ICE 2024 in London broke records with 52,345 attendees. Is Barcelona aiming higher?
Te bar is higher. And that's not necessarily driven by Barcelona per se, it's driven by our own ambition as an organiser and our customers’ ambition, plus that of the wider gaming industry. Our target for Barcelona is around 55,000 attendees, a 5,000-person increase from the record-breaking 2024 event in London. However, our focus isn’t solely on volume. It’s about ensuring the right mix of attendees, maintaining the quality of the customer profile, and creating more opportunities for connections and business.
Te goal of 100,000 attendees involves both geographical and sectoral expansion. While
volume is an important metric, the quality of attendees remains our top priority. Our
growth strategy includes deepening our reach in key regions like Latin America, leveraging cultural and logistical links with Spain, and expanding into emerging markets.
And we have to remind ourselves that it wasn't too long ago that the show had plateaued at 30-35,000 attendance. Post- COVID, ICE has driven onto a whole new level. And I'm proud of the fact that our attendance is audited. So, when we say there's 55,000 people, we mean it. And I don't think everyone does that in the events industry. It's also worth recognising that the London show delivered almost 100,000 visits too.
While there were concerns about losing UK attendance, it remains strong and is currently the largest registration group. At the same time, Barcelona opens new avenues to grow our European and Latin American customer base, among others. Registration numbers are already ahead by about 50% compared to the same time for ICE 2024, reflecting strong interest and early planning by attendees.
We’re also seeing dramatic increases in attendance from regions like the UAE and India. Tese trends indicate that ICE Barcelona will attract a diverse and global audience, which aligns with our ambition to be the ultimate platform for the gaming industry.
Te five-year vision is to reach 100,000 attendees. How do you plan to achieve that?
Te goal of 100,000 attendees involves both geographical and sectoral expansion. While volume is an important metric, the quality of attendees remains our top priority. Our growth strategy includes deepening our reach in key regions like Latin America, leveraging cultural and logistical links with Spain, and expanding into emerging markets.
Additionally, we are working with exhibitors to showcase more diverse products, which will attract new customer groups. For
example, there is a growing interest in street-market-oriented products and technologies like FinTech and eSports. Tese innovations are drawing new audiences while broadening the appeal of the exhibition to existing sectors.
Te move to Barcelona was driven by ICE exhibitors, but iGB Affiliates initially wanted to stay in London. What has been the impact on iGB Affiliates?
While iGB Affiliates initially expressed a preference for London, they have fully embraced the move to Barcelona. Tis year, the event has grown by 25 per cent in terms of space, with significant creativity and investment evident in booth designs. We’ve sold out Hall 1 and have a waiting list for exhibitors, indicating strong enthusiasm from the affiliate community. Te new venue offers expanded opportunities, and plans are already underway to accommodate further growth in 2026.
ICE 2024 occupied 100,000sq.m, while ICE Barcelona will use 120,000sq.m. Despite exhibitor interest in expanding further, you haven’t added another hall. Why?
Te decision not to expand further this year was deliberate. Moving to a new venue, we prioritised ensuring a seamless and high-quality experience for both attendees and exhibitors. Orientation and crowd density are critical factors in maintaining the "trade show energy" that ICE is known for. Growing too quickly can dilute that energy, so we opted for sustainable growth to preserve the attendee experience and ensure smooth navigation of the show floor.
Orientation can become a major challenge at large events and we know that crowd density will be different to what we've experienced in London. At ICE 2024 we had 20,000 people through the doors in 90 minutes, which creates an amazing buzz and a feeling you can't experience elsewhere. It’s not something that can be maintained throughout the day, but it is
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