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The Industry Didn’t Just Show Up for MAU. It Took Over Vegas.
What in the world is happening? That’s what I said when I saw the first few side events getting promoted. Last year we had fifty side events, and I wondered what the plan would be for 2026. Would Bidease offer another Bagel Train?
The answer is no. It’s not a bagel train. Bidease has flying stunt planes, racing supercars in the desert, golf, spa and more. Then I realized the MAU community was just getting started.
F1 racing (yes RZR ), Hakkasan mega-dinner (yes, AppsFlyer , Google Ads (Google Partner) and Sensor Tower), three different blowout bar experiences (yes RZR at Women in Leader(sip), Almedia , Smadex , No Doubt Bidease ) and Jonas Brother concerts (yes, StackAdapt and RevX ), a new gala for Founders (yes, EHVM Apps Capital Capital), an afternoon at a ranch with horseback riding or relaxation (yes, Moloco).
Before you know it, there are 150 side events at MAU Vegas because AdTech and Agencies know how to show up in Sin City. So, we did something at MAU. We built an entire side event page that you can filter the events. You can search by featured.
Or By type (Adventures, Bites + Conversations, DE+I, Dinners, Entertainment + Nightlife, Experiences, Just for Founders, Learning, Mixers and Wellness).
Or you can search by the day of the week because these events begin on Monday and run until the end of Thursday night.
There is no catch. If you are a sponsor at MAU Vegas, we’ll promote you. Simple. Thank you for loving your customers as much as you do. And as my gift to you, we are up 34% in pre-registration so prepare for a busy week.
And then came the Ads
What happens when you have a bunch of marketers, creatives, game designers and AI aficionados together at a show? They come ready to play.
Geek lab kickstarted the trend a dumb and dumber post, but then landed the plane with a jaw-dropping video with “Mayhem in Geekverse and no time to waste. A united team on a mission in Vegas. One brave quest to find the truth."
Then dream team Hannah Parvaz and Steve Young cut a promo for their Summits at MAU.
Appier mascot teamed up with Adjust to hype their karaoke party
Matej Lancaric steps forward with an MAU theme song and unicorn arriving in Vegas video, eventually taking the stage for his two & a half gamers Gaming Summit
So Pixel Federation comes back with the MAUgnificent Seven.
Peggy Anne Salz said hold my beer (also the name of another side event Mintegral and Adjust is hosting), I want in and delivered an amazing interview with intriguing questions based on her behind the scenes knowledge and input on MAU.
Then Eve Herrera puts together a "what you need to know" post about MAU and calls out where the cool people hang out. Eve is currently in Sao Paulo repping MAU at AppsFlyer MAMA event. It's so great to have Eve on your side. I knew she was in Argentina ahead of Vegas, and I asked if she could swing through Sao Paulo on her way and the answer was of course. What a life. If you don't know Eve, find her at Founders House at MAU or RSVP to one of her many events.
If you want to see all the social buzz (which is up 33% over end of MAU last year and we haven’t made it to the show yet) check out what’s trending: Get on the board by using #mauvegas when you post.
Let’s Not Forget Where our Bread is Buttered
These events, ads and plethora of online activity are because MAU Vegas sits at the core. It’s the 140 sponsors who invest their time and resources to build booths, sponsor activations like Starti Puppy Park, MAU Plaza Sponsored by Poolday AI,Founders House Sponsored by EHVM Apps Capital complete with a lineup of events and networking, Courtyard Takeover Sponsored by RevU.
They buyout cabanas, meeting rooms and Skylofts to host attendees and drive business. Let’s do them a favor and accept their meeting requests.
The advisory board who helped carefully curate nearly 100 conference sessions focused on building a Retention, loyalty, and experience Track Sponsored by OneSignal and a Scale and growth systems track Sponsored by @tangent and Innovation in action Track with sessions on AI, creative, CTV, native rewards and more.
The content programmed throughout the Expo Hall. Mic Drops ContextSDK, Perceptycs and Autopilot, Tastings x Meetups Paddle with Monetization/Mac and Chees, and Appcues with Bellinis/Business Strategy), Founders House programming arranged by Evelin Herrera, and the new Braindate lounge.
The Braindate Lounge is a sleeper. I can’t hype the topics enough. Open the app and scroll down to see what your peers are interesting in talking about rather than what MAU programmed.
And the Executive Forum hit your inbox if you’re VP+. We changed last year’s apply to attend policy so it’s as simple as adding it to your agenda today through the app.
What’s Different and What’s Coming
What used to be a few happy hours around MAU Vegas has evolved into a full week of meaningful connection, energy, strategic conversations, and the best networking for the mobile growth community
That evolution says a lot about where the industry is heading. People want access. Access to peers. Access to operators. Access to founders building through change. Access to the conversations happening behind the scenes.
That’s exactly why Braindates, MAU Week side events, Founder’s House, MAU Plaza activities have become such an important part of the experience.
Throughout the week, founders, growth leaders, investors, platforms, agencies, and marketers from every app vertical and from gaming gather across intimate meetups, curated dinners, workshops, rooftop conversations, wellness activities, and late-night networking moments that often become the most valuable conversations of the year.
Some partnerships start during a scheduled meeting. Others start while waiting in line for coffee at a side event.
The reality is that the industry has changed dramatically over the past few years. Privacy shifts, AI adoption, measurement complexity, and rising acquisition costs have pushed marketers, product teams and founders to lean more heavily on community and shared learning.
That’s why these side gatherings matter. At MAU, you’ll find transformational leaders sitting next to indie developers. Global brands networking with emerging startups. Performance marketers exchanging ideas with product leaders and founders. That cross-pollination is rare.
It’s one of the reasons people consistently say: “MAU is always my favorite conference of the year.” And: “MAU truly brought together every app vertical under one roof.”
As MAU continues expanding beyond just app marketing into the broader mobile ecosystem, these community-led moments are becoming even more important.
If you’re planning your MAU Vegas schedule this year, leave room for the side events. Leave room for the Mainstage and breakout sessions. Pre-schedule meetings with vendors who are there to be your partner in growth (and accept those meeting requests in the app!).
It’ll be hot in Vegas. Yes, physically hot, but also the hottest group of people in the world. (you can take that any way you want). We will have mister fans at the Opening Night Party Sponsored by Google this year. And let's not forget the MAU or Nowhere Party.
If you see me, say hi please, especially at the Closing Party Sponsored by AppsFlyer. As Presenting sponsor, they continue to be amazing partners. This is my second year running MAU Vegas I feel like I can pause and breathe at this year's event. I look forward to all the conversations that are about to happen. Thank you everyone for your support of MAU Vegas.
Let’s ride!
Best,