ESA returns with new E3-like event based in Las Vegas

After E3 finally kicked the bucket a few years ago following several increasingly underwhelming efforts, it became very clear that Summer Game Fest was to be North America's replacement biggest video game conference in the summer. While that won't be changing, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), who formerly hosted and organised E3, are back to deliver an alternative conference that will look to headline April.

The event is known as the Interactive Innovation Conference (iicon) and the idea behind it is to "connect visionaries, thought leaders and innovators from across industries to harness the power of interactive entertainment."

The first iicon will be taking place in Las Vegas between April 27-30 all at the Fontainebleau Resort in the city. It will offer keynotes, discussions and workshops, networking opportunities, and will be looking to connect the video game, film, television, music, sports, healthcare, education, and finance industries. So, it's not nearly the E3 of old, rather it seems to be a kind of competitor to the Game Developers Conference, which often happens in the spring and on the western side of the U.S. too.

Talking about launching iicon, ESA's chairman of the board, the current Nintendo of America boss, Doug Bowser, said the following: "The Entertainment Software Association and its member companies are among the innovators and leaders shaping the future of culture, business and human connection. It's a natural role for ESA to host and support an event that fosters an open exchange of new ideas with our peer industry leaders. iicon is bringing together changemakers from across industries to envision how the strengths of the interactive entertainment industry can break entirely new ground."

While this first event is over a year away still, we're told that several massive names will be in attendance, including Amazon, Disney, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Square Enix, Take-Two, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros.

Several other industry leaders have shared their stance on iicon too, including Xbox president Sarah Bond, Ubisoft chief Laurent Detoc, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick, and Amazon Games VP Christoph Hartmann, and if you want to hear their thoughts, you can head over here.