adminThe iicon conference has expanded its speaker lineup, adding EA CEO Andrew Wilson alongside leaders from major video game companies, sports organizations and entertainment businesses. The event is designed to bring senior decision-makers together to discuss opportunities connected to interactive entertainment.
Image credit: iicon
iicon conference dates, venue and featured speakers
Organized by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), iicon is scheduled for 27–29 April at the Fontainbleu resort in Las Vegas. Wilson and Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick are set to lead the first two sessions. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, Riot CEO Dylan Jadeja and Savvy Games Group CEO Brian Ward are among the executives heading sessions on the second day.
The conference says it will bring together business executives and senior decision-makers from different industries to consider how interactive entertainment can create opportunities for growth and expansion. For attendees planning around the program, the announced executives offer a useful indication of the event’s focus on both games business strategy and connections with other sectors.
Sports, talent and entertainment sessions
The announced program also looks at how games and entertainment reach audiences. WWE’s Xavier Woods and 2K’s Ronnie 2K are scheduled to discuss the role of talent in connecting with global audiences. Leaders from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) will explore storytelling in sports through games.
Story Kitchen, the production company behind the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, is also included in the lineup. Its session will examine how game intellectual property can be adapted for screen projects. These topics may be useful to professionals interested in how established game worlds, sports and public figures can support storytelling across media.
Research and additional iicon speakers
IGN Entertainment is leading a data-focused breakout session based on findings from its forthcoming Generations in Play research initiative. Karl Stewart, IGN Entertainment’s senior vice president of global marketing and head of the IMAGINE AI platform, will speak with Brent Koning, global head of gaming at Dentsu. Their discussion will focus on differences in media consumption patterns between generations.
Other announced participants include executives from Roblox, Amazon, The New York Times, the Creative Artists Agency and Goldman Sachs. The current lineup is available through iicon’s event information, and further sessions are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Because the program is still developing, prospective attendees should check for updates before making plans around specific sessions.
Why the iicon conference matters to the games industry
iicon is the ESA’s first major event since E3 ended. E3 ran from 1995 until 2021, went on hiatus and was formally discontinued in 2023. The ESA announced iicon in 2025. ESA President Stanley Pierre-Lewis described the event as a place for people across industries to connect and explore possibilities through interactive entertainment.
With speakers from gaming, sports, media and finance, the iicon conference is positioned as a cross-industry gathering rather than a showcase focused only on game announcements. Its announced sessions cover executive strategy, audience behavior, sports storytelling and adaptations of game properties. Readers following the event can use the evolving lineup to identify the discussions most relevant to their work and interests.
