This past June, I found a peculiar job listing on quite possibly the bleakest Web site in English (Craigslist) that stood out from the rest of that work-from-home-and-make-trillions bologna. After a few e-mail exchanges, it turned out not only was the job legit, it just so happened to be hands down the sweetest one a budding journalist in middle America could encounter -- to join London-headquartered Clarion Gaming as a staff writer for IGamingNews and Gaming Industry Media.
Fast forward one month and 25 days, and I'm on the other side of the Atlantic flying from interview to panel debate to interview to break-out session (over and over) at the European i-Gaming Congress and Expo, known simply to industry veterans as EiG . In some magical chain of events, the stars aligned: I got the job and was subsequently shipped to Barcelona for a week of nonstop networking -- doling out business cards like fliers for an EiG kegger and doing plenty of the expected grin-and-nods, which to onlookers probably appeared more like a deer-in-headlights stand-up routine.
Since it was my first I-gaming conference and my first time abroad (because, from an American's perspective, visiting Canada doesn't really count in the scheme of things), I've decided to share five lessons I gleaned from a sleepless journey at the industry event of the year.
1. Accept the inevitable newcomer cluelessness. During a one-on-one lunch Thursday afternoon with Santiago Asensi, a partner at Asensi Abogados and EiG speaker, he explained to me that this industry is pretty similar to high school, and I was the awkward new kid. (Well, he didn't exactly call me "awkward" thankfully). Soon enough, he explained, I would be part of the in-crowd -- able to stroll through every room and chat up anyone at the convention. After coming to terms with my novice ways, I was able to open up a bit and get to know people better.
2. The best networking takes place outside the event. You won't discover that chief executive and co-founder of Sports Direct Inc., Paul Lavers, is the next-door neighbor of "Trailer Park Boys" star Patrick Roach by sitting in day-long sessions. (For reference, Roach plays gut-donning Randy on the Canadian backwoods dramady adored by Clarion Gaming's ad exec Holly Rauch.) What I found was that most of the connection-making fireworks were going off until the wee hours in the lobby of the Hilton Diagnoal Mar Barcelona. Granted some might not like to talk shop under the influence, but it certainly is the best time to get an insider's view of how industry members conduct themselves off the clock. Or, rather, how well can industry members handle one too many San Miguels off the clock.
3. EiG is a classy affair. From the pristine event space to the flashy, high-end suits some wore, a stroll through the expo halls could certainly be compared to a brief red carpet sashay. Something has to make you stand out from the other 1543 attendees, right? Mostly everyone dresses to impress, especially at the off site events. When there's such a highly concentrated mix of industry members in one city, you're on the job 24/7 -- even in the Hilton's stuffy elevator (which I also learned can smell very much like wet gym socks). In my next go, there will definitely be a (matching) suit or two involved and shoes polished so well that it can double as a mirror.
4. Don't get too excited. Before my sit-down interview with Mark Hichar, , I pulled out all the goods from my bag -- my notebook, my shiny sliver of a tape recorder. As he walked through the lobby, I rushed to greet him. By the time we made it upstairs to find a quiet place for an audio interview, I realized the tape recorder in my hands just moments ago had vanished. After a few pangs of pure terror and an embarrassing confession to Mr. Hichar that I, indeed, misplaced something rather important, I rushed down to the registration desk. After hearing stories of lifted passports, euros and more, I could only think that the recently purchased (with company money) Olympus digital voice recorder has suffered a similar fate. If only I had worried less about catching my interview subject in mid-stride ...
5. Journalist is truly a word that transcends industries. No matter what field in which you work, people seem to get a little jittery when a "journalist" is nearby. Whether folks want to sell you on the latest-leading-revolutionary product or berate you for writing something about their company outside of its mission statement, there's certainly something to be said about the love-hate relationship companies throughout the world have with reporters. Even when said journalist has taken the form of of an innocent-looking 24-year-old girl, there's still a yellow-level threat for those speaking to a girl with a tape recorder and half a brain. (And, yes, I did uncover the missing device and completed my interview with Mr. Hichar, which will be available on this very blog in a few days. Unfortunately, the other half of my brain has yet to turn up; it went missing somewhere between Las Ramblas and U.S. Customs. Please leave a comment on this post if you happen to come across it.)