ICE North America Digital: ´We took our time to talk to the industry and work out what our attendees wanted´

We imagine it must have been a great challenge to make the decision and organize a digital show instead of a traditional show. What can you tell us about this process and what are your expectations on the matter?
Yes it was certainly a new vertical for us to get to grips with and understand better. We took our time to talk to the industry and really try and work out what our attendees wanted and in what type of format. It involves bringing together all departments within gaming and work though all the challenges that come about when organising this type of virtual event.

We have decided to adopt an approach of bite size takeaways which people can digest through the 2hrs each day - but also focus on networking with industry peers which is all possible on our platform we are hosting the event on - access to all the networking is live now so much encourage people to jump on when they can and start using it.

What has been the feedback from companies and attendees?
From the speakers and sponsors it has been one of real adoption. All were happy and willing to help as soon as they found out about what we were trying to do.

From the industry, well the numbers speak for themselves with over 3,100 registrants to date and climbing each day. I think as we continue to go through the habit of working from home this will become easier for people to adopt and listen to.

What are the main aspects or characteristics of the digital show?
One of our main focus points was to ensure that people were able to connect throughout the event and we have indeed managed to achieve this. As an attendee you will be able to access LIVE streams for each session quickly and easily through the LIVE tab. Throughout the event we have also ensured that attendees can take part in live discussions with industry leaders and take part in single video chats one-on-one with people you want to meet. Using the program tab you will be able to tailor and filter your day and create your own schedule of sessions you want to stream.

Do you think that digital conferences are here to stay, even when the situation comes to normal?
Yes I certainly think they will be, but we are in an industry that meets regularly and I don't think Expos will disappear. It is very hard to replicate the expo hall element virtually - although there is certainly some interesting packages out there that we are exploring. Exhibitions are our bread and butter and I feel that the digital elements will form a complementary part to the show and allow us to build a year-round community which can interact across the globe.