When the World Poker Congress (WPC) convenes in Stockholm on June 26 & 27, the poker industry will be examined in an entirely different way. With experts from the Internet poker world and real-life poker rooms, the WPC will, for the first time, look into issues that affect them jointly.
There is no question that one impacts the other. Casino poker room
managers will describe the huge growth of their business due to players
who
learned the game online. And the Internet poker rooms are aware that
their non-intimidating style allows players to learn the game away
from the pressures of the live game, but with an eye to competing
at the highest levels.
At the WPC, attendees will get the chance to learn from the other side, how to take advantage of the opportunities, and how to develop relationships with their counterparts that will yield benefits for each.
The program at WPC contains two tracks: "Live" and "Online."
Each track
will focus on issues of importance to their specific segment. At critical
times during the conference, the two sides will convene at plenary
sessions, with addresses by poker notables, including World Series
of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and World Poker Tour President
Steve Lipscomb.
"The World Poker Congress is truly a one-of-a-kind event," says Sue Schneider, president of the River City Group, which, along with Global Gaming Business and PokerBIZ magazines, is producing the conference. "Where else can you get people together to talk about poker of all sorts?"
The "Live" track sessions at the WPC include:
- Building a Base: Marketing your Poker Room;
- Poker Management Systems: What's New?;
- The European Landscape: Legislation and Economics;
- Staging the Big Event: The TV Tournament.
For the "Online" side, expect sessions such as:
- European Legal Landscape: Can Europe Fuel the Next Online Poker Boom?;
- Building a Player Base: Acquisition and Retention Strategies;
- Mergers & Acquisitions: Should You Be a Seller or a Buyer?;
- Building Brand: Promotional and Branding Opportunities of I-Poker Providers.
Speakers include experts such as Mark Blandford of Sportingbet Plc;
Susan Breen of Mishcon de Reya Solicitors; Paul Burchard of Ameranth;
Steve Cook of Tribeca Tables Europe Ltd; Bruno Fitouss of the Aviation
Club; Derek Kelly of the Gutshot Poker Club; Tiina Korpela of Casino
Cosmopol Stockholm; Eric Matsgard of Boss Media; Jim Sibcy of Pokerzone;
Martti Sillanmaki of Grand Casino Helsinki; Othmar Valzacchi of Sports
TV Production International; and many others, including professional
poker
players who will give attendees opinions from the other side of the
table.
Just some of the companies represented at the World Poker Congress
include: Armstrong Partnership, Austrian Lotteries, Aviation Club,
Belgium
Gaming Commission, Betfair, BETonSPORTS, Boss Media, Cantor Gaming,
Casino Cosmopol, Casino de Barcelona, Chartwell Games, Concord Card
Casino, eCommercePark, EM.TV Sport Management, FOX Sports, HIT Casino
Park, International Poker Federation, Intertops, iovation, Ladbrokes
Nordic, Ongame Brands, PartyGaming, PokerAffiliate.com, Pokerzone,
Sportingbet, Total Gaming Systems, Tribeca Tables, WPT Enterprises,
Inc., 24hPoker and many others.
To register or to get information on sponsorships for the World
Poker
Congress, go to http://www.worldpokercongress.com.