The organizers of ICE Totally Gaming, Europe’s largest gaming conference and exhibition, predict that the 2014 edition of the show will set new records for attendance, which has grown for the past four years in a row.
This year’s show, which carries the theme “ICE Sensational,” takes place February 3-6. (The conference program runs Monday through Wednesday and the trade show floor is open Tuesday through Thursday.)
This is the second year at the Excel London Exhibition and Convention Centre, but the organizers have made the layout more attendee-friendly this year. Whereas last year the massive 400,000 square feet of exhibit space was laid out in a straight line that extended several hundred yards with a corridor to one side, this year, both sides of the hall will be utilized with a corridor down the middle—all the largest suppliers will have stands near entrances off the center corridor.
As usual, hundreds of exhibitors will use ICE Totally Gaming to launch products for the European market, with the largest stand again promised by the Novomatic Group of Companies, which set a record for trade exhibits last year with a stand spanning some 30,000 square feet.
ICE 2014 will feature products from the entire gaming world, including betting, bingo, casino, lottery, online, street and social gaming, in what is the world’s largest gaming exhibit space, comprising some 55,000 square meters—or more than 592,000 square feet, easily topping the size of last year’s exhibit floor.
“ICE is the only business-to-business event to bring together both the online and offline gaming worlds under one roof and the only exhibition to provide a truly global perspective on gaming trends, with 65 percent of exhibitors drawn from outside the U.K., said the organizers in a recent statement. “Alongside gaming’s mega-brands, ICE will also feature a total of 74 companies making their first appearance. It’s credentials like this which prompted Jens Halle, managing director of Austrian Gaming Industries, to describe ICE as the ‘world’s biggest and best event for the international gaming industry.’”
To register for the exhibit floor, visit icetotallygaming.com.
The “ICE Sensational” theme is expected to draw attendance that will top the record set last year, according to Kate Chambers, portfolio director responsible for both ICE Totally Gaming and ICE Conferences.
“The 2013 campaign succeeded in helping to attract a total of 22,247 unique attendees, a 4.3 percent increase on 2012, 8.6 percent up on 2011 and a massive 17.8 percent uplift on 2010,” Chambers says. “The number of visitor days—the average amount of time visitors spent at the event—increased from 1.51 days (2012) to 1.81 (2013), taking the total number of visitor days spent at February’s event to 40,267.
“The commitment we are making to our stakeholders is to invest in the ICE brand with a far-reaching and truly ‘sensational’ multimedia campaign which connects with the 100-plus nationalities who we welcome to London each year.”
Tracy Cohen, director of Europe for the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, describes the expo as “an ideal platform to spread the word about what AGEM does and important to the future growth of the association.”
AGEM is one of 23 industry organizations which will be at ICE—a leader board of influence which also includes the International Association of Gaming Advisors, the American Gaming Association, Association of British Bookmakers, Business In Sport And Leisure, European Association for the Study of Gambling, eCogra, European Casino Association, Gaming Standards Association, GamCare, Gaming Regulators European Forum, International Masters of Gaming Law, Interactive Gaming Council, National Casino Forum, International Association of Gaming Regulators, Gambling Portal Web Masters Association, National Gaming Academy, Remote Gambling Association, the Responsible Gambling Trust, European Gaming and Betting Association, European Sports Security Association, World Lottery Association and the Gambling Commission.
“As well as being gaming’s international commercial center, it is increasingly clear that ICE has also become the hub or focal point for many of the world’s most important associations, regulators and non-commercial organizations,” Chambers says. “For a long time, it’s been widely accepted that the products launched at ICE have and will shape the commercial future of gaming.
“In tandem with this, the policies and decisions made by the trade bodies and non-commercial organizations at ICE will also help direct the future of the international business and determine how it adapts to the huge changes in the markets and responds to the challenges ahead.”
