RASMUS SOJMARK: GATHERING THE GREAT AND GOOD AT SBC SUMMIT NORTH AMERICA

WITH SBC SUMMIT NORTH AMERICA entering into its fourth iteration this year, SBC CEO Rasmus Sojmark shares his thoughts on how the event has grown in both size and stature since its not-so-humble beginnings back in 2019

BY CHRIS MURPHY

SBC: The fourth iteration of SBC Summit North America beckons. What are your expectations for the event this time around?

RS The expectations this year are probably the highest ever. Firstly, we are back to normal having had to move the event round for a couple of years because of Covid. Now we’re back to May which is the ideal time of year. The build-up and expectations around the event are much better now that date has been stabilised.

It’s the fourth iteration and we’ve all been looking forward to this event which will gather around 3,500 senior executives from across the industry. Lots of key operators are there and we have very high expectations from what is an incredibly strong speaker roster this year including the President of FanDuel, the CEO of Rush Street, CEO of PointsBet USA, CEO of BetFanatics, Chairman of Entain Group, and the President of 888. They’re joined by Caesars, BetMGM, Betfred, and Ballys and will be contributing on the panels as keynotes.

We should also mention that there will be a vibrant trade show floor with about 70 exhibitors this year. It’s big, not too big, but large enough to deliver a fantastic opportunity for our attendees to check out all the latest products and services, experience new innovations, and meet the suppliers who can help scale your business.

Couple that with the opportunity to listen to the operators talk about their business and operations, access to different states, how the industry is pushing forward and the outlook for the future and you have a highly-compelling proposition.

The evening, of course, brings lots of networking opportunities at some great venues in Manhattan where you can meet and talk to people you may have missed during the day. You just show up. We’ll bring the people and the experiences to you.

SBC: What has it been like to see the event mature into what it has become today?

RS We saw the repeal of PASPA in 2018, which led to us establishing the debut event in 2019. We had a couple of rough years with Covid, but now we have the fourth edition and it has grown year-on-year. It’s next in size only to G2E which is the only other event in the market in terms of the combination of products, education and networking in a joined up format.

Having matured to this stature, SBC Summit North America finds itself in a very strong position considering how big the US market is and how many states have legalised sports betting and igaming. It’s a very interesting position to be in with a mature event.

We are going to grow it from here, although there’s no immediate need for scaling up significantly. As I’ve said, we’re in a very good position already and we’re comfortable with the current level. 2024 will tell if we go bigger, so let’s just get 2023 underway.

I’m proud of how the company and my colleagues have managed to look at a completely new market very early on. We didn’t wait - we were the first to launch a new event and went all-in.

What we’ve gained from that is access to new partners, new networking, new businesses and new friends; almost a new family in the US.

As a result we now have a whole new part of SBC that just didn’t exist in the same way before. And I think that being very externally-focused as we are as an event organiser, it's amazing to have extended what we do in Europe into the US and gradually all of the Americas.

SBC: More broadly, can you describe how the journey unfolded from that first event?

RS We worked incredibly hard to connect with stakeholders, whether they be operators, suppliers, affiliates and regulators, as well as associations, the lotteries and tribes. That was a lot of work to make sure we were connected with the right people to help them understand what we were trying to create - an event where the focus was on quality not quantity. Yes, the aim was to grow the number of delegates, but with the right mix of products, networking and conference content.

We put in a lot of investment to make sure that everyone had the best experience - when people are happy they are more likely to want to engage with the event and the audiences there. We created a place where everyone wants to be and that went down really well.

It has taken a lot of hard work, endeavour and a detailed understanding of the market. Our understanding stemmed from many calls, connections and a lot of outreach to the right stakeholders in the US. And it was a new market, so it wasn’t easy.

We aligned ourselves with some key people like Sue Schneider who has been instrumental in the success of the event via her network in the US. Andrew McCarron, my business partner and MD of SBC, did an amazing job in building the conference side of the event. And we had Event Director Paul Mills who identified Meadowlands as the main venue which turned out to be a great connection between New Jersey and New York.

Basically we took the SBC concept of quality and focus - the right products and conference content - and delivered it for the US market. We’ve created something that people appreciate. It doesn’t really matter whether you’re in the US, LatAm, Canada or Europe, you have to treat people with the respect they deserve.

When they take the time to come and visit one of your events, I think that if you adhere to this you’ll go far in terms of what the event can deliver. Making sure that we had all the right elements in place helped guarantee success from day one.

SBC: What would you like to say to the people and organisations that have shared that journey and supported the growth of the event?

RS Firstly I would say thank you and express appreciation for their support. From an internal perspective, we’re a bigger organisation now with well over 100 people. We have established local teams in the Americas and Europe and I’d like to say a big thank you to all the team members who work so hard to make it all possible and continue to strive for better, more scaled-up events. North America has grown year-on-year, so internally it’s key to have the right people behind it. We have that - and that’s amazing.

From the supplier side and our sponsors, it’s incredible how when we ask for more support to grow our offer, we get that support. To all our key sponsors exhibitors, thank you for that and helping us scale into the US market and take them on a journey to grow their businesses there. We are creating the foundation they expect when they invest in us and we’re grateful they’ve allowed us to do that.

From the operators’ perspective, we’re delighted to have created a platform for them to seek out new products and services, as well as talk about different issues and state-by-state opportunities.

We give them the means to access a wealth of content across different areas of the industry and talk about the issues they need to address such as player protection, igaming, sports betting, media, sports, affiliates and marketing and payments. The operators have used that platform very well to promote the discussion about creating a better industry. I think that works really well and the operators have embraced it as a key vehicle to drive that agenda forward.

SBC: And what would you say to those newcomers that are joining SBC on the next leg of SBC Summit North America’s development?

RS It’s the place to be. It’s the right foundation for your business, whether you are a supplier, operator, affiliate, regulator, sporting organisation, club, or league. You may already have a position within the industry, or you may be from outside looking to get into the business, but no other event can come close to is precious. When you are allocating that time to our event we will make sure you have an amazing experience. giving you the experience we can.

SBC: Finally, once North America is done and dusted, we turn our attention to CasinoBeats Malta. What would you like to say to our industry colleagues who are likely to be joining us there?

RS I think CasinoBeats Malta is a unique event, based on the fact that it’s focused on the online casino industry. Delegates can look forward to a deep dive into studios; how they work, game operation, and the marketing and positioning of new games within an operation. They will also learn about game development - how studios strive to create new game mechanics, new ways of delivering fresh game experiences to the consumer.

It’s without doubt the most senior executive focused event in North America next to G2E Vegas, and It’s a sizeable event at around 3,500 people, so you’ll meet enough different types of industry stakeholders. It’s a senior audience in terms of experience which means you’ll meet the right decision makers. You certainly will get a chance to listen to the type of content you want across four stages.

You don’t have to think too much about scheduling your day. Just turn up, we will be there to bring you what you’re looking for in a way that suited to the type of delegate you are. We are here to make sure your time is used in a smart way - we understand your time

How do you keep innovating in an industry that has approximately 500 game studios? How do you make your games relevant to consumers? Our event is key to answering those questions - helping you to find the hook and talk to the right community.

CasinoBeats Malta is a deep dive into what matters most for casinos. It’s a high-level event where you get to see the products, feel the innovation, touch the development, listen to the experts and learn about game mechanics and the marketing operations around the industry. In keeping with all of SBC events, there will be plenty of ways of connecting during the day and, more informally, during the evening when you can wind down and reflect on your experiences.