Exclusive Interview: Introducing ‘VIP Entertainment’ to The Festival Community
Martin 'Franke' von Zweigbergk is not the one who is sitting down silently, taking everything for granted. Instead, he is always up for an adventure and embraces every challenge which is coming towards him. Lately, The Festival Series has joined forces with VIP Entertainment, who share the same passion for community-driven gaming and everything that comes with it. The Festival is happy to expand with partners outside Europe, and let Canada be an absolute amazing country!
We had the privilege of sitting down with Randy, a key figure behind VIP Bets, to delve deeper into what this partnership means for both brands and the broader poker community. Not only because we are so exited to have them on board, but mostly to introduce the great vision that the enthusiasts behind VIP Bets have for the game we all embrace. The Festival Rozvadov will start on May 31st, and with the collaboration with VIP Bets, we hope to have some Canadians in the mix as well!
Melvin, The Festival: Hi Randy, nice to finally meet you! I was immediately excited once I heard that you’re a Canadian brand and would join forces with The Festival Series! Can you tell us a bit about yourself at first?
Randy, vipbets.com: ''Yeah, sure! I've been in the business for 25 years. For our brand, about 12 years ago we started together with a couple of partners. VIP Bets has been a labour of love for me over the past years. We've always been deeply rooted in the poker community, and our approach has been all about grassroots growth and community engagement. We eschewed conventional advertising in favour of building genuine relationships with players and affiliates, and that ethos has been at the heart of everything we do.''
Melvin: I've been reading about the changes in the Canadian market over the years. Could you explain going through recent developments at VIP Bets, particularly in light of regulatory changes in the gaming industry?
Randy, vipbets.com: ''Certainly! Like many in the industry, we've had to navigate significant regulatory shifts, especially in markets like Canada and the US. However, we've embraced these challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation. Despite facing regulatory hurdles, we've been focused on expansion, reengaging with our existing customer base, and exploring new avenues such as proprietary software development and strategic partnerships.''
Melvin: Speaking of partnerships, VIP Bets and The Festival Series partnered up, hence the introduction to our community. What makes it so interesting for you guys to jump on board of The Festival train?
Randy, vipbets.com: ''The Festival Series represents everything we stand for: community, innovation, and a passion for the game. Our mutual commitment to providing unparalleled experiences for players made this partnership a natural fit. Additionally, The Festival Series' focus on diverse gaming offerings, including poker, blackjack, roulette, and slots, aligns perfectly with our vision of catering to a broad spectrum of gaming enthusiasts from all around the world. And coming from North America, we love going to Europe. So we thought it was a natural progression into expanding our reach outside of Canada. From our perspective, it gives us a really good opportunity to go visit Europe, to go visit Malta, to go to Bratislava, and maybe even Rozvadov!''
Melvin: Would be amazing to have you around at one of our events! How do you see this partnership benefiting players and the broader poker community?
Randy, vipbets.com: ''Our partnership with The Festival Series opens up a world of opportunities for our players. Not only will they have access to an extensive tournament schedule spanning various games, but they'll also enjoy enhanced community engagement and unique experiences at live events. Furthermore, through our joint efforts, we aim to expand our reach geographically, providing players from North America and beyond with exciting opportunities to participate in premier gaming events across Europe and beyond.''
Melvin: As you mentioned before, your brand went through some difficult time. How does the future look like for VIP Bets?
Randy, vipbets.com: ''So we're just coming out of that rough patch, where a lot of things had to be done due to regulations and so on. And now we're at a place where we're trying to reengage all of our existing relationships, our existing customers and get them back on board. We think that we got something in our hands now which will brighten the industry. The proprietary software we're working on is revolutionary, and I think that there's something that we will be able to add to our existing software and our existing platforms. That will just enhance a different demographic. Because you know, eSports has never really been able to monetize. So we have a way that we think we'll be able to engage the younger demographics.''
Melvin: The gaming industry has become so incredibly big over the years, it's seems to become very difficult to even follow a unique concept. What makes VIP Bets different than others?
Randy, vipbets.com: ''You have to be different in this industry, there's so many players in it, so it definitely would give us an advantage by differentiating us from everyone else. And I believe it is kind of revolutionary software that also helps us with our GGR and our gross framing revenue. We know that we can't really compete with FanDuel or DraftKings or any of those bigger brands. So we're more community driven. We've always been that way. That's kind of why we say; We're VIP, because we want to engage people from a community perspective. So, for instance, the poker community, or the e-gaming community, that's what drives us. The community type of commitment from our perspective rather than going out and hiring a well-known personality or an NHL hockey player, an NBA star.. We're more driven towards the the communities by sponsoring events such as The Festival Series, who have an amazing community all together.''
