INSIGHT ICE LONDON - BARCELONA CLARION GAMING
beginning of February, for this year's ICE. However, we're not quite there just yet. Exhibitors have wanted more time to explore their options. As soon as we've plotted and confirmed the booths for the major exhibitors, we'll open the floorpan to everybody else. Realistically, it's looking like Spring before we're able to share the floor plan with the rest of the industry.
For the Barcelona show we've also made changes in terms of how we present the show. We've shifted to a sector orientated approach, because the venue layout allows us greater flexibility. Barcelona and the FIRA itself is a world class venue. Barcelona is used to operating huge trade shows - trade shows much bigger than ICE.
Te Barcelona show is moving to earlier dates. Has it caused any consternation for visitors or exhibitors shifting to January?
We tested dates with exhibitors and visitors when we vocalised the relocation process. We had some concerns, but there's only a handful of venues in Europe able to accommodate a show the size and scale of ICE. Te number one question we asked all of those venues was: "do you have the space and the vacancy?" Many didn't due to the fact that January is a peak time for a lot of big trade shows.
Speaking to customers, the vast majority told us the ICE needs to be in Q1. It's an important time for their business and the cycle of purchasing. So we made sure that was a mandate when we spoke to the venues. Barcelona, as you know, is a little earlier in January rather than February. For the vast majority the date change isn't an issue. And we've had good feedback from the US, who are really positive about the dates as they don't clash with the Super Bowl.
In terms of flights, hotels, restaurants, local transportation, is Barcelona able to host an event the scale of ICE in January? And how are you communicating this to the ICE audience?
We've kept our communications quite low key to the wider industry up until this point for good reason, because I didn't want to dilute any of the momentum for ICE London 2024. We wanted to make sure that's the core focus, because everyone is investing a huge amount of money and time in making sure that ICE 2024 is successful for their business, and we didn't want to take the focus away from that.
Communications to the wider industry will really start to ramp up from March onwards. And we have a lot to tell. It's not the right time to do that just yet, but we have a year-round campaign for ICE Barcelona, unlike anything we've done before.
In terms of the logistics, it's been invaluable P90 WIRE / PULSE / INSIGHT / REPORTS
utilising an external consultant agency that's processed the huge amounts of variables; everything from flight times to volume of flights, hotel rooms, hotel prices, accessibility, number of taxis etc. All of the different contributing elements were put under the microscope.
One point I'd like to emphasise is the relationship between ICE and the city of Barcelona. It's a partnership that we've never had with London. We have a venue relationship in London with Excel, but the city of London has never embraced ICE. Whereas in Barcelona, we have a relationship with the city as well as the venue. ICE Barcelona will extend beyond the trade show, beyond the Fira into an ICE experience you'll experience throughout the city.
ICE Barcelona will be an elevated experience to London. We have a relationship with the airlines, all the major hotels, and key
ICE Barcelona will be an
elevated experience to London. We have a relationship with the airlines, all the major
hotels, and key infrastructure within the city itself. All of the things we haven't had a grasp upon before, we can now build into the ICE proposition. What fills me with excitement, and I feel strongly about this post- COVID, is that we must elevate the ICE experience because
there's still a fear factor around travel. I want to make sure that if they travel to ICE Barcelona then it's really worth that investment.
infrastructure within the city itself. All of the things we haven't had a grasp upon before, we can now build into the ICE proposition. What fills me with excitement, and I feel strongly about this post-COVID, is that we must elevate the ICE experience because there's still a fear factor around travel. I want to make sure that if they travel to ICE Barcelona then it's really worth that investment.
We want ICE to feel like a festival, both onsite and offsite. When you check into your hotel room, we want a live stream from that day's Vox playing on the TV. You're enjoying a meal at a restaurant with a dedicated ICE menu. We're engaging with venues to create pop-up experiences throughout the city, extending
ICE's campus beyond the Fira. It's going to be four days of 'festivalisation' for the gaming industry and for ICE, which is going to create a really dynamic experience and take the ICE experience up a notch. Tat's our aim.
Te percentage of UK visitors to ICE has always been high. How do you convince the Brits to visit Barcelona? And do you expect the same number to come?
Te latest data from ICE 2023 shows that around 35 per cent of overall visitation was attributable to the UK. So the vast majority of visitors to ICE are international. Flipping the question, if you asked me if I think the move to Barcelona will help to grow the non UK based audience? I say absolutely. We're seeing that already in terms of some of the relationships we're building within Spain and the wider continent.
Speaking to our partners at the European Casino Association, operators will be sending more staff and more teams to ICE Barcelona due to ease of access and travel. I think both European and the global contingent will continue to increase. We're already seeing great enthusiasm from the LatAm region. And so in terms of the UK, do I think everyone will travel to Barcelona? I don't know is the answer, but we're staying really close to our UK market and those customers that currently attend ICE. And what I'm hearing and seeing at the moment is that they absolutely will. And I think they will for two reasons. One, because they truly see ICE as a must-attend show from a business perspective, I think if they have a procurement obligation there is no better showcase than ICE in terms of products and services across all sectors. And secondly, from an experience perspective, Barcelona for four days at the end of January, if you're living in the UK it's an opportunity to escape some of the winter dreariness - which I think is a positive.
We are asking exhibitor base, how can we make it easier for your UK clients to travel to Barcelona. We are investing to make sure that we scoop up that UK audience and bring them to Barcelona. Retaining the UK audience is a top priority for us. If we can retain that UK audience and grow the European and LatAm audience, then we're taking ICE up to 50,000/55,000 attendees, which is where I believe it should be over the next couple of years.
You know, will everyone absolutely everyone want to come? I think those customers that perhaps live very locally to Excel that come for a day trip, you know, we might struggle with them, but we'll do our best to make sure they feel motivated. And from a cost perspective, if you live outside of London and you come to ICE in London for a couple of days, it's cheaper for you to go to Barcelona than it is for you to visit London. So from a cost perspective, Barcelona is not prohibitive.
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