No ICE in London from 2025 as show set to move to Barcelona

[News Hound]

Barcelona wins four city bidding process to host the ICE show from 2025

Read the full article here: No ICE in London from 2025 as show set to move to Barcelona

 

[dunover]

Cretinous decision. Ridiculous. Two iGaming publications ran visitor polls and in both London got over 50%, Paris in one of them got 0%! Barcelona was second in both.

So we lose Amsterdam in July and have that in London, while London (far easier to get to worldwide and far more accomodation and things to do/visit) loses out to Barcelona, a pretty grim place in January and harder to get to.

I take it that will mean no more Meistermeets unless they do it in July before iGB?

I am really pissed-off about it.

 

[Webzcas]

Yes I have to say I was shocked, I didn't even know a move was up for consideration. I like Barcelona, only been the once and that was for my 30th, but that was at the start of the summer. Not sure Barcelona in February has the same kind of appeal.

Shame also that iGB Live will no longer be held in Amsterdam. I mean both London and Amsterdam have been synonymous with the iGaming industry since its infancy.

Well before iGaming Business came on the scene, small matter of the Casino Affiliate Convention held every April in Amsterdam - they were some great conferences, especially the last one in 2010? - with the infamous Volcanic Ash Cloud courtesy of Iceland, forcing everyone to change their travel plans.

Oh well, things change, although change is not necessarily for the better. Time will tell I guess if commercially moving the ICE and iGB shows to Barcelona works out to be an astute and sound decision.

 

[dunover]

I think there will be some controversy here considering 5 of the panel voted against and for London and one abstained. In gaming site polls, Barcelona came a distant third behind Madrid. Clarion are releasing another statement this summer.

The Pratt (the spokesman's name lol) has cited numerous logistical reasons and ROI etc. but Barcelona is small compared to London, the transport infrastructure is nowhere near as good and the place is virtually closed in mid-January when it tends to be pretty grim and damp. You have serious pickpocketing gangs etc. and won't have the diversity of places to eat and visit, only so long you can stand looking at either the Nou Camp or Sagrada Família (the unfinshed cathedral.)

Reading between the lines this has much to do with Spain's infant gambling industry and a certain few big exhibitors.

I'm sure we'll have Clarion claiming at the time 'record number of badges issued' etc. but I cannot see it if that's the case. Even odder is the fact London 2023 did really have a huge record in attendance, it was heaving.

I seriously suspect palms were greased here.

Qatar winning the hosting of the 2022 World Cup tournament was more believable than this crap.

P.S. Then poor Amsterdam has been binned off altogether as their traditional iGB in the RAI in July seems to have been given to London as a consolation prize, a softener, just so they can say Europe's biggest market still has a slice of the action.

So after next year the much-loved trip to the Netherlands has gone.

 

[sufferinsilence]

You can say a lot about Barcelona but not that the weather's grim and damp in January compared to London...

 

[dunover]

You can say a lot about Barcelona but not that the weather's grim and damp in January compared to London...

Actually, it is mainly. Yes, warmer than London but it certainly isn't all sunshine and dry at that time of the year. It's a city pretty much geared up to the warmer seasons.
P.S. Maybe I've been lucky in the years I've attended London, but I counted 27 days and nights over last 10 years, of which I've seen rain on two. Most times the weather has been dry and settled, mainly sunny, but yes a bit cold too.

Average annual rainfall:

London 585mm with 107 wet days
Barcelona 640mm with 55 wet days
Madrid 465 mm with 63 wet days
Paris 650mm with 110 wet days
Amsterdam 760mm with 200 wet days

Yet, even so, it doesn't rain that much in London. According to the Met Office Climate data, over the 30 year period, there were 106.5 days of rainfall per year on average (which counts as a day in which 1mm of rainfall or over fell). This means that there was rainfall on 29 per cent of days per year and on average it didn’t rain 71 per cent of days per year. Average rainfall is 557.4mm with 1410 "sunshine hours."

