The ICE brand is being taken to Africa by Clarion Gaming, promoters of the world’s largest gaming show, London’s ICE Totally Gaming.
But ICE managing director Kate Chambers (pictured) is keen to emphasise that ICE Africa, set for Johannesburg in October, 2018, will take years to build into a larger trade show. Initially, the objective is to take the ICE qualities into the African market.
Immediately, and to fill the void between now and October next year, Clarion is planning to run Gaming Africa on October 24-25 this year in Johannesburg, a conference free to operators and regulators, that will set the stage for the ICE Africa event a year later.
“There is so much growth in Africa,” said Chambers, “that we want to service it with the London ICE qualities - quality content, quality attendees - a place where the industry can come together and network, do business and learn. It is not about scale. London’s ICE Totally Gaming is 42,000sq.m of trade show. That is not going to happen in Africa probably for many years.
“But the market in Africa does want a quality event, an event up to ICE standards, and we will begin to show that at Gaming Africa this year to presage what will come in ICE Africa next year.”
Within hours of the announcement, Clarion’s offices were subjected to dozens of calls from operators with African interests, keen to be involved from the outset.
“Gaming Africa will be a free-to-attend event,” said Chambers. “It will enable us to meet people, build the contacts and show just a little of what we can do.”
Clarion is not without African experience. The company ran one of its World Regulatory Briefings in Nigeria two years ago and another in Kenya this year.
