Clarion Gaming, producer of the ICE Totally Gaming annual trade show in London, announced it will enlist the services of 1,000 experts from the gaming industry to an event it is calling “Ampersand,” for the purpose of helping to guide the development of Clarion trade-show brands and ensure they serve the needs of the industry.
The event is designed to bring together a representative cross-section of industry verticals, job functions, jurisdictions and channels, according to Clarion. “We thrive on working with the industry,” said Kate Chambers, managing director of Clarion Gaming, “and producing events that will deliver opportunity and facilitate business for our stakeholders wherever they are based throughout the world.
“I envisage Ampersand working on a number of levels. It will enable us to validate ideas and concepts prior to launch, it will introduce a process and structure for customers to provide their feedback—both positive and negative—and it will enable the industry to make suggestions on how we can work more effectively to help in the development of sustainable gaming economies, particularly in emergent markets.
“We are always keen to explore new formats favored by the industry and to receive suggestions for great new speakers, and Ampersand will provide swift and direct access to the decision making process. It delivers a valuable opportunity to help shape event content.
“This is the first major initiative that we have put in place following our acquisition by Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms. Looking ahead, I am extremely confident that we will continue to develop new opportunities for the sector, guided and assisted by the insight of what will be the industry’s largest ever think tank.”
Industry professionals who agree to participate in Ampersand will receive a number of benefits in recognition of their time, including entry to the dedicated Ampersand Lounge at the flagship ICE event, as well as access to intelligence reports and surveys produced by the team at Clarion Gaming.
