After the final disappearance of the E3, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) has announced its next big event with the intention of continuing to be present in the video game industry. Under the name of Interactive Innovation Conference (iicon), this new proposal will take place in Las Vegas and will bring together leading figures in the sector.
This event, which will premiere between 27 and the 30 of April of 2026 at the Fontainebleau Resort, will feature key companies such as Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Ubisoft, Square Enix, Take-Two, Electronic Arts and Warner Bros.. Unlike the traditional E3, iicon will not be a showcase for video game announcements and presentations, but a space for meetings, conferences and debates on the future of interactive entertainment.
An event focused on innovation and industry
According to ESA, iicon will seek to connect leaders, creators and innovators from various areasIncluding cinema, television, music, sports, health, education and finance. Thus, rather than a mass event, it is intended as a platform for sharing ideas and emerging trends.
ESA Board Chairman and current head of Nintendo of America, Doug Bowser, has indicated that this meeting will allow us to analyze how different industries can benefit from interactive entertainment. Sarah Bond, president of Xbox, and other executives from Ubisoft, Amazon and Take-Two have also expressed their support for this initiative.
https://x.com/IICONOfficial/status/1887457674951884927
A substitute or complement to the Summer Game Fest?
Since the demise of E3, the Summer Game Fest by Geoff Keighley has taken the lead when it comes to big video game announcements. However, iicon does not intend to compete directly with this format, but to offer a more strategic and professionalIt remains to be seen whether the two initiatives will coexist in a complementary manner or whether each will take an independent path.
The announcement from iicon makes it clear that the ESA continues to seek a relevant place in the industry, although with a different approach than the E3 hadThe response of the attendees and the event's ability to become a benchmark will determine its success in the coming years.
A different approach
What is clear is that the relaxed, crowd-focused atmosphere that E3 used to have is not likely to reign supreme at this new conference. The message seems to be quite different, and it's obvious that the organization needs to change its approach, as going back to its original idea wouldn't work at all (assuming that slot already belongs to the Summer Game Festival). The hope left is that the big brands seem to be on board, so at the very least they'll be able to garner enough interest to attract attention on those days.
What has definitely been lost is the location and date, as this new event will be held in Las Vegas during the month of April of next year 2026.