SBC Summit Barcelona 2023: Keep CoolBet and Carry On

In a major marker, the international iGaming community is set to assemble in Spain later this month, September 19, for the key SBC Summit Barcelona.

It’s universally considered a game-changing event, an essential eco-system of iGaming elites, who will gather at the famed Fira Barcelona Montjuic, with an expected 15,000 delegates in attendance.

The three-day summit offers excellent networking opportunities, premier content – and unrivalled hospitality in one of Europe’s most exciting cities.

An impressive roster of iGaming thought-leaders will hit the stage to share insights on strategies, investments and upcoming year-focus points. 

Among these distinguished speakers is Ervin Järvlep,  Senior Vice President, Global Marketing for CoolBet. 

iGamingFuture was offered exclusive time in his busy schedule to glean some key insights into the Barça event – and be given a privileged taster of Ervin’s upcoming summit session.

With so many industry events taking place throughout the year, why is it so important for you to attend SBC Summit Barcelona? What are the benefits of attending?

“SBC Summit Barcelona holds a significant importance for all the industry professionals, especially those based in Europe. 

“First and foremost, the Barcelona summit provides an excellent platform for networking with industry peers, potential clients, partners, and experts. Building these new connections can lead to mutually beneficial collaborations. 

“It is also a great opportunity to catch-up ‘cara-a-cara’ with friends and colleagues from partner companies. The conference features expert speakers and panel discussions across a range of topics: Affiliate marketing, the future of betting and casino, payments and compliance, emerging technologies and blockchain, for example. Attendees can gain insights into the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in the sports betting and iGaming sector. 

“Being present at SBC Summit Barcelona allows us to stay updated with the current market landscape, regulatory changes, and upcoming trends, all of which can be crucial for making informed business decisions.

“At the exhibition one can explore the ‘crème de la crème’, and the best products and services that our industry has to offer. In order to be on top of what’s going on and build a stronger brand for the future, you simply cannot miss the summit. SBC Summit Barcelona is THE event that everyone will attend.”

What will be discussed during your conference panel session, and what will delegates learn from attending?

““Challenger brands – disrupting the product innovation framework” is the panel that I will be speaking on, together with innovators from Relax Gaming, Kaizen, i3Soft and The Gang. 

“With the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence and Machine-learning, the product offering is becoming increasingly more homogeneous. Game providers can now release more content than ever before. And it takes less time with every single passing day. 

“There is already a vast amount of available data being utilised in sports betting. All of this raises some valid questions: How to stay fresh and innovative in such a competitive environment? Is it even possible to compete with products? What are the possibilities for challenging established operators?

“I believe that innovating with small sub-products or single elements of the provided service is not sufficient. We must look at the customer journey holistically. Every encounter with the operator is a single experience where all pieces of the puzzle must play a clear role. 

“In the panel we will discuss various strategies of how to facilitate innovation within organisations, as well as provide real-life examples from successful challenger brands from the iGaming industry. 

“If you are interested in learning more, please make your way to Conference Stage 7 on September 20 at 2pm!”

As we enter the new digital age, do you think online sportsbooks are making the most of the latest trends to maximise engagement such as gamification or streaming? Or is there still a lot more that can be done?

“Online sportsbooks have already made significant strides in maximising engagement. However, there is still a lot more potential to explore and leverage trends to further enhance user experience. 

“We often ask ourselves what other untapped opportunities there might be? Firstly, the new digital age allows for highly targeted and personalised content. By analysing user-data and preferences, sportsbooks can tailor betting options, promotions, and content to individual users, making their experience more relevant and enjoyable.

“Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies can take the immersive experience to a whole new level. Users can virtually attend matches, interact with their favourite athletes, or even place bets in a simulated sports arena, replicating the excitement of a physical betting experience.

“Integrating social media elements within the platform can enable users to share their betting experiences, wins and tips with their social networks. This fosters a sense of community and encourages engagement through social interactions.

“These are all items that companies have already been exploring to a certain extent and have great potential for further improvement. Is there anything completely new that could disrupt online sports betting? Probably yes. But, as the saying goes: “We don’t know what we don’t know.””

Are there any other Conference sessions that you’re keen on attending yourself, and why?

“I appreciate when industry experts share their knowledge and personal experiences, which is why I consider any pick from the ‘Leaders’ category a good choice. I am also keen on better understanding future opportunities; which is why my must-go sessions would be: “Emerging tech toolbox- the future of open AI, metaverse, web3.0”. It touches on the hottest topics that we should all be talking about. Mastering even some of these tech tools could give a significant advantage to any of us.  

““Bringing lottery-style entertainment to sports betting” is another session I plan to attend. We have all seen what excitement multi-million-dollar lotteries bring out, even among the most casual consumers. Unfortunately, sports betting does not have the same appeal. But is there anything in the lottery experience that can be applied to sports betting? This is what I hope to find out.

“For Casino I would recommend tag teaming the “The next-gen of casino – measuring the influence of Web3.0, UX, and video games” and “AI disrupting slot design – is this the future of Game creation” sessions. Both of these panels touch upon the AI usage in Casino, which is currently disrupting the sector. Will we see something brilliant coming out of it? Or will we end up with an overly saturated landscape with thousands of games released daily? These sessions might have the answer.”

Editor’s note:

Following our chat with Ervin, the anticipation for this upcoming event is red hot.

SBC’s crucial Barcelona summit provides an ideal platform to discover current market trends, gain high-level industry insights – and connect with industry contemporaries. 

It’s an unmissable opportunity. Tickets can still be bought from the SBC website, so don’t miss out. We look forward to seeing you all there!