Read time 5 minutes
ICE 2026 lands at a pivotal moment for iGaming and sports betting. Regulation is advancing across key markets; competition is intensifying, and the largest World Cup in history is approaching. Together, these forces are reshaping how operators think about acquisition, engagement, and long-term player value.
For marketing teams, this is not just another event on the calendar. It is the starting point of a year where speed, relevance, and execution discipline will separate leaders from laggards.
Optimove brings a focused set of initiatives that reflect this reality. From Positionless Marketing in action, to new thinking on loyalty, to practical preparation for the World Cup, here are four reasons to meet Optimove this January in Barcelona.
Optimove’s 216 sqm stand is designed as a working environment, not a showroom. It is a place where operators can explore how Positionless Marketing translates into practical execution across CRM, loyalty, and engagement.
Across six demo stations, attendees can see live demonstrations of how teams use Optimove to:
Hands-on sessions also highlight how Optimove Gamify enables marketers to design engagement and loyalty experiences independently, turning everyday player activity into meaningful progress moments.
Throughout ICE, Optimove’s team will be onsite to share practical guidance on how operators can convert first deposits into sustained engagement, maximize lifetime value, and build durable marketing foundations for 2026 and beyond.
The World Cup will be the most disruptive commercial moment of 2026 for iGaming. Operators who treat it as a short-term acquisition spike risk losing far more value than they gain.
At ICE, Optimove will share insights from its 2026 World Cup Playbook, alongside a Pre-World Cup Playbook, based on proprietary data and designed to help operators prepare well before kickoff.
The playbooks focus on how to:
Rather than tactics for individual games, the playbooks offer a lifecycle framework that connects acquisition, engagement, and retention into a single strategy built for high-volatility events.
During ICE week, Optimove will host Unlocking Loyalty, an invite-only roadshow exploring how loyalty is moving beyond static points and tiers.
In this session, Kalev Kärpuk, Director of Gamification at Optimove and founder of Adact, will share how leading operators are rethinking loyalty as an ongoing experience shaped by progress, participation, and behavior rather than delayed rewards alone. He will also offer a first look at how Optimove is approaching the next generation of loyalty execution, including how gamified structures can be embedded more naturally across the customer journey.
Additionally, the session will connect loyalty strategy with major moments like the World Cup, including how operators can better engage the Movable Middle, the segment most likely to change behavior when activated at the right time.
This is a forward-looking conversation about where loyalty is heading and how operators can prepare, without committing to wholesale changes overnight.
Brazil remains one of the most dynamic and complex iGaming markets in the world, and 2026 is a defining year for the region.
Optimove will sponsor the Brazilian Lounge Happy Hour, taking place at Booth #4F34 on January 19-20, from 4:30PM to 6:00PM, bringing together operators, partners, and industry leaders to connect around the forces shaping Brazil’s next phase of growth.
As regulation advances and competition accelerates, Brazilian operators are under pressure to deliver relevance, speed, and consistency at the level players already expect from global consumer brands. The Happy Hour offers space for candid conversations about how teams are navigating fragmentation, regional differences, and rising expectations, and what it will take to stand out in the years ahead.
During the Happy Hour, Optimove will also host a giveaway for attendees. One item will be raffled exclusively among early birds who register in advance, while two additional items will be awarded on site to participants who take part in activities during the event.
Register for the giveaway here: https://forms.gle/o8WqyugJewieRrfW8.
Optimove is running an on-site raffle inspired by a simple idea: Positionless Marketing is about action. The experience rewards engagement, creativity, and presence throughout ICE.
To enter, attendees can participate by engaging with Optimove on the show floor and on LinkedIn, including taking a photo at the Optimove photo wall, sharing it on LinkedIn while tagging Optimove and using the #PositionlessMarketing hashtag, following Optimove on LinkedIn, and completing a short entry form via the QR code available at the booth.
The raffle features standout prizes, including a trip for two to a dream destination as the grand prize, along with additional rewards such as AirPods Pro (3rd generation) for other winners. Terms and conditions apply.
ICE 2026 is not just another stop on the industry calendar. It is the starting point for a year that will test how well marketing organizations are built to respond to change.
Visit Optimove at Booth #4C30, January 19 to 21 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, and see how Positionless Marketing helps teams do anything and be everything when it matters most.
Do anything. Be everything.
To schedule a meeting in advance, contact us here.
Free your marketing team from the bottlenecks of the assembly line
Writers in the Optimove Team include marketing, R&D, product, data science, customer success, and technology experts who were instrumental in the creation of Positionless Marketing, a movement enabling marketers to do anything, and be everything.
Optimove’s leaders’ diverse expertise and real-world experience provide expert commentary and insight into proven and leading-edge marketing practices and trends.
