The Marketer’s Guide to SBC Summit & Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026

Marketing is rarely a single-discipline function

A marketing professional may be working across brand, content, CRM, acquisition, affiliate marketing, social media, events, partnerships, SEO, paid media and customer retention, often with significant overlap between each area.

In iGaming, the role also tends to sit closely alongside product, compliance, commercial and data teams, because marketing decisions are influenced by regulation, player behaviour, market conditions and the wider customer journey.

That makes iGaming marketing particularly multidisciplinary. Someone working in the sector needs to understand not only how to attract attention, but also how to acquire the right audiences, communicate within regulatory boundaries, support retention, strengthen brand positioning and contribute to commercial growth. 

Depending on the company and market, the same professional may move between strategic planning, campaign execution, content development, performance analysis and stakeholder management, making versatility a core part of the role.

That means a marketing professional attending SBC Summit or Affiliate Leaders Summit is rarely looking for insight in just one area. 

The most valuable sessions, networking opportunities and exhibitors may be spread across different stages, zones and parts of the event.

This blog was created to help marketing professionals navigate both events with that broader role in mind. Rather than focusing on one narrow marketing discipline, it brings together the sessions, themes and opportunities that are most relevant across the marketing spectrum, helping attendees identify where they can gain practical insight, discover new ideas and connect with the right people. 

The aim is to make it easier to build a more focused agenda and get maximum value from SBC Summit and Affiliate Leaders Summit without having to sift through everything themselves.

The Tech Academies

There are four to choose from. At first glance, some may appear more relevant to marketers than others, but the reality is that all four touch areas that increasingly influence how marketing teams work, communicate with players and drive growth.

The Tech Academies run alongside the main conference programme and are designed around practical, expert-led learning. Rather than focusing purely on theory, they use formats such as case studies, live demonstrations, workshops, AMAs and practical frameworks that attendees can take back to their businesses. All four also contribute towards recognised CPD-certified learning hours.

1. Digital Marketing & CRM Academy

This is the most obvious starting point for marketing professionals.

The Digital Marketing & CRM Academy looks directly at the challenges marketers are dealing with now: changing platforms, evolving algorithms, creator marketing, AI-powered tools and the constant pressure to make budgets work harder.

Its programme moves across the full campaign lifecycle. There is a live session showing how a campaign develops from brief to execution, alongside discussions around TikTok, Meta, YouTube and Spotify, influencer partnerships and how marketing teams should allocate spend across different channels.

2. AI Academy

AI is no longer something marketing professionals can leave entirely to their technology teams.

It is already influencing content production, campaign planning, analytics, personalisation, customer engagement and internal workflows. The AI Academy is designed around moving from experimentation to practical implementation, with a focus on identifying high-impact uses for AI across areas including marketing, customer engagement and analytics.

For marketers, one of the most useful aspects is the emphasis on practical application. Attendees will explore emerging technologies including AI agents and voice interfaces, learn about threats such as deepfakes and digital impersonation, and even gain experience building an AI assistant that can support workflows and decision-making.

3. Player Experience Academy

For CRM, retention and customer marketing professionals in particular, player experience should be considered part of the marketing conversation.

The Player Experience Academy explores gamification, behavioural design, reward structures and the psychology behind engagement and loyalty. It examines mechanics such as missions, achievements, progression systems, battle passes and seasonal content, as well as how these approaches can be adapted responsibly within betting and gaming.

That matters because acquisition is only one side of growth. Marketers may succeed in bringing players through the door, but the product experience determines whether those players engage, return and develop a lasting relationship with the brand. 

4. Web3 Academy

Web3 might seem even further removed from the traditional marketing remit, particularly for professionals focused on content, acquisition or CRM.

But customer expectations are shaped by the products, technologies and payment experiences available to them, and Web3 is increasingly becoming a conversation about practical applications rather than speculation.

The Web3 Academy focuses on areas including crypto payments, blockchain transparency, digital assets and hybrid operating models, examining where these technologies are creating tangible value within betting and gaming today.

Why should a marketer care? Because technologies that affect payments, trust, transparency and product experience eventually influence brand positioning and customer communication too.

