World Lottery Summit Vancouver 2022: Attendee Guide

October 9, 2022

The World Lottery Summit (WLS) is happening October 13-20, 2022, in Vancouver Canada and this is a special event. It has been 10 years since the World Lottery Association WLA and the North American Association of Provincial Lotteries NASPL have combined to host the WLS.  The last joint WLS held in Montreal, Canada in 2012, was a huge hit and was a roadmap to bring these organizations back together this year. As we pull back the layers, it is evident the care taken to make this a special week of activities. This guide will summarize some of the key pieces and help enhance the conference experience.

Pre-conference organization is key!

Conference life can be overwhelming for those not used to these types of events. The prep work that is done pre-event will make the overall experience shine. Here are a few of our tips:

  1. Visit the website now and review the agenda and create calendar appointments for sessions that are of interest.
    1. The parallel sessions can be found here.
  2. Look at the speakers and identify folks whom you might like to meet. Have questions prepared ahead of time to maximize the impact of a meeting or conversation.
  3. There are host hotels still available but also don’t be afraid to check out Airbnb options in the downtown area.
  4. If you have not bought airfare, check out Air Canada using the promo code: PDXKXBP1
  5. Pack conference essentials like pain relief (after party headaches, sore legs, sore brains), band-aids, business cards, comfy shoes, water bottle, etc.
  6. Review your calendar once you arrive to familiarize yourself with this very busy week!
  7. This is likely international travel for most. Starting October 1, 2022, Covid 19 Travel Restrictions in Canada have been lifted.
    1. Convert a few coins for tips and shopping where credit is not accepted.

Scratching away at the Educational Opportunities

The conference is being held at the Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC) and will include an array of great content. If you have not already made a pre-conference checklist of sessions do so here. The morning and early afternoon are filled with Keynotes and the breakout education sessions start around three o’clock pm.  The daily jackpot of sessions will typically include:

  • Daily Keynotes
  • Education discussion and presentations
  • Sponsor presentations
  • Niche breakouts like Women in Lottery Leadership (WILL)
  • Awards programs

Take a chance and roll the dice with some Networking

The event is not all about the sessions, however! There are some fun daily networking opportunities.

  • Coffee breaks each day
  • Trade Show hours (See below)
  • October 16, 2022 – Opening reception: 17:00-18:45 (PDT) – Exhibition Level Exhibit Hall A
  • October 16, 2022 – Opening dinner: 18:45-23:00 (PDT) – West Level 1- Pacific Terrace West Ballroom CD
  • October 17-19, 2022 – Daily Guided Sea Walk: 07:00-08:00 (PDT) – Olympic Cauldron
  • October 20, 2022 –Shannon Falls Gondola Tour – Meet VCC South Loading Area (Cost extra)

Things to do in Vancouver

Vancouver is a beautiful place and the WLS has provided some unique and fun ways to explore the city and surroundings. Start here by watching the 2022 steps video series. Less than a minute each, these videos are a charming way to find culture within reasonable walking distance of the convention.

On the home page, scroll down until you find a lotto game of geographical chance. It is an interactive randomized view of various city spots.

If you are traveling with non-conference goers, they can check out the daily organized schedule of sight-seeing opportunities organized by the WLS. I think this is a nice touch and one that is distinctive in the realm of conference planning.

If you are anything like the author of this blog, you will find time to walk about, soaking up culture, on the way to a local record shop, a tradition while visiting a new city. Here are a few of his likely landing spots: Beat Street and Neptoon!

The Trade Show

Finally, there is a trade show with over 30 exhibitors. The hours for the trade show floor are:

  • October 16, 2022 – Opening reception: 17:00-18:45 (PDT) – Exhibition Level Exhibit Hall A
  • October 17, 2022 – 12:05-14:00 (PDT) – Exhibition Level Exhibit Hall A
  • October 17, 2022 – 17:20-18:45 (PDT) – Exhibition Level Exhibit Hall A
  • October 18, 2022 – 12:15-15:00 (PDT) – Exhibition Level Exhibit Hall A
  • October 19, 2022 – Closing of Trade Show 12:30-14:30 (PDT) – Exhibition Level Exhibit Hall A

By doing a little bit of pre-conference planning, the overall experience will be smooth, leaving time and space for serendipitous moments as well. Ellipse Solutions, a Microsoft Gold Partner, is attending for the first time this year. We provide a full, end-to-end solutions for government agencies built on Microsoft Azure, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP + CRM, Microsoft 365 Office Productivity Applications, Artificial Intelligence, and other Azure Cloud Services. To date we have helped a couple of North American lotteries including the Kentucky and Virginia State lotteries.

But remember, you have got to buy a ticket to play the game so, If you have not already registered for 2022, do so here, and we will see you in Vancouver!

  The World Lottery Summit returns with a victory in Vancouver!
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