Over 300 gaming industry professionals attended the launch of ICE Africa, held on the opening day of the world’s largest gaming technology event, ICE London. ICE Africa, a trade show planned for late this year, will be the first extension of the ICE brand.
“While the scale of ICE Africa will not be the same as ICE London, we will be bringing the same level of commitment, thinking, creativity and professionalism that has made ICE London the world’s favorite B2B gaming event,” said Kate Chambers, managing director of Clarion Gaming. “We launched in Africa following requests from the industry for us to develop and organize a professional showcase that the continent could be proud of, and tonight’s launch highlights the industry’s enthusiasm for our newest event.”
Response from attendees at the launch was equally positive. Tristan Kaatze, director of casinos for Sun International, said, ICE Africa represents a key vehicle to pull Africa together. Historically bigger operators tend to focus on events in Las Vegas and London, but Clarion’s commitment to the country highlights that, over time, the African market warrants the same scale but with new growth opportunities too.
“The development potential in Africa is massive, and this launch shows how much networking potential operators and international companies see in the market.”
Echoing these factors, John Kamara, director of Global Gaming Africa, explained, “First of all, according to the African Union, Africa is full of brilliance and we want to say to operators to come with us as we walk with you into this emerging market. Having the ICE brand in Africa allows us to showcase the new opportunities in the market from rising GPS to direct international investment and rising disposable income, the potential for operators is huge.
“The continent represents almost 52 nations with 1.6billion people, 68 percent of whom are under the age of 27. This is such an exciting market, and provides so many different opportunities across the various countries. Africa is already renowned as an emerging market and according to recent data, the World Growth Bank is showing more growth ahead so what better time to launch this event.”