There are more rainy days in Miami (at 135) and Orlando, Florida (117) than there are in London. New York City clocks in at 122 days and 1,268mm of rain. Washington DC, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and Mexico City all have more rainy days on average in any given year than London.

In fact, of all Northen European capitals including Brussles, Oslo, Copenhagen etc. London is the driest and has least rainy days per year. Stockholm is about as dry but has far more wet days. The foulest place in Europe is Bergen, Norway which is wettest by a huge margin in Europe and has rain/precipitation on nearly 2/3 days.

P.P.S. Admittedly, after a series of hot dry summers and regular droughts, the UK in 2023 is in the middle of its vilest, worst summer in decades. After a good June, the 'Omega' weather pattern has been fixed in place over the Atlantic for the last 6 weeks now, meaning New England and Nova Scotia on the east of North America, Iceland, The UK and most of Northern Europe are having little sunshine and lots of grey skies and rain, here it's 2-3 times more than usual, in Northern Ireland and NW Egland the wettest July ever. We are having the kind of summer that if you experienced just once in your younger years would make you determined later in life to have an annual holiday in Spain, Greece etc. and never consider one in the UK.

 

[sufferinsilence]

Actually, it is mainly. Yes, warmer than London but it certainly isn't all sunshine and dry at that time of the year. It's a city pretty much geared up to the warmer seasons.
P.S. Maybe I've been lucky in the years I've attended London, but I counted 27 days and nights over last 10 years, of which I've seen rain on two. Most times the weather has been dry and settled, main sunny, but yes a bit cold too.

Average annual rainfall:

London 585mm with 107 wet days
Barcelona 640mm with 55 wet days
Madrid 465 mm with 63 wet days
Paris 650mm with 110 wet days
Amsterdam 760mm with 200 wet days

Yet, even so, it doesn't rain that much in London. According to the Met Office Climate data, over the 30 year period, there were 106.5 days of rainfall per year on average (which counts as a day in which 1mm of rainfall or over fell). This means that there was rainfall on 29 per cent of days per year and on average it didn’t rain 71 per cent of days per year. Average rainfall is 557.4mm with 1410 "sunshine hours."

There are more rainy days in Miami (at 135) and Orlando, Florida (117) than there are in London. New York City clocks in at 122 days and 1,268mm of rain. Washington DC, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and Mexico City all have more rainy days on average in any given year than London.

To start with Barcelona: only 55 days with precipitation but a higher amount means there's more heavy showers and thunderstorms which are most likely to occur at the end of Summer and beginning of Autumn due to the Med being at its warmest then.

Miami and Orlando get a lot of rainy days due to thunderstorms and tropical storms.

I wouldn't compare either 3 of those cities with London which has way more damp days.

Anyway, I don't think the organisation gives a flying f about the weather

 

[Webzcas]

I think to be fair though D you are doing Barcelona somewhat of a disservice, plus the ExCEL is in the middle of nowhere - well not exactly true but if you are staying fairly central, it takes an age to get to. As a conference exhibition centre it is superb, location wise though, it truly does suck IMO.

I also find with London, any longer than 36 hours there and it truly does my head in. But then, I have been there nearly as many times as I have had hot dinners.

In terms of transport connections, Barcelona is served very well, admittedly not as big of a transport hub as London, but it fares well in comparison to most other big cities in Europe.

Not that I attend anymore the iGB or ICE events in London and although shocked that they are relocating, I am not too disappointed as to where they are ending up.

Amsterdam though, that is such as shame that after the 2024 event, there will be no more iGaming shows held there. I have fond memories of Amsterdam and even got engaged during the 2006 CAC.

As for the spokesperson Alex Pratt, he is now the MD of Clarion Events. Also rode shotgun with him on the train from Amsterdam to Dunkirk after the 2010 CAC in Amsterdam, when all flights across Northern Europe were grounded by the ash cloud.

