Companies preparing to pitch at the popular LaunchPad competition at GiGse next month need to monitor the market closely in the build-up to their presentations, according to Rob Gallo, the CEO and founder of Neo Poker Lab, the winner of the 2014 GiGse LaunchPad.

Gallo, who this year is looking forward to enjoying a watching brief at the GiGse LaunchPad in San Francisco, California, hailed last year’s experience as “fantastic”, with the prestigious award having put the company’s “name on the map”.

Clarion Events – which is organising GiGse in partnership with GamCrowd, the industry’s crowd-funding and crowd-sourcing platform – has set a March 15 deadline for applications to participate in the LaunchPad, which will take place on April 22, the final day of the three-day GiGse event.

However, Gallo insisted that those companies that are serious about scooping the top prize should follow Neo Poker Lab’s example by initiating preparations for their presentations as soon as possible.