How NEXT New York became the industry’s room for decision-makers

For NEXT.io Co-founder Pierre Lindh, the fifth anniversary of the company’s New York show feels less like a milestone—and more like validation.

After years of volatility in gambling markets and a near existential scare during COVID, NEXT.io’s Manhattan event has quietly become one of the industry’s most important annual gatherings. And this year, it’s breaking records.

“I've never seen an event take off from one year to the other the way that New York has,” Lindh said on The BettingStartups Podcast.

According to Lindh, ticket sales are tracking well ahead compared to last year—growth he says is tough to achieve for a fifth-year event. “If you see a 15 to 20% increase year to year, you have made a massive success… I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

The event is now trending toward a sellout—a dynamic that brings its own operational headaches, especially in an industry known for booking flights before badges.

But Lindh is clear about why the show has momentum. From a global perspective, he says NEXT New York has carved out a distinct position: “It’s seen not just in the U.S. but globally as the kind of senior conference of the industry where serious business gets done.”

That positioning is intentional. At $1,500 per ticket, the show is priced to attract decision-makers, not tourists. Hosted in Manhattan’s financial district, the cost structure is steep, but the payoff is a curated room of founders, investors, and C-suite executives from the top companies in the space.

Looking ahead, Lindh believes there’s still room to scale without diluting that identity. Five years from now, he projects around 4,000 delegates will make their way to NEXT’s New York event. Today, roughly 75% of attendees are North American and 25% international. In time, he expects that to approach a 50/50 split, turning NYC into an even more global hub for senior leadership.

The venue itself is also evolving. Lindh revealed the event will move next year—still in Manhattan, but with a “massively” upgraded venue.

What makes this milestone particularly meaningful is context. Lindh previously reflected on how, in February 2020, he wrote a company update for NEXT.io without even mentioning COVID as a threat—only to watch the business collapse weeks later. For an events company, it was a brutal reminder of how fragile momentum can be.

Five years ago, launching a U.S. flagship show from a European base was an ambitious bet. Today, the conversation has shifted from proving the concept to managing scale—upgrading venues, balancing delegate mix, and preserving the room’s chemistry as demand accelerates.

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