"We wanted to give start-ups the best chance of getting noticed at ICE"

What can you tell us about GamCrowd’s content partnership with Clarion? 
GamCrowd first partnered with Clarion at this year’s EiG, where we helped host the Start-up Launchpad competition and run the Start-up Village. It was all incredibly well-received and following the success at EiG in Berlin, we are teaming up again for ICE 2015. 

This time we are taking it to another level. We have introduced Pitch ICE, which could be hugely beneficial for start-ups, providing an open forum for them to engage with delegates and sell their propositions to investors.

Furthermore, there will be a full day of workshops and seminars on the first day, which will cover every aspect of the start-up process, including funding, licensing, regulation and corporate finance. 

In addition, there will be networking and one-to-one mentor sessions for start-ups and venture capitalists from our network throughout the show. I will also be conducting guided tours of the exhibition hall each day to give an insider’s guide to ICE and the companies present. I will offer tips for getting the most from the event and make valuable introductions to a regulatory body, as well as platform and payment providers, and other useful companies and organizations.

Tell us more about Pitch ICE. How did the idea come about and what will it involve?

Pitch ICE is a unique opportunity. The show is for everyone in the industry but we wanted to give start-ups, in particular, the best chance of getting noticed. It will provide the platform for entrepreneurs to present live and direct to attendees – entrants will have 15 minutes to sell their concept on the show floor.

All slots will be filmed and shown online where a public vote over the two weeks following ICE 2015 will determine the best propositions. It is a completely democratic process. 

What is the criteria and requirements for entry and what is the initial selection process?
The criteria is simple and as many start-ups as possible will be promoted. There is no charge for entry and no requirement to be raising money on GamCrowd. There will be two categories: one for companies looking for funding and one for companies that just want to promote their start-up to the industry. 

If you want to take part, simply upload a 2-minute pitch video via the GamCrowd website that sets out your idea, include a short product demo, and outline what you want to achieve from the show. All approved videos will be published at GamCrowd.com so ICE delegates can schedule in the pitches they want to see.

With no limit on the number of start-ups, what are your expectations? 
There is no doubting that ICE is the biggest industry event on the calendar. It is the show that everyone attends. Where better to promote your business or idea? Everyone is here – operators from around the world, suppliers catering for all requirements, investors, media. 

I believe ICE is simply the best place to get yourself noticed and Pitch ICE will give start-ups the opportunity to go in front of an influential audience. We expect it will prove incredibly popular. It’s also free to take part, so there really is nothing to lose. We hope to receive applications from around the world and across all betting and gaming verticals. Pitch ICE is intended to demonstrate the strength of innovation in the industry.

Why are start-ups crucial to the gambling industry and what role does GamCrowd play in helping their development? 
New ideas and concepts are fundamental to progress. The gambling industry thrives on innovation, but it can be very difficult to get yourself heard as a start-up. This is where GamCrowd comes in. As the only gambling-specific crowd-funding platform, our goal is to nurture the environment and bring together a community which facilitates entrepreneurship and promotes investment opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Shareholders, including the likes of Brian Mattingley, John Kinder, Dennis Verrios, Matt Davey, Ian Penrose, Ebbe Groes, Mark Blandford, Melissa Blau, Simon Collins and Tom Hall, bring a wealth of experience and expertise to GamCrowd that start-ups can also directly benefit from.

In addition to crowd-funding, we will launch shortly a crowd-sourcing platform that is intended to create a global marketplace for buyers to obtain services, ideas and content for a pre-determined price from a group of skilled, professional suppliers on a per-task basis.

Tasks could range from a New Jersey-based online casino looking for an affiliate strategy to a bookmaker needing licensing advice in Germany. Once new jobs are posted, proposals are submitted by potential providers, all of whom have public profiles featuring reviews of their previous work. 

We see ourselves as an indispensable resource for start-ups and believe that our collaboration with Clarion shows that we are positioned at the epicenter of the industry.