ESA’s iicon Summit Lines Up Gaming’s Most Powerful Roster

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EA Sports CEO Andrew Wilson will be a featured speaker at the Entertainment Software Association’s new conference, iicon. He’ll join other industry leaders like Strauss Zelnick from Take-Two Interactive, Yves Guillemot of Ubisoft, Dylan Jadeja from Riot Games, and Brian Ward of Savvy Games Group, who are already scheduled to speak.

This exclusive conference will be held from April 27th to 30th, 2026, at the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas. It’s designed for business leaders and key decision-makers from various industries to discuss how to grow and expand their businesses using opportunities within the interactive entertainment world.

The event will kick off with sessions led by Wilson and Zelnick on the first day, followed by Guillemot, Jadeja, and Ward on day two. The schedule goes beyond just video games, featuring speakers and topics from professional sports, movies, media, finance, healthcare, education, and the tech industry.

I’m really excited for some of the panels at this event! Xavier Woods from WWE and Ronnie 2K are going to talk about how performers and athletes connect with fans around the world, which sounds fascinating. They’ve also got leaders from MLB and the NBA discussing how games can tell amazing stories. And get this – the people behind the Sonic the Hedgehog movies from Story Kitchen are going to share how they bring game characters to the big screen! It’s clear Hollywood is really interested in video game stories, with Warner Bros. Discovery and Skybound Entertainment also involved, and the ESA is highlighting all of it.

According to Stanley Pierre-Louis, head of the Entertainment Software Association, the world of video games is now shaping how businesses in all sectors approach technology, crafting narratives, and connecting with customers. Their iicon event allows leaders in the gaming industry to network directly with innovators in fields like sports, finance, and media. It’s a unique opportunity for leaders across different industries to discuss how interactive entertainment can boost income, expand customer bases, and strengthen brand connections.

IGN Entertainment, the company behind GamesIndustry.biz, will be hosting a session to share findings from their new research on how different generations play games and consume media. Karl Stewart, a marketing leader at IGN, will discuss these generational differences with Brent Koning, a gaming expert from Dentsu. GamesIndustry.biz will also be involved in other events that will be announced soon.

The event will also feature speakers from leading companies like Roblox, Amazon, Microsoft Xbox, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Scopely, AWS, 2K Games, The New York Times, Yahoo, Creative Artists Agency, the NHLPA, the American Red Cross, and Goldman Sachs. You can find a current list of speakers on the iicon website, and they’ll be adding more sessions soon.

The ESA created iicon as a focused event for leaders and innovators to connect, form relationships, and discover new business ventures. It features inspiring talks, interactive sessions, and exclusive networking chances with top executives who are driving change in entertainment, business, and technology.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two, reaffirmed his company’s long-time support for the ESA. He highlighted the iicon convention as a sign of how video games are constantly evolving and becoming increasingly popular as a leading form of art and cultural impact. Zelnick also expressed Take-Two’s excitement to connect with others in the industry during what he sees as a particularly successful time for gaming.

According to Laurent Detoc, head of direct-to-player initiatives at Ubisoft, video games are incredibly innovative, driving advancements in both technology and creative expression that go well beyond simple entertainment. He’s excited about iicon’s potential to connect forward-thinking leaders – both within and outside the gaming world – to shape the future of the industry.

According to Xbox President Sarah Bond, the company aims to make gaming accessible to everyone, no matter where they are, and support the developers who create those games. She highlighted the importance of iicon, a platform created by the ESA, for bringing together leaders from the gaming industry and its partners, and believes this will lead to more collaboration and growth.

According to Christoph Hartmann, VP of Amazon Games, the gaming industry is always changing and increasingly connected to other fields. He highlighted iicon as a meeting of top gaming professionals designed to address current issues and explore future possibilities, and expressed Amazon Games’ support for this effort.

John Heinecke, head of publishing for Square Enix in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia/New Zealand, explained that video games have become a major part of global culture thanks to their ability to entertain, connect people, and utilize cutting-edge technology. He praised iicon as a fantastic event where industry leaders and innovators can both celebrate successes and collaborate on the future of entertainment.

Doug Bowser, Chairman of the ESA Board, explained that the Entertainment Software Association and its members are at the forefront of innovation in culture, business, and how people connect. He believes it’s fitting for the ESA to host an event encouraging the sharing of new ideas with other industry leaders. iicon, the event, aims to unite leaders from various fields to explore how the interactive entertainment industry’s strengths can lead to groundbreaking advancements.

Following the end of the E3 gaming showcase, which ran for over two decades before closing in 2023, the ESA has announced Iicon. Launched in 2025, Iicon aims to bring together leaders from various industries to explore the future of interactive entertainment. With the video game industry expected to exceed $300 billion in revenue by 2027, the ESA is establishing Iicon as a key event for discovering new business and technological opportunities.

Disney, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Nintendo of America, Square Enix, and Warner Bros. Games are all confirmed to participate. Those who want to attend or sponsor the event can now pre-register and sign up for updates on the website at iicon.com.

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2026-04-29 11:39