The largest global gathering of gaming companies in Europe, ICE London 2022, may have to be postponed due to some hesitancy in the industry.
Financial Risks Mounting
The official website of the global gaming tradeshow that is scheduled to take place February 1-3 at ExCel London is still indicating the event is going as planned but it may not be up to the organizers to make the final decision after the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) discussed the subject during its monthly meeting.
During the meeting which took place in Las Vegas and via Zoom, AGEM members met with representatives of the organizers of ICE London 2022, managing director of Clarion Events Alex Pratt and Kate Chambers of Fulwood Media, to discuss the arrangements for the exhibition and then elected to hold a vote on whether the show should be postponed by two months until April/May.
ICE London 2022 event organizers outlined details related to event registration, travel requirements and participation expectations but the briefing may not be enough to swing the prevailing attitude among AGEM members that the financial risks related to a no-go scenario are mounting.
Shipping Deadlines Approaching
On the other side, manufacturers of slot machines raised their concerns that as shipping deadlines for their equipment were fast approaching, a redline with regards to participation should be drawn. As a result, AGEM decided to conduct a poll and establish which is the industry-wide preferred option: to go ahead with the expo as planned in February, to postpone it until April/May or to cancel this year’s event.
The association with over 170 member companies is expected to come up with the poll result by the end of the week, but the overall expectation is that ICE London 2022 will follow the example set by ICE London 2021, which was re-scheduled to April 20-22, and be postponed until April/May.
Clarion Gaming, as organizers of ICE London 2022, announced a press briefing for Friday, December 17, to update the industry on whether the show will continue as planned. The timing of the briefings implies that the AGEM poll result will be decisive.