How much does each Tech Academy cost?

Each Tech Academy is available through the Education+ Upgrade and costs €249 per session. This is a paid add-on to your SBC Summit pass and gives you access to the selected Academy’s smaller-group, practical learning experience.

So, whether you want to focus on AI, Digital Marketing & CRM, Player Experience or Web3, you can choose the Academy that is most relevant to your role and add it to your existing ticket for €249.

One more for marketers: Responsible Gaming Marketing Masterclass

Beyond the four Tech Academies, there is another Education+ session that should be firmly on the radar of marketing professionals attending SBC Summit: the Responsible Gaming Marketing Masterclass.

Taking place on Thursday, 1 October from 12:00-14:00 at Sala Tejo, MEO Arena, the session is specifically designed for marketing professionals and looks at how responsible gaming can be incorporated into acquisition, retention and CRM strategies without compromising commercial performance.

That makes it particularly relevant in an industry where marketers increasingly need to balance growth objectives with player protection and evolving regulatory expectations.

The session is led by Arjan Korstjens, Owner of Casino Marketing Academy, and is exclusively available to delegates with an Education+ Upgrade for  €249.

Networking: Be More Intentional About Who You Meet

For marketing professionals, the value of SBC Summit and Affiliate Leaders Summit is not only in what you learn, but also in who you meet.

That could mean an operator looking for a new acquisition partner, an affiliate looking to strengthen commercial relationships, a CRM supplier, a marketing technology provider, a regulator, a media contact, an influencer agency or simply another marketer facing the same challenges in a different market.

With more than 40,000 industry professionals expected in Lisbon, however, relying entirely on chance encounters is not necessarily the most effective strategy. SBC Summit has therefore expanded its structured networking programme for 2026, giving attendees several different ways to find relevant people and build meetings into their schedule before and during the event.

For marketers, there are a few formats particularly worth adding to the agenda.

1. SBC Connect Meets: Start Networking Before You Arrive

One of the easiest ways to make your time in Lisbon more productive is to start building your meeting schedule before the event begins.

Through SBC Connect Meets, eligible pass holders can use the SBC Connect app to search for relevant attendees, initiate conversations and send meeting requests ahead of the Summit. Meetings can then take place in the dedicated SBC Connect Lounge on the show floor.

All ticket holders can use SBC Connect to access practical event information such as the agenda and floorplan, while Networking, Business and VIP Pass holders can use the fuller networking functionality, including initiating chats and sending meeting requests. 

2. Speed Networking: Expand Your Network Quickly

Not every valuable contact is someone you already know you need to meet. That is where Speed Networking can be particularly useful.

The format is designed around short, structured introductions. Participants have a few minutes to introduce themselves, explain what they do and identify whether there is a reason to continue the conversation before moving on to the next person. In a single session, attendees can meet more than a dozen new contacts.

For marketing professionals, that can be a useful way to break outside your existing network. The themed sessions also make it easier to connect around a shared interest or objective. For 2026, the programme includes First Timers Speed Networking, AI Speed Networking, Payments Speed Networking and Next Generation Leaders Speed Networking.

You may come into the event focused on meeting affiliates, for example, and end up discovering a CRM solution, agency, technology provider or potential content partnership you had not previously considered.

It is particularly valuable for attendees who prefer structured networking over approaching people cold on the exhibition floor, or anyone who wants to maximise the number of introductions they can make in a relatively short period of time.

Speed Networking sessions will take place across all three days of SBC Summit in the SBC Connect Lounge, with access for VIP, Networking and Business Pass holders.

3. Take the Marketing Tech & CRM Show Floor Tour

With hundreds of exhibitors spread across roughly 130,000 square metres of exhibition space, simply walking around the show floor and hoping to stumble across the right companies can take a considerable amount of time.

The Show Floor Tours offer a more focused alternative.

Each guided tour is built around a specific industry theme and introduces attendees directly to relevant exhibitors, solutions and potential contacts. Themes for 2026 include AI in Gaming, Casino Games, Platform & Aggregator Solutions, Sportsbook Technology, Fintech, Compliance and, importantly for this audience, Marketing Tech & CRM.

