Paddy Mann, Business Development Director at OMEGA Systems.
The effects of COVID-19 hit every industry in different ways – and for iGaming, a large part of it was the absence of trade shows and networking. As a B2B supplier of premium platform software, OMEGA Systems has dearly missed the social aspect of what we do, and we’re thrilled to be planning our attendance at a number of upcoming events in 2021.
For many of us, it feels like the world as we knew is starting to appear at the end of the tunnel. Speaking for myself, as most jurisdictions move towards herd immunity and are looking to a life beyond the pandemic, I’m lucky enough to also start looking forward to meeting the rest of my team, clients and partners alike.
At OMEGA we’re fortunate to be able to say we’ve thrived during these times, and that for us, it’s largely been business as usual. But at the same time, it hasn’t been business as usual. What would have been personal yet productive meetings with potential clients have now become Zoom call slots in the calendar. What would have been an enjoyable and relationship-building lunch has now become a series of emails. What would have been perfect opportunities to meet new people, have a chat and show them what we do best has become a thing of the past. But now that the light on travel, trade shows, networking and all the things we’ve missed about our industry is turning on again, I’m very much looking forward to getting back into the spirit of things.
OMEGA is excited at the thought of reuniting with our peers, our colleagues, and our friends – and this year we’re planning to make up for all that we missed in 2020. Planning our stands for upcoming trade shows has never been quite so thrilling, since I think all of us in the team are itching to meet everyone again. Currently we’ve got three on the horizon – SBC in Barcelona, iGB in Amsterdam, and then ICE in London next year – and each show offers us a different opportunity to meet with new faces, familiar faces, and the names we’ve been meaning to put a face to.
For OMEGA, attending trade shows isn’t just about the excitement of travelling and the fun of the show. It’s a crucial part to what we’re doing: building relationships and helping our partners grow. Some of our partners signed with us during the pandemic, and I’m particularly looking forward to meeting these guys properly and having a good old, face-to-face conversation. We may not be able to shake hands, but there’s really something to be said about the traditional in-person catchup, being able to speak freely and getting to know each others’ – business goals, preferences, and even personal traits – on a higher level.
Don’t get me wrong – OMEGA has well and truly adapted to life online over the past year and a half. Our entire company, not to mention our clients, are spread across the world, and working remotely has never been an issue. We’ve made the most of working from home, and if anything, the topic has given us an ice breaker when meeting new people over Zoom. We’re an online company at the heart of it, and social distancing hasn’t stopped us one bit. But I can safely say, we’re all looking forward to filling up our social calendars again.
Another element of trade shows I’m particularly looking forward to is the opportunity to get OMEGA and our good work out there. What we’re doing is unique – from our technology to our business models – and we very much see trade shows as a platform to tell the world. Our forward-thinking, independent management platform software has been made to adapt to the needs of our clients, both existing and new – and I can’t wait to be able to go into more details, answer questions, and more or less show off with what I know is a fantastic service
Beyond clients looking to build their own operations, I’m also heading to the shows to meet with affiliates, land-based operations, providers and everyone in between, because the nature of
OMEGA means we’re a 360-service that involves any and every aspect of gaming. I’m excited to expand on my knowledge of new markets and discover new services that we can partner up with to enhance our own. OMEGA is purely client-driven, so when a client asks us about a new concept, a new provider, a new anything really, we’ll make it happen for them.
We make things as simple as possible for our clients to plug in and have everything they need and want in one integration… but we need to know about it first. And that all comes from a strong relationship, one where we can openly talk about business goals and missions and learn more about how we can support our clients even more. I don’t think you can underestimate the power of a face-to-face conversation when it comes to inspiration or new ideas. And it goes to show, since the atmosphere of any good trade show will always be nothing less than buzzing.
If all goes to plan, I’ll be at our glowing stand in Barcelona, Amsterdam and later London, and I’ll be ready and waiting to kick off what I know are going to be both meaningful and enjoyable conversations with people from all walks of gaming. I’m thrilled to be finally making plans to put the work into networking once more, and I’m ready to showcase OMEGA and all that we can help our clients achieve. So, if you’re looking for a next-level platform software to bring your vision to life, look out for us at upcoming trade shows and make sure to come say hello.
This article was published by 5Star Media on October 27 2021
