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SBC Events has credited the global iGaming Industry for the record-breaking edition of SBC Summit Barcelona in 2023.
The exhibition and conference attracted an impressive crowd this year, with around 15 000 attendees. This is a threefold rise from the figures of last year, confirming its status as industry’s fastest growing event.
The survey results revealed that the event received a net promoter score of 49. This demonstrates SBC’s commitment to maintaining high standards despite the substantial increase in attendance over the previous year.
The event began with a bang at the SBC Leaders Summit, an inaugural edition of this exclusive invite-only pre-event gathering which attracted 500 industry executives.
The full-day event featured a variety of conference content including a keynote by Frank Agnale, the man behind Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can’, networking opportunities and a Poker Tournament.
The induction of Gustaf Hagman (CEO and co-founder, LeoVegas), Jordan Levin, (CEO of OpenBet), Per Widerstrom, (incoming CEO of 888 Holdings, effective October 16, 2023), and Brigid Simonds OBE, (Chair of Betting and Gaming Council), into the SBC Hall of Fame was a significant highlight of the SBC event.
SBC Summit Barcelona, which took place from 19-21 September at Fira Barcelona Montjuic, boasted an huge 38,000 square metres exhibition floor, accommodating 350 exhibitor. This marked a increase of 175% compared to last year.
Roger Redfearn Tyrzyk is VP Global Gaming for IDnow. This provider of identity verification services and one of the exhibitor’s said: “We were treated as partners, not as a business that paid money to receive services. We are taken to events to meet people. SBC is our partner in finding solutions.
The 2023 show floor had been divided into five distinct zones, each representing a key area of the industry. These were: Sports Betting, Casino & iGaming, Affiliate Media and Marketing (AMM), Payments & Compliance (PAC), and Emerging Tech. There was also a designated “Festival area” which featured a variety of amenities, including a tapas & sangria bar, a juice and smoothie bar, and an ice-cream bar.
Multiple networking zones were added to the exhibition area. The SBC connect+ lounge served as the central meeting hub for the delegates that had arranged their meetings using the official event app. The app’s lead assessment tool was used actively, with 2,560 interactions .
SabJhooti Founder and CEO of investment company Bonmoja said, “It is the community aspect.” Every time I visit, I get to meet some of the biggest names in the industry. “Everyone I want to meet is at this event. So, I don’t have to go anywhere else.”
The comprehensive conference agenda covered seven stages and provided over 80 hours worth of content. Over 450 leaders in the industry shared their insights. 89.4% held C-level roles, 64.7% were operators and 8,9% were affiliates. 27,4% represented media, suppliers, regulators and sports teams. The event took a more interactive approach with 302 total questions asked to the speakers.
According to SBC Connect+ insights, the five most popular panels are the ones that users want.
- “Sports Betting: The Impact of Gamification and Streaming”
- “Affiliate Leadership Panel: Leading partnerships in emerging markets”
- “Sports & sponsorship landscape: Growth markets and Partnerships”
- “SBC Leaders: Exploring Global Growth Markets”
- “Everything, everywhere, all-of-the time: Managing marketing, tech & compliance”
The 2023 program featured keynotes from Matthew Ball, a metaverse expert, bestselling author and Daniel Taylor CEO of Flutter International. To encourage greater engagement, the 2023 agenda concluded each day with informative roundtable sessions – totaling 30 – each focusing on specific markets, topics, or verticals.
The First Pitch, a competition designed to help startups bring their innovative ideas to life, has announced its latest winner. SnapOdds won this competition and received a prize package valued at over EUR60,000. This included a workshop experience of two days in Tallinn provided by the competition sponsor Yolo Investments.
The SBC Awards ceremony, which marked its 10th anniversary, was held in style at the Caves Codorniu. It recognized industry leaders from 39 categories. The event was hosted by the SBC Awards’ familiar faces, TV personalities Kirsty Gallacher and former professional footballer turned manager Clarence Seedorf. Seedorf is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in this generation. The event also featured a guest appearance from Luis Figo. He is a former World and European Footballer of the year, and currently the brand ambassador of Digitalain.
Thomas Carvalhaes is the Managing Director for Brazilian operator VaiDeBob. He said: “The calibre and quality of attendees are very impressive. Recently, I was asked on a podcast what my favorite event was. SBC Summit Barcelona is my favourite event. It’s relevant, the people here are great and it gives us a glimpse of what’s to come.”
Rasmus Sjmark is the CEO and founder of SBC. He said: “The Barcelona Chapter for SBC has come to an exciting close. We worked hard to make this event the fastest-growing industry gathering. This show, with its 15,000 attendees who filled the floor of the exhibition hall, will be forever etched in SBC’s memory. As you probably all know, the work is not yet done. The success of the current edition will pave the way for a more prosperous edition in 2024. “We can’t wait for you to join us in Lisbon, Portugal for SBC Summit 2020!”
SBC announced the next edition, now known as SBC Summit, to emphasize its global prominence. The event will be held at Lisbon’s Feira Internacional de Lisboa on 24-26th September and is expected to cover an area of more than 100,000 sq. m. The event is expected to attract 25, 000 attendees. It will also welcome 600 exhibitor as well as 500 experts speakers.