The Marketing Tech & CRM tour takes place on Wednesday at 11:00 and focuses on CRM platforms, marketing automation tools and performance marketing solutions, including technologies designed to improve acquisition, retention and player lifetime value.

For marketers, this is probably one of the easiest networking activities to recommend.

4. Regulatory Gaming Meetups: Understand the Markets You Are Marketing In

Regulatory networking may not immediately sound like a marketing activity, but in iGaming the two are increasingly difficult to separate.

Campaigns, promotions, affiliate relationships, advertising channels, bonus messaging and customer communications are all shaped by the rules of the markets in which they operate.

The Regulatory Gaming Meetups are therefore worth considering, particularly for marketers working internationally or entering new jurisdictions.

There are 21 jurisdiction and region-focused meetups covering markets across Europe, LATAM, North America, Africa and Asia. Each one brings together regulators, operators, affiliates, suppliers, legal professionals and compliance specialists to discuss local developments and build relevant connections.

For a marketer, this could be an opportunity to better understand the regulatory environment behind a market you are targeting, speak directly with professionals operating there and build relationships with people who understand the local landscape.

That is particularly valuable if your role involves:

• launching campaigns in new markets
• localisation
• affiliate partnerships
• advertising compliance
• market-entry strategy
• responsible gambling communications
• working closely with legal or compliance teams

The meetups take place in the dedicated Regulatory Gaming Meetup Lounge and are available to VIP, Business and Networking Pass holders. Places can also be managed through SBC Connect once the app launches.

5. Smart Connect: For Marketers With Buying Power

For senior marketing professionals, there is another networking format worth knowing about.

Smart Connect is a matchmaking programme built around pre-arranged one-to-one meetings between buyers and suppliers.

Rather than relying on attendees to identify relevant companies themselves, SBC matches participants according to their business objectives, product requirements, market focus and commercial priorities. Meetings are pre-qualified and confirmed before attendees arrive at the event.

The programme is aimed at C-level executives, directors, department heads and budget owners, so it may be particularly relevant to CMOs, Marketing Directors, Heads of CRM, Heads of Acquisition or other senior marketers responsible for selecting technology and suppliers.

If you are attending SBC Summit specifically to evaluate new CRM technology, acquisition tools, agencies, data platforms or other marketing solutions, Smart Connect can turn that objective into a ready-made schedule of relevant meetings. 

You can apply for Smart Connect here.

The Conference: Build Your Agenda Around More Than Marketing

The conference programme is where the multidisciplinary nature of an iGaming marketing role really comes into play.

Across SBC Summit and the co-located Affiliate Leaders Summit, the agenda brings together 600+ speakers, multiple dedicated stages and content covering everything from technology and market expansion to payments, regulation, product innovation, acquisition and affiliate strategy.

For marketers, that breadth is useful.

You can naturally gravitate towards sessions on acquisition, CRM, content, branding and customer experience, but some of the most valuable insight may come from understanding the forces shaping those activities in the first place.

• What is changing in the markets you are targeting?
• How is AI changing the way customers interact with brands? 
• Where is friction entering the customer journey? 
• What are regulators focusing on? 
• And how are player expectations evolving?

Those questions appear across the wider agenda, not just in sessions labelled “marketing”.

And the conference is CPD accredited

There is another reason to make time for the conference programme: every conference session across SBC Summit and Affiliate Leaders Summit is officially CPD accredited.

That means attending sessions does not only give you industry insight. It can also contribute towards recognised Continuing Professional Development hours, giving marketers a way to document the professional learning they are doing while at the event.

1. Start With Technology & Innovation

For marketers, the Technology & Innovation Stage is one of the first places worth exploring.

The stage looks at artificial intelligence, automation, analytics and product innovation, all of which are increasingly affecting acquisition, retention and customer engagement.

The agenda reflects that overlap between technology and marketing.

One session, for example, looks at how AI-powered customer support can help operators educate users, manage frustration and protect retention as new products such as prediction markets become more complex.

Elsewhere, discussions around live data, connected technology and product infrastructure explore how technology can create faster and more engaging customer experiences.

You may not be the person building those systems, but if your job involves communicating the product, acquiring users for it or keeping those users engaged, understanding how the underlying experience is evolving is increasingly important.