ICE Conferences
The ICE Conferences program, taking place alongside the ICE Totally Gaming trade show, features what the organizers say is the “most compelling lineup of speakers and seminars to date.”
The three-day program comprises eight individual conferences and more than 40 hours of targeted sessions and networking. Speakers include executives of gaming firms including Paddy Power, Bwin, SkyBet and BetVictor, and 150 of gaming’s most distinguished leaders as speakers.
“ICE is a compelling proposition precisely because it is both a commercial and an information exchange event,” says Chambers. “The exhibition and the conference program complement each other, and there’s a significant crossover between the two.
“If you look at the conference titles, which, in addition to the International Casino Conference, include World Regulatory Briefing, CRM Loyalty & Retention, Mobile Gaming, Cybercrime Security & Regulatory Compliance In Gaming, and Monetizing Social Gaming—as well as two brand new conference streams, Game Design & Development and Next Generation Lotteries—all of the topics are right at the center of the gambling debate.”
ICE Conferences Synopsis
Monday, February 3
The 6th International Casino Conference
The flagship casino industry event, organized in partnership with the European Casino Association, brings together casino executives from across the world. Speakers include Damià Calvet, director, Ministry of Economy and Knowledge, Government of Catalonia; Harrie Temmink, DG MARKT, European Commission; Luca Frigerio, CEO, Casino de la Vallée; and Roger Seshadri, Senior VP & CIO, Melco Crown.
Tuesday, February 4
World Regulatory Briefing
This conference is dedicated to finding the right balance between regulation and commercial enterprise. Featured are the world’s leading regulators, operators and gaming professionals for a day of educational discussion in an attempt to manage the complexities of multi-jurisdictional licenses for online gaming across Europe, the United States and Latin America.
CRM, Loyalty & Retention
As users switch from online to mobile and tablet and competition heats up in terms of customer acquisition, how can you create a sustainable and engaged user base without engaging in a ‘race to the bottom’ as bonus culture grows? The conference features speakers from Paddy Power, Bwin, SkyBet, BetVictor and many more.
Mobile Gaming
Attendees will explore how to deliver a compelling, seamless and engaging customer experience, capturing customers for deeper and longer sessions across smart-phone, tablet and smart TV screens. Over 30 senior executives from the leading operators will discuss content discovery, affiliate tracking, notifications, social, distribution and payments.
Wednesday, February 5
Cybercrime, Security & Regulatory Compliance in Gaming
As technology develops and consumers demand more flexibility on platforms and payments, the risk of fraud increases. This conference will offer the opportunity to hear experts discuss crucial compliance issues including international regulations, amendments to the 4th AML Directive and KYC, as well as innovations in mobile, online and social gaming.
Monetizing Social Gaming
Whether you view social gaming as a tool to acquire and convert customers, a stand-alone business unit or a place-filler for cash gaming, there’s no denying it’s a critical and fast-growing sector for the gambling industry. The conference will investigate the business models which will take social games forward.
Game Design & Development
Attendees will learn how to build a new breed of exciting games for existing players and new customers; and learn from games studios, operators and platforms about game development tools to create engaging, cross-channel experiences that appeal to audiences with restricted time and short attention spans.
Next-Generation Lotteries
In a society in which technology is ubiquitous, the gaming industry is evolving and consumers are demanding access to everything across a variety of platforms. The lottery industry must innovate in order to remain relevant and competitive. This conference features case studies of success and panel discussions on the key issues.
For more information on how to book using the Early Bird discount, go to icetotallygaming.com/conferences, or contact the conferences delegate representative team by emailing shane.mortimer@clarionevents.com or calling +44 (0)207 384 8113.
ICE TOTALLY GAMING 2014
Trade Show Hours
Tuesday, February 410 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, February 510 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thursday, February 610 a.m. – 4 p.m.
ICE Conferences
Monday, February 310 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday, February 48 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, February 58 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Venue
ExCeL London
One Western Gateway
Royal Victoria Dock
LondonE16 1XL
