Online Casino Gambling Conference Corner
Published: Monday, December 05, 2005 Online-Casinos.com
ONLINE CASINO GAMBLINE CONFERENCE CORNER
ICE heats up - 41 online casino gaming companies on show
It's one of the "must attend" exhibitions for the wider gambling industry,
and this year the interactive gambling element is stronger than ever. We're talking
the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) which takes place at Earl's Court in
London, England between 24 and 26 January next year.
Visitors to the 2006 event will experience a varied showcase from suppliers drawn
from the greatest number of countries ever seen under one roof. The news follows
the revelation made at the beginning of December by show organisers ATE that 185
companies from 34 countries are lined up to appear at ICE and its interactive
gaming section, ICEi.
The number (124) and proportion (67 percent) of exhibiting companies based outside
the United Kingdom will also mark all-time highs for ICE, adding further to its
credentials as the most international gaming event in the industry calendar.
This is the stage where the top companies in the business showcase their wares,
presenting an Aladdin's Cave of new gaming-related technology and exciting and
innovative games. Covering every conceivable product sector from slots to security,
table games to testing labs, player tracking to progressive jackpots, i-gaming
to interior design and cashless systems to components, ICE 2006 will play host
to the biggest names in the business.
Joining 61 British exhibitors, US-based companies will constitute the largest
non-domestic presence with 18 companies on the show floor. The Netherlands and
Spain will both be represented by 10 exhibitors, followed by Russia with nine,
Slovenia and Sweden both with eight, Canada with seven and five from each of Australia,
Austria and France. Belgium and Italy will both supply four exhibitors, with three
each from Bulgaria, Germany and Malta, whilst Argentina, Czech Republic, Israel
and Japan will all have a double presence. The remaining countries having their
flags flown at ICE 2006 will be Belarus, Brazil, China, Finland, Hungary, Ireland,
Korea, Latvia, Portugal, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, South Africa, Taiwan
and Ukraine.
Of the 185 confirmed exhibitors, occupying total net floor space of more than
10,000 sqm., 41 will be located within ICEi, the dedicated i-gaming area located
at the far end of Earls Court 2.
These companies will be located within the dedicated ICEi area, with four more
– Australia's Gaming & Entertainment Group, Octavian International (UK),
Tain (Sweden) and Vuetec (UK) – located nearby on the Earls Court 2 show
floor.
Constituting 37.7 percent of the ICEi showcase, 17 exhibitors are based domestically,
whilst Sweden holds the honour of providing the highest number (eight) from any
guest nation. Six hail from Canada, three each from Malta and the USA and two
from Israel, the remaining represented countries being Australia, Austria, Finland,
France, Korea and Spain.
Some of the biggest names in the business will populate ICEi 2006, Sweden’s
Boss Media topping the list with a substantial stand. Spain’s Cirsa Interactive
and Israel’s Playtech share second spot, each with a 70sqm. (753sq.ft.) display.
Betfair and Orbis Technology both set out stalls in excess of 50sqm. (538sq.ft.),
with three companies – Chartwell Technology, NetEnt and RealTime Gaming each
weighing in with a 40sqm (431sq.ft.) booth.
12 companies will make their very first appearance at ICEi in January, accounting
for around 12 per cent of the floor area. The debutants comprise two companies
each from Canada (1 Gaming Inc. and G-Fed Games), Sweden (24h Network and EssNet
Interactive) and the UK (Gex Technologies and Microgen). Other first-timers include
Avanzia (Malta), Goldrace.com (Korea), Greentube I.E.S. (Austria), iovation Inc.
(USA), Quedesjeux (France) and SafeCharge (Israel).
Show organisers ATE are introducing a number of visitor facilities for all show
attendees, including additional restaurants and bars, executive seating areas
and a business lounge complete with I.T. services and free access to the Internet.
These new features will be located on Level 2 of Earls Court 1, accessed via the
co-located soft gaming and amusements show, ATEI. As in the last two shows, ICE/ICEi
will have its own dedicated registration area, located at the front of Earls Court,
directly opposite West Brompton Underground and Railway Station.
