Eman Pulis, CEO of SiGMA.

The newly formed SiGMA Group has been going through a period of intense growth in 2019.

Encompassing SiGMA Expo, Malta A.I. & Blockchain Summit, and the forthcoming Medical Cannabiz Summit World, the company’s winning combination of hard-won experience and early triumphs has been the catalyst for growth and opening doors onto new avenues of business. It is fair to say that SiGMA has undergone something of a transformation in recent years. 

Buoyed by early success in the events industry, SiGMA expanded their operations back in 2015, putting on a ground-breaking show and doubling their numbers. With attendance figures on the rise, later years marked a foray into European markets, but it was 2018 that saw the company take the plunge and become a world-class event. 

A vocal interest shown by an elite selection of global policy makers, delegates, and thought leaders has made this show more than a sum of its parts. It is this kind of international support and interest that has helped SiGMA Group don a more international mantle as “the World’s iGaming Village”. Through a commitment to quality and years of successful operations, SiGMA has nurtured the development of a strong brand, allowing for its evolution into a global influencer on the iGaming world stage. 

This year the company is thinking outside the box when it comes to the next steps in its ambitions, nurturing a plan to delve into a wider ecosystem as it sets its sights firmly on the East. Part of this expansion will include the setting up of new offices in key locations, namely Dubai, Manila and Hong Kong.

This choice of direction also sidesteps a collision of paths with other major companies looking to get a finger in the blockchain pie, with industry players instead eying the United States as their base for business.  And while Malta continues its focus on regulation, the Emirates and its neighbouring states are looking at blockchain with fresh eyes, giving the company the space it needs to flourish. Opportunities aplenty, SiGMA Group is facing the future head-on!

The company’s move eastwards capitalises on the strong interest in Asia for iGaming and emerging technologies such as A.I. and blockchain. With the Emirates region immersed in the tantalising potential the application of tech can have to the systems of governance, and young, tech-savvy workforces emerging in countries such as Vietnam, the benefits for companies looking to move into these up-and-coming markets is certainly growing. 

As part of the company’s strategic growth, the plan for 2020 will focus on establishing the new jewels in its crown: Emirates A.I. & Blockchain Summit and SiGMA Manila 2020. In Malta, growth continues at a fast pace, with recent recruitment boosting not only the SiGMA Group’s core team but also putting a broader level of C-suite appointments at the centre of future plans to take the company to a more global marketplace.

Manila is the first location outside Malta to get the full SiGMA expo experience, following a successful SiGMA Roadshow in May 2019 which lit the touchpaper for a much bigger event with a global remit. In bringing together suppliers, operators, and affiliates to meet and network between previously disparate igaming markets, SiGMA has the right approach and the right contacts to make the big moves happen. Manila is the kind of location which offers all the right kind of ingredients for a company easing out of its start-up phase and looking to stretch its legs, which is why the Philippines will be the base for the launch of SiGMA Manila in 2020.

Aside from taking on a supportive role for European companies looking to forge closer relations with their Asian counterparts, the launch of SiGMA Manila 2020 promises to bring a myriad of benefits to the hotspot, with the introduction of a number of international online gambling clients to the Asia region exerting a strong economic impact on the area. Ultimately the company hopes to shine a spotlight on the huge potential the east has for the iGaming industry, bringing value to both east and west.

Back in Malta, the SiGMA ’19 show in late November is set to be the company’s biggest event yet, expecting more than 12,500 attendees from over 80 countries, with 400 sponsors and exhibitors, 200 top-notch speakers, and 2500 affiliates.  With strong support from the Maltese government and the Malta Gaming Authority, the show not only acts as a platform for European businesses to showcase their products, network with industry leaders and strike deals for the next year, but also to put Malta firmly on the world stage as a business-friendly location for iGaming businesses from other parts of the world.

Now including many more companies from the convergent technologies of A.I. and Blockchain as well, this years’ SiGMA show will cement relationships between these emerging sectors and the more established iGaming industry, with everyone taking something away from the event – there’s no scraps here, just a full-on feast!

To say exciting times lie ahead is an understatement, but certainly not without a lot of hard work and dedication going into making it all happen.   So watch out world, there’s a new global player on the scene, and the future is looking bright!