SiGMA online supporters in full force defending traffic woes caused by major conference

Major iGaming conference SiGMA has once again generated a wave of complaints as the 27,000 attendees descending on Marsa bring traffic in Malta’s central areas to a standstill, with some writing of travel times up to two and a half hours to get to work.

Opposition Leader Bernard Grech also weighed in on the issue, calling out the lack of planning that wastes people’s time and undermines investment.

However, SiGMA employees and attendees – and perhaps a fake profile or two – have not been shy about hitting back, writing about the “incredible opportunities” the conference brings to the islands and pointing out that restaurants, bars, hotels and taxis all benefit from the activity it attracts in an otherwise relatively quiet month.

SiGMA’s head of sales encouraged the hundreds of complainers commenting below a Times of Malta report on the gridlock traffic to be “more open minded” about what SiGMA brings to Malta, while the firm’s events manager described the economic impact of the conference as “insane”.

“The amount of business generated in just a couple of days is more than the country sees over much longer periods of time,” she wrote, adding that the event “puts Malta on the map and brings people from all over the world.”

SiGMA’s creative manager also chimed in, saying that although “Malta is a small island, SiGMA makes it shine on the global stage.”

She also noted the “100+ directional signs for taxis, coaches and ferries” that made getting to the event “easy and organised” – a comment that predictably drew opprobrium and outright insults in response.

Yet another SiGMA employee, a sales manager, made the economic case for the conference quite simply: “Traffic might be bad, but 27,000 people needing a place to eat, drink, lodging … economy goes up.”

Perhaps in anticipation of the backlash the event would likely generate – going off last year’s organisation, which had a similar response from the general public – SiGMA released a statement on Monday saying that the conference drives a €100 million boost to Malta’s tourism economy – approximately 3.3 per cent of the total.

It referenced a 2022 report by E-Cubed Consultants that estimated the event stimulates enough economic activity to support around 950 jobs across various industries for a year. It also estimated that the influx of delegates attending this year’s event would raise the occupancy of four- and five-star hotels by over 20 per cent when compared to the typical levels for the period.

Since being established in 2014, SiGMA has grown from an event attracting 1,500 delegates to this year’s estimated 27,000, with 1,000 sponsors and exhibitors and 550 speakers.

One star guest at this year’s event is Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho, who is attending as an ambassador for the iGaming firm Betify.

Move to Milan

Locals might yet come to miss the economic boost brought by the event, with this year’s edition being the last flagship SiGMA conference to be held in Malta.

The organisers have announced that next year’s edition will take place in at the Fiera Milan, the fourth-largest expo centre in the world. In a nod to the connectivity issues that have plagued SiGMA’s most recent events in Malta, they point out that Milan is served by three airports and boasts a “highly efficient public transportation system, with five metro lines and an extensive network of buses and trams.”

SiGMA will nonetheless retain a foothold in Malta, with the company promising that it “remains a key player in SiGMA’s events calendar.

In 2025, Malta will host SiGMA Euro-Med, slated to take place at the same venue, Marsa’s Mediterranean Maritim Hub.

“Offering a more niche event, SiGMA EuroMed will ensure that Malta retains its strong connection to the iGaming industry.”