Clarion, which organisers many of the industry’s most successful business events including ICE, iGaming Super Show, Affiliate Conferences, EiG and Juegos Miami, has pledged to create the biggest think tank of advisors and “critical friends” in the history of gaming.
Clarion’s target is to enlist the services of 1,000 industry professionals from throughout the world of gaming to help guide the development of its brands and to ensure they continue to serve the needs of the industry. The progressive initiative, which Clarion has branded Ampersand, will comprise a representative cross-section of industry verticals, jurisdictions, job functions and channels. Ampersand will be unveiled at WrB London, which takes place on September 12 with Clarion aiming to achieve its target membership by ICE 2018.
Explaining the thinking and purpose of what is believed to be a first, not only for the gaming sector but also for the broader events industry, Clarion Gaming managing director Kate Chambers said: “We thrive on working with the industry and producing events that will deliver opportunity and facilitate business for our stakeholders wherever they are based throughout the world.
“I envisage Ampersand working on a number of levels. It will enable us to validate ideas and concepts prior to launch, it will introduce a process and structure for customers to provide their feedback - both positive and negative - and it will enable the industry to make suggestions on how we can work more effectively to help in the development of sustainable gaming economies, particularly in emergent markets.
“We are always keen to explore new formats favoured by the industry and to receive suggestions for great new speakers and Ampersand will provide swift and direct access to the decision-making process. It delivers a valuable opportunity to help shape event content.”
She added: “This is the first major initiative that we have put in place following our acquisition by Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms. Looking ahead, I am extremely confident that we will continue to develop new opportunities for the sector, guided and assisted by the insight of what will be the industry’s largest ever think tank.”