2. Regulation Should Be on a Marketer’s Agenda Too

The Regulation & Compliance Stage is another area marketers should not automatically leave to their legal or compliance colleagues.

Marketing freedom is directly shaped by regulation.

Advertising rules, bonus communication, affiliate relationships, responsible gambling messaging, customer targeting and market-entry strategy all depend on the frameworks operating in each jurisdiction.

The agenda looks at how regulatory environments are changing across multiple markets, with dedicated discussions covering areas including Romania, Poland and other established and emerging jurisdictions.

For marketers working internationally, these sessions offer useful context around why strategies that work in one market may need to be adapted significantly in another.

That knowledge is especially relevant for anyone working in localisation, affiliate marketing, paid acquisition, CRM or brand strategy.

3. Market Expansion Is Marketing Insight

The Global & Emerging Markets Stage is another one not to overlook.

It focuses on where industry growth is happening and how regulation, player behaviour and local market conditions are influencing opportunity.

For marketers, this is directly relevant to questions around audience development and localisation.

A session examining Africa, for example, looks at rapid market growth, mobile-first player behaviour, mobile money, micro-stakes betting and how younger audiences are changing expectations around speed and simplicity.

That is valuable marketing intelligence.

Understanding how customers behave in a market can help shape messaging, channel strategy, product positioning, content and the wider acquisition approach long before a campaign goes live.

4. Do Not Ignore the Super Stage

Not every useful marketing lesson needs to come from a marketing specialist.

The Super Stage brings together major industry CEOs, founders and global leaders to discuss the strategic forces reshaping gaming, including AI, regulation, innovation, leadership and international growth.

For marketers, these sessions can provide the broader commercial context that is often missing when you focus only on campaign-level discussions.

The opening programme alone brings together figures including Michael Jordan, Carsten Koerl of Sportradar and Jason Robins of DraftKings, followed by a CEO discussion involving leaders from some of the industry’s largest operators.

5. There Is Also a Dedicated Marketing & CX Track on Thursday

For marketers looking for the most directly relevant conference content, Thursday features a dedicated Marketing & CX track, bringing together sessions focused on campaign performance, brand differentiation, creator partnerships, acquisition and the next stage of AI adoption.

Panels include:

• Designing Campaigns the Data Can Read
• Copycat Culture: Branding Beyond Visual Identity
• Influencer Tech: Platforms and Tools Powering Creator Partnerships
• Acquisition Mix: Search, Spend and the Cost of Growth
• From Generative AI to Agentic Systems

Together, these sessions cover some of the biggest questions facing marketing teams today, from how to build campaigns that are measurable and commercially effective, to how brands can stand out in increasingly crowded markets, manage influencer partnerships more strategically and balance acquisition channels against the rising cost of growth.

The inclusion of “From Generative AI to Agentic Systems” also pushes the conversation beyond basic AI tools and into how more autonomous systems could begin to reshape marketing workflows, decision-making and customer engagement.

For anyone working across brand, performance, acquisition, content, social, CRM or customer experience, this is likely to be one of the most relevant conference tracks to build into the Thursday agenda.

And Then There Is Affiliate Leaders Summit

If your role touches acquisition, performance marketing, SEO, paid media, content, partnerships or affiliation, the co-located Affiliate Leaders Summit should be a major part of your conference schedule.

Its CPD-accredited programme focuses specifically on the affiliate and performance marketing ecosystem, with content covering platforms and performance, affiliate strategy, content and discovery, leadership, media buying, branding, customer acquisition, automation, AI and business transformation.

That makes it particularly relevant to the marketing audience this guide is designed for.

Even marketers working operator-side can benefit from understanding how affiliates are responding to rising acquisition costs, platform changes, new technologies and regulatory pressure, especially when affiliates form an important part of their wider acquisition strategy.

