As AffPapa Conference Cancun 2026 approaches, esports is becoming part of the conference experience through a collaboration with Nordic Partners Gaming (NPG).
The Esports Zone will give attendees the opportunity to meet and challenge FreeZe in Counter-Strike 2, bringing competitive gaming directly to the conference floor.
We spoke with Levon Nikoghosyan, Founder & CEO of AffPapa, about how the collaboration with NPG came together, why esports belongs at an affiliate-focused event, and where he sees opportunities for stronger connections between esports, affiliate marketing and iGaming.
AffPapa and Nordic Partners Gaming are bringing esports into the conference experience in Cancun. How did this collaboration come about, and what made it a good fit for both sides?
We already have a strategic partnership with Nordic Network, so when they launched Nordic Partners Gaming, bringing it to Cancun felt like a natural next step. We were looking for something different to add to the conference floor this year, and an Esports Zone fit that idea really well.
For us, NPG brings real value: connections in esports, and players like FreeZe, who attendees will be able to meet and challenge during the conference. For NPG, Cancun puts them in the same room as hundreds of affiliates and operators. Many of them are curious about gaming audiences but haven’t worked with them yet. Helping iGaming companies understand those audiences is a big part of what NPG does, so the timing worked out well for both of us.
AffPapa has built its reputation around connecting affiliates and operators. What made you decide to introduce esports into the conference format?
Our events have always been about getting the right people talking, and esports gives them one more reason to do that. A lot of affiliates and operators are curious about gaming audiences: how they behave, what they respond to, and where they overlap with iGaming. With an Esports Zone on the floor, they can see it up close instead of only hearing about it on a panel.
There’s also a much simpler reason. After a few hours of meetings, people need a break, and playing Counter-Strike with a professional player is a lot more memorable than another coffee. Those moments stay with people, and very often the next business conversation starts right there.
Esports and iGaming have been connected for years, but the two industries still operate quite separately. What’s holding back closer collaboration?
From what I see, I think a lot of it comes down to trust. Esports fans really care about their scene, and they can tell straight away when a brand turns up just to put its logo on something. And from the iGaming side, you have to be careful. A lot of esports fans are young, so operators can’t just jump in and target everyone.
On top of that, the two industries think quite differently. iGaming people talk about acquisition and conversion, and esports people talk about community and content. Sometimes it feels like they’re in the same room but not really speaking the same language. That’s where you need someone in the middle who gets both worlds, and it’s a big reason I like what NPG is doing. They work with esports organizations and licensed iGaming companies, so they can help both sides understand the other.
Conferences are increasingly expected to offer more than networking and panel discussions. How are you adapting AffPapa to what attendees actually want from industry events?
We listen to what people tell us after every event, and one thing comes up again and again: the best conversations happen when people are relaxed. So for Cancun, we stopped treating the social side as something extra and built it into the program. We have the Esports Zone with NPG and a VIP dinner and tequila tasting with Betable. There’s also the running club on the first day, a new format we tested out in Madrid, and the pool party at Mandala Beach Club on the first evening.
The core of the event hasn’t changed, though. We still keep the same 40% affiliates, 40% operators and 20% B2B split, and formats like our speed-dating sessions, so people meet the right partners quickly. The fun side only works because the business side is already in place.
At AffPapa Cancun, attendees will have the chance to challenge FreeZe in Counter-Strike 2. Why do you think interactive experiences like this belong at an iGaming conference?
People remember what they do much more than what they hear. You can sit through a panel about gaming audiences, or you can pick up a mouse, try to beat FreeZe in Counter-Strike 2 and see for yourself why the game has such a big following.
It’s also a great icebreaker. Two people who’ve just lost to a pro player already have something to laugh about, and that makes the business conversation afterwards a lot easier. At an affiliate-led event, where everything is built around relationships, that kind of shared experience fits right in.
What makes Cancun an interesting destination for bringing together the international affiliate and iGaming community?
Cancun works for both sides of our audience. For companies already active in Latin America, it’s close to home. For international companies looking at the region, it’s easy to fly in from North America and Europe. Mexico is also an important market on its own, so it makes sense to meet there.
Then there’s the setting. It’s hard to stay formal in Cancun. People are in a better mood, they stay longer at dinners, and they’re more open to meeting someone new. For a conference built around relationships, that atmosphere does a lot of the work for us. After last year, we also know many people are coming back to reconnect with partners they first met there.
Looking ahead to 2027, where do you see the biggest opportunities for collaboration between affiliates, operators, and the esports industry?
I think the biggest opportunity is in understanding audiences better. Gaming creators and esports companies reach people in ways traditional affiliate channels often don’t, through streams, content and communities people really care about. Affiliates who learn to work with that kind of content, responsibly and within the rules of each market, will have an edge.
For operators, it’s about working with esports in a way that feels natural to the community, connecting both sides and building something that makes a lasting commercial impact. I’d like to see a lot more of these collaborations in 2027, and I hope a few of them start in Cancun.
Nordic Partners Gaming at AffPapa Conference Cancun 2026
Nordic Partners Gaming and AffPapa will bring the Esports Zone to the conference, where attendees can meet and challenge FreeZe in Counter-Strike 2.
The collaboration offers an opportunity for affiliates, operators and esports professionals to connect during the event.
