Clarion Gaming announced that the ICE Ambassador group has been expanded with two new additions after both EUROMAT president Jason Frost and PlayEngine co-founder Dr. Laila Mintas accepted invitations.
‘Body of Industry Luminaries’
Frost and Mintas will join the consultative body of industry thought leaders that will be providing expert insight and advice to the organizers of ICE London 2023, the international B2B gaming expo slated to take place at ExCel London in February.
Commenting on the news, Clarion Gaming’s managing director Stuart Hunter was delighted to welcome Frost and Mintas to the “body of industry luminaries who give their time to help guide the future development of what continues to be the leading exhibition for the global gaming industry.”
Serving as ICE Ambassadors, Frost and Mintas join a group of prominent gaming industry personnel, including the executive chairman of The Hippodrome Casino Simon Thomas, general manager of Casino Helsinki Tiina Siltanen, chief corporate affairs officer of Ambassadeurs Group Tracy Damestani, former head of the Danish Gambling Authority Birgitte Sands, executive chairman at Backstageplay Simon Collins, YGAM’s director of Business Development Ian Shanahan, and conference chair of the Indian Gaming Association Victor Rocha.
“The purpose of our Ambassador initiative is to ensure that ICE is in-step with and responsive to, the needs of the industry across all verticals and international jurisdictions,” Hunter continued pointing to the “varied mix of individuals, roles and experiences” the group of ICE Ambassadors present, as well as its capability to “sense-check” the organizers’ strategic thinking and ensure “the broadest possible industry feedback and guidance.”
The Biggest ICE Event on Record
Commenting on the upcoming ICE23, Hunter stated that the gaming expo will see major gaming industry supplier brands, which have elected to omit the event from their calendars in the past few challenging years for the industry, return to the show floor.
He also confirmed that due to their return and the “sustained demand for additional space,” ICE London 2023 has already exceeded the physical size of ICE 2020 and will be the biggest edition of the event on record, hailing the “fantastic opportunity for world gaming to re-connect and take advantage of the unparalleled business opportunities the show delivers.”
The fate of ICE London 2022 had to be decided by a vote of the members of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM) as the possibility for the event to be postponed was real after the withdrawal of major industry suppliers.
There was also a last-minute intervention from the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) in the UK to reassure the industry that the expo would take place as planned.