We’re back from i-Con in Cyprus and want to share our impressions. For us, this was already the third conference, so we can compare it not only with other events, but also with previous years.
Overall, i-Con continues to grow and keeps a strong level in terms of organization, booths, and parties. However, the conference itself is noticeably moving away from being positioned purely as a dating event and is becoming a broader event for the performance market.
What we noticed this year:
▪ There were even fewer dating webmasters, but everyone was familiar and open to sharing insights. Logistics to the island are quite complicated, even short flights often require layovers, so many people are waiting for a conference somewhere closer. Scheduling meetings in advance was a lifesaver — we managed to find everyone and have proper conversations.
▪ There is more openness to new tests, especially PPS cooperation models. Just a year ago, the market was not ready for this, but now the time has come. Looking only at a high CPL rate when choosing an offer to run no longer works.
▪ Large teams are actively pushing female traffic — mostly Facebook mainstream. For now, it looks like a test, and it is unclear how long it will work, but it is definitely worth watching and running while it works.
▪ API sales continue to grow actively.
▪ The main traffic sources remain the same: Facebook, which everyone is still fighting with and saying “knock on wood, it has finally eased up a bit”, banners, native, and push.
▪ There are even more AI products — around 2x compared to last year. Some of them still look experimental, but there are already projects with real volumes and stable unit economics.
Is it worth going?
If your goal is to meet European partners, discuss the market in person, and go through networking calmly without feeling overwhelmed, i-Con still remains a good choice. Plus, you can always spend some time on the beach after a successful and productive event
