ICE 2023
New rail link puts ICE 17-minutes from the heart of central London
Andy Ventris, Event Director responsible for ICE London explains why the new £18.8bn Elizabeth line will transform the experience for visitors and exhibitors attending the world’s biggest b2b gambling exhibition in February
T
he terms transformative and game-changing can rarely have been used as frequently as they have been by exhibition industry professionals describing the new Elizabeth line,
formerly known as Cross Rail. The Elizabeth line, or Lizzy line, has made ExCel, which has been home to ICE since 2013, less than a 20-minute train journey away from Bond Street, the shopping district widely regarded as being in the heart of London’s West End. Furthermore, the line connects Heathrow Airport with ExCeL in a journey which takes under one hour. “Working in events, access to venues is so
important and we know that a smooth journey to and from the venue helps dramatically in the overall customer experience” explained Ventris. “London is a great destination for international
travelers, with leading hotels, top quality restaurants and all of the world class entertainment that you can ask for. At ICE in February, it will be possible for
visitors to have a breakfast meeting in the City, be at ICE for the doors opening at 10am and spend the evenings in the West End, all using one train line.” He continued: “To give readers greater insight the journey from ExCeL to Tottenham Court Road takes 15-minutes, it’s 17 minutes to Bond Street or if you prefer the City of London – there is a direct train which takes a mere 3-minutes. All of these are single journeys that don’t require changing trains and the trains themselves really are state of the art. The line has been designed with comfort in mind, with spacious carriages, and good wifi connectivity which means individuals are always connected traveling across London – which is a huge plus.” Ventris believes that the benefi ts go beyond
simply getting around London. “It (the Elizabeth line) - will allow everyone fl ying into Heathrow to get to ICE with an uninterrupted journey in just 43 mins. As well as this, it has also reduced journey times from many other major
38 DECEMBER 2022
international airports and importantly for those UK attendees, from several mainline rail stations.” With Clarion being a London-based
organisation, using the new train link has become a regular feature for members of the ICE organising team. He confi rmed: “We spend lots of time throughout the year travelling back and forth across London seeing clients and partners in the industry as well as making regular visits to the ExCeL Centre from our offi ce in South West London and it’s made that trip a lot more effi cient and enjoyable. Unsurprisingly, it has already made a big impact on the numbers attending events held at ExCeL.” So, are the organisers anticipating an uptick in the ICE attendance as a result? “I don’t necessarily think that more
international visitors will participate directly as a result of the transport improvements but it will certainly enhance the experience when they are in town for the event. I am sure it will stimulate more UK visitors and overall, I think we will see more ICE and iGB Affi liate London attendees opting to extend their visit to three, four or more days. “The reduction in journey times puts so many
more hotels within easy reach of ExCeL and giving easy access to London’s pubs, restaurants, clubs and key shopping areas including the so-called Luxury Quarter in Mayfair which is home to Michelin starred restaurants alongside
many more dining attractions, offering a variety of tastes and cuisines. There’s certainly many more reasons to stay for longer which in turn will deliver enhanced ROI for our exhibitors.” “ICE is such an important event in the annual gaming calendar, packed with social events and networking opportunities which run throughout the entire week” confi rmed Ventris. “And with so many of the world industry’s major suppliers, operators, innovators, trade associations and strategic bodies all meeting at ICE there are literally hundreds of events both large and small, organised and spontaneous taking place from dusk until dawn. I expect that the improved connectivity will enhance participation levels and lead to even more industry events taking place.” February’s ICE and iGB Affi liate London will be
the fi rst to experience the benefi ts of the line that opened in May 2022 so is there a danger that it will not be on the radar of visitors, particularly those travelling from outside the UK? “Similar to any new development there is a risk that people will simply not be aware of its existence” he argued. “As ICE organisers we always do what we can to help our attendees navigate around London and provide them with a smooth experience from the moment they register until the event closes. The team is currently producing some promotional videos around the Elizabeth line to showcase what it will mean for attendees – so watch this space!”
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