Everyone’s talking about the incredible new venue. Tell us why it’s going to blow us away.

The venue – which accommodates over 700 exhibitors – has increased SiGMA’s footprint to a whopping 32,000 square metres, with a ceiling reaching a towering 27 metres high – which means the sky’s the limit when it comes to creative opportunity.

The size of the new venue also allows us a lot more flexibility when it comes to making doing business easier for our attendees. Designated B2B and B2C areas will allow delegates looking for specific types of business to make their way to the zones that most suit them without having to waste time looking for a specific company. We’ll also have two different conference stages, each with a different content focus.

Additionally we’ve built an incredible new food court, boasting 19 restaurants and a chill out roof lounge. We’ve booked some of the best eateries in Malta with a wide variety of cuisines and options available there’s definitely something to suit everyone’s taste. Vegan? Kosher? No problem!

In tandem with an all-day bus shuttle service, we’ve also introduced water taxis for the first time. The shuttle boats not only give our 25,000 delegates a more scenic route to the venue but are a fast route to beat the traffic and free up precious travel time.

There’s plenty going on in the evenings as well. with the SiGMA B2B and B2C, Streamers and AIBC Awards taking place throughout the week.

What are the stand-out features that should be on every delegate’s radar? Who can they expect to meet?

We have moved our networking events from St Julian’s to Valletta and we have an amazing lineup of side events this year. From a Valletta tour and boat cruise to poker, football, golf, and padel tournaments, and a fun run there’s a full day of activities taking place in the run up to the expo and conference.

Expect to see some well-known faces popping up in panels and keynotes over the three days of the conference as we discuss some of the most relevant new regions, upcoming legislation, and the impact of emerging technologies.

Our agenda also includes a full day of workshops on November 13, which will target the LatAm, Nordic, and Italian markets. The conference also includes a Startup Pitch competition, Centurion weigh in for the MMA fight happening later on in the week, and a live on stage quiz for affiliates and operators.

There’s plenty going on in the evenings as well. with the SiGMA B2B and B2C, Streamers and AIBC Awards taking place throughout the week. Numerous networking dinners and drinks, the MMA fight night, and of course the big SiGMA party – for which we’re flying in top performers like Hozho and Savage & She.

Sustainability and environmental responsibility are becoming increasingly important in event planning. How will you incorporate these principles into your iGaming events?

We’re hitting five continents with six events in 2024

We have built our food court from repurposed shipping containers, which will be utilised every year for the next three years – significantly reducing our use of disposable material. We are also introducing easy-to-use QR codes around the venue so people can access and view the agenda, floorplan, and social media simply by scanning with their phone and connecting through our free WiFi network. Our magazines are also printed on FSC (responsibly sourced wood fibre) paper.

Tell me more about the delegate experience this year.

This is going to be the mother of all conferences when it comes to delegate experience! We’ve gone all out to make it easier for delegates to find their way around and hit the ground running. From informative walk-through videos, printed event guide, and newsletters there’s plenty of information at your fingertips. There’s also lots of directional signage and an abundance of staff eager to help.

Emily Micallef, SiGMA Group CEO

I hear SiGMA has a jam-packed calendar of events for 2024 – what should we be looking forward to next year?

We’re hitting five continents with six events in 2024. We’ll be back in Dubai in February, and with the introduction of a new gaming regulatory authority it will be an exciting time to be back in the UAE.

In March we return to Africa, this time rotating down to Cape Town. We’re looking forward to engaging with South Africa’s well established gambling industry and building stronger connections with our international audience.

We’re then back in Brazil in April and following recent changes in regulation and the introduction of new bills it’s the perfect time for this event to grow. We’ve seen enormous interest for our second visit there after the resounding success of the first one.

In June we head to Asia, with a large section of our Manila floor plan dedicated to land based partners. For our CIS and Balkans event, which was a resounding success in Limassol this year, we will visit the beautiful city of Budapest - along with Affiliate World - who will also join our Dubai and Manila shows. We close the year with Malta week in November.

Could you provide a glimpse into your vision for the company’s growth and development over the next few years, including any exciting new directions or expansions?

As you’ve seen from 2023 with our partnerships with Brazil iGaming Summit (BIS) and Affiliate World (AW), we’re focusing heavily on strengthening the product we’re providing to the industry. Especially with the introduction of SiGMA Play, where we are providing a one-stop platform for all our clients – SiGMA’s vision is to make a safer, regulated gambling world.

Emily Micallef, SiGMA Group CEO.