The furore over the future of Europe's premier trade show for the gaming industry is 'premature', said Clarion Events' show director Julian Graves yesterday.
Having previously confirmed that he has a contract with Earls Court’s owners taking the ICE Totally Gaming show through to 2015, Graves said that there was ‘no reason’ for the exhibitors to be examining the subject at this stage.
“Earls Court has been listed long-term for demolition, but no date has been set for that and major undertakings of this type in London often take many years. I believe that we are at least several years away from anything happening to the location. Meanwhile it remains the location of choice for Europe’s casino operators. And London is the destination which they prefer.
“Obviously we have options for whenever Earls Court is closed to us. We have Olympia available, which is now going through a programme to upgrade and expand its facilities.
“But if the exhibitors want ExCel then we can deliver it – we can deliver it in 2013 if they are set on a new venue that early, although it would be a totally unnecessary move.” He said that Clarion also had an option on Amsterdam’s Rai Centre if that was also in the frame.
“Whatever the exhibitors want we are in a position to deliver it. ICE Totally Gaming is a quality event delivering everything that operators want and the operators are key in this. That was underlined last week when the European Casino Association, which represents 1,000 casinos across 23 European countries backed ICE.”
