In just two weeks, one of the most significant iGaming events of the year will kick off — the SBC Summit Lisbon. Starting September 16, the summit promises fresh and innovative content, along with a packed agenda. In this episode of iGaming Accent, host Vakho Mdivani sits down with Dennis Algreen, Marketing Director at SBC, for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the industry’s most anticipated events.
As SBC prepares for its most prominent summit yet, Dennis shares his journey, the evolution of SBC, and what it takes to create world-class experiences in the iGaming industry.
Dennis’s entry into iGaming was through SBC itself, joining the company in 2016 when it was just a small team with big ambitions. “I started SBC back in 2016. That was through a friend from university, Rasmus Sojmark, our CEO. At the time, it was just me doing the marketing. We were nine people in total at the company, and marketing was just me. I was the boss of nobody.”
The idea of organizing an offline flagship event was initially planned for 2020, but COVID-19 forced a change of plans. Instead, “we put together 14 online events in 12 months… but it was necessary for us to stay afloat.”
This strategy paid off, allowing SBC to quickly rebound with the first in-person SBC Summit in Barcelona in 2021. “We managed to get, I think, 2,200 people to the event at Barcelona, and it kind of kick-started what the SBC Summit has become.”
A major topic is the decision to move the flagship event to Lisbon in 2024. Dennis highlights the importance of venue, accessibility, and timing: “The venue and the availability of the venue were key. Lisbon is relatively accessible, a multiple award-winning destination city, and for good reason. It’s a lot smaller than other European metropoles, which makes it easier to get around. And the weather in September is usually great—though last year we had a lot of rain!”
SBC’s approach to speakers and content is also a point of pride. “This year, Gary Vaynerchuk and Randi Zuckerberg are two of the big headliners from outside the industry. There’s a bit of a theme to this year’s event, around technology and how it’s adapted by the industry.”
Dennis explains that the conference is designed to blend headline speakers with deep-dive “tech academies” on topics like AI, gamification, and blockchain, ensuring both inspiration and practical learning.
Networking and side events are at the heart of the SBC experience. “Side events or networking, for me, are core to one of the ways we’ve set ourselves apart from our competitors. This is an industry that’s built on trust and personal connections… There is no better way to build that trust than to meet and actually interact.”
Moreover, this year, SBC is launching a Legends charity football game, complete with a halftime show: “It’s a great opportunity for sponsors and companies to take some of their contacts out for a very enjoyable evening.”
He also responded to a question from SBC Eurasia’s Nika Gigashvili and posed one of his own for the next guest.
Nika Gigashvili, in turn, highlighted the upcoming SBC Summit Tbilisi, scheduled for October 15–16.
To hear the full conversation and gain even deeper insights, listen to the complete podcast episode of iGaming Accent.
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