 

[dunover]

I think to be fair though D you are doing Barcelona somewhat of a disservice, plus the ExCEL is in the middle of nowhere - well not exactly true but if you are staying fairly central, it takes an age to get to. As a conference exhibition centre it is superb, location wise though, it truly does suck IMO.

I also find with London, any longer than 36 hours there and it truly does my head in. But then, I have been there nearly as many times as I have had hot dinners.

In terms of transport connections, Barcelona is served very well, admittedly not as big of a transport hub as London, but it fares well in comparison to most other big cities in Europe.

Not that I attend anymore the iGB or ICE events in London and although shocked that they are relocating, I am not too disappointed as to where they are ending up.

Amsterdam though, that is such as shame that after the 2024 event, there will be no more iGaming shows held there. I have fond memories of Amsterdam and even got engaged during the 2006 CAC.

As for the spokesperson Alex Pratt, he is now the MD of Clarion Events. Also rode shotgun with him on the train from Amsterdam to Dunkirk after the 2010 CAC in Amsterdam, when all flights across Northern Europe were grounded by the ash cloud.

Yes, takes about 30-35 minutes to get to Excel via underground and DLR from central but the trains are every 10 minutes maximum. Don't forget, it is right next to London City Airport which you'll find many exhibitors use, not Thiefrow. You also find that there are huge numbers of hotel rooms in or near the Docklands where the huge majority of attendees stay, it's a small percentage (inlcuding me) who prefer to stay central.

 

[neilw]

My understanding is one of the reasons for the move was financial. Since Brexit, the exhibitors were being charged a huge tax on the importation of their stands and materials for the show. They don't have that if the show is hosted in the European Union.

I'll miss ICE at the Excel, and I'll have to decide whether I'll go to Barcelona - I may do one to see what it's like.

As for IGB live, Affiliate conferences are two a penny these days. Another operator will jump in and claim the spot at Amsterdam and London.

I feel for the gaming conferences already running in Barcelona, as they now have competition. There are just too many in the same locations, albeit at different times of the year. I wonder what the Exhibitors think of it all?

 

[maxd]

Assuming the exhibitor participation is the same in Barc I'd say it's pretty much a toss-up where I'd rather go. London has what London has but Barcelona is no back-water either. Much better food, more good stuff to see, much nicer walking around, etc. They seem to have managed major events quite nicely in the past and I can't see how that'll have changed.

Sure, public transit in London is more extensive etc but then London is London and you need it don't you? In Barcelona we just walked half the time and loved it TBH. Not sure about the weather there in early February but it's not like it's gonna be any worse than London. Also, Excel seriously sucked as a venue. Might as well have been in an industrial park in Slough for all that place had to offer. Hated going there, hated being there, couldn't leave fast enough. As far as Barc VS London goes I'll miss the MeisterMeetings at Waxy's, and I'll definitely miss our Joy King Lau after-MM dinners.

 

[L&L-Jan]

Average annual rainfall:

London 585mm with 107 wet days
Barcelona 640mm with 55 wet days
Madrid 465 mm with 63 wet days
Paris 650mm with 110 wet days
Amsterdam 760mm with 200 wet days

all due to climate change

 

[Webzcas]

My understanding is one of the reasons for the move was financial. Since Brexit, the exhibitors were being charged a huge tax on the importation of their stands and materials for the show. They don't have that if the show is hosted in the European Union.

You make a very valid and good point here Neil. The band that I saw in April who came over from Germany, did not bring ANY merch with them for sale, due to the paperwork and subsequent tax burden they would have had been subjected to.

 

[Webzcas]

Also, Excel seriously sucked as a venue. Might as well have been in an industrial park in Slough for all that place had to offer. Hated going there, hated being there, couldn't leave fast enough. The MeisterMeetings at Waxy's were good though, and I'll definitely miss our Joy King Lau after-MM dinners.

Yep, Excel's location absolutely sucks. At least in the past with the now demolished Earls Court there was a bit of life around those parts.

