So What Was The Bullet Business Bingo Summit 2008 Like?
5 Comments June 19, 2008 / Posted in Affiliate Events, Affiliate Marketing, BingoThe 3rd Bullet Business Bingo Summit took place over the 17th and 18th June 2008 at The Royal Garden Hotel, London. It featured talks, exhibition and networking opportunities for all those involved in the online bingo world. I was there in a “speaker” capacity to do a panel session on affiliate marketing and bingo alongside other affiliates and affiliate managers.
The event attracts a bit of a everything – affiliates, super-affiliates, operators, software providers, marketing managers and even Vice Presidents.
So what was it like from an affiliate point of view?
In terms of networking/meetings I’ve got to say my time was well spent. The problem with a meeting featuring such a diverse mix of people within the same industry is keeping them all interested throughout the day – so arranging meetings beforehand was a good idea. However, in terms of talks and exhibition stuff there wasn’t too much excitement from an affiliate point of view.
The one highlight of the day should have been the “speed networking event”. This was an opportunity for all attendees to meet each other. Eight people start off on a table and then after 2 minutes, 4 move on to the next table and 4 stay put to chat to another 4 who have just arrived. This started well but rapidly fell apart with people moving clockwise and anti-clockwise and 2 minutes not being kept too. A massive opportunity lost!
The panel session for affiliates went ok in my opinion. Although a combined 45 minute session for affiliate managers and affiliates wasn’t really enough to do affiliate marketing justice. Again I felt this was another missed opportunity to educate and help operators (e.g. good examples of programs, who’s doing what, super affiliates vs affiliates, tenancy vs paid on performance, spyware in the bingo sector etc). Next year there should be an introductory talk – complete with slides – perhaps then followed by a panel discussion.
To go into a session about affiliate marketing almost “cold” didn’t really grab the audience or spark useful debate about the future of bingo and affiliate marketing.
The rest of the event was a mix of more talks, drinks, a dinner, awards and a night out. Most of which I spent in meetings (or recovering from meetings).
And that really summarises things quite nicely!
Yes Bullet Business is highly targeted, yes I had some useful meetings and yes it was good to be a panelist, but I’d have been quite gutted to have paid £695+VAT for this, especially when A4UExpo is a fraction of the cost for a much bigger event.
Next year I would like to see more affiliates and more time given to affiliate marketing – perhaps even a “meet the affiliates session” where those who want to can chat and say hello. That’s where the real value in attending these events lies!
I wasn’t going to attend but heard a few people would be there that I hadn’t met before, which made me book a flight at the last minute and arrive on the Tuesday afternoon, just in time also to watch the affiliates session, which was funny to watch for sure
But you are right, to pay that amount of dosh to listen to “bingo nerds” chatting all day is not my kind of thing, CAP in Barcelona in September will be fun though, which is free for affiliates and normally all the bingo guys go to these casino dominant functions as well. They are much more network friendly, lots of free party’s and beer involved.
Do you think CAP will be worth attending… I’ve not been to one before.
I went to most sessions this year and imo the event wasn’t as good as last year in terms of content. There was too much “here is why people play bingo” type of stuff along with too much self promotion by sponsors and sepakers. The affiliate panel was ok, but as always happens, these events fail to take advantage of the knowledge and overall picture that affiliates can bring to the table. Affiliates like us have stronger views about the types of things that convert players than most other people in the industry – and we have stats to back it up. 45 minutes for an affiliate panel with 5 absolute experts was way too short.
It was a good event to catch up with all of the important people in one place, but I am totally gutted that we affiliates didn’t organise a small get together of our own. It would have been nice to have a few drinks with all of us there and even without the affiliate managers. Next year?
I’m sorry I missed you Scott, would have been good to say hello!
For some reason I thought you were on the affiliate panel?
A few affiliate drinks would have been good!
It’s a funny conference to be honest, not everyone’s cup of tea – but a bingo nerd like me finds it rewarding. The affiliate side of the last two events seem to have been a wasted opportunity – the same sort of ground was covered the two years in a row. The second half of the Wednesday was also very similar to last year’s event too. Still, the real benefit for affiliates is the networking aspect, but yes, the price may be a bit prohibitive too all but the most hardcore.
I’m toying with CAP Barcelona for myself and the missus – I won a trip to last year’s event but couldn’t make it due to prior engagements. My only fear is as a mild mannered bingo affiliate, I might be steam rollered by all them poker and casino affiliates.