Empire Marketing seeks to capitalize on the downturn by creating an online-only trade show where I-gaming affiliates can network just by logging online.
The Virtual Affiliate Expo, which the company said has accumulated $10 million in venture capital funding, will work by giving affiliates online access to the expo all day every day. Then, every quarter, the company plans to take the expo "live" for a two-day online event with a themed environment like Las Vegas, booths staffed by affiliate managers and operators and a lineup of speakers.
“During this global economic downturn, both affiliates and affiliate programs in the gambling affiliate industry have expressed concerns about the rising costs of attending multiple conferences each year,” said Jeremy Enke, chief executive and founder, in a prepared statement. “Being virtual and online year round, this platform offers a significant cost saving and return on investment to both affiliates and operators.”
According to the company’s Web site, the first live event will be March 11-12, 2009.