Preparations for the return of ICE to its traditional February dates continue at a pace with confirmation that the symposium created in partnership with the influential European Casino Association will take place on Wednesday, July 13th at Les Ambassadeurs Casino in Mayfair, London. The ECA/Clarion/ICE Symposium will draw on the experience, needs and insight of operators and games creators in order to plan how the casino sector can come back stronger post-Covid and to confirm what it needs from the industry supply side ahead of ICE London 2023.

Stuart Hunter, Managing Director, Clarion Gaming explained: “We first spoke about the need to align industry thinking for ICE 2023 with the ECA leadership team at April's event and subsequently fleshed out the format at the ECA's Dealer Championship in May where we hosted a breakfast meeting for board members. The Symposium will bring operators and land-based suppliers together in a relaxed format, with the agenda for the day being created ‘live' during the morning session.

“We are adopting the Open Space model, a format that's driven by participants and which encourages open, honest and dynamic discussion around the current needs, pain-points and shared opportunities that the industry faces. After an initial panel session, individual groups will start their own discussions and agenda building. All the discussions and intelligence that's generated informs and inspires the attendees directly. The output will be used to direct the vision for ICE London in terms of strategy, content, product mix, customer experience and onsite networking/meeting ideas. The Symposium is an important part of our preparations for the return of the major land-based supplier brands to the ICE London show floor and will help us to maximise ROI on behalf of all of our customers.”

European Casino Association Chairman, Per Jaldung believes the Symposium represents an important step forward for the land-based sector. He said: “ICE London 2023 is such an important opportunity for everyone associated with land-based gaming. I'm delighted that the ECA is working in-step with our colleagues at Clarion Gaming to ensure that we are fully-prepared for February and that everyone is on the same page. The Symposium is a great example of how we can all work together to achieve shared objectives and common goals.”

The 2023 edition of ICE London, which takes place across 7th/8th/9th February is on course to match the physical size of the 2020 edition with 85% of stand space booked nine months in advance of the show opening. Demand has been driven by high rebooking figures and the return of the major suppliers to the land-based sector.