Last week’s Betting on Football Conference at Stamford Bridge smashed its attendance records with more than double the visitors making their way to the home of Chelsea FC.
SBC Events has seen the conference grow substantially in the past year as it has extended from one to two days, with people flying in from all over the globe to attend what has become the industry’s biggest football and betting focused event.
Attendees came from six continents to discuss the latest trends and developments in the betting sector and were given the chance to sit in on one of the 35 sessions and visit the 40 exhibitors in the Great Hall.
More than 140 top-class speakers graced the Harris, Drake and Vialli Suites over two action-packed days at Stamford Bridge dealing with industry leadership, trading, marketing and perspectives on the delivery of football betting to global markets.
The event progression was emphasised by a growth of over 100% from the previous year. From around 400 in 2016, #bofcon2017 attracted close to 1,000 delegates, comprising operators, suppliers, media, service providers, regulators and football club staff. SBC is expecting to pass the 1,000 mark at this year’s Betting on Sports, held at Olympia in Kensington (13-15 September).
However, it wasn’t just the number of speakers or delegates that took a major hike. SBC Events more than trebled the exhibition space by opening the Great Hall. The 1,400 sqm space, which was already 85% booked up by the start of March, eventually hosted 40 high-level exhibitors including Golden Race, OPTIMA, BetConstruct, Digitain and Ganapati Malta.
Combined with two high end networking parties at Kensington Roof Gardens and Stamford Bridge’s nightclub Under the Bridge, delegates were given the opportunity to maximise their networking opportunities across the week.
Niels Erik Folmann, CEO of Danish Lottery Operator Danske Spil, commented: “I had two amazing days at Stamford Bridge. The event offered the perfect mix of great sessions and relevant business meetings. It’s probably the best industry event I’ve attended to date.”
SBC company founder Rasmus Sojmark highlighted the success of the event: “We’ve had amazing feedback so far, and everyone keeps telling us just how pleased they are with an event that deals with topics and business related to both the sports and betting industries. It’s a privilege to have created a platform that has become a vehicle for industry growth and high level business opportunities.”
Managing Director Andrew McCarron added: “The industry has really responded to what we’ve tried to do with Betting on Football. We’ve invested considerably in the show’s agenda, its exhibition space and the networking opportunities so it’s really gratifying to see that hard work come off. We’re really happy that so many people have come from so far afield to support the show. Hopefully we will see them again for Betting on Sports in September.”
