Operators attending SBC Summit 2025 don’t just receive a complimentary VIP pass; they gain full access to a world-class industry experience designed to deliver maximum ROI.
From the 135,000m² exhibition floor showcasing the latest innovations, to the conference programme packed with practical tips, regulatory updates, and market intelligence, every moment is crafted to help operators grow, adapt, and lead.
Of course, with so much happening, knowing how to structure your time for maximum value can be a challenge.
That’s why we’ve created this hour-by-hour guide — a roadmap designed to help operators make the most of every moment. Whether it’s securing new affiliate deals, connecting in dedicated networking spaces, enjoying the food and hospitality, or attending exclusive events designed to spark connections, we’ve mapped it all out.
Monday, 15th September
15:00 – You touch down at the Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon alongside your team, ready for a productive week of networking and industry insights. Before leaving for your hotel, you and the team turn right after the arrivals gate and follow the SBC Summit signs towards badge collection. You show your confirmation email to the helpful team working on the registration desk and instantly have your badge printed for you, ready for the summit tomorrow.
16:00 – A quick Uber ride takes you to your hotel in Parque das Nações, just steps from the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and the MEO Arena. Thanks to SBC Summit’s hotel partner, Leading, you’ve secured the best rates available. After a warm welcome from the staff, you head up to your room to freshen up before the Legends Charity Game.
17:30 – Donning your favourite vintage Portugal shirt (a dark red 2006 number with Luis Figo on the back, for those asking), you meet your colleagues at reception and excitedly discuss who you’re most looking forward to watching in the Portugal Legends vs World Legends charity game. Your friend tells you that he thinks the Brazil trio of Kaka, Cafu and Roberto Carlos will prove too much for Portugal – but you’re backing the team captained by Figo.
18:00 – You and the team arrive at the stadium to soak up the atmosphere. The stands are awash with retro football jerseys, each celebrating a hero of the past. You spot a 2009 Real Madrid Kaka shirt, a Juventus Del Piero jersey, and a 2006 Italy top with Marco Materazzi’s name from their World Cup triumph. The buzz builds — it’s time to watch the legends take to the field.
19:30 – You and your colleagues take your seats and eagerly wait for the game to start. From your seat, you see Luis Figo leading the team out for Portugal, the world XI is led by Kaka, and features the likes of Alessandro Del Piero, John Terry, and Michael Owen.
20:45 – After a thrilling first half, you head down to the concourse for a beer with your colleagues and get talking to an affiliate team who will be at the summit tomorrow. You exchange chatter about who you think will be next to get on the score sheet and agree to catch up on the show floor tomorrow.
22:00 – The final whistle blows. You’ve watched your childhood idols on the pitch again for an amazing match. You head out with the team for dinner before returning to your hotel. Time to prepare for a busy day at the summit tomorrow.
Day One: Tuesday, 16 September
07:00 – Your alarm goes off ahead of the first day of SBC Summit. While the hotel bed is exceptionally comfy, you’re raring to get started and hot-foot it over to the shower.
07:30: Temperatures in Lisbon are set to hit 30°C, so make sure to wear something comfortable and breathable for the day ahead. You opt for a smart but comfy pair of trainers that will prove to be your best friend when walking over 15,000 steps a day at the summit.
08:00 – It’s time to get organised, you grab a coffee at the hotel bar and open the SBC Connect App to map out your day. Here, you star the panel sessions you plan to attend, check your meeting schedule, and message your leads to ensure they’re still on schedule to meet you. There’s also time for a quick study of the floor plan to mark out the exhibition stands, networking areas, and lounges you want to prioritise, ensuring you don’t waste a minute once the summit gets underway.
09:00 – You meet your team in the lobby, the excitement palpable as you chat about the day ahead. This is the perfect moment to sync up and coordinate your plan of attack, ensuring you cover all bases at the summit.
