Foxwoods Casino made history as it hosted the largest gathering of social media slot influencers to date. SlotACon took place January 11-13, 2024, at the Connecticut casino and resort. With 33 influencers in attendance, the weekend was filled with camaraderie, exclusive dining events, a slot tournament, and a unique trade show reminiscent of ComicCon.
According to Foxwoods, the initial concept was to organize a slot Influencer awards event, similar to the Golden Globes or Oscars. The idea evolved to hosting an entire influencer weekend encompassing meet-and-greets between influencers and fans, individual fan events, and a slot tournament, which truly turned out to be a unique and fully immersive experience for attendees and guests.
“Foxwoods was one of the first US casinos to allow live filming of slot play, and now we are honored to be the leaders in hosting the first official gathering of slot channels in the US,” said Foxwoods Vice President of Casino Marketing & Player Development Ed Carlson.
The event kicked off January 11 with influencers arriving early to film content on the casino floor before Thursday night’s cocktail party that provided opportunities to unwind and connect with one another. Foxwoods then treated all attendees and three guests of our choosing to a surf-and-turf dinner on Friday night. Many channels used this as a means of rewarding subscribers and/or channel members. The fans that I spoke to were so excited about having this time with people they have grown to know only over a screen.
The weekend’s main event was Saturday – a slot tournament and a trade show where each influencer had a booth, some of which were magnificently decorated. (Mine was not one of them unfortunately, but I’m bringing my A-game for the next one). During this four-hour window, we spent time engaging with fans, taking pictures, and giving away swag.
According to Foxwoods, both influencers and guests conveyed their excitement and satisfaction, expressing eagerness for future events.
Slot influencers, including Tim from BigPayback, emphasized the importance of community building in this digital era. “We are in this digital world,” Tim said. ”It was great to meet everyone in person – a great community-building event.”
That sentiment was echoed by guests. Kristine, an attendee, told me that she attended SlotAcon to meet and make new friends who share a common interest.
“And of course, because I enjoy watching some of the channels that were attending,” Kristine said .“The event also was located on the East Coast which made it easily accessible to me. However, I am not a stranger to Vegas, so I probably would have traveled there to attend if it was being held there! It was a nice event to meet other slot enthusiasts, network, and socialize. It was fun to meet the channels outside the event while on the casino floor and get to chat and watch them film.”
SlotACon showcased the strength and unity of the slot enthusiast community, bringing together people who share a common passion for slot play. As I wrote in a message to our Facebook group while waiting on my flight home, “The beauty of so many people – people of different faiths, political beliefs, cultural backgrounds – coming together and forgetting about the chaos and division in the world was just overwhelming. This community is truly something special. This weekend is what it’s all about.”
According to a Foxwood’s spokesperson, “The positive feedback from influencers and guests further motivates Foxwoods commitment to organizing similar events in the future. We hope to make the next one even bigger and better!”
Though this event was thrown together in hyper fashion giving attendees only a couple month’s notice to plan (not to mention that planning being over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays), it was undeniably a huge success. While I fully expected lots of chaos, bumps, and bruises, I was shockingly surprised at how everything came together in the last moments, far exceeding my expectations. None of us predicted the power of simply bringing us all together.
Foxwoods told me, “The event exceeded our expectations, achieving notable attendance and fostering substantial engagement with influencers and their followers.”
Over 1,300 people walked through the door of the convention hall to meet 33 influencers — 1,300 people who more than likely had no intention of visiting Foxwoods that day. Those people came together for no other reason than the joy they find in being a part of this community. How can anyone argue with that?
