle buses and more food for delegates - after the feedback they received last year.
There has been talk about the increasing number of igaming events for a while now and EiG wasn’t short of speculation as to whether a number of the exhibitors would return next year. Head of e-gaming development at Isle of Man Government, Garth Kimber said that show organisers should start listening to delegates’ feedback and shouldn’t presume that the entire industry will automatically attend every event. Kimber looked ahead to Clarion’s other event - ICE in January - and spoke enthusiastically about the show, stating its free entry and location in particular as reasons why the event is "safe" and will continue to do well.
The show may have felt a little "flat" for a number of people that iNTERGAMINGi spoke to but they also commented that it meant they had more time for ‘quality’ meetings rather than ‘tyre kickers’. Speaking to iNTERGAMINGi on the second day of EiG, head of Spin3 and Spiral Solutions Matti Zinder said: "The show is quieter but I think it is indicative of the way the industry is going." Adding that the show was "refreshing", Zinder said that after the hockey stick curve increase that online gaming saw in its early days, there are less grey areas now as the industry is becoming more regulated, which is seeing the smaller companies unable to keep up with the pace.
Being a front runner in France’s egaming market, Spiral Solutions and Spin3 are well placed within the industry to take advantage of the newly and soon-to-be regulated markets. Zinder cited the Danish market as “small but exciting” and said that we should expect to see something come of the German market next year as the country follows its EU neighbours and looks for much-needed tax revenues. He also added that Italy will be one of the largest egaming markets in the future.
