For a global iGaming brand, showing up at a major industry event is no longer just about a booth, a logo and a few giveaways. A single event can serve several purposes at once: it opens space for business conversations, strengthens partnerships, communicates brand values and creates direct contact with the audience.
SBC Summit 2026 in Lisbon, gave a clear example of how this works in practice for 1xBet.
Influence
A strong brand presence is largely shaped by the people associated with it. At SBC Summit, one such figure was Mamadou Sakho, a PSG legend. Renowned for his top-level career, Sakho brought not only his football expertise but also his charisma, recognition and experience, making his appearance one of the standout moments of 1xBet’s presence at the exhibition.
At the booth, he took on the role of Head Coach and appeared alongside his ‘staff’, turning the brand interaction into a genuine football event. For 1xBet, Mamadou Sakho’s participation was another opportunity to go beyond a standard exhibition presence and create an additional touchpoint with the audience.
Business
1xBet‘s presence was built around two brand zones on the exhibition floor: the main booth and an additional area. The second special zone was created in collaboration with PSG and served as a distinct part of 1xBet’s presence at the Summit. The space was decorated in 1xBet/PSG style, with the unique construction kit design added extra visual dynamism. Joint merchandise and football activity was prepared for guests and hostesses greeted them and escorted them to the booth.
Beyond visibility, both spaces functioned as working venues for scheduled meetings with current and prospective partners, giving the team room to discuss integrations, market opportunities and long-term collaboration face to face.
This business layer connects directly to 1xPartners, the brand’s affiliate program and a core part of its partnership ecosystem. Launched in 2016, 1xPartners now marks a decade in the iGaming market, operating across more than 150 countries and supporting over 250 payment methods for affiliate payouts. The program gives partners the flexibility to choose their own payout structure – up to 50% RevShare or CPA deals worth up to $150 per player – depending on what fits their traffic best.
SBC Summit brought together Affiliate Managers and iGaming operators from across the industry, making it a natural setting for 1xPartners to engage prospective affiliates, discuss commercial terms and reinforce relationships with partners already working within the program.
Responsibility
Being present at an event of this scale also means participating in the wider conversation shaping the industry. For 1xBet, this meant more than showing up: it was about engaging in that broader dialogue, exchanging perspectives with peers and staying close to the priorities and challenges different market participants are working through.
One such session was The Africa Advantage: High Growth, Fast Regulation, Huge Potential on the Global & Emerging Markets Stage, where 1xBet Strategic Advisor Simon Westbury joined the discussion on the rapidly changing African iGaming market. The discussion focused on online GGR growth, the expansion of mobile penetration, market development in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, as well as regulatory changes in Egypt, Ghana and Uganda.
Participants paid special attention to how mobile money, esports and micro-stakes betting are changing the expectations of a new generation of players. This is where a global brand’s responsibility becomes visible in practice: not only growing its own business, but actively contributing to the professional environment that business depends on.
Experience
The third layer of 1xBet‘s presence at SBC Summit moved away from meetings and negotiations toward something more personal – direct, in-person interaction with visitors.
At both brand zones, two on-site activities offered visitors something more than a quick look at the booth. The first was an interactive talking mirror that engaged guests directly – asking questions, making light-hearted predictions and running instant prize draws on the spot. The second was a football-themed game where visitors ‘blew out’ flames on screen using their smartphone microphone, adding a playful, hands-on moment to the booth experience.
Prize Draws were held on September 29th & 30th, and winners walked away with an iPhone 18 Pro or a Herbag Messenger Bag, while Day 2 prizes included a MacBook Air 13 and a Horizon Soft Duffle.
This same logic carried into the evening. The brand served as a partner for the SBC Leaders Dinner and the SBC Opening Party, expanding its presence through more informal networking opportunities.
The SBC Summit Opening Party powered by 1xBet took place at Pavilhão Carlos Lopes, with Irish band The Script headlining. The brand’s presence followed the same idea as the booth itself: audience contact doesn’t end when the business day does. A strong brand experience was built from exactly this range of touchpoints – from the first ‘Hello’ at the booth to a shared moment on the dance floor.
One brand, multiple touchpoints
Across SBC Summit, 1xBet’s presence worked on three levels at once. Business happened through the two brand zones and direct partner meetings, with 1xPartners extending that reach into the affiliate ecosystem. Responsibility showed up in the brand’s participation in the industry’s shared professional dialogue. Experience came through booth activities, prize draws and a visible link to the Opening Party.
None of these layers stood alone. Together, they formed what a strong brand experience at a major industry event should look like – a presence that does business, reflects the brand’s values and builds relationships with the industry that go beyond a single meeting or a single day.
TAGS: SBC Summit 2026, 1xBet, 1xPartners
