GPWA knowledge of the iGB/CAP relationship

[MichaelCorfman]

I can't see one good or valid reason for you or JTodd to support CAP in any form. Your attendance at the conference conveys the wrong impression. By attending, you are giving the impression that you condone what they've done.

Please let me assure you I don't condone in any way shape or form what affiliate media has done. I view them as competitors that do not deserve a seat at the table because of their business practices, so anything that supports them is something I am loathe to do.

However, affiliate media will be there in force and in person explaining to every affiliate program that will listen why they should be working with them. Do you think it would be wise for us or good for affiliates to allow them to do that without any alternative view present at the conference?

The true test of whether our presence is viewed by affiliate media as supporting them is that affiliate media would be delighted if we were not present at the event. Last year we were not welcome to exhibit at the event because affiliate media had a say in the decisions about who could and could not attend. This year they do not have a say or we would likely continue to be banned from the event.

As long as affiliate media does not want us to be there then I will want the APCW and the GPWA to be there.

Michael

[Nandakishore]

"London Affiliate Conference a HUGE success... blah blah blah."

Not a headline I want to read. Instead, I'd like to see a headline proclaiming a dismal turnout. Then maybe iGB and CAP would be inclined to dissolve their partnership. Then maybe Alex could run some GREAT CONFERENCES that did not benefit CAP. Now that would be good for our industry.

I agree 100%. It is not a question of boycotting every rogue. We can't do that and that won't be productive either. But if we can hurt a rogue who is hurting us and by doing so open new channels for us, then the boycott is useful.

Is it not possible to think of avoiding all events where CAP is involved directly or indirectly and go somewhere else, like e.g. to CAC (provided CAC has a clean sheet) or even, as Matted had suggested, to general affiliate meetings? If we really want to come out of the clinch of those who are hurting us, we have to start thinking seriously of alternatives.

[thepokerkeep]

I never said anyone that attends this conference lines CAPS pocket mate you did and that in effect is saying to affiliates they are wrong for going.

With due respect who are you to make that assumption, it is down to individuals to make that decision based on their own circumstances.

I simply stated the truth. Every person who attends is helping line the pockets of CAP and Warren. That is the truth, period. I'm not judging anyone, just pointing out the facts.

I actually posted in the other CAP thread that those who have paid for their tickets and rooms should go. I have no desire to see anyone lose money by boycotting an event they've already paid for.

I will continue to point out though, what CAP did in the past and why they should not be allowed to earn profits off the backs of the affiliates they cheated and abused. And I continue to hope that at least some affiliates who are still on the fence about the conference will be persuaded to give it a pass.

[Betpartners]

Fair enough.

Though i have to say some of your comments can be perceived as judging people, but i do understand your passion in this matter.

I personally am not attending but that as nothing to do with CAP etc but rather being unable to justify the expense of a vist to London when i can see all the AM's i need to see in Malta.

What i do agree with you on Terry is that it would be nice if some of the fence sitters, especially those in certain positions within the industry would give their opinion on this matter.

Their absence sometimes is very telling

Anyway time for me to move on from this thread, if i am allowed to

[penny-slot-machines]

Hi Michael,

I'm interested to know why aren't any major conferences organized by the GPWA?

Given the resources you have to draw upon - GPWA, Casino City, AGD, APCW, all the GPWA sponsors etc., I suspect you could organize the mother of all conferences here in the UK and it would be seen as THE event of the year to attend, rather than the upcoming CAP event

I wonder if you feel you have missed a tremendous opportunity to create the event-of-choice for affiliates?

Cheers

Bill

[MichaelCorfman]

I'm interested to know why aren't any major conferences organized by the GPWA?

Given the resources you have to draw upon - GPWA, Casino City, AGD, APCW, all the GPWA sponsors etc., I suspect you could organize the mother of all conferences here in the UK and it would be seen as THE event of the year to attend, rather than the upcoming CAP event

I wonder if you feel you have missed a tremendous opportunity to create the event-of-choice for affiliates?

The GPWA has organized some smaller conferences over the years, and one of the things I've learned to appreciate in the process is how much work and skill it requires to put on a large conference. Even small ones are a tremendous effort.

What I believe is that they are a lot harder to put together than it appears on the surface, and that an organization needs to have significant internal structure in place to successfully organize a conferece. Affiliate media (the company that owns the CAP forum), even in its hayday, did not have the appropriate resources, and that is why they partnered with iGB to put on the conferences. And I also undersand the finances of putting on a conference well enough to understand that it is possible to fail in the process.

