The next station is the London Affiliate Conference at ExCel London

[alexpratt]

Welcome aboard the iGB Affiliate Underground line. The next station is ExCel London. Change here for the London Affiliate Conference 2017.

In case you missed the news, we are delighted to announce that the 2017 London Affiliate Conference will take place at ExCel London on the 9th - 12th February 2017.

To celebrate our move, we've put together some nifty infographics that look at our journey from 2007 until today. Click here to start and please mind the gap.

Please move along the carriage and away from the London Underground jokes... ok we promise that's the last one...

The London Affiliate Conference 2017 is set to attract more than 5,000 delegates and over 150 sponsors and exhibitors to the ExCel. There really is no other affiliate show in the igaming industry that offers you as much as LAC 2017 will. Book your ticket today.

[Miles_FTA]

Bring it on ! New Venue Exciting Times should be good ..they always are

[BBCasinos]

I like the fact that they choose a new venue.
In my opinion it is good to change venues once a few years.
New motivation and new places to visit in the area.

See you all in London.

[JackTenSuited]

Glad it's changed. Olympia was way too small imo. Also only a quick ride to aspers from excel

[agsgroup]

Looking forward to it!

[alexpratt]

Thanks for the feedback guys! Very exciting and a little daunting as its a change and a big venue but looks like we going to sell out the space so should be a top event!!

[MJM]

Where is everyone staying? Appears the official hotel is sold out. First time attendee.

[benl12]

Where is everyone staying? Appears the official hotel is sold out. First time attendee.

I am stopping at the Tower Hotel. I used to stop at the official hotel but nowadays I just go on Skyscanner and find one nearby. Works out a lot cheaper for almost the same experience.

https://www.skyscanner.net/hotels/q/...fhids=46998058

You can get a room at the Premier Inn opposite for £320 which is where I'd be stopping if I hadn't already booked.

[MJM]

Thanks for replying, I am confused as to why the official hotel is not closer to the conference center. I booked a room with free cancellation option at aloft excel which is connected to the conference center it seems and was under $150 to book including a free breakfast.

If I should cancel and book something closer to the area where the official hotel is, I'm happy to do that at whatever cost, just didn't completely understand which would be better or preferable. First timer to london so I don't know the neighborhoods or anything, and aloft was also on the DLR for easy access from Heathrow where I'm flying into.

[Jokerman99]

Welcome aboard the iGB Affiliate Underground line. The next station is ExCel London.

You should have opened with: "Welcome aboard the IGB Affiliate money train."

[agsgroup]

I am stopping at the Tower Hotel. I used to stop at the official hotel but nowadays I just go on Skyscanner and find one nearby. Works out a lot cheaper for almost the same experience.

https://www.skyscanner.net/hotels/q/...fhids=46998058

You can get a room at the Premier Inn opposite for £320 which is where I'd be stopping if I hadn't already booked.

Is it me but £320 for a premier inn a little steep though? Maybe i'm out of touch!!

Nice to see the conference is the 'right' side of London for me for once so happy for the first time won't need a hotel.

[benl12]

Thanks for replying, I am confused as to why the official hotel is not closer to the conference center. I booked a room with free cancellation option at aloft excel which is connected to the conference center it seems and was under $150 to book including a free breakfast.

If I should cancel and book something closer to the area where the official hotel is, I'm happy to do that at whatever cost, just didn't completely understand which would be better or preferable. First timer to london so I don't know the neighborhoods or anything, and aloft was also on the DLR for easy access from Heathrow where I'm flying into.

It all really depends if you know people. If you do, the maybe meeting new people isn't high on your list and you can stay out of the way. Excel is out of the way so getting to places at night will be harder. One of the parties is at the 02 so not too bad but if another is in Central London its longer to get home. Nothing too bad though as public transport is great, even at night. Just easier if you are talking to someone and they are headed to the same place to share a taxi.

If you don't know anyone it can be quite lonely, you'll end up eating alone and then going to the parties which are a bit hit and miss whether you get chatting to someone interesting. Stopping in the middle of it all increases your chances of meeting interesting people.

