Christoph Härtel, CEO at 21VIRAL, highlighted during the interview with SoloAzar the excellent performance of the company during the SiGMA Europe 2024 edition in Malta. He also stressed the importance of attending regional trade fairs as they represent a key opportunity to strengthen negotiations and relationships with other companies in the sector and gain valuable learning. 

21VIRAL, a leading company in the gaming aggregation services sector, acts as a bridge between European and Asian suppliers and Latin American operators, offering innovative and highly efficient solutions. 

21VIRAL's CEO also emphasised the relevance of SiGMA Europe's move to Italy, whose next edition will take place from 23-26 November 2025 in Milan. This new regional hub will expand the iGaming supply chain, according to Christoph Härtel, positioning the event as a strategic choice for companies that are increasingly selective in deciding which trade shows to attend during the year.

What expectations did you have for this edition of SiGMA and what attracted you?

SiGMA was an excellent event for 21VIRAL. We already had a busy meeting schedule with both LatAm-based operators and games studios looking to increase their game content in that region.

SiGMA has a solid reputation in the iGaming Trade Show calendar. As an event, it attracts a high calibre of attendees who can make decisions on progressing conversations commercially, so this is invaluable in order to meet the right decision makers at the right time.  

2. What were the topics that stand out and that you liked the most on this year's agenda?

The agenda was strong, with good speakers, topics, and presentations. Key trends remain the same: How can operators onboard new content that generates engagement and revenue quickly for our players and provides something unique or a point of differentiation?

Critical to this and other recurring themes was speed to market. Brands operate in a highly competitive market, whereby the competitor is merely a click away. So, the need for speed and to get deals done was a much-discussed topic.

Have you attended other editions of SiGMA? If so, have you noticed significant changes or improvements?

Yes, we have noticed changes from one edition to the next. SiGMA is constantly improving the experience for delegates and exhibitors, and this is reflected in the expansion of the halls.  

The announcement of the show's move to Milan, Italy, will further expand the size of the show, as everyone in the iGaming supply chain is becoming more selective in their choice of shows they attend throughout the year. This means that there is a tendency to hold larger shows, only if the quality of that event does not suffer, as bigger does not always mean better. 

As for 21VIRAL, given our focus on Latin America, regional fairs are very important to foster relationships and will be high on our agenda for 2025.    

5. What do you think about the growth of the gambling industry in Europe and what, in your opinion, would be the trends that are marking the market?

Given Europe's current geopolitical situation, growth will be moderate. If further regulation and re-regulation of advertising restrictions are factored in, the market could cool.   

As a business, we have taken the long-term view that Latin America presents more robust growth indicators, so 21VIRAL specialises in providing games content aggregation services in this region.