SBC Summit Lisbon 2024: Global Impact & Key Facts

During the SBC Summit Lisbon 2024, the conference ‘Impact and Key Stats’ featured Dennis Algreen, Chief Marketing Officer of SBC; Michael Mandl, Chief Growth Officer; and Andrew McCarron, Managing Director.

Dennis Algreen opened the session by highlighting outstanding figures for the event, with a 70% increase in registered attendees, reaching almost 25,000 compared to previous years. In addition, he mentioned that there are more than 600 sponsors and exhibitors, and more than 600 speakers spread across the various conferences. 

He also noted that the event facilitated more than 10,000 meetings through its official app, making it a valuable tool for attendees and sponsors. Global reach has expanded significantly, representing more than 133 countries, an increase of 20 countries over the previous year. Among the fastest growing regions, Latin America and the Caribbean showed an increase of 126%, followed by Asia (80%), Africa (45%) and North America (127%).

Algreen highlighted the visit of key figures such as Portugal's Minister of Economy, Pedro Reis, the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Pedro Machago, who reaffirmed the support of the local community. 

He also mentioned the presence of prominent speakers such as Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, and the legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk, as well as sporting greats such as Luis Figo, Peter Schmeichel, Vera Tvalishvili, Rubens Barrichello and Javier Mascherano, which further consolidated the prestige of the event.

Michael Mandl then took the floor to elaborate on the economic impact of the SBC Summit, highlighting that the first edition in Lisbon exceeded expectations and presented great challenges since its planning 11 months ago, following the transition from Barcelona. He thanked the support of key partners, such as the FIL, and underlined that the event has generated more than 60,000 hotel nights booked and an estimated economic impact of 100 million euros. He proudly reaffirmed that the SBC Summit is the world's largest sports betting and iGaming event.

Mandl also mentioned that, despite logistical challenges, they are already in talks with partners to ensure the participation of everyone in the industry, reaffirming the commitment of the SBC Summit as the most important event in its sector.

Andrew McCarron recalled that SBC pioneered a major post-pandemic event in 2021 and emphasised that since then, the show has doubled in size. He highlighted the improved organisation and experience for attendees, with a focus on delivering valuable content across its eight stages. 

McCarron concluded that their growth has been based on listening to the industry and reinvesting in the event, confident that they have managed to deliver ‘the biggest show in the industry’.

To conclude the panel, Algreen introduced the Women's Empowerment Initiative, supported by committed employees who seek to engage diverse communities. Mandl, meanwhile, shared expansion plans for 2025, mentioning upcoming events in Las Vegas and Miami, and emphasised the importance of partnering with others to ensure the success of the SBC Summit.

Mandl then announced the merger of the SBC Summit North America and SBC LATAM events into a single event, SBC Americas, to enhance the attendee experience. He highlighted that the Brazilian market is evolving, especially with a project to regulate land-based gaming.

The speakers opened the session to questions from the audience, with one attendee asking about audience growth in Africa and Latin America, to which Algreen responded that it is part of their globalisation strategy, seeking to attract more delegates from these regions.

At the end of the session, the three speakers thanked everyone for their attendance, emphasising the importance of their support to the success of the event.