Having carefully curated my personal business network via my Linkedin profile, I was approached by the i-gaming specialist Sporting Tech to offer my services as their official staffing partner for the ICE London 2023 global gaming conference, taking place at London's ExCel Arena. As a staffing partner for the brand, I was tasked predominantly with providing a team of five, experienced hostesses to be present on the exhibition stand during all three live days of the conference. I created targeted job advertisements for the roles in question using the recruiter tools in Star Now's Talent database, as well as reaching out to my personal network. I then requested brief cover letters and short, introductory self-tapes to be submitted along with all applications, in order to conduct an initial vetting of all applicants based on the requirements set out by my client.
Sporting Tech Exhibition Staff for ICE London 2023
All shortlisted candidates who passed the initial stage of vetting were then consolidated into a digital database, each with their own unique profile card, complete with headshots, full body shots, clothing measurements, and a brief summary of all relevant experience to the role. These profiles were then sent to my client for a secondary shortlisting, and the remaining candididates that were selected were then invited for a final face-to-face interview with myself, and select members of Sporting Tech's senior management team. Based on their interview performance, the final five hostesses were selected, with the addition of myself, as the client requested I act as an event manager on the ground, for the full duration of the event, to ensure everything runs smoothly, and so the exhibition staff have a direct point of contact.
In my capacity as event manager, I was required to conduct a virtual briefing, introducing Sporting Tech and their product offering, as well as covering some key fundamentals about ICE London and the i-gaming industry it serves. I also unpacked the client's expectations for the hostess role, clearly deleneating all responsibilities involved, as well as touching on Sporting Tech's main competitors and target audience within the B2B sector.
During all live dates, I ensured each hostess was punctual and accounted for, went over general "house-keeping" rules to ensure brand integrity, set a break-rota, and delegated tasks amongst the hostesses according to the client's main event objectives and desirable business outcomes.
I also drafted up service agreements for all freelance hostesses, and handled all invoices, expenses, and payments related to this contract. Additionally, I sourced and purchased uniforms for all exhibition staff, and handled shipping and returns for the items in question.
Event Manager Maggie Wearing the Sporting Tech Official Hostess Uniform for ICE London 2023
Sporting Tech Hostess "Jackie" Distributing Branded Swag Bags and Generating Leads Via i-Pad Data Capture
Over the course of this 3-day event, myself and my team of hostesses were able to exceed Sporting Tech's expectations accross all projected deliverables. In summary, we:
- generated over 9,000 leads through i-pad data capture
- increased brand visibility through various disruptive visual demonstrations
- relayed key brand messages and advertised Sporting Tech's key product offering to thousands of event attendees through general consumer interactions
- scheduled in-person meetings for over 30 qualifying leads on the stand
- increased overall brand awareness through leafleting and merch distribution
- distributed over 3,000 branded "swag bags" to event attendees
Sporting Tech Hostess Team with Head of Global Events "Laura" and Pronet Gaming's Event Manager "Jade"
Check-out the Disruptive Visual Demonstrations Created by the Sporting Tech Hostess Team for ICE London 2023
My successful partnership with Sporting Tech for ICE London 2023, secured my position as their official staffing partner for ICE London 2024. What's more, I received two additional clients by way of referal, affording me the opportunity to manage the event staff for Sporting Tech's partner company in the unregulated markets, Pronet Gaming, as well as the world's leading sportsbetting platform for the US markets, BET USA, who were exhibiting at ICE's sister exhibition IGB Affiliates.
With 2024 marking the end of an era, as the final year that ICE would take place in London, and Barcelona being inaugurated as the new global gaming hub for ICE 2025, we scaled up all event operations this year, providing more exhibition staff, capturing more leads, delivering more branded merch, and introducing new interactive stand features to drive consumer engagement, including an arcade basketball installation, various AI-powered live gaming simulations, and a fully-licensed bar, complete with barristas, bartenders, and professional mixologists.
Exhibition Staff for Pronet Gaming at ICE London 2024
Exhibition Staff for BET USA at IGB Affiliates 2024
