It has been a huge year for Andrew Ludlow’s Boomerang Digital. Formed in December 2023 and officially launched at EAG 2024 the brand has grown with acquisitions including IHL and Playsafe as well as winning new business and extending existing contracts. Ludlow reflects on the last 12-months and looks ahead to its official anniversary on the Bingo Hub at EAG Expo 2025.

It was a year ago that you announced the arrival of Boomerang Digital – what have been the highlights?

It doesn’t seem like 12-months but I have to say what a year it has been! Immediately after the creation of Boomerang in December 2023 we announced the acquisition of IHL, a leader in the provision of compliance solutions. This represented a high-profile endorsement of our commitment to the development of market-leading solutions for our gaming and entertainment customers.

The acquisition of Playsafe from the Veitch family followed in May. The opportunity to acquire an established industry brand and provide the right support, investment and direction in order to unlock its full potential was crucial. There followed numerous contract wins and extensions to existing agreements across our entire product portfolio. Outside of the cut and thrust of business a personal highlight has been seeing the different businesses that we have acquired and the people that have made them successful, coming together under one company. I am exceptionally proud of the team, of their contributions, their dedication, and of course their commitment to delivering the compelling Boomerang vision.

What does Boomerang Digital deliver that NRM and its component parts couldn’t?

We decided to take the heritage and the outcomes of 30-years of great creative thinking to create a platform for the next important phase of the Group’s development. The Boomerang structure has enabled us to more effectively engage with existing and new customers in existing markets but also to start conversations with new customers in new market sectors. On a practical level replacing a multi-company structure with a streamlined organisation reduces the level of wasteful duplication as well as providing a focus and identity for every team member. The change in structure has enabled us to play to individual strengths, introduce clear succession planning linked to career pathways and grow the business both organically and via acquisition. A single and much more unified voice can also inspire internal and external stakeholders in a really powerful way.

How has it benefitted customers?

Bringing all of our complementary skill-sets under the Boomerang structure means that we can build a more focused and sustainable portfolio of products and services for our offline sectors and the customers that we work so closely with.

Because Boomerang Digital is a single entity offering a range of solutions it means that customers are able to talk to us much more holistically about their requirement for end-to-end solutions. For example, we have an array of customers operating Jigsaw, Mobile App, Membership, SMS, hand-held tablets and compliance platforms – under Boomerang we can ensure that the technology ecosystem is appropriate and streamlined which means having a commonality of hardware and software integration. Boomerang offers a single view, single engagement and a frictionless customer journey.

Has the positive reception you received at EAG 2024 been sustained?

Since the big reveal at EAG 2024 which met with what felt like universal acclaim the positivity and support we continue to receive has been truly fantastic. Without the support of our customers, we would not be able to provide the investment and innovation required to drive both our business and the sectors that we supply. The support is humbling and it never ceases to surprise me.

Boomerang Digital feels like a consumer brand – was that part of your thinking?

Throughout my industry career I’ve always favoured names and brands which have a consumer feel. Consumer brands have a more contemporary feel and as a consequence are more suited to the technology space that we occupy. Furthermore the opportunity to engage with consumers is always on the agenda!

One year on from the launch, does EAG have a special importance to Boomerang Digital?

EAG is special for a number of reasons. From an industry perspective it’s absolutely key for the launch of the new products which sustain the business and the entire out of home entertainment supply chain. As well as being the best place to start the business year EAG also provides us with a benchmark to gauge how far we have come in 12-months and an opportunity to meet with our customers to say thank-you for their support and to outline the fantastic plans that we have for 2025. As a team we cannot wait for the doors to open at ExCeL London!