How to Actually Network at iGaming Conferences — A Tactical Guide

You've spent €2,000+ on flights, hotels, and tickets. You're at ICE Barcelona with 63,000 other people. Now what? Most attendees leave events with a stack of business cards and zero follow-through. Here's how to do better.

Before the Event (The Real Work)

1. Define 3 concrete goals. Not "network" — that's not a goal. "Meet 2 payment providers for our LATAM expansion" is a goal. "Get a meeting with [specific company]’s head of partnerships" is a goal.
2. Research the attendee/exhibitor list. Most major events publish these. Identify your top 15 targets. LinkedIn-stalk the people you want to meet. Pre-book meetings through event apps (SBC Connect, SiGMA matchmaking).
3. Prepare your 30-second pitch. Not a company description — a conversation starter. "We help operators reduce churn by 23% through personalized bonus engines" is better than "We're a B2B gaming platform."
4. Schedule after-parties strategically. In iGaming, the best deals happen between 9 PM and 1 AM. Research which organizers, sponsors, and groups host evening events. Apply for invite-only dinners early.

During the Event

1. Skip the keynotes (mostly). Controversial, but true: the ROI of sitting in a 500-person keynote is almost always lower than spending that hour on the exhibition floor or in a meeting room.
2. Work the exhibitor booths intelligently. Don't just collect brochures. Ask specific questions: "What's your biggest challenge with [market/regulation]?" You'll stand out from the 200 people who asked for a demo.
3. Use the 5-minute rule. If a conversation isn't going anywhere after 5 minutes, politely exit. "Great to meet you — let me grab your card and follow up next week" is perfectly fine.
4. Take notes immediately. After every meaningful conversation, open your phone and write 3 bullet points about what was discussed. You'll forget 80% within 24 hours otherwise.

After the Event (Where 90% Fail)

1. Follow up within 48 hours. Not a week later. A personalized LinkedIn message referencing your specific conversation beats a generic "great to meet you at ICE."
2. The three-message method: Message 1: Thank you + reference specific topic. Message 2 (day 3–5): Share something valuable (article, introduction, data). Message 3 (day 7–10): Propose a specific next step (call, meeting, pilot).
3. Track everything in a CRM. Not a spreadsheet. Not your email. A proper CRM with follow-up reminders. HubSpot free tier is fine for most.

Plan your conference schedule on iGamingEvents.ai — we show you which events overlap, so you can optimize travel.