09:30 – After taking the complimentary shuttle bus from your hotel to the Feira Internacional de Liboa (FIL), you arrive just before the doors open. You’re able to skip the queue for badge collection thanks to picking up your pass from the airport the day before. On your way in, you make a quick mental note of the colour-coded system for attendees. Affiliates are identifiable through their purple badges, suppliers, regulators, and other delegates wear blue, and operators such as yourself will stand out in orange.
09:45 – With a busy day of panels and meetings ahead, you decide to fuel up at the Food Festival. Operator Passes come with a complimentary pre-loaded Food Festival wristband with €30 per day to spend on food and drink. You grab a protein-boosted Acai bowl, sure to keep you full throughout the day.
10:00: You head to the Sports Betting and iGaming Zone on a mission to explore the latest innovations shaping the industry. On the show floor, you meet with reps from BetConstruct, GR8 Tech, and Soft2Bet, each keen to showcase their newest sportsbook technology designed to give operators a competitive edge. You make sure to take down their details, swap business cards and connect on LinkedIn to explore future partnerships.
10:20 – It’s time for your first meeting of the day, one you secured last week through the SBC Connect App. You head over to the SBC Connect Lounge (C01) and sit down with a leading affiliate partner to explore strategies for how they can deliver high-quality traffic to your brand. You talk player retention strategies, data-driven optimisation, and different revshare models. By the time you leave the meeting, you’ve already laid the groundwork for a partnership that could significantly boost your acquisition pipeline.
10:45 – After last night’s Legends Charity Game, you couldn’t resist coming to the Legends Q&A, where the stars of the match unite on the Super Stage to answer questions from the audience. As a Chelsea fan, you take the opportunity to ask John Terry what it was like to win the Champions League and who his toughest ever opponent was.
11:30 – Next up on the Super Stage is tech powerhouse, media entrepreneur, and AI Advocate Randi Zuckerberg to deliver her keynote, “StAI Ahead: Upleveling Yourself and Your Business with AI”. You come away full of ideas for how to transform your operations, from harnessing AI for smarter engagement to using it to flag compliance mishaps.
12:00 – After a short coffee break, you return to the Super Stage for the Super CEO Panel: The Present and the Future of Gambling. The panel unites the CEOS of BetFred, Betsson Group, Fast Track, Flutter International, and Super Group to discuss the present state and future of the industry. You come away with insights on what future regulations could look like in developed markets and how Web 3.0 and AI can lead to better, more personalised experiences for your players.
13:00 – Lunch time! You head over to Food Festival 5 for a selection of sandwiches and pizza. Located by conference halls 2 & 3 (B856), you make full use of the outdoor seating area with your colleagues and soak up the Lisbon sun.
13:40 – Inspired by the Super CEO Panel, you head to the Global Markets Stage for insights into entering newly regulated markets. The Brazil Leaders Panel: The Bubble that Just Won’t Burst – Looking Back at the Launch of Sports Betting looks at how operators have successfully expanded to the region through localised marketing strategies.
15:20 – After a short break, you head over to the Global Markets Lounge for a networking session focusing on the Brazil & LATAM region. You meet an affiliate marketer who specialises in influencer marketing in Brazil. You find their contact information on the SBC Connect app and make a reminder to contact them after the summit.
16:00 – Your team messages you to join them at the 21VIRAL Networking Drinks reception at B795. While there, you strike up a conversation with an affiliate lead, who tips you off about an Affiliate Leaders Summit session tomorrow that’s directly relevant to your business.
17:00 – Inspired by your recent conversation and before the summit doors close, you take a look around the Affiliate Leaders Summit. While there, you strike up a conversation with an affiliate lead and exchange ideas about how you can drive new traffic to your company’s sportsbook. You take their details down and plan a further meeting.
18:00 – You and the team reconvene to walk back to the hotel together, swapping stories and highlights about the day!
19:00 – Today’s the Opening Party. You get your outfit out of your suitcase (no creases, thank god!), hang it up and jump in the shower to freshen up ahead of an evening of partying and networking.
