From September 16 to 18, 2025, the heart of the iGaming and affiliate world beat in Lisbon. The SBC Lisbon Summit 2025 took over the Feira Internacional de Lisboa & MEO Arena, and it was a massive success.
Affnook was right there in the middle of the action! Our Head of Sales for the EU, Jeremy Castillo, represented the team. We spent three high-energy days listening, learning, and figuring out how we can all grow smarter together.
A Record-Breaking Event
SBC Lisbon wasn’t just big—it was historic. This year broke every record with over 30,000 attendees from 150 different countries. With 700 exhibitors and hundreds of experts speaking, the sheer scale of the event showed just how fast our industry is moving.
What made it special were the “thematic zones.” Whether you were into payments, player protection, or affiliate marketing, there was a dedicated space for you. There were even new stages focused on emerging markets, proving that the digital marketing world is truly becoming a global neighborhood.
Jeremy’s Mission: Listen and Connect
For Affnook, the goal wasn’t just to talk about ourselves. Jeremy had a very clear plan:
- Catch up with old friends: Strengthening our current partnerships.
- Meet new faces: Connecting with people who are looking for better tracking solutions.
- Listen more than talk: Understanding the daily “pain points” that advertisers and affiliates are facing.
- Share our vision: Explaining how Affnook focuses on transparency and quality traffic.
At events this big, the best insights don’t always come from the stage—they come from one-on-one chats over coffee or a quick meeting between sessions.
What We Learned (The “Big 5”)
Throughout the week, five main themes kept coming up in almost every conversation:
- The World is Getting Smaller: Growth isn’t just happening in Europe. There is massive interest in Latin America and Asia, but each region needs its own unique approach.
- Tracking is Getting Harder: With new privacy rules and people using multiple devices, measuring “what’s working” is a challenge. (Luckily, this is exactly what we specialize in!)
- Trust is Everything: As networks get bigger, the risk of fraud goes up. Everyone is looking for “clean” traffic and partners they can actually trust.
- Teamwork Wins: Tech companies and affiliate networks are working closer together than ever to make sure their systems “talk” to each other seamlessly.
- The “Magic” Happens in the Margins: Some of the best business ideas were born during casual dinners and informal meetups after the sun went down.
Looking at the Road Ahead
As we flew home, we realized that the industry faces some hurdles, but they are also great opportunities. Privacy changes mean our data models have to stay smart. Localization means we can’t just use a “one size fits all” strategy. Most importantly, being transparent is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s the only way to beat the competition.
A Huge Thank You
SBC Lisbon 2025 reminded us of a simple truth: people drive this industry. While we love our data and our platforms, it’s the relationships and shared visions that actually make things happen.
To everyone who took a moment to chat with Jeremy: Thank you. Your feedback is going directly into how we build and improve Affnook in the coming months.
If we missed you in Lisbon, let’s not wait for the next conference! Reach out today, and let’s see how we can grow together.
FAQs
What were the key highlights of SBC Lisbone 2025?
Some major highlights of SBC Lisbone 2025 included record-breaking attendance, thematic zones focused on payments, affiliate marketing, and player protection, as well as dedicated stages for emerging markets.
What were the main takeaways for Affnook from SBC Lisbone?
Affnook gained valuable insights into global market expansion, evolving tracking challenges, the growing importance of trust and transparency, and the need for stronger collaboration between tech platforms and affiliate networks.
How did SBC Lisbone help strengthen industry connections?
Beyond keynote sessions and panels, SBC Lisbone created space for meaningful one-on-one conversations, informal meetups, and networking opportunities where real partnerships and ideas were formed.
Why is tracking and transparency a major topic at SBC Lisbone?
With increasing privacy regulations and multi-device user behavior, accurate tracking has become more complex. Events like SBC Lisbone highlight the need for transparent, reliable solutions to help brands and affiliates measure performance effectively.
