The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) may be gone, but the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) isn’t done putting on events centered around the games industry. The ESA announced on Thursday the creation of the Interactive Innovation Conference, or iicon.
Billed as an “essential convening for changemakers across industries”, the inaugural event will take place in Las Vegas from April 27-30, 2026.
“For decades, video games have been at the forefront of technological and cultural innovation,” ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said. “With iicon, we are creating a space for visionaries across industries to come together, connect and reimagine what’s possible through interactive entertainment.”
“The Entertainment Software Association and its member companies are among the innovators and leaders shaping the future of culture, business and human connection,” ESA’s Chairman of the Board Doug Bowser said. “It’s a natural role for ESA to host and support an event that fosters an open exchange of new ideas with our peer industry leaders. Iicon is bringing together changemakers from across industries to envision how the strengths of the interactive entertainment industry can break entirely new ground.”
As far as what organizations will take part in the event, the ESA revealed that Amazon Games, Disney, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Games. will all have a presence.
“Iicon will bring together some of the brightest minds from the games industry to navigate present challenges and harness the opportunities ahead,” Christoph Hartmann, vice president of Amazon Games, said.
Despite being run by the same organization, this event isn’t being touted as a replacement for E3, which was often filled with large presentations and, in its later years, thousands of gamers. The ESA says that iicon is “tailored to visionaries, thought leaders and innovators across industries that intersect with interactive entertainment.”
More details on the event such as speakers, general access, and more will be announced at a later date. Attendance will be invite only.
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