20:00 – It’s time to kick off the Opening Party sponsored by RedCore! You grab a cocktail on arrival and settle into a night soundtracked by DJs Imanbek and Joel Corry. Complimentary drinks flow and so does the conversation, you meet a ton of new leads from the payments and affiliate space that you’ll reconnect with later at the summit.
01:00 – You and the team have danced the night away. You’ve bumped into old colleagues and met some brand new people from the industry. When you get back to the hotel, you reach into your pocket and realise you’ve accumulated a stack of business cards. That’s a day well done.
Day Two: Wednesday, 17th September
08:00 – It’s not such an early start today, our opening parties will do that. But hey, that networking earned you an extra hour in bed. It’s time to wake up, hit the shower, and get ready for the day.
09:00 – You and the team gather in the lobby and make a plan of attack. You open up the SBC Connect App and highlight the session on the affiliate stage you learned about at the 21VIRAL networking drinks.
10:00 – You’ve marked out the Affiliate Leaders Summit as today’s priority and want to generate as many leads as possible. You decide to put your €30 to good use at the Affiliate Leaders food festival before making your way to the Affiliate Bar & Lounge (F292) and get talking to an Affiliate Partnerships Manager about a partnership that you feel would guarantee new traffic. It’s a great start to the day.
10:30 – You make your way around the Affiliate Leaders Summit show floor, checking out the latest affiliate solutions on offer for your business from Better Collective, Catena Media, Game Lounge, Raketech, and XLMedia. You hit it off with an Affiliate Acquisition Manager and take their details in the SBC Connect App.
11:00 – It’s time for the first conference session of the day. You’ve followed Gary Vaynerchuk for years on Instagram, so of course you’re taking the chance to watch his keynote in person. He explores social media strategies that will allow operators to stand out in today’s crowded market.
12:00 – Energised by Gary Vaynerchuk’s Super Stage keynote, you head to the Marketing Academy in the MEO Arena Sala Tejo for his ask-me-anything session. The academies are a new part of the summit that allows you to interact directly with leaders from both inside and outside the industry. When it’s your turn to ask Gary a question, you ask how operators can drive more traffic to their brands, gaining practical tips straight from one of marketing’s most influential voices.
13:00 – Time for a meeting at the Affiliate Leaders Networking Lounge sponsored by Control F5 (F532). You sit down with an affiliate director to discuss how they can deliver higher-quality traffic to your brand. The conversation covers player retention strategies, data-driven optimisation, and flexible revshare models – giving you a clear sense of how their network could strengthen your acquisition pipeline.
14:00 – After a packed early afternoon, you take a well-earned break at Food Festival 9, next to the Affiliate Leaders Stage (F199), and grab a plate from the American BBQ stand. On the way back, you stop by the Affiliate Casino Tournament & Lounge (F292) for a quick coffee, where a casual conversation with a new affiliate lead opens the door to a potential partnership.
15:50 – After yesterday’s recommendation from an affiliate lead, you head to the Affiliate Leaders Summit stage for the session: Leading the Change: Operator and Affiliate Relationships in the Age of Tech Innovation. The panel dives into how automation, real-time data, and smarter systems are reshaping operator–affiliate partnerships. For you, it’s a chance to pick up practical ideas on improving transparency, boosting performance, and unlocking more value from your affiliate channels.
16:30 – It’s almost time to head back to the hotel ahead of the Affiliate Leaders Awards, but before you go, you head to the Adyen Networking Drinks (E600) for a well-earned refreshment. Here, you connect with leads from some of the affiliate companies up for an award ahead of what promises to be an unforgettable night.
18:00 – Back at the hotel, you take a short rest and change into something more glamorous before heading to the Affiliate Leaders Awards. Your team has reserved a table, giving you the perfect base to connect with leading affiliates and keep an eye on the partners driving the industry forward.
19:00 – After posing for photos on the red carpet, you’re handed a glass of complimentary champagne. A glitzy ceremony and three-course dinner turn to conversations with affiliates fresh off the back of award wins.
21:00 – As the awards ceremony wraps up, you head to the bar with your colleagues. It’s the perfect moment to celebrate the evening, reconnect with affiliates, and meet potential new partners who can help drive traffic to your brand. Every conversation has the potential to shape tomorrow’s deals.