Some of the most useful sessions to look out for include:

• Killing the Silo Monster: Integrating CRM, SEO, Paid Media & Content
• The Modern Affiliate Audience: Younger, Multi-Channel, Easily Distracted, and Totally Disloyal
• Content Evolution: Why Content Is the Most Undervalued Asset in iGaming Affiliation
• Media Planning in 2027: How Meta, Google and TikTok Are Shaping the Next Era
• Measurement in 2027: The Cookie Decline and the First-Party Data Crisis
• Ad Crackdowns = Affiliate Minefield
• Content That Still Cuts Through: What Audiences Actually Engage With Now
• SEO vs Paid: The 2026 Power Shift. Can Affiliates Survive Without Paying to Play?
• Ask ’em Anything: SEO, AI and the Future of Affiliate Growth
• Building Short-Form Content: Strategy, Gamification and Monetisation at Scale
• Generative Engine Optimisation Masterclass: Here’s What Wins Next

There is also a dedicated programme delivered in collaboration with Conversion Conference, with an even stronger focus on practical growth and performance marketing.

Sessions include:

• Beyond Leads: Building a Scalable B2B Marketing Strategy for 2026
• UGC That Converts: Building Content That Looks Real and Sells
• Influencer Marketing Strategy at Scale: In-House vs External Partnerships
• Telegram Traffic in 2026: What Still Scales?
• Creative Strategy in 2026: Professional Production vs AI-Generated Creatives
• TikTok Traffic in 2026: What Actually Works Today
• Building a Media Buying Department from 5 to 100 People
• PPC in 2026: What’s Still Profitable Across Google, Bing & Native?
• 5 AI Tools Every Affiliate Company Should Be Using in 2026
• Creative Fatigue: Why Ads Stop Working Faster Than Ever
• Inside the Ad World: How AI Is Changing the Way You Buy Traffic
• Building a Brand That Affiliates Trust

Explore the Show Floor With a Marketing Lens

The conference and networking programme may shape your schedule, but some of the most useful marketing insight can also come from simply exploring the exhibition floor.

The key is not to approach it as a list of stands to visit.

Instead, think about the different parts of the customer journey your role touches and use the show floor to understand the technologies, products and partners influencing each one.

For marketers, that could mean exploring:

• CRM and marketing technology to see how platforms are approaching automation, personalisation, segmentation and retention
• Affiliate and acquisition solutions to identify new traffic sources, partnerships and performance tools
• AI and data providers to understand how technology is changing targeting, analytics, content and customer engagement
• Payments companies to see where friction may be affecting conversion after acquisition
• Player protection and compliance solutions to understand how safer gambling tools are influencing CRM and customer communication
• Sportsbook and casino technology providers to better understand the products your campaigns ultimately need to promote
• Start-ups to discover emerging tools, channels and ideas before they become widely adopted
• Media companies and content partners for potential campaigns, partnerships and audience opportunities

The exhibition floor spans several dedicated areas, including Casino & iGaming, Sports Betting & iGaming, Payment Expert Summit, Player Protection, the Start-Up Hub and Media Hub, so it is worth looking beyond companies with “marketing” in their description. 

A CRM marketer may find an idea in player protection technology. A performance marketer may uncover a conversion issue by speaking to a payments provider. A brand marketer may discover a new partnership through a media company or emerging supplier.

That is the advantage of treating the show floor as part of your learning agenda rather than simply somewhere to collect brochures.

Do Some Research Before You Arrive

With such a large exhibition, trying to see everything is unlikely to be the best use of your time.

The 2026 exhibitor directory and floor plan can be used before the event to identify the companies most relevant to your objectives, while SBC Connect can help keep those plans organised once you are on-site. 

A simple approach is to build a short exhibitor list around three questions:

• What problem am I trying to solve?
• Which tools or partners do I want to evaluate?
• What do I want to understand better about the customer journey?

From there, you can identify a handful of priority stands and leave some space in your schedule for discovery.

Because sometimes the most useful conversation at a show like SBC Summit is the one you did not know you needed to have.

Beyond the Agenda: A Few More Things Marketers Should Not Miss

By this point, your schedule may already include conference sessions, Tech Academies, networking, exhibitor meetings and a few carefully chosen Affiliate Leaders Summit panels.

But SBC Summit is also designed to keep the experience going well beyond the conference rooms and exhibition halls.

