This year’s seminal gambling conference and exhibition is encouraging the industry to ‘step, leap, dive and look’ into the future, focusing on what’s new in gaming and how delegates can stay one step ahead of the competition.
ICE 2020 will once again takeover London’s ExCeL exhibition centre, occupying 40 of its 44 halls. There will be 633 exhibitors from all over the world and this year’s show includes 73 first-time exhibitors from 37 jurisdictions, as well the industry stalwarts that return year after year.
Clarion Gaming managing director Kate Chambers says the show has been curated in the knowledge that more than 35,000 visitors will attend ICE London 2020, hungry for insights into what to expect next from the industry.
“Whether delegates are interested in technology, regulation, trends, and lifestyle changes, opportunities or challenges of the future, ICE London is the place to be,” she said. “Our passion, and that of our stakeholders, is to embrace what’s next, hence the 2020 campaign in support of ICE London and ICE VOX.”
Chambers credited industry veteran Richard Schuetz with coming up with the theme. She says Schuetz told her: “At ICE, one sees the latest technologies, which is why I always argue that ICE is like stepping into the future. That is the magic of ICE.”
Reflecting the industry’s increasing investment in hospitality, this year, for the first time, will also include a hospitality conference at ICE VOX 2020. ICE VOX takes place ahead of the exhibition on February 3-4, also at ExCeL.
Robert Marick, MGM Studios’ EVP of global consumer products and experiences, will open the hospitality conference at 11:40 a.m. on Tuesday February 4, with a keynote speech.
Marick is responsible for overseeing the expansion of MGM Studio’s licensed merchandise, interactive games, licensed media and advertising and location-based entertainment business for its current and legacy franchises. His remit covers major brands, including The Addams Family, James Bond, Stargate, Vikings and Pink Panther.
His keynote address is titled “Gaming Reinvented: Next Generation Guide to an Entertaining Gaming Experience” and will explain the drivers for consumers to spend more on their experiences and explain how they connect with brands through entertainment.
He will explore how integrated resorts transition from being gambling-centric to entertainment-centric, as well as touching on how using brand licenses can fuel greater customer engagement in new destinations or single attractions, along with live events, retail, dining and hospitality.
Commenting on his presence at the conference, Marick cited the “immense potential that exists for the gaming, hospitality and entertainment industries to collaborate.”
He added, “Revenue diversification in Vegas has long been shifting toward non-gaming and hospitality, seeing casino revenue drop as low at 27% in some properties in recent years in favor of other offerings.
“With this has come a surge of innovation in hospitality and entertainment and a consensus that return-on-experience is what now drives customer retention in Integrated Resorts, with the rest of the U.S. and other jurisdictions following suit.”
