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RS: The thing I think I'm most proud of isn't actually the celebrities or the size of the events. It's that SBC has become a place where the industry comes together. It allows me and everyone at SBC to be part of something special. We are actually creating a place where the industry feels that it belongs. I don’t want to put down my competitors, but I think this is something no other industry organiser can lay claim to. Focusing on relationships and delivering something that works to build them has always been the ambition, even if the scale of it has become much bigger than we originally imagined. That said when you grow a business, things change, of course, and you sometimes forget to take pleasure in what we have actually achieved. Very quickly we are chasing the next goal. But for me that is part of my ambition and the excitement, I have always loved to create and build things, take on new challenges and make something truly special out of it. SP: You’ve featured some big names in the last couple of years. I was at the event last year with some of the biggest names in football. What is the thinking there and how do you get those big names to show up? RS: I've always believed that B2B events don't have to be boring. Business focus and willingness to learn will align more easily when people feel happy and appreciated; when they are allowed to connect with what you offer them in more than one way. As a result, the different experiences create a better outcome for everyone. People are giving us three days of their time. They're travelling from another country, staying in hotels, being away from their families and spending money to attend. We have a responsibility to make those three days memorable and worth the trouble of attending, both when it comes to business ROI and personal experiences. For me there are five pillars of a great event: the trade show, the networking, the conference and content, the education and learning, and the visitor experience. That's what we've always
tried to combine: serious business with great experience. You need excellent content, you need the CEOs, regulators, lawyers and industry experts discussing the issues that genuinely matter. But why can't you also have Michael Jordan? Why can't you have some of the biggest names in sport, entertainment and business? Michael Jordan is not just a sports legend, he’s a leader, an entrepreneur, he’s an inspiration. Then why can't you finish the day with an evening event where The Script will perform? Or an incredible closing party with legendary DJ Tiesto dedicated to all the hard-working exhibitors? I don't see those things as in competition with each other. I think they make the event stronger. Some people might say it takes away from the business and ROI, but I think quite the opposite is true. When you have a well-executed B2B event and people are enjoying themselves, then actually more business gets done. And getting the big names has become easier as SBC has grown, but it's still about relationships, persistence and sometimes being a little bit crazy and ambitious. It’s also about reinvesting into the events, because the stars don’t come cheap. I have always made clear our events are not just about making money. We are in a position to put something back into the industry, to give people the best time and ultimately that makes the business better too. You just can’t do that if you are backed by a private equity house that needs to maximise profit. That takes money out of the industry where we are in a position to invest back into the industry. We have always had big ambitions around the Super Stage. The ambition was to create special moments paired with the greatest speakers in sports, tech and gaming; And when you start asking yourself, "Who is the ultimate name? Who could we bring to Lisbon that would genuinely make people stop and say, wow, SBC has taken this to another level?" Michael Jordan was the name; alongside industry legends like Carsten
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IMGL MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2026
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