Certainly the fact that affiliate media has a beneficial financial interest in the event after all has giving me some pause to think about whether we should support or compete with events in which affiliate media profits in the future.

Michael

[penny-slot-machines]

Thanks Michael,

I certainly think it's something worth considering in the future

Cheers

Bill

[pgaming]

Double Post

Moved here http://www.gpwa.org/forum/honestly-186167/p3.html

[GamTrak]

Certainly the fact that affiliate media has a beneficial financial interest in the event after all has giving me some pause to think about whether we should support or compete with events in which affiliate media profits in the future.

Now THAT is the ticket!

[casinobonusguy]

As long as affiliate media does not want us to be there then I will want the APCW and the GPWA to be there.

Michael

I love the passive aggressive types Michael

[stgeorge]

To suggets that the GPWA should not attend the biggest Affiliate event on the calendar is quite simply naive.

To take the moral high ground rather than take advantage of the biggest gathering of industry stakeholders would be a bad business decision.

I would have thought that is blatantly obvious.

Seriously. Move on people. If you are happy to go to a CAP event go. If you're not just don't go.

[joeyl]

To suggets that the GPWA should not attend the biggest Affiliate event on the calendar is quite simply naive.

It's not quite as simple as that.

This firm put alot of time into exposing Cap.

Those small guys that supported the big boys boycott, or those that mistakenly thought they were supporting a boycott, feel aggrieved, read deceived even.

Michael's point of view on the specific difficulty of deceit some are having with this scenario is fair enough with me.

Let me try to set the record straight here with some facts.

I was under the distinct impression and honestly believed that CAP was being completely removed from any involvement with the iGB events. My view was that the name change that happened nearly a year ago now represented the reality of what was happening in terms of relationship changes behind the scenes, and I had many discussions that seemed to confirm to me that was the case.

Fast forward to around a month ago. I started hearing rumors that were inconsistent with my understanding of the situation, and then also noticed CAP was listed as a sponsor of the iGB London conference and the GPWA was not listed anywhere.

In response to this information, which was all new to me, I sent an e-mail message to Alex Pratt on December 23rd which, in part, said the following:


Please understand that although this message was written in a very calm fashion, I felt deceived that the signs pointed to real financial involvement on the part of CAP.

That's why by the way, Michael might have refused Mojo's holiday request, under extreme protest with full understanding.

Cheers.

[arkyt]

This firm put alot of time into exposing Cap.

I wonder what the motivation behind that was?

Deception? Most certainly - its everywhere, and as long as the "community" chooses to ignore the intrinsic consequences of nourishing these cash farms it will continue to be at the heart of every issue this industry agonizes over!

[Caruso]

Going down the boycott route is self defeating sometimes and this instance for the general affiliate it is up to them to decide if they can justify in their own minds the decision to atend.

Boycotts should be the single best line of attack. Unfortunately, they don't work in practice because noone ever supports them.

You could actually end CAP's involvement in one fell swoop here. But it won't happen, because everyone will always find an excuse to not toe the line.

Even if GPWA put out a general call to boycott, I still bet a mere handful would come out in support.

[MichaelCorfman]

That's why by the way, Michael might have refused Mojo's holiday request, under extreme protest with full understanding.

Mojo told me in a personal phone call that she wanted to be placed on holiday because she was not happy with her interactions in the forum and needed to take a break. I tried to talk her out of it, but as a friend I felt I needed to accept her request in the end. The GPWA is not the only forum from which she requested and was granted a vacation. Mojo knows she is welcome here, and I hope she will be back soon.

Michael

[matted]

The GPWA has organized some smaller conferences over the years, and one of the things I've learned to appreciate in the process is how much work and skill it requires to put on a large conference. Even small ones are a tremendous effort.

Michael - Perhaps I'm in the minority. I'd take the small personal conferences - or just even semi-informal get togethers over the big conferences. Having some well regarded speakers sharing their knowledge is great (and the small GPWA meeting I attended last year did this as well as the bigger CACs I attended in Las Vegas). But small groups of people lead to more info sharing than large groups (including posts here at GPWA which hundreds of people will use without giving anything back. And while aff managers can be a lot of fun and all, showering liquor and other gifts on attendees is part of the problem in the industry, IMO.