Since we keep getting newer audiences that don’t exactly know what the Berlin Affiliate Conference is about, we would like to ask you, who is this conference addressed to?
Shona ODonnell: Berlin Affiliate Conference (BAC2016) is the biggest autumn event for affiliates and introducing brokers in the online gambling and retail finance sectors. It is a great opportunity to meet with the industry, find out what is happening, learn new skills, develop new business relationships, expanded existing relationships and of course have a fun doing this as you meet with affiliates, operators and suppliers in this exciting and dynamic industry.
If you are an affiliate or an operator in this market you simply cannot afford to miss this event.
In 2015 you’ve moved from Barcelona to Berlin. What has changed in this period of time and what was the outcome of this move?
Shona ODonnell: Our move to Berlin was hugely positive and well received by the industry as a whole. The move was based on industry feedback that people wanted to go to a new city, you spoke and we listened. BAC 2015 was the biggest event we have ever hosted in the autumn and we expect it to be eclipsed this year as we see figures on registrations up 10% YoY.
What will 2016 edition offer us?
Shona ODonnell: An even bigger version of 2015! We have now outgrown the hall so we’ve had to be very creative with the space we have. We are just in the final stages of confirming our party venues and we ‘ll be announcing some exciting sponsors in the next week or two so keep your eyes on the BAC website.
We also have a number of new speakers that we haven’t seen at events before as we really want to offer our delegates something valuable to take home and apply to the businesses they work in.
Suppose I’m just a simple affiliate that wants to join this conference. How do I get in and what can I find inside?
Shona ODonnell: It’s really easy and it’s free for affiliates and introducing brokers, just register at http://www.igbaffiliate.com/events/berlinaffiliateconference/registration and we will confirm your affiliate status and send you your eticket via email. We make a promise that our iGB Affiliate events are free for affiliates and they only way we can do this is by checking each and every registration, so please understand if we ask you for a some more information to let you attend the event for free.
Once inside you’ll find all of the leading operators in the space, two conference rooms, two free bars (15.00-18.00), lots of activities happening on the different stands and lots of great give aways. If it’s your first time attending, do let us know and we’ll do the best to help you meet the right people as we know it can be overwhelming. It’s also really helpful to use the event app to booking the conference sessions you want to see and to book in those all-important meetings.
What can you tell us about the sponsors of this conference?
Shona ODonnell: We are delighted to welcome back our premium sponsors William Hill, 888.com, EGO.com and iAffiliates. In addition to this we have Buffalo Partners providing the free lunch for our delegates and we are very happy to welcome Media Skunk as our thought leader. Registration is sponsored by TipBet, NetHive are sponsoring the bar and WPN are back as welcome drinks sponsors to get things kicked off. We are extremely grateful to all of our amazing sponsors and exhibitors, of whom there are too many to mention here, we simply couldn’t do it without them.
What is the main subject that will dominate this year’s conference and why do you think it’s important?
Shona ODonnell: The conference has two central themes. We open on day one with a look at the German market and what has happened there in the last 12 months since we last visited. Then we have a focus on SEO as we know this is one of the most popular topics. I am very excited that we have Bastian Grimm speaking, he is an incredible SEO. In each session we will focus on one area of learning so that it provides practical solutions that will have a real impact. On day two we have a really interesting selection of presentations and panels all focused on innovation. I think it will provide real food for thought. In particular we have a dragons den session where new innovations will be showcases and questioned by both the moderator and the audience.
Any thoughts about the next year’s conference? Or better yet, where do you hope to get until next year’s conference?
Shona ODonnell: For next year’s event we are working on the space as the hall we are currently using is too small! So we are looking at where BAC can fit in 2017. But before that we have LAC which is our biggest event by far and this year promises to be very, very exciting indeed. LAC will be taking place in February and we expect it to grow significantly and provide even more business opportunities than ever before.
