SBC Summit week in Lisbon is also, this year, the biggest week on the calendar for affiliate and performance marketing. For the first time, the Affiliate Leaders Summit runs as a standalone co-located event inside the SBC Summit, with its own ticketing, conference program, exhibition space and awards ceremony, and organizers expect around 10,000 professionals from the affiliate ecosystem at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena.

According to the event's official site, the summit brings together more than 10,000 delegates from over 150 countries, with 150 exhibitors and sponsors across 15,000 square meters of show floor, connecting top affiliates, media groups, creators, networks, operators, martech leaders, agencies and high-growth startups in one dedicated marketplace.

A standalone summit for the affiliate economy

The new format reflects the scale the affiliate sector has reached. Until now, the affiliate track lived inside the wider SBC Summit as one more zone; in 2026 it graduates to a full event with its own identity, while remaining co-located so delegates can move between both communities. SBC also strengthened the program through a partnership with Conversion Conf, the specialist conference for affiliates and performance marketers led by CEO Lana Rossi, who said the team is genuinely excited to play a role in the continued growth of the event, according to GameSpectrum.

The week closes with the Affiliate Leaders Awards, a dedicated ceremony recognizing the strongest affiliate brands, networks and campaigns of the year, separate from the traditional SBC Awards.

The agenda: from traffic drivers to media businesses

As reported by iGaming Future, the Affiliate Leaders Summit stage examines how affiliate brands can move beyond their traditional role as traffic drivers to become fully fledged media businesses. Across three days, sessions explore tightening regulations, shifting acquisition models and how brands are building effective multi-channel strategies across social platforms.

The program moves from Omnichannel Marketing Tech on day one through the Future of Affiliate Strategy and into AdTech and Analytics Innovation, covering the strategic outlook affiliates need to compete at every stage of modern growth. Access to the Affiliate Leaders Summit requires a separate ticket, a change from previous editions that signals how SBC now treats the affiliate community as a first-class audience.

Key affiliate themes for 2026

Based on the published agenda and pre-event coverage, four themes dominate the conversation in Lisbon. First, regulation: advertising rules are tightening across Europe and Latin America, and affiliates are professionalizing compliance faster than ever. Second, AI-driven acquisition, from content production to predictive analytics on player value. Third, the convergence between creators and affiliates, as influencers increasingly work on hybrid deals that mix flat fees with revenue share. Fourth, LATAM growth, with Brazil's regulated market and new frameworks in Peru and Chile reshaping where affiliate budgets flow.

Miela meets affiliates and operators in Lisbon

Miela is in Lisbon this week, as we shared in our SBC Summit 2026 announcement. Nicolás Ignacio Sánchez Negrete, Chief Marketing Officer, and Pedro Landa, Business Development Manager, are holding meetings with affiliates, operators and platforms throughout the event, with a focus on how influencer marketing and creator-led campaigns complement affiliate acquisition in regulated markets. If you are attending the Affiliate Leaders Summit and want to explore hybrid creator and affiliate models for LATAM, reach out through our contact page.

FAQ

What is the Affiliate Leaders Summit? A three-day summit dedicated entirely to acquisition, traffic growth and commercial performance, co-located with SBC Summit 2026 in Lisbon and run for the first time as a standalone event with its own ticketing.

How many people attend the Affiliate Leaders Summit? Organizers expect around 10,000 delegates from more than 150 countries, with over 150 exhibitors and sponsors.

Is Miela attending? Yes. Miela's CMO Nicolás Sánchez Negrete and Pedro Landa are in Lisbon during the summit, open to meetings with affiliates, operators and platforms.

Miela Insight

The graduation of the Affiliate Leaders Summit into a standalone event is the clearest signal yet that acquisition in iGaming has split into specialized disciplines, and that the old line between affiliate and creator is dissolving. Affiliates now think like media companies, and creators increasingly think like performance partners. The brands that win in 2026 will be the ones able to orchestrate both under a single, measurable strategy.

That orchestration is exactly where Miela operates: more than 500 own creators, verified talent across gaming and betting verticals, and campaign models built for regulated markets in LATAM and Europe. Lisbon this week is the right place to start that conversation, and our team is on the ground to have it.