Clarion Gaming has unveiled an “Into the Future” campaign in support of ICE London, to be held February 4-6, 2020, and ICE VOX, February 3-4, also in London.
The campaign was launched as the industry focuses on London and the thousands of product innovations that exhibitors will be presenting on the show floor, alongside the agenda setting content that will be debated at the co-located ICE VOX.
“The majority of the 35,000-plus visitors who attend ICE London, many of them travelling thousands of miles to be with us, aren’t interested in the past – they want an insight to the future,” said Clarion Gaming Managing Director Kate Chambers. “Whether delegates are interested in future technology, future regulation, future trends, future lifestyle changes, opportunities or challenges, ICE London is all about the future. Our passion, and that of our stakeholders, is to embrace what’s next, hence the 2020 campaign.”
The 2020 theme was inspired by a quote from Richard Schuetz, who has held many senior positions in the industry, Chambers said. “At ICE, one sees the latest technologies, which is why I always argue that ICE is like stepping into the future. That is the magic of ICE,” Schuetz said.
In related news, Ampersand, Clarion Gaming’s research and knowledge sharing initiative for professionals working in the global industry, will hold its last Assembly prior to ICE London when it meets October 30 in the UK capitol.
With the five themes of strategy, cooperation, reputation, technology and consumer – the Ampersand Assembly London will bring together key European based decision-makers to brainstorm how to ensure the industry’s growth.
“Ampersand was launched to encourage free-flowing, open conversations and to brainstorm how to address the stand out challenges and opportunities the industry faces,” Ewa Bakun, Clarion Gaming’s Director of Industry Insight and Engagement said.
In Las Vegas, the three topics voted by the participants were: investments in early stage gaming companies and how to bring new ideas into the industry by creation of a new ecosystem; the challenge facing land-based casinos in terms of attracting younger consumers who may be put off by the traditional casino floor; how the industry could use regulated sports betting to entice bettors away from black-market operators.
“The feedback that we get from Ampersand and the Ampersand Assemblies, ensure that we are in touch with the real issues impacting all of our gaming verticals which in turn means that we keep content fresh and relevant across all of our brands,” Bakun said. “The outcomes of both Ampersand Assemblies in Las Vegas and London will be shared with the teams working across all of the Clarion Gaming brands.”
And finally, Chambers quashed a rumor that ICE was planning to move to Hannover in Germany next year, explaining that ICE has a contract with the ExCel site until at least 2022.
“ICE London is experiencing the most successful period in its history,” she said in a statement. “Since we moved from Earls Court to our home at ExCeL London the brand has undergone a phase of exponential growth with attendance increasing from 21,336 in 2012, (the last edition of ICE to be held at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London) to 36,093 (2019). Over the same period the number of exhibitors has increased from 430 to 612 and the net floor space has grown from 22,500 square meters to 47,500 square meters. While we are always looking to and planning for the future it’s important to confirm that there are no plans to relocate. Everything that we do is undertaken in partnership with our ICE London stakeholders based throughout the 155 nations that travelled to ExCeL London in February this year.”
For more details on ICE, visit www.icelondon.uk.com.
