Brussels-based trade association European Casino Association and ICE London organizer Clarion Gaming are teaming up for the launch of an Innovation Symposium, in advance of the next edition of the renowned expo, scheduled to take place February 7-9, 2023.
The ECA, which represents licensed land-based casinos in Europe, announced along with Clarion at the latest ICE show in London, which took place earlier this month, the confirmation of the symposium, which is “designed to bring casino operators and industry suppliers together in advance of ICE London 2023.”
The new program is scheduled to commence in the coming month with a series of digital round-tables staged across Europe, informs a press release. These will be followed by a larger in-person gathering in Brussels, scheduled for early June.
Clarion Gaming and the ECA launch Innovation Symposia programme https://t.co/d4OqrpBBQk pic.twitter.com/wQnqbMGL5V
— ICE365 (@ICE365Global) April 26, 2022
“The industry needs to rebuild and re-energize in the quickest and most efficient way possible. Many members of the ECA attended the ICE London 2022 event and the view is that we will benefit tremendously from such an exercise,” said Per Jaldung, ECA Chairman.
The ECA represents the land-based industry in Europe, with 28 members and over 50,000 direct employees. It has members from nearly all EU Member States, as well as non-EU countries, with the primary purposes and objectives to address and promote issues related to casinos and promote the positive contribution of the industry.
“Holding an in-person innovation symposium in Brussels in June is an exciting prospect and I am delighted that we are able to partner with the team at Clarion in order to get this initiative off the ground,” added Jaldung. “We would also like to hear from other strategic bodies and associations who would like to be part of this open forum for debate, discussion and collaboration.”
The symposium comes ahead of the upcoming edition of world-renowned trade expo and show ICE London, which will be taking place February 7-9 at ExCel London. It also follows this year’s edition, which took place April 12-14.
The European Casino Association and @Clarion_Gaming announced at the ICE show in London in April the confirmation of a new Innovation Symposia designed to bring casino operators and industry suppliers together in advance of ICE London 2023.👇https://t.co/2hFcLgIPf2 pic.twitter.com/GRF1SefTym
— European Casino Assn (@ECAssociation) April 26, 2022
“The feeling is that the European casino sector as represented by the ECA and the industry games creators would benefit by coming together in a series of symposia to plan how the casino sector can come back stronger post-Covid and what it needs from the supplier side to make that happen,” said Stuart Hunter, Managing Director of Clarion Gaming.
ICE London returned to its in-person format this year after a 26-month pandemic-enforced absence, through the realization of unprecedented April dates due to a rescheduling attributed to the spread of the Omicron variant earlier this year. Despite the changes, the expo was a success, with hundreds of exhibitors and positive attendance figures.
“ICE 2023 has been earmarked as a pivot event in the recovery timetable and the sights gained from the digital and in-person symposia will help determine what the future looks like,” added Hunter. “We are delighted to be driving this forward in partnership with our colleagues at the ECA who are great supporters of the ICE brand.”
