SBC and Conversion Conf Partner for Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026

SBC has partnered with Conversion Conf to expand the Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026, the standalone affiliate and performance marketing event that runs alongside SBC Summit in Lisbon from September 29 to October 1, 2026. Announced on July 17, 2026, the tie-up brings Conversion Conf's affiliate network and community expertise into the conference programme, which organisers expect to draw more than 10,000 affiliates, media buyers and marketing professionals from over 150 countries.

The move formalises a growing shift in the betting and gaming events calendar: affiliates, who drive a large share of regulated operators' player acquisition, are being given a dedicated home rather than a side room at a broader trade show. For the affiliate industry, it signals that performance marketing is now treated as a headline vertical in its own right.

What did SBC and Conversion Conf announce?

SBC and Conversion Conf announced a partnership to co-develop the Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026 in Lisbon. Under the agreement, Conversion Conf will help shape the conference programme, attract leading industry voices and strengthen community engagement, contributing its affiliate network, community expertise and international events experience. SBC retains the event as part of its wider SBC Summit franchise, with the affiliate summit co-located at the same venue over the same three days.

Key facts

• Event: Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026, a standalone affiliate and performance marketing event within SBC Summit.
• Dates: September 29 to October 1, 2026.
• Location: Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and MEO Arena, Lisbon, Portugal.
• Expected reach: more than 10,000 delegates from over 150 countries, according to SBC.
• Announced: July 17, 2026, by SBC.

Why is this partnership significant for affiliates?

The partnership matters because it pools two of the affiliate sector's largest audiences into a single, focused programme. Conversion Conf has built a reputation as a performance marketing community event, while SBC operates one of the biggest gatherings in betting and gaming. Combining them concentrates operators' acquisition teams, affiliate networks, adtech vendors and media buyers in the same halls, which shortens the distance between a publisher looking for a deal and an operator looking for traffic.

What is the Affiliate Leaders Summit?

The Affiliate Leaders Summit is SBC's dedicated affiliate and performance marketing event, launched as a standalone strand of SBC Summit for 2026. It offers a three-day conference programme covering affiliate strategy, omnichannel marketing technology and adtech innovation, plus a skills-based training track focused on areas such as SEO, emerging channels and data management. It sits inside the wider SBC Summit exhibition, so affiliate delegates also reach operators, suppliers and the summit's multi-stage conference agenda.

How does the Affiliate Leaders Summit compare to the wider SBC Summit?

The Affiliate Leaders Summit is a focused sub-event; SBC Summit is the full industry-wide show that surrounds it. The table below sets out how the two relate, based on figures published by SBC.

Detail	Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026	SBC Summit 2026 (wider event)
Focus	Affiliates, performance marketing, adtech	Whole betting and gaming value chain
Expected delegates	10,000 plus, from 150 plus countries	Tens of thousands across the full summit
Dates	September 29 to October 1, 2026	September 29 to October 1, 2026
Venue	FIL and MEO Arena, Lisbon	FIL and MEO Arena, Lisbon
Access	Standalone pass plus full exhibition entry	Full six-stage conference and exhibition

What does Conversion Conf bring to the table?

Conversion Conf brings its affiliate community, international events experience and programming input. In practical terms, SBC said Conversion Conf will help curate the agenda, recruit speakers from the performance marketing world and drive community engagement across the three days. The intent is to deepen the affiliate-specific content rather than simply increase headcount.

Who is leading the two organisations?

The partnership is led by Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, and Lana Rossi, CEO of Conversion Conf. Both framed the deal as a natural fit between a large industry event organiser and a specialist affiliate community.

"The affiliate and performance marketing sector has evolved considerably in recent years, and with that evolution has come the need for a more focused event built around the community's unique priorities and opportunities," said Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC. "Conversion Conf has built an exceptional global community, and bringing our teams together feels like a natural next step."

Lana Rossi, CEO of Conversion Conf, added: "We've admired what SBC has built over the years, so being invited to play a role in the continued growth of Affiliate Leaders Summit is something we're genuinely excited about."

Where and when does it take place?

The Affiliate Leaders Summit runs from September 29 to October 1, 2026 at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. It is co-located with SBC Summit, meaning affiliate delegates share the same campus, exhibition floor and networking programme as the wider event.

What does a standalone pass include?

SBC has positioned the affiliate strand with its own access tier while keeping the door open to the full summit. A standalone pass covers the affiliate conference programme and grants entry to the wider SBC Summit exhibition and its event experiences. SBC has also offered complimentary passes to qualifying affiliates, a common tactic to guarantee that publishers and media buyers, the people operators most want to meet, actually attend.

How big is the affiliate channel in iGaming?

Affiliates remain one of the primary customer-acquisition routes for regulated online betting and casino operators, particularly as advertising rules tighten across major markets. As jurisdictions add restrictions on direct marketing, from mandatory health warnings on betting ads in Brazil to advertising limits across Europe, performance channels that can demonstrate compliance and measurable value have grown more important to operators' media mixes. A dedicated summit gives that channel a formal meeting point.

What does this mean for the wider events calendar?

The partnership reinforces a trend of consolidation and specialisation in iGaming events. Rather than launching a rival show, Conversion Conf is folding its community into an established franchise, a pattern seen elsewhere in the sector as larger organisers absorb niche gatherings. For affiliates, fewer but larger flagship events can mean lower travel costs and a denser concentration of decision makers, though it also raises the stakes for any single show that underdelivers.

What happens next?

Between now and late September, expect SBC and Conversion Conf to release the affiliate agenda, confirm speakers and open the awards and networking elements tied to the summit. iGaming Daily News will preview the full Affiliate Leaders Summit programme, including confirmed sessions and exhibitors, closer to the event once the official line-up is published.

The bottom line

SBC and Conversion Conf are combining forces to make the Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026 the affiliate industry's flagship meeting of the autumn, co-located with SBC Summit in Lisbon from September 29 to October 1. With more than 10,000 affiliates expected, the deal underlines how central performance marketing has become to regulated iGaming, and how the events business is reorganising around it.

Updated July 2026. Reporting based on the official announcement from SBC News and event details published by SBC Events.

FAQ

When is the Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026?

The Affiliate Leaders Summit 2026 takes place from September 29 to October 1, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, co-located with SBC Summit.

Who partnered with SBC for the Affiliate Leaders Summit?

Conversion Conf, a performance marketing community organiser led by CEO Lana Rossi, has partnered with SBC to co-develop the 2026 event.

How many people are expected at the Affiliate Leaders Summit?

SBC expects more than 10,000 affiliates, media buyers and marketing professionals from over 150 countries to attend.

Where is the Affiliate Leaders Summit held?

It is held at Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) and the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, alongside the wider SBC Summit.

Is the Affiliate Leaders Summit part of SBC Summit?

Yes. It is a standalone affiliate strand co-located within SBC Summit, so delegates can access both the affiliate programme and the broader summit exhibition.