At ICE Barcelona, speaking slots go first to operators and regulators, and software, data and platform providers get on the agenda only through sponsorship. At other events, a strong, original pitch sent early to the right team can still win a slot on merit. Applications for ICE Barcelona 2027 close on Friday 30 October 2026.
Key takeaways
- ICE Barcelona 2027 (18–20 January, Fira Barcelona Gran Via) is taking speaker applications until 30 October 2026.
- ICE gives priority to operators and regulators. Software, data and platform providers are directed to its Thought Leadership Sponsorship.
- Organisers reject sales pitches. They want original material that hasn’t been presented anywhere else: research, data and case studies.
- Outside ICE, a strong pitch can still win a slot on merit. One CEO told me on Footprints in the Market she got speaking slots without paying.
Who gets to speak at ICE Barcelona?
ICE’s own speaker page is direct about it. Priority goes to operators and regulators. Anyone representing a software, data or platform provider can join the agenda only through its Thought Leadership Sponsorship (ICE, Apply to speak, checked 15 October 2026).
For suppliers, that means two routes at ICE: sponsor, or help an operator client apply with a story you were part of, knowing the slot is theirs. Everywhere else, the usual rules of a good pitch apply, and the rest of this guide covers them.
ICE reviews proposals on a rolling basis against set criteria: market-led research, relevance, innovation and originality. Its page says unsuccessful applicants “will not be contacted but you are welcome to reapply next year”. Speakers get a complimentary pass with VIP upgrades, invitations to networking receptions and possible media interviews.
What do conference organisers look for in a talk?
Organisers want a talk their audience can’t get anywhere else. ICE spells it out: “No self/company promotion talks, or vendor ‘pitches’ will be accepted.” Proposals must also be 100% original and not presented elsewhere before ICE Barcelona.
The same page lists what strengthens a proposal:
- Your own research, or data the audience hasn’t seen.
- Operator access: a real operator on stage, or a case study with their permission.
- Case studies with numbers and dates.
- Peer-reviewed data where it fits the topic.
- A short demo video (around five minutes) showing how you present.
It also warns against offering “a standard stance on a broad, much-discussed topic”. A specific, surprising angle beats a safe one.
Do you have to pay to speak at iGaming events?
Sometimes, but not always. Viktoriia Grygorenko, CEO of The Playa, heard the paid version when her company entered iGaming. On Footprints in the Market S4 E3, she said:
“Once we talked to some companies, they told us everything is paid. PR articles, only for money. Speaking opportunities, only for money.”
Then, in her words, “we tried ways we typically use in other industries”:
“So far, we got quite some PR coverage for free, and speaking opportunities as well. I think it depends on whether you have something important and interesting to give.”
Both things are true. At ICE, a supplier’s route onto the agenda is sponsorship. Across the wider events calendar, as Viktoriia found, a sharp idea and a well-chosen pitch can still open doors.
How to pitch a speaking slot, step by step
- Pick the event for the audience, not the size. A panel in front of 80 of the right operators is worth more than a slot at a show where your buyers aren’t in the room.
- Find the official route. ICE has an Apply to speak page. SBC runs “Become a Speaker” pages for its summits, for example SBC Summit Malta.
- Lead with the insight, not the company. Open the pitch with the finding, then say why you can stand behind it.
- Bring an operator if you can. Co-presenting with a client answers the “is this a pitch?” question before anyone asks it.
- Offer proof you can present. A short clip of you speaking, a podcast appearance or a webinar recording.
- Apply early. ICE reviews on a rolling basis, so a proposal sent in good time is read while more slots are open.
- Turn a no into a yes elsewhere. Reuse the idea for a smaller event, a webinar or a podcast, and apply again next year.
Not every stage is a conference. Podcasts, webinars and panels at smaller events let you test a talk, build a clip of yourself speaking and earn the credibility bigger organisers look for. Manik Kochian on Footprints in the Market S4 E4 talks through how LinkedIn video builds that kind of profile.
Should you sponsor instead?
| Route | Who it suits | Cost | Slot guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICE open application | Operators and regulators | Free to apply | No, rolling review |
| ICE Thought Leadership Sponsorship | Software, data and platform providers | Paid | Yes, on the agenda |
| Helping an operator client apply | Suppliers with a shared case study | Free | No, and the slot is the operator’s |
| Smaller events, panels and podcasts | Anyone with a sharp idea | Varies | No |
Sponsor when a guaranteed slot at a specific show matters more than the cost, for example at a launch or in a market you’re entering. Pitch on merit when you have genuinely new material and time to build up to the bigger stages.
Whichever route you choose, judge it by who was in the room and what happened next: meetings booked, conversations that went somewhere, and whether operators remember you when they draw up a shortlist.
Browse more B2B insights from the show, or listen to every episode.
Speaking at iGaming events: questions people ask
When is the ICE Barcelona 2027 speaker deadline?
Friday 30 October 2026, according to ICE’s Apply to speak page (checked 15 October 2026). The event runs 18–20 January 2027.
Can suppliers speak at ICE?
Only through sponsorship. ICE’s Apply to speak page says anyone representing a software, data or platform solution provider “can only participate on the agenda” as part of its Thought Leadership Sponsorship.
What makes a speaker proposal stand out?
Original research or data, operator access, and a real case study, according to ICE. It rejects anything that reads like a sales pitch.
Want to be on the show? If you’ve got a story worth telling about marketing in iGaming, come on the show.
Sharon McFarlane hosts Footprints in the Market, the podcast about marketing in iGaming. Meet the team.
