25K delegates descend on SiGMA Europe 2023

The SiGMA Europe Summit in 2023 was a Malta week to remember, bringing all the premium networking experiences, keynote addresses, panel discussions and industry presence that outshone the delegation of over 25,000’s expectations.  Breathing life into a brand new venue at the Mediterranean Maritime Hub (MMH), the exhibition floor was a true labyrinth of impressive industry opportunities and spectacles. Boasting 2 stages, an expansive open-air food court and more stands than ever, the MMH was a succinctly fitting venue for all the event had to offer.

Esteemed delegation

SiGMA Group’s largest-ever attending delegation brought incredible diversity and quality in its decision-making and industry-leading individuals, including the CEO of Wicked Games Darryl Manning, Alexandre Tomic, Founder and CEO of Alea, serial entrepreneur, David Meltzer and Soft2Bet’s CEO, Uri Poliavich to name only a small few.  AIBC’s Summit also drew a great deal of expertise and knowledge from the emerging technologies sector, with speakers such as Sara Al Madani, Tony Ventura and investment partner in Ikigai Ventures, Vinícius M. de Carvalho.

Impactful insights

Many of the speakers at Malta Week can most certainly be described as being outstanding in their industry and with this expertise comes a high level of insight and understanding. Uri Poliavich placed a heavy emphasis on his thought that “quality brings attention”. David Meltzer was typically knowledgeable explaining: “I have never met anyone who makes a lot of money, helps a lot of people, who isn’t happy, who isn’t inspired, isn’t inspiring others to be inspiring, so over the years I have created practices to effectuate this idea of abundance.” A focus on the state of the local industry was also a topic of discussion with Tanja Dimitrijevic, the head of legal at Red Acre Group stating with regards to the islands’ legislative movements: “Embracing innovative technologies shows that you are more forward-thinking than other jurisdictions.” You can find all of these keynote addresses and panel discussions in full on our .

Honourable arrivals

The nation’s Prime Minister, Robert Abela attended the conferences and visited the abundance of stands showcasing all the innovations being perpetuated across the most cutting-edge organisations in the industry. He noted that the event proves that Malta is a centre of excellence in the iGaming world, with SiGMA being a powerful contributor to the nation’s economy. He also mentioned that the government will continue to invest in this sector, amongst which is the implementation of a national strategy for eSports and diverse initiatives so that the education and digital gaming sector may continue to develop. He was also joined by Hon. Silvio Schembri MP, Malta’s Minister for Economy, EU Funds and Lands as well as the head of the Nationalist Party opposition leader, Bernard Grech. 

The Pitch Competition 

This year’s Malta Week also saw the much-anticipated return of the SiGMA Pitch Competition, a victory taken with joyous enthusiasm by 8BIT Gaming.  The start-up’s product displayed the quality, innovative strength and nostalgic intent to be deemed the best on the SiGMA stage by our panel of esteemed judges. The AIBC Europe Pitch was also in attendance with SharkGate emerging victorious who had this to say about their prestigious win: “We want the internet to be a safer place for everybody to enjoy and we want to revolutionise the way the industry is protected.”

MMA: CFC16 – Centurion “Mursa”

SiGMA’s flagship event also coincided with another headlining event in Centurion “Mursa”.  The Roberto Gallo-led fight promotion afforded a great number of SiGMA’s eager delegation the opportunity to attend the cumulative event in the Centurion Calendar.  The event showcased a two-fight, Co-main event, the first bout of which saw the ascension of a new Light Heavyweight Champion when Rafael Carvalho defeated Marcelo Alfaya. The 4-man Grand Prix tournament then concluded the show in ecstatic fashion when Filipe Douglas fought through two bouts, ultimately sealing a victory via unanimous decision which saw him crowned King of Malta at Ta’Qali basketball sports pavilion.

Further highlights and activities 

Aside from the plethora of premium networking opportunities afforded to SiGMA’s delegation through event evenings’ dinners and iGatherings, there was much more fun to have during the expansive event’s duration. An intriguing challenge was set at HighRoller.com’s free-to-enter, charity Poker Tournament which set a bounty on so of more higher profile players and delegates. The SiGMA Cup 5-a-side tournament at Luxol Sports Club proved to be an energetic thrill for all involved, as did the 6K fun run which took delegates from Valletta’s Grand Excelsior Hotel across the storied Maltese capital. A slower pace did not mean less exuberant as a VIP Golf tournament was hosted at the Royal Malta Golf Club, courtesy of SiGMA Play. Malta’s captivating capital was showcased in all her glory through a Land and Sea tour of the historic settlement, a UNESCO World Heritage site in its entirety.

Awards expansion

This event served as a cumulative summit for all those who have made an impact on the industry throughout the year.  So successful has the industry been this year that it was only fitting that not one but three awards nights were hosted to adequately celebrate all that has been achieved. The award evenings this year were categorised by achievements in either B2B or B2C industries for the very first time at a SiGMA event, with an anticipated return afforded to the SiGMA Streamers Awards. Notable awards winners this year included, Haddzy, who took home the accreditation of Most Innovative Streamer of the Year, G.Partners – the Best Affiliate Network of 2023 at the B2C Awards and Sportradar for Best Virtual Sports Provider 2023 at the B2B Awards.

The AIBC Europe Summit also brought its own awards night to the Casino Maltese with notable award winners being Google and the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA).

The SiGMA Foundation

The summit’s immense success in no small way extended to the Group’s philanthropic arm, the SiGMA Foundation. 

Each of these gala events would subsequently host a charity art auction which would see a terrific level of support gifted to the Foundation’s selfless endeavours to the tune of over 130K EUR. The SiGMA Foundation is a shining example of what can be accomplished when a group of passionate individuals come together for a common cause. A bright 2024 is now in store for the Foundation with profoundly impactful projects in Columbia, Ethiopia, Chile and Morrocco lined up for the coming calendar year.

To contribute to these and any upcoming projects yourself reach out to Jessie on [email protected].

SiGMA Eurasia

SiGMA’s world-renowned summits will return in 2024 when SiGMA Eurasia graces the industry’s calendar once again. Dubai will be the host yet again for the much-anticipated conference and exhibition from the 25th – 27th of February. Get your tickets now to ensure you won’t miss out!