How to Time a Press Release Around iGaming Trade Shows

For most iGaming announcements tied to a trade show, the best time to publish is one to three working days before the show opens. Editors still have space, readers are planning their meetings, and your sales team can share live coverage before the first handshake. Announcements made on the opening morning compete with hundreds of others and are often buried within hours.

Why Trade Shows Change the Timing

Gaming trade media follows the event calendar. In the weeks around a major show, newsrooms fill up with supplier announcements, partnership news, product launches and previews. Editors publish more than usual, but each story gets less time on the homepage.

That creates two windows. Before the show, attention is high and competition is still manageable. During the show, competition peaks and many editors are on the floor rather than at their desks. After the show, there is a short gap when newsrooms want follow-up stories.

Each window suits different news. The skill is in matching the announcement to the window, not just picking the busiest week.

The 2026 to 2027 Shows That Shape the Calendar

These are the major iGaming shows on the calendar over the next year, with dates confirmed on each organiser’s site. Full details, venues and links are on our events page.

• SiGMA World, Rome: 2 to 5 November 2026.
• ICE Barcelona: 18 to 20 January 2027, with iGB Affiliate Barcelona at the same venue on 19 and 20 January.
• BiS SiGMA South America, São Paulo: 5 to 8 April 2027.
• SiGMA Europe, Malta: 3 to 5 May 2027.
• NEXT Summit: Valletta: 26 and 27 May 2027.
• SBC Summit, Lisbon: 21 to 23 September 2027.
• G2E, Las Vegas: 27 to 30 September 2027.

ICE and iGB Affiliate in January set the tone for the year, and many suppliers hold their biggest product news for that week. Check the official ICE Barcelona and G2E sites before you plan, since schedules for side events and conference days can shift.

Pre-Show Releases

Pre-show is the right window for most announcements: new products, platform updates, new markets, partnerships agreed before the show and senior hires.

Best timing

One to three working days before the doors open. Earlier than a week and attendees may not connect the news with the show. Later than the evening before and you compete with the opening-day rush.

What to include

Mention the show and your stand number. Attendees use trade coverage to plan which stands to visit, and a stand number turns a news story into a meeting request. Add a named spokesperson available at the show and a way to book time.

Why it works

Sales teams can send live coverage in pre-show meeting confirmations. Prospects arrive having read the news. Our trade show launch case study shows how a supplier used exactly this approach.

On-Site Releases

Publishing during the show makes sense only when the news needs the show.

• A live product demo or launch event at the stand.
• A partnership signed in person at the show, with photos.
• Awards won at the show.
• A keynote or panel announcement that will be made on stage.

Have the release written and approved before you travel. Publish it as soon as the moment happens, ideally with a photo from the stand. Same-day distribution matters here, because a release that goes live two days after the show has closed has lost its reason to exist.

Post-Show Releases

The week after a show is quieter, and editors want follow-up stories. This is a good window for:

• Deals signed at the show, once both sides have approved the announcement.
• Results and highlights, such as a product’s reception or the number of operators met, where you can report real figures.
• Analysis or commentary from your team on what the show revealed about the market.

Post-show releases also catch the people who could not attend. For many suppliers, that is a large part of the audience.

Be careful with numbers in post-show news. “We met operators from 40 countries” is only worth publishing if it is true and you can stand behind it. Trade editors are used to inflated show claims and tend to ignore them. A specific, verifiable fact, such as a named partner agreement or a product going live with a named operator, carries far more weight than a big round number. If the partner has not yet approved being named, wait until they have rather than publishing a vague version.

A Planning Timeline

Working back from the show’s opening day:

1. Four weeks before: confirm what you are announcing and who signs off. Book distribution so the outlet list is confirmed.
2. Three weeks before: draft the release, quotes and boilerplate. Prepare images, including a stand photo template for on-site news.
3. Two weeks before: internal and partner approval. Partnership releases need sign-off from both companies, which takes longer than expected.
4. One week before: compliance review for responsible gambling language and licensing details. Lock the final text.
5. One to three working days before: publish the pre-show release. Share live URLs with the sales team.
6. Show week: publish any on-site release the moment it happens.
7. Week after: post-show release, then follow up on coverage that mentioned you without linking.

Compliance Still Applies in Show Week

Show pressure is not a reason to skip compliance review. Gaming trade outlets expect responsible gambling messaging and accurate licensing details, and they will hold or reject a release without them. A release that implies guaranteed wins or targets markets where the operator is not licensed can create problems that outlast the show.

If your announcement is about a crypto casino or gaming token, plan for an extra review round. Our guide to crypto gaming press releases covers the additional rules.

Mistakes That Waste Show Week Coverage

• Announcing on the opening morning by default. Unless the news needs the show, it will be buried among hundreds of others.
• Leaving out the stand number. Attendees who read the news cannot find you.
• Waiting for partner sign-off until the last day. Partnership releases stall more often than any other kind.
• A spokesperson who is unavailable. Journalists at the show want short interviews. Name someone who will be at the stand.
• No images. Gaming trade outlets give image-led stories better placement.
• Forgetting the people who are not there. Many buyers follow shows through trade media. Write the release so it makes sense without being at the event.

Measuring Trade Show Coverage

Track live placements and confirm each one carries the stand number, licensing details and responsible gambling text. Ask the sales team how many meetings mentioned the coverage, which is often the most telling measure for a B2B supplier. In the weeks after, watch branded search and referral traffic from trade outlets, then follow up on articles that named the brand without linking.

Choosing the Outlets

Trade show coverage should go to B2B trade media, which is what attendees read. Our guide to which iGaming news outlets actually matter explains how to tell trade outlets from player-facing sites. For a broader view of packages, see what makes iGaming press release distribution different.

Frequently Asked Questions