Gambling Conference Corner December 2004
Published: Friday, December 10, 2004 Online-Casinos.com
GAMBLING CONFERENCE CORNER
ICE 2005 January 25-27, 2005 Earls Court 2, London, UK
Thousands of casino professionals across the globe are preparing to make the journey to London next month as the 2005 International Casino Exhibition (ICE) opens its doors at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre on 25-27 January.
What awaits them is another record-breaking event boasting no fewer than 169 exhibitors from 32 countries offering every conceivable product, device or service designed to maximise business opportunities throughout 2005 and beyond. Whether it’s for traditional land-based or offshore casinos and gaming parlours or state-of-the-art remote gambling systems, ICE 2005, together with its new interactive gaming section ICEi will feature all the latest developments.
Of the 169 companies exhibiting across 10,000sqm. (107,600sq.ft.) of net floor space at ICE 2005, 110 (65%) are based outside the UK with the USA (15 exhibitors) the most heavily represented overseas nation.
Recent trends in visitor attendance would suggest that ICE 2005 is set to continue on its upwards path, superseding the all-time high of 7,322 casino professionals from 101 countries recorded in 2004. Last year’s record attendance, including cross-over visitors from the co-located ATEI [soft gaming and amusements expo], of 17,775 is also on course to be broken once again.
No fewer than 31 companies drawn from 17 different countries are making their very first appearance at ICE in 2005, many of them in the i-gaming sector. This represents almost one-fifth (18.3%) of the total number of exhibitors on the show floor. Nine of the debutants are UK-based with three each coming from Canada and the USA and two from each of Argentina and Sweden. There are also first-time exhibitors from Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Serbia & Montenegro, Spain and Taiwan.
This year’s ICE will have the biggest on-the-floor presence of b2b gaming and gambling periodicals in the show’s history with no fewer than 25 publications from 9 countries setting out their stalls on the show floor. Over 50 casino industry writers are anticipated at Earls Court.
There’s more to ICE than just a selling show, behind the scenes there are a number of events designed to help shape future legislation and industry direction with key industry opinion-formers networking with political influencers, regulators and legislators. The following represents just a snapshot of events taking place off the show floor during ‘London week’:-
Gaming Regulators Luncheon (around 60 regulators from 30+ gaming jurisdictions)
European Casino Forum Meeting
Casino Executive Luncheon
Ambassadors’ Reception
Off The Record Club (for international trade journalists)
Interactive Gaming, Gambling & Betting Association (iGGBA) Seminar/Meeting
European Gambling Briefing.
Reserve the 25th & 26th April 2005, in your diaries for the European Gambling Briefing conference at a venue to be advised.
Knowledgeable experts from the European Commission, leading lawyers, regulators and CEO's of major gambling companies will present their views and debate the future of gambling in Europe as this conference focuses on the legislative and business forces effecting gaming and gambling within the European Union.
Comprehensively researched with key players in the market, this is an important event, not just for lawyers and regulators, but all those interested in doing business within the European gambling sector.
The interactive and debating sessions will address the following key topics:
Directive of Services in the Internal Market: With many countries opposed, will gambling remain within the EU remit? Timetables and scope for gambling study and its impact on the Directive; Ramifications of amendment on sales promotions
The most recent challenges and findings in courts across Europe: Case studies from the Netherlands; Germany; Italy and others
What is the true situation for companies looking for cross-border business opportunities?
What is happening in the EU's newly admitted member states?
Latest on the UK Gambling Bill: What impact is UK legislation having on other key European jurisdictions?
Monopolies versus competition: serious debate from both sides
Advertising and marketing of gambling services - what's allowed and what's actually happening
Proposed new Money Laundering Directive: Know Your Customer and other implications
More info: ATE Conferences Tel: +44 (0) 20 7713 0302 / Fax: +44 (0) 20 7841 3270 or email pgruber@ateonline.co.uk.