Day Three: Thursday, 18th September
08:00 – It’s the final day! And while by now your brain may be tiring and your feet aching, it’s time to make that final push. So you get up, hit the shower, and start thinking about the day ahead.
09:00 – You gather the crew for one last rendezvous at the hotel lobby. A tradition now, you can already tell you’re going to miss this place. It’s time to fire up the SBC Connect App one final time and mark those panel and workshop sessions, as well as drop some messages ahead of today’s meetings.
10:00 – You hit the exhibition floor with purpose, starting at the Payment Expert Summit – included with your Operator Pass. With expansion into new markets on your radar, you’re searching for a payment solution that can support your growth. You connect with a provider specialising in emerging markets, scan their badge through the SBC Connect App, and make a note to follow up over dinner after the summit to explore a potential deal.
11:00 – You make your way to the Global Markets Stage for the North America Leaders Panel: Sweeping the States – the Rise of Alternative Betting. With formats like Daily Fantasy Sports booming in the US, you’re keen to gather insights that could be applied to expansion into the market. Afterwards, you stop by the Global Markets Lounge (B796) to connect with the speakers and pick their brains on what’s working – and what isn’t – in alternative betting.
12:00 – You head over to the Player Protection Zone and stop by the stands of GamCare, Gordon Moody, and BetComply. A chat with a safer gambling expert sparks a demo of new AI-powered compliance software that flags at-risk players earlier and more accurately. You capture the lead through the SBC Connect app and pass it straight to your colleague in Responsible Gambling.
13:00 – Time for lunch, the last time you’ll be able to use your €30-a-day-wristband. You and the team go all-out, grabbing pizza, fried chicken and hot dogs at Food Festival 4. And since it’s the last day? You make sure to grab a couple of drinks as well.
14:00 – After exploring the Player Protection Zone, head to the Player Protection Stage for a panel on ESG in Gaming. Discover how operators can move beyond box-ticking to use ESG as a genuine competitive advantage, strengthening player trust and driving long-term value. Afterwards, you take the opportunity to connect with speakers from Entain and Tipico.
15:00 – Time for SBC’s First Pitch competition. AIstats, Betpass, ChatBet, LiveDuel, and Nandemo Draft Co. are in the final, and you can see how all of the technologies have the potential to improve your operations. You make sure to connect with the CEOs after the show.
16:00 – You have a meeting with a lead you met at the Opening party, arranged through the SBC Connect App. It’s for a new piece of casino software that you’re keen to add to your offering, and the deal is looking promising. Ending things on a high note.
17:00 – You and the team gather at the Digitain Beach Bar (F417) that is neatly nestled between the Casino and Sports Betting zones for one final gathering. There are laughs, free drinks, selfies, and celebrations of a successful summit.
18:00 – Back to the hotel for a record turnaround. It’s time for the SBC Awards, celebrating the very best operators and suppliers from across the industry. As you take your seat among peers and partners, the evening offers not just recognition of excellence, but another chance to connect, network, and celebrate the successes that are shaping the future of gaming.
20:00 – Fresh off the back of celebrating the best in the industry at SBC Awards, it’s time to end SBC Summit 2025 in unforgettable fashion. It’s time for the INFINITY Lisbon. Alok and Timmy Trumpet put on unforgettable shows worthy of a Tomorrowland headlining set. You celebrate side by side with colleagues, clients, and new partners, raising a glass to an unforgettable week. The deals sparked, the insights gathered, and the relationships built will carry far beyond the final song of the night.
Final Thoughts
While our ‘day in the life’ is just one example of how your SBC Summit experience could unfold, one thing is certain: preparation is key.
As an operator, make sure to download the SBC Connect App and build your agenda in advance. Mark the sessions that matter most, and use the messaging feature to start connecting with leads before you even set foot on the show floor. Do that, and you’ll ensure a summit that’s not only busy but delivers meaningful ROI.
