SBC to switch flagship event to Lisbon following ICE relocation

SBC has confirmed it will switch its flagship event from Barcelona to Lisbon in the latest twist to the industry’s tradeshow tussle.

SBC Summit Barcelona, which kicks off this week, will be replaced by SBC Summit 2024 and head to the Portuguese capital next year.

Taking place from 24 to 26 September at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL), the summit will take up more than 100,000 sq m of exhibition and conference space, more than twice the size of the current Barcelona venue.

The move to switch from Barcelona to Lisbon comes after Clarion Gaming confirmed that industry trade show ICE would move from London to Barcelona from 2025.

ICE will be hosted at the Fira de Barcelona exhibition centre from January 2025, which is where the SBC Summit Barcelona is being held this year.

The move will bring an end to ICE’s legacy London location, having been hosted at the ExCEL since 2013 and Earls Court prior to that.

The decision to switch to Barcelona came after 17 organisations on a 23-strong board voted to move to the Catalan city.

The four-city shortlist also included Madrid, Paris and staying in London.

Rasmus Sojmark, SBC founder, said: “The decision for a new home for our flagship event was driven by its remarkable growth, which had clearly outpaced the capacity of Fira Barcelona Montjuïc, as well as praise and support from clients and industry stakeholders.

“We knew that FIL possessed all the essential elements for scaling our event while maintaining accessibility and upholding the high-quality standards we’ve set for ourselves. I’m excited about what lies ahead. This is a unique moment for SBC, and we’re wholeheartedly embracing it,” he added.

Maria João Rocha de Matos, FIL general director, said: “We are thrilled to welcome the SBC Summit to Lisbon in 2024. We can’t wait to showcase all that FIL and Lisbon have to offer and make the SBC Summit a resounding success for many years to come.”