SBC secures Lisbon as host city for SBC Summit through 2030

SBC has signed a long-term agreement with Turismo de Portugal, the Municipality of Lisbon and Lisboa FCE that confirms Lisbon as the host city for SBC Summit through 2030. The pact, finalised on the last day of the 2026 Summit, extends SBC’s commitment beyond the previously confirmed 2027 edition and secures dates and local support for 2028, 2029 and 2030.

Deal structure and partners behind the SBC Summit Lisbon 2030 commitment

The agreement was signed between SBC and three local partners: Turismo de Portugal, the Municipality of Lisbon and Lisboa FCE, the non-profit association that operates major exhibition and congress venues in the city. Lisboa FCE manages the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) complex and the MEO Arena facilities that will host the event. The pact formalises a multi-year relationship rather than an annual venue booking.

Officials at the signing included Gonçalo Reis, Vice President of the City of Lisbon; Maria Luísa Aldim, Deputy Mayor for Innovation Social Development; António Ramalho, President of the Executive Board at FIL; Carlos Oliveira, member of the Executive Board at FIL; and Teresa Monteiro, Member of the board at Turismo de Portugal. Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of SBC, led the organiser’s delegation.

“The agreement gives SBC and our attendees and partners the stability to plan and invest for the future,” Rasmus Sojmark said at the signing.

The combination of FIL and the MEO Arena is stated by the parties as giving SBC the scale to continue delivering the exhibition, conference, networking and entertainment programme that underpins the Summit.

What the commitment means for SBC Summit and Lisbon’s events calendar

The deal commits SBC to run its flagship Summit at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena for the next four editions after 2027. The organisers have already set the dates for the 2027 event: the Summit will return to FIL and the MEO Arena on 21–23 September 2027. Dates for 2028–2030 were agreed as part of the multi-year framework, giving SBC and local partners a timetable to coordinate city services, venue allocation and tourism support.

António Ramalho, President of the Executive Board at FIL, framed the agreement as a strategic partnership for Lisbon’s trade-event offer.

“We are committed to working alongside SBC, supporting its ambitions and creating the conditions for the Summit to continue growing in Lisbon,” he said.

The city sees value in scale. For the 2026 edition, attendees came from 178 countries and the Summit generated an estimated 85,000 room nights across Lisbon, with final attendance figures still being confirmed by organisers. Those figures have been used by municipal and tourism officials to justify the multi-year support package.

Programming highlights that shaped the 2026 Summit’s profile

SBC Summit’s 2026 content slate included high-profile keynotes and several new, specialist tracks. The event staged a Leadership in Sports Business keynote described in the source as one of the most high-profile ever hosted in Europe. Speakers on that panel included basketball icon Michael Jordan, Sportradar founder and CEO Carsten Koerl, and DraftKings co-founder, CEO and Chairman Jason Robins, with broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher moderating.

New sub-events introduced in 2026 included Affiliate Leaders Summit (a standalone summit for affiliate and performance marketing), the Global Prediction Markets Forum and the African Gaming Forum. The Summit also added a structured networking programme and keynote appearances from football transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano and UFC champion Charles Oliveira. The entertainment close came in the form of INFINITY Lisbon, headlined by DJ Tiësto.

Implications for organisers, venues and the local economy

The multi-year agreement reduces short-term venue risk for SBC. With dates and venue access agreed through 2030, SBC can plan multi-year content strategies, sponsorship packages and commercial partnerships knowing the host city will not change. For FIL and the Municipality of Lisbon, the commitment secures a recurring international event that drives inbound business visitation and hotel occupancy.

Local officials emphasised Lisbon’s positioning as a global events hub and the role of Parque das Nações — the district that houses FIL and the MEO Arena — in that strategy. Event-scale requirements for exhibition space, plenary capacity and entertainment infrastructure are cited by both sides as matched by the combined FIL/MEO Arena footprint.

Organisers will still need to convert the agreement into operational plans: venue layouts, transport coordination, city services and the incremental programming that keeps repeat delegates returning. The announcement does not alter SBC’s commercial or editorial strategy but clears a geographic variable that can otherwise complicate long-term sponsorship and partner negotiations.

What operators, vendors and delegates should expect next

For suppliers and partners that serve conferences and exhibitions, a secured host city through 2030 signals predictable procurement cycles. Technology vendors, staging suppliers, travel and hotel partners, and local service providers can plan capacity and staffing around confirmed dates. For delegates and sponsors the key benefit is calendar certainty: multi-year contracting becomes easier when the city and venues are fixed.

SBC’s commitment to Lisbon follows two previous editions in the city, with the Summit first arriving in Lisbon in 2024. The organiser says the city has proved a “perfect fit” year on year and that the long-term pact will allow it to expand the Summit’s international reach. The parties will reconvene around operational planning and specific dates for the 2028–2030 editions as calendar windows approach.

SBC Summit will return to Feira Internacional de Lisboa and the MEO Arena on 21–23 September 2027. For an overview of event programming and venue details see the FIL complex page and the Summit event pages for planning partners and vendors.