BAC 2009 Keynote Address From Calvin Ayre

Leading publisher and event organiser iGaming Business has announced that Calvin Ayre, the man behind global media brand Bodog, will give the keynote address at the upcomming Budapest Affiliate Conference (BAC) 2009.

Scheduled to take place from September 10 to 13 at the city’s SYMA Sports And Event Centre, BAC 2009 is part of a series of events that began with CAP Euro in January of 2007 and has become one of the largest affiliate conferences with 1,700 attendees.

“We are absolutely thrilled that the eminent Calvin Ayre will be joining us at Budapest,” said Alex Pratt, lead organiser for the event.

“He is an industry leader with true entrepreneurial genius and we are happy to be able to give this chance for delegates to meet and gain invaluable knowledge from the legend.”

Saskatchewan-born Ayre founded global media brand Bodog in 1994 before selling its online gaming business to the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group following the passage of America’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006. He then seemed to leave the spotlight and the life of an iGaming operator.

However, the Canadian was quietly working on a renewed vision for the Bodog brand, which he had developed into one of the most recognisable in the industry. He recently returned to the public eye by consolidating and retaining the global rights to the Bodog brand and electing to license its use to designated brand licensees. It is his hope to now see Bodog turn into a household word synonymous not only with online gaming but also with a lifestyle spanning both industries and continents.

Ayre now works primarily with BodogBrand.com to identify potential Bodog brand licensees. As a result of subsequent franchise-like brand licensing deals, Bodog’s online gaming experience is now global through the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group and its Bodog.com domain in addition to Bodog Europe at Bodog.co.uk and Bodog.ca and the new Bodog Asia at Bodog88.com. Each of these sites operates independently and pursuant to its own gaming license.

“I’m very flattered to have been asked to be this year’s keynote speaker in Budapest,” said Ayre.

“The iGaming space is the birthplace of the Bodog brand and it remains one of the must dynamic and fascinating sectors in the entertainment space.

“Thanks to BodogBrand.com’s world-class licensees, each of which brings regional knowledge and expertise to their respective markets, the brand has become truly global. The sun never sets on Bodog now.

“I look forward to continuing to work with BodogBrand.com to help identify potential brand licensees to take the Bodog experience into new markets.”