Most events are centered around the official hotel. Take the welcome drinks. Not really worth traveling for 30 minutes each way for a couple of hours networking and picking up your pass but if its a 5 minute walk you may as well. If you are good/ lucky enough to be invited out by an operator, they usually meet at the official hotel too.

[benl12]

Is it me but £320 for a premier inn a little steep though? Maybe i'm out of touch!!

Nice to see the conference is the 'right' side of London for me for once so happy for the first time won't need a hotel.

Its the location. Travel lodge in central london are over £100 a night. I am used to paying around £50-60 for a Premier Inn. All on expenses anyway so £107 a night isn't too bad.

[agsgroup]

Its the location. Travel lodge in central london are over £100 a night. I am used to paying around £50-60 for a Premier Inn. All on expenses anyway so £107 a night isn't too bad.

Oh sorry, I read it as £320 a night ..but yes location,location,location you are right

[IGT Partners]

This year is going to be the most interesting one (New Venue, bigger and attached to the ICE event).
A week of full immersion in the gambling field. Looking forward to meet old and new friend!

[DanHorvat]

First timer to london

Get a hotel close to the place where you'll be tired/drunk at 4 AM.

Whether the hotel is also close to the conference venue is largely irrelevant.

The party venues for Friday and Saturday aren't yet announced so it's impossible to book a hotel at this point.

[baldidiot]

Thanks for replying, I am confused as to why the official hotel is not closer to the conference center.

Because Excel is out of the way in zone 3 with bugger all around it.

The official hotel is actually quite well placed on the edge of central, so you can actually get places in London easily, but also next to the DLR for easy access to excel. It's almost like they planned it!

If you want to see London, go out for decent drinks/dinners, hang with other affiliates etc.. then stay in zone 1. Somewhere around the official hotel would probably be best as there's usually a lot going on there over the conference. Plus affiliates and AM's are usually propping up the bar of the official hotel until the wee hours if you're at a loss for things to do.

[MJM]

Thanks for all the advice, sounds like I might want to cancel the hotel I booked which is connected to the convention center, and look for something near the official hotel which is already booked full.

I am going alone and don't really know anyone, most of the affiliates I know have moved on to other things. My primary goal is certainly business, as I've never attended a convention - but I'm definitely up for the partying too, and being from WI I can hold my own in the drinking department

Hoping I do find a way to meet some new/old friends for sure, but I might have to just wing it as I go in terms of going to parties or dinners or any of that.

[Simmo!]

Thanks for all the advice, sounds like I might want to cancel the hotel I booked which is connected to the convention center, and look for something near the official hotel which is already booked full.

I am going alone and don't really know anyone, most of the affiliates I know have moved on to other things. My primary goal is certainly business, as I've never attended a convention - but I'm definitely up for the partying too, and being from WI I can hold my own in the drinking department

Hoping I do find a way to meet some new/old friends for sure, but I might have to just wing it as I go in terms of going to parties or dinners or any of that.

The Premier Inn is bang opposite and there is Travelodge a 1 minute walk away. Plenty of other local hotels but you'd be best off being close to the conference hotel (bar!) IMO.

When I started at these things I based myself in the official hotel and spent as much time as possible in the bar. Amazing how quickly you start to build a network of contacts, friends and interesting people there. There's people coming and going all night before/after parties and it's way easier to talk in the bar than it is at a party lol.

[baldidiot]

Thanks for all the advice, sounds like I might want to cancel the hotel I booked which is connected to the convention center, and look for something near the official hotel which is already booked full.

I am going alone and don't really know anyone, most of the affiliates I know have moved on to other things. My primary goal is certainly business, as I've never attended a convention - but I'm definitely up for the partying too, and being from WI I can hold my own in the drinking department

Hoping I do find a way to meet some new/old friends for sure, but I might have to just wing it as I go in terms of going to parties or dinners or any of that.

Yeah definitely do that.

As for meeting people, we used to arrange a gathering of GPWA'ers at the welcome drinks. Not done it for a few years actually - been a while since we've heard Aidan's war cry of "last one to the bars a nob".

There's pretty much always conference people at the hotel bar as well.