What we Learned at LAC 2018
The London Affiliate Conference is over for another year and it certainly was a busy one! Over the course of the two day event, we’ve been keeping our eyes and ears open to see where and how this industry is changing and caught up with some of the speakers to hear their thoughts
Compliance is the New Buzzword in Affiliates
Compliance was the word on everyone’s lips, whether they’re were affiliates or operators. This is one of the first big events of the year and it’s clear to see that this gave us a chance to share our knowledge. Affiliates and operators were expressing concern over the course of the conference, trading stories and plans for the future and trying to understand how compliance might change the future of how they market and build their brands and engage with customers.
Simon Dunne, Director of Acquisition Marketing at Broadway Gaming, gave an incredibly interesting talk on the affiliate industry from the viewpoint of an operator that has fallen foul of the UKGC. The talk probed into the corners of responsibilities of affiliates and operators, as well as the relationships they can maintain going forward.
This was followed up by session from Roo Wright, founder of Wag.io, on how operators can properly know their affiliates with software that makes it easier. Their software tracks banners and content about brands, so they can know where they appear and what their affiliates are publishing. Roo says : “The recent focus on compliance isn’t a fad, it’s another step towards responsible gambling and safeguarding the consumer. This is the next evolution of affiliate marketing, whereby marketing partners become business partners, and provides an opportunity for transparency and accuracy with content, promotions and any brand representations.”
All in all, compliance was the biggest concern for most affiliates and operators – if you’re worried about this then you are not alone!
All about GDPR from an Affiliate Perspective
The other big legal change that many are planning for now is GDPR. Andy Danson and Gabriel Voisin from Bird and Bird delivered up a great chance for those in iGaming to ask all the questions they wanted to know about this impending change which affect marketing online. This was an excellent opportunity for affiliates to get experienced legal advice – without having to foot the bill!
Gabriel and Andy fielded questions from “Do I have to recontact everyone that’s shared their personal details with my portal to comply with GDPR?” to “Does the right to be forgotten cover self-exclusion details?” Just in case you want to know, yes you should is the answer to the first one and no is the answer to the second.
For affiliates, this was an invaluable session and one that they can use to assuage some of the fears they have about this regulation. Ploughing through everything there is to know about GDPR and applying it to iGaming is tough, so a specialised look is a great start.
Networking is more Important than Ever
Through the course of the networking events, we learned so much about the people that we share an industry with. Networking is essential for affiliates and operators to get an understanding of how to do good business. Meeting the right person at the right time can create a great opportunity for your business to grow fast. LAC is a great place to interact with others and make new connections, which is exactly why we support this great event You just never know when a connection might just come in handy!
There were plenty of opportunities across the course of the event to get together and pick each other’s brains. This relaxed networking means that affiliates get more from their relationships, after all we’re all in the same boat.
Affiliates and their Managers – Need More Support and Information
While LAC is a brilliant place to share support and information, affiliates that came to the Affiverse stand clearly wanted more depth. Affiliates were keen on the idea of coming to a smaller event and also receiving online training to boost their efforts. We received a huge amount of interest in our upcoming Affiverse Bootcamp and we’re excited to reconnect with you all again in March.
The thirst for knowledge and help was massive, as affiliates definitely need guidance going forward. As we’ve mentioned, compliance and GDPR created a lot of issues for affiliates, which created a need for assistance. Knowing where to turn for this help and knowledge was presenting another issue for affiliates.
We had a brilliant time at Stand C56 at LAC 2018 and we met with lots of great affiliates and operators who are passionate about this space over those short few days. If you met us there, or even if you missed out, then get in touch for more information on our upcoming Bootcamps, Training and Business Mentoring Retreats.
