ICE London’s long-awaited return to its traditional dates takes place today, running February 7 – 9 for what promises to be the gambling event’s biggest edition to date. The expo will occupy a record 51,466 square meters (sqm) of net space, exceeding the previous high of 49,690 sqm set in 2020, across 41 halls of ExCel London, with sister show iGB Affiliate London occupying the remaining three halls. Additionally, ICE 2023 is expected to see the return of all major land-based sector supplier brands after a three-year Covid-enforced absence.
Organizers said they expect “a truly global attendance” this time around, coupled with contagious energy and exciting new gambling ideas on the show floor. “Thousands of product exclusives will be on show, all designed to drive business forward and to gain that all-important competitive edge,” a press release states. The event is also expected to drive satellite parties, networking events and showcases, as part of what many have labeled “World Gaming Week.”
The 2023 edition, which runs under the motto “Stronger Together,” will see exhibitors from a record 68 nations in attendance. The figure is an uplift on the previous best of 65 set in February 2020 – the last pre-Covid ICE edition. The global distribution of the 623 exhibitors who will be at ICE 2023 stretches from Argentina to Australia, Macau to Mexico, and Ukraine to the United States, noted organizer Clarion Gaming in a press statement ahead of the expo.
As well as providing a home for the industry’s major brands – many of them absent in last year’s atypical April edition, thus returning for the first time since 2020 – ICE will also offer start-ups with a gateway to industry investors and strategic partners through the Pitch ICE programme, a feature first launched in 2009. This year, 12 start-up businesses have secured exhibition space on the Pitch ICE Pavilion, set to present their innovative ideas to visitors.
ICE London's 2022 Consumer Protection Zone
Visitors will have access to a dynamic schedule of events and features as soon as they make that short walk from the Elizabeth line at Custom House and through the doors at ExCeL. Highlights include the return of the award-winning Consumer Protection Zone, set to be “the biggest in ICE history;” as well as the ICE Esports Arena; the International Casino Conference; the World Regulatory Briefing; the ICE Masterclass programme; and the first High Street Hub, developed in collaboration with the Gambling Business Group.
Ahead of the event, and in an exclusive interview with Yogonet, Clarion Gaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter said ICE “will see the return of all of the major supplier brands to the land-based sector after what will be a three-year Covid-enforced absence,” with the event set to attract exhibitors of all sizes, covering every gaming vertical and drawn from every jurisdiction.
“Whilst ICE London 2022 was a tremendous success nothing compares with the return of a full-scale edition of ICE featuring all of the major supplier brands to the land-based sector,” Hunter told Yogonet. “Having ExCeL bursting with the creativity and energy that drive the international gaming industry is a fantastic prospect. A full-size, dynamic ICE on its traditional dates is something that all sectors of the industry are looking forward to participating in.”
Clarion Gaming's Stuart Hunter
The return of ICE London to its pre-pandemic glory has been warmly received by the industry at large. Ahead of the event, Tiina Siltanen, recently appointed Vice Chair of the European Casino Association, said “ICE can help address diversity in all of its forms,” in addition to providing a valuable space for the sector to share challenges, solutions and ideas.
The event has also been endorsed by award-winning charity YGAM, which educates and safeguards young people against gambling harms. Ian Shanahan, Director of Business Development and Fundraising at the non-profit, which has been named as the official charity partner of ICE London 2023, praised the event for providing YGAM “a valuable platform to raise awareness of the important work that we do to help prevent gaming and gambling harms.”
The expo will be open from 10:00 – 18:00 GMT, running from Tuesday to Thursday. Interested parties can register here. Ahead of the event, Yogonet has published a special edition covering all latest updates and featuring exclusive interviews with organizer Clarion Gaming, as well as attendees showcasing solutions at the event. You can revisit it here.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2023/02/07/65998-ice-london-returns-today-for-its-biggest-edition-yet-featuring-exhibitors-from-a-record-68-nations
