Affiliate Leaders Summit expands into dedicated event
Table of contents
- The Affiliate Leaders Summit will operate as a standalone event co-located with SBC Summit in Lisbon from 29 September to 1 October 2026.
- The event has grown from a dedicated zone within SBC Summit in 2024, with exhibition floor space up 40% and affiliate registrations up nearly 50% year on year in 2025.
- More than 10,000 delegates from over 150 countries are expected to attend, with early bird tickets priced at €419 until 5 June.
The Affiliate Leaders Summit is making its debut as a fully standalone event in 2026, co-located with SBC Summit at Feira Internacional de Lisboa from 29 September to 1 October.
Launched in 2024 as a dedicated zone within SBC Summit, the event has grown significantly in two years. It will now operate with its own separate ticketing system, reflecting continued growth and increasing audience diversification.
From zone to summit
The 2025 edition marked a turning point. The exhibition floor expanded by 40% and affiliate registrations climbed by nearly 50% year on year, accelerating the event’s transition into a dedicated summit with its own exhibition, conference programme, academy sessions, awards, and event experiences.
The 2026 edition is expected to draw more than 10,000 delegates from over 150 countries across a 15,000 sqm exhibition floor featuring more than 150 exhibitors and sponsors. The audience spans SEO and paid media specialists, streamers, tipsters, creator-led publishers, and enterprise-level operators.
The three-day conference programme will cover affiliate strategy, omnichannel marketing technology, adtech innovation, and evolving acquisition models. Sessions are set to address geo expansion, compliance in regulated markets, AI-driven optimisation, attribution, and first-party data strategies.
Academy and awards
New for 2026, the Affiliate Leaders Academy will run alongside the main conference. The three-day training programme is structured around SEO, emerging channels, and next-generation data management, offering delegates practical frameworks and tools for acquisition and performance strategies.
The Affiliate Leaders Awards will return as a standalone ceremony celebrating excellence across the affiliate and performance marketing industry.
Ticketing and access
Affiliates and regulators can attend with a complimentary VIP Pass. Non-affiliate attendees can secure tickets at the early bird rate of €419 until 5 June, after which the price rises to €599.
Affiliate Leaders Summit ticket holders also gain access to the SBC Summit exhibition, conference programme, and event experiences, including five themed conference stages and keynote presentations at the MEO Arena Super Stage.
A dedicated SBC Connect app for Affiliate Leaders Summit delegates launches on 24 August, enabling meeting scheduling and partnership building before, during, and after the event.
Co-located with SBC Summit, which draws more than 40,000 delegates, the Affiliate Leaders Summit now has the floor space, the programme, and the audience to stand as its own commercial destination.
Whether operators are hunting affiliate partners or tech providers are pitching acquisition tools, the event’s format puts those conversations front and centre, separate from the noise of the broader show.
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