 

[dunover]

Assuming the exhibitor participation is the same in Barc I'd say it's pretty much a toss-up where I'd rather go. London has what London has but Barcelona is no back-water either. Much better food, more good stuff to see, much nicer walking around, etc. They seem to have managed major events quite nicely in the past and I can't see how that'll have changed.

Sure, public transit in London is more extensive etc but then London is London and you need it don't you? In Barcelona we just walked half the time and loved it TBH. Not sure about the weather there in early February but it's not like it's gonna be any worse than London. Also, Excel seriously sucked as a venue. Might as well have been in an industrial park in Slough for all that place had to offer. Hated going there, hated being there, couldn't leave fast enough. As far as Barc VS London goes I'll miss the MeisterMeetings at Waxy's, and I'll definitely miss our Joy King Lau after-MM dinners.

Nothing stopping us having one before London iGB in July?

 

[dunover]

You make a very valid and good point here Neil. The band that I saw in April who came over from Germany, did not bring ANY merch with them for sale, due to the paperwork and subsequent tax burden they would have had been subjected to.

Funnily enough, the only major exhibitor I heard had mentioned Brexit regarding ICE was Novomatic, also from those parts, or next door.

One advantage of Brexit that may come into play is that now we left the EU, we can have lower duty on beer etc. bought in pubs and restaurants than is paid for supermarket alcohol purchases. In fact only yesterday alcohol duty was increased for supermarket/shop sales and frozen for pubs and restaurants. Alas cheaper beer in pubs hasn't swung it for Novo lol..

 

[bamberfishcake]

I don't blame them.

London is fast becoming an extortionate bubble of pretentious aresholes and a lawless bandit land for the average person.

Viva la Barca!

 

[satchnz]

Funnily enough, the only major exhibitor I heard had mentioned Brexit regarding ICE was Novomatic, also from those parts, or next door.

One advantage of Brexit that may come into play is that now we left the EU, we can have lower duty on beer etc. bought in pubs and restaurants than is paid for supermarket alcohol purchases. In fact only yesterday alcohol duty was increased for supermarket/shop sales and frozen for pubs and restaurants. Alas cheaper beer in pubs hasn't swung it for Novo lol..

I thought another benefit was not having to send 350 million buses to the EU every week, or something like that?

 

[Casinomeister]

Just to chime in real quick here (I'm in desert mode lol), the Meister Meeting will be in London for the next event, and there is no stopping us to have this wherever we want. The majority of our traffic if from the UK, and the Meister Meeting is for OUR MEMBERS not for the suits in the iGaming industry.

Plus it only takes me an hour to get from my abode to Piccadilly Circus, and this old man prefers ease and tradition over chasing conferences - which have nothing to do with players in the first place.

We can't lose site that the MM is for you guys - and me.

 

[Casinomeister]

And I agree about Barcelona - it's a cool town, and a pretty good location for a small venue. ICE? meh - I think that's going to be a disaster, but we'll see.

And yes, Barcelona is RIFE with crime. I think it was the year 2009 or so that the EIG conference had over 200 pick pocketing events in one night, at one party by the harbor - no shit. One of our affiliate managers was even getting into a cab, and as she got in someone snatched her bag off of her arm. My ex-wife had her wallet stolen in a store in the Rambles area. Even I was chased down the street one time by African prostitutes (it's in one of the old newsletters).

I am rather surprised that none of the folks at Clarion took the vile crime situation into account. They know all about it - many of these folks were there then. I will be giving it a pass I am sure.

 

[dunover]

And I agree about Barcelona - it's a cool town, and a pretty good location for a small venue. ICE? meh - I think that's going to be a disaster, but we'll see.

And yes, Barcelona is RIFE with crime. I think it was the year 2009 or so that the EIG conference had over 200 pick pocketing events in one night, at one party by the harbor - no shit. One of our affiliate managers was even getting into a cab, and as she got in someone snatched her bag off of her arm. My ex-wife had her wallet stolen in a store in the Rambles area. Even I was chased down the street one time by African prostitutes (it's in one of