The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) has entered into a strategic partnership with Clarion Events, that will see the pair collaborate to grow their brands, as well as supporting and protecting the tribal gaming market.
Through the new long-term partnership Clarion Events will leverage its expertise in arranging trade shows and conferences, to grow NIGA’s annual Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention.
The events business, through Clarion Gaming’s ICE multi-platform ICE brand, will support and expand NIGA’s reach across all channels.
This aims to further highlight the key role of tribal gaming in the wider industry ecosystem. The $35bn sector is the 11th largest employer in the US, generating a further $6.2bn in ancillary revenue from hotels, entertainment, restaurant and retail operations.
Its annual trade show, the Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention, is a key tentpole of the event calendar. The 2021 edition, held in July this year, was the first large scale gaming event to run in-person following the Covid-19 pandemic, matching pre-pandemic levels of visitor numbers and playing host to tribal leaders, commercial gaming operators and industry-leading suppliers.
“Tribal gaming is a dominant force in the gaming community,” National Indian Gaming Association chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr said. “Before Covid, tribal gaming revenue had increased each year for the past decade – demonstrating the innovation and achievement of Indian Country.
“The work we do empowers our tribal communities and generates important revenue for economic development,” Chairman Stevens continued. “We are already building back. As we look to establish a new normal, we are excited to join forces with Clarion Events.
“They honor the mission and vision of the National Indian Gaming Association, support its membership, and are experts in producing large scale tradeshows and conventions. With their partnership we will grow the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention and expand tribal gaming’s global reach through ICE.”
Clarion Gaming, meanwhile, provides business-critical intelligence, industry-leading events and meeting services across its portfolio of live and digital brands. This includes the ICE conference and digital brand, comprising live events and digital content, as well as its igaming brand iGB and iGB Affiliate, covering events and content for affiliate marketers in the gaming sector.
Clarion Events North America CEO Greg Topalian said the business had a great working relationship with NIGA, dating back seven years.
“We greatly respect the work that the Association does for its members and the tribal gaming community,” Topalian explained. “As part of Clarion Events’ ongoing strategy, we are actively looking to expand upon our current partnerships and work together with new associations to scale events and support their missions.
“Greater ties between the National Indian Gaming Association and our ICE brands will build on their standard of excellence and grow the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention to new heights.”