What have been the highlights of ICE 2022?

ICE has a hard-earned reputation for the being the event at which gambling innovators launched their latest products, technologies and services. Even though ICE hadn't taken place for over 2-years the innovative products that have the potential to transform the way the industry does business were very much in evidence across the show floor, which was a key highlight. In terms of specifics the Customer Protection Zone, the biggest and most prominent since it was introduced at ICE London, was a must-see part of the show experience and demonstrated how seriously the industry is taking safer gambling. The ICE Esports Arena really caught the imagination of our visitors and was the most authentic delivery of esports tournaments held at a gambling industry event.

I believe that Clarion was way ahead of the curve when it introduced esports to the show floor and has succeeded in demystifying the sector and demonstrating how operators can tap into a global phenomenon that's generating annual betting revenues estimated to be worth over $13bn. The ICE brand also has a proud record for providing a platform for fledgling businesses courtesy of initiatives such as Pitch ICE. This year the Pitch ICE finalists as well as being given an invaluable opportunity to present their businesses to a community of influential investors, were also given space on the show floor. Significantly, VAIX which pitched a few years ago was acquired by Sportradar the day before ICE. However, I think my personal highlight was seeing the first visitors walking purposefully up from Custom House station, into ExCeL and onto the show floor after a 26-month absence - to quote the ICE creative -Together never felt so good!

As organizers, how have you managed to carry out this show?

The preparations for ICE London 2022 have been both unique and complex. ICE 2020 was the last major exhibition to take place in the UK prior to the first lockdown which was introduced at the end of March. Even then few could have predicted how long the pandemic would run and what a devastating impact it would have on the retail side of the gambling industry as well as on live events. Just as the gloom appeared to be lifting, we then had the arrival of the Omicron variant which caused great concern to a significant number of our exhibitors who asked us to delay the show. Once again, we had to adapt our planning and take-up the only available alternative dates for events the scale of ICE and iGB Affiliate.

Preparations have been impacted by world events outside of our control - so to get both ICE London and iGB Affiliate London over the line and completed was a great relief and a fantastic reflection on the skills, dedication and professionalism of the Clarion Gaming team.

What was the feedback received from exhibitors and visitors regarding the exhibition as well as ICE Vox?

The feedback we've received from the industry and the comments that we've read in the media have been really positive in relation to both the ICE exhibition and ICE VOX. People have commented positively on the attendance which in many instances was better than had been anticipated, the seniority of those attending the majority of whom are part of the decision-making process within their organisations and the internationalism of the show floor.

The new Masterclass format adopted by ICE VOX has also been well-received for providing more of a detailed analysis of business-centric issues and also for enabling delegates to combine learning opportunities with time spent on the show floor. Having been involved in running literally hundreds of events across numerous industry sectors, I have learned that the only opinions that matter are those of the people who invest in stand space and those who spend time and resource visiting - in many cases travelling long distances to be with us. As we do after every show, we are conducting extensive research among our customers to establish what worked, what we could have done better and where the opportunities are that we can address.