There are a few other features worth building into your week:

• Food Festival: Running throughout SBC Summit at Feira Internacional de Lisboa, the Food Festival brings together food from around the world, dedicated seating and networking areas, live music and multiple places to eat without having to leave the venue. It is also an easy place to turn lunch into another informal meeting or catch-up.
• Festival Square: New for 2026, Festival Square sits beside the main entrance to FIL and acts as the social heart of the event. During the day, it offers a more relaxed setting for meetings and breaks, with a Beer Garden, Cocktail Bar, Piano Bar, Wine Bar and Shisha Bar & Lounge, alongside live music. On Tuesday and Wednesday, it remains open until 20:00, giving attendees somewhere to continue networking after the exhibition halls close.
• Business Lounges: When you need to move away from the busiest parts of the exhibition floor, the event’s lounge spaces give you somewhere more practical for scheduled meetings, calls and focused conversations. For marketers spending the week moving between partners, agencies, suppliers and internal contacts, it is worth knowing where these are before your first meeting starts.
• The Opening Party: The first day does not finish when the exhibition closes. On Tuesday, 29 September, the SBC Summit Opening Party takes over Pavilhão Carlos Lopes in Parque Eduardo VII from 20:00 to 02:00, with complimentary drinks, entertainment and networking. It is one of the first opportunities to bring together contacts from across the event in a much more informal environment.
• INFINITY Lisbon with Tiësto and BlasterJaxx: If there is one evening event you probably already have on your radar, it is this one. SBC Summit closes on Thursday, 1 October with INFINITY Lisbon at the MEO Arena, headlined by Tiësto and BlasterJaxx. Running from 20:00 into the early hours, the official closing party combines large-scale production, live music and thousands of industry professionals for one final night of networking and celebration. Access is available to VIP, Business and Networking Pass holders, with upgrade options available for some other pass types.
• Affiliate Leaders Awards: Taking place on Wednesday, 30 September at MEO Arena, the Affiliate Leaders Awards brings together 400 industry professionals and recognises excellence across affiliate marketing, operators and the wider performance marketing ecosystem. The evening includes a drinks reception, three-course dinner, awards ceremony and entertainment. A separate ticket is required.
• SBC Awards: The wider industry gets its turn on Thursday, 1 October, when the SBC Awards brings 1,000 guests to MEO Arena for the final night of the Summit. For marketers in particular, it is worth noting that the categories include Marketing Campaign of the Year alongside awards spanning operators, suppliers, acquisition, retention, payments and responsible gaming. This is also a separate-ticket event.

And there is plenty more happening across the three days.

The useful thing for marketers is that these features serve a different purpose from the formal conference programme. A panel might give you a new idea. A scheduled meeting might help move a partnership forward. But the conversation at Festival Square, over lunch at the Food Festival or at an evening event may introduce you to someone you would never have thought to search for in SBC Connect.

So arrive with a plan, but do not schedule every minute.

Some of the best parts of SBC Summit happen between the things you originally put in your calendar.

Final Thoughts

The biggest takeaway for marketing professionals is that there is no single “marketing agenda” at SBC Summit or Affiliate Leaders Summit.

The most useful experience will likely come from combining different parts of the event.

That could mean starting the day with a CPD-accredited conference session, joining a Marketing Tech & CRM show floor tour, meeting a potential partner through SBC Connect, exploring a new CRM or AI solution on the exhibition floor and then continuing the conversation at Festival Square or one of the evening events.

It also means looking beyond the areas that are immediately labelled as marketing.

Regulation can change what you are allowed to say. Payments can affect whether your acquisition converts. Product and player experience can determine whether customers stay. AI is changing how campaigns are built and measured. Affiliates, creators and emerging platforms are reshaping how audiences discover brands in the first place.

For a function that already sits across so many parts of the business, that broader perspective matters.

So use this guide as a starting point, build your priorities before you arrive and take advantage of the tools available to plan ahead.

But leave some flexibility too.

Because getting the most out of SBC Summit and Affiliate Leaders Summit is not about trying to do everything. It is about identifying the sessions, people, technologies and conversations that are most relevant to the challenges you are trying to solve and making sure you leave Lisbon with ideas and connections you can actually use.