The 2024 edition of ICE – the last to take place in London prior to its relocation to Barcelona in 2025 – opened Tuesday (6th February) at ExCeL. ICE and sister show iGB Affiliate kicked off with a record total of 811 exhibitors from 76 nations occupying the entirety of the ExCeL exhibition center and drawing thousands of international gaming buyers and thought leaders.
Gaming professionals from throughout the world were gathering at ExCeL for what Clarion Gaming Managing Director Stuart Hunter described as being an ‘extremely poignant occasion’. He said: “ICE 2024 offers an unparalleled array of ideas, opportunities, product exclusives, education and experiences.”
Referencing the ICE MORE creative campaign he added: “MORE is a pledge to the entire industry to deliver in a way that only ICE can and that’s by connecting the entire gaming community of suppliers, operators, legislators and regulators.
“This week our collective focus is on delivering exceptional editions of ICE and sister show iGB Affiliate and saying a huge thankyou to ExCeL London for hosting our events so professionally and for being such an important part of their success.”
Ahead of the event, Clarion Gaming, ICE’s organizer, said it expected the event, along with iGB Affiliate and the ICE VOX education program, to facilitate over 1 million business meetings this week.
“I think ICE 2024 will go down in history as being an ‘I was there’ event. There’s no doubt that it will be an extremely poignant occasion for many of our exhibitors who will be saying their own farewell to London,” Hunter told Yogonet in an exclusive interview back in December.
“The strength of ICE is that the show caters to and represents every gaming vertical in every gaming jurisdiction. It is the holistic nature of the exhibition that makes it such an important date in the international industry calendar and why so many people from so many countries are so keen to experience it.”
This time around, the show’s focus on connecting attendees with the global market is facilitated through a slate of high-profile features, many of them already familiar to long-time attendees, including the Esports Arena, the Consumer Protection Zone, The High Street Hub, iGB INTRODUCING, iGB ASCEND, and the IGB Affiliate Awards.
However, ICE 2024 attendees also found new features along with the classics on Tuesday. This year’s event sees the debut of the Growth Markets Zone, focused on the emerging Latin American and African markets. The brand-new area comprises around 15 suppliers and innovators, and is tailored to businesses looking to broaden their scope and connect with companies in these two high-growth regions.
Another feature being introduced in this edition is Fast Forward, billed as “a focal point where the gaming industry can discover, discuss and shape the future.” The feature, aimed at start-ups wanting to connect with potential investors, allows these innovators to showcase “the technology of tomorrow” to those who are going to bring it to market.
