Wasim Khan, Head of Affiliate Marketing at Stake looks forward to January's iGB Affiliate Barcelona which he describes as being the most time-effective way to meet a critical mass of partners and accelerate decisions that would otherwise take weeks to conclude.

How does iGB Affiliate contribute to your business, what do you gain from participating in the event and what does success look like?

iGB Affiliate is where we turn relationships into results. It gives us face-to-face time with existing partners to deepen trust, negotiate commercial terms, and map growth plans. It's also a proven source of new, high-quality partners. Success for us is having a stronger pipeline of the right affiliates, a handful of signed and scalable deals, and clear follow-ups that convert within the quarter.

Taking place at the beginning of the year do you think the iGB Affiliate will set the tone for the remainder of 2026. Do you think it has the ability to get the year off to a positive and confident start?

We're realistic about predicting a whole year from one week, but the timing is valuable. January lets us align calendars early, lock Q1'Q2 campaigns, and move quickly on new opportunities.

How would you describe the experience that iGB Affiliate delivers for visitors and exhibitors?

It's efficient and partner-centric. We treat it as the most time-effective way to meet a critical mass of partners, negotiate face-to-face, and accelerate decisions that would take weeks over email.

The 2026 edition of iGB Affiliate will be 19% bigger than in 2025 ' how important is it to have a healthy and growing exhibition to participate in?

Growth matters for us. The big players will always show up, but a larger show brings fresh, niche affiliates and new vertical angles. That mix keeps conversations productive and helps us discover partners we wouldn't meet otherwise.

In your opinion what are the main trends impacting the industry?

Two standouts: regulation and AI. More markets are moving towards regulatory frameworks which are maturing the ecosystem. Alongside that, AI is reshaping operations, from content workflows to analytics.

What are the most promising emerging markets and what opportunities do they present?

For Stake, LATAM is one of our most promising emerging markets. The region has a fast-growing appetite for both sports and entertainment, with increasing digital adoption and mobile-first audience. There's also a strong cultural passion for football and UFC, which aligns perfectly with Stake's brand and ambassador portfolio.

In your opinion how is AI impacting/transforming the industry?

AI speeds up content production, improves targeting and reporting, and automates repetitive work, freeing people to focus on creativity, partnerships, and compliance quality.

What are you most looking forward to from participating in and being a part of iGB Affiliate 2026?

Meeting partners face-to-face, negotiating smart, scalable deals, and opening new opportunity streams.