The 2023 edition of ICE London, which will take place on February 7-9 at ExCeL London is on course to match the physical size of the 2020 event with 85% of available stand space already booked. Event organizer Clarion Gaming announced that the demand has been driven by the “positive experience” of exhibitors attending the recent April expo coupled with the return of the major suppliers to the land-based sector.
Confirming the news, Stuart Hunter, Managing Director, Clarion Gaming, stated: “We set ourselves some demanding targets in terms of engaging with our customers and I’m delighted to say those targets have been surpassed. It’s clear from the anecdotal feedback, from the independent research that we have commissioned, and most significantly from the volume of re-books, that exhibitors at ICE London 2022 enjoyed a hugely successful return to the show floor after a two-year absence due to the Covid restrictions.”
“The vast majority of attending exhibitors re-booked during ICE with a significant number requesting additional stand space. We have also had confirmation of the return of the brands supplying the land-based gambling sector and all of the signs are hugely positive for 2023. The ICE brand is returning to its traditional February dates with vigor, determination, and a real sense of purpose,” Hunter added.
Last month, ICE London returned as an in-person event following a two-year pandemic gap. The 2022 edition of the event gathered professionals from 158 jurisdictions and 59 countries. The event had a total of 410 exhibiting companies.
“Despite all of the hurdles, all of the issues, and all of the speculation – ICE London 2022 was the biggest, most comprehensive, and most international gaming exhibition to take place since the previous edition of ICE in February 2020. ICE London remains the event where ideas are formed, new strategies formulated and where the future is written,” the Director concluded.
Stuart Hunter, Managing Director, Clarion Gaming
European Casino Association Chairman, Per Jaldung welcomed the latest ICE data and the return of the show to its February dates. He stated: “Everyone who was in the exhibition halls at ExCeL London was reminded of the energy and vitality of big in-person events. ICE is the flagship global event for the industry and I am delighted that the exhibition is close to capacity so far in advance of it going live.”
“ICE is pivotal to the recovery of the land-based sector post-Covid and the ECA is working with the team at Clarion Gaming on a program of symposia for industry suppliers and casino operators in advance of ICE 2023.”
European Casino Association Chairman, Per Jaldung
The news follows the opening of the Elizabeth Line last week, a high-speed train which is set to reduce the journey from central London to the ExCeL to 12 minutes. It is also set to lower the Heathrow-ExCel journey time. The door-to-door travel time from London Heathrow, a major international hub used by many ICE/iGB international show visitors, will be completed by Autumn 2022 and comprise a single uninterrupted train journey of 43 minutes.
The Elizabeth Line will feature 24 trains per hour giving it a capacity to carry more than half a million passengers a day.
The 2022 show hosted many of the industry’s charities and strategic bodies including the European Casino Association, EUROMAT, International Association of Gaming Advisors, International Association of Gaming Regulators, Gaming Regulators European Forum, International Masters of Gaming Law, Global Gaming Women, YGAM, GamCare, Better Change, Gordon Moody, All-In Diversity, Gamstop, Responsible Gambling Council, Responsible Gambling Trust, Society for the Study of Gambling and the Danish Online Gambling Association.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2022/05/31/62825-ice-london-2023-is-already-85–booked–driven-by-return-of-major-landbased-suppliers
