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Sigma Rome this year looked like the Vatican for arbitrageurs: a holy place of power, where each stand is a small state with its own vibe, show and marketing rituals. The scale is crazy: several pavilions, hundreds of brands, and thousands of people simultaneously networking, catching contacts, handing out business cards, and looking for inspiration in the noise of Italian fanfare.
Amidst this energy chaos is Anna, BizDev Leadpanda Media. This is the first conference of this scale for her, and she immersed herself in it to the fullest: networking without pauses, stands that amaze with creativity, parties where partners become friends, and Roman roads that cannot withstand such traffic. So, how was it? We found out everything!
The impressions are incredible! It was my first conference of this scale, so, honestly, I was a little shocked by the number of stands and guests. The location is just gigantic: several entrances, many pavilions, everything shines and hums, and at some point you really realize that you can easily get lost.
When I entered one of the pavilions, my first thought was: “I’m going to crawl out of here exhausted. Because to go around all the stands and talk to everyone, I had to be cloned at least three times.
I used to attend Ukrainian conferences and Warsaw, which have their own intimate atmosphere, where you know almost everyone. Sigma is a completely different story. New faces, new teams, new brands, some of which I have not even heard of (and believe me, I already have a fairly large base of current and potential partners). It’s like getting into another ecosystem – bright, large-scale, and incredibly lively.
First of all, the scale is impressive. The stands were simply cosmic, everyone tried to stand out, add their own vibe, and, of course, no one forgot about the very Italian aesthetics: brightness, style and a little chaos in the best sense.
Raffles are a dime a dozen. It seems that this year’s main trend is more noisebecause every brand wanted not just to be noticeable, but to be remembered.
And, of course, parties, a separate kind of art. I attended events from PIN-UP, STARS PARTNERS, Colibrix ONE and ANS ROMA by WintEvents – each had its own web, its own audience and its own story.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for HELL PARTNERS, because logistics in Rome is a quest. But even so, the atmosphere was as intense as possible, and you could literally feel the whole industry pulsating in the same rhythm.
It’s almost impossible to single out just three stands. There were so many cool ones that my top quickly turned into the top 5. But I’ll try to briefly describe the most striking ones:
I’d also like to mention DoIT Partners, I have a special affection for them. I adore what they do, so I came to visit them with pleasure.
I would also like to mention Hell Partners, PLAYAMO Partners, 22BET – powerful, thoughtful, with their own character. And, of course, Boomerang Partners – driving, sporty, bright, just the way it should be.
It’s unrealistic to do everything, but the main thing is that I met the one I wanted to meet and finally met my regular partners live!
How would you rate the level of organization of the event: location, stands, communication, atmosphere?
The location was outside the city – beautiful, but not very convenient. On the first day, it caused a real transportation collapse: when the whole Sigma decided to return to Rome at the same time, the taxi drivers seemed to just give up. It took us almost three hours to get to our accommodation, and this Roman traffic will be remembered for a long time.
But the atmosphere compensated for everything – top. The people, the energy, the music, the stands: everything was so lively that even the three-hour drive back seemed like part of a great adventure day.
I mentioned the stands above, there were a lot of really cool ones. But the main point that left the strongest impression was the realization that we are known, read and appreciated.
When people come up to you and say: “Oh, Leadpanda! We follow you, read your materials,” it’s incredibly motivating. It was nice to see that we are recognized by both Top of the market and newcomers to the field. This is the moment when you realize that everything we do really makes sense. Even though I came alone from the company, there were so many familiar faces that I didn’t even feel lonely. On the contrary, it was as if I had come to my community!
That’s right! After Sigma Rome, you feel like you pressed the refresh button.”
The industry is growing, new formats, brands, faces appear – everything is moving so fast that it is simply impossible to stand still. I want to generate, try, create, and it seems that this is the moment when a second wind opens up.
Scale. Drive. Successfulness. And if I may add the fourth, it is perspective. Because it best describes the feeling after Sigma.
