The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), organizer of the once-revered but now-dead E3 showcase, is returning to the event fold with the Interactive Innovation Conference (iicon).
The conference is being pitched as an “essential convening for change makers across industries,” but will seemingly focus on those careening through the world of video games.
It will take place at the Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas from April 27 to April 30, 2026.
Big players to attend iicon
A number of high-profile companies from the game industry have already confirmed their attendance, including Amazon Games, Disney, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Microsoft, Nintendo of America, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Ubisoft and Warner Bros. Games.
The ESA claims iicon will unite a broad spectrum of sectors that “converge with interactive entertainment.”
“For decades, video games have been at the forefront of technological and cultural innovation,” said ESA president and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis. “With iicon, we are creating a space for visionaries across industries to come together, connect and reimagine what’s possible through interactive entertainment.”
It seems like a wildly different proposition from E3, which was largely known for colossal hardware and software reveals alongside iconic (and frequently comedic) executive presentations.
The ESA has confirmed iicon will allow audience members on an invite-only basis. You can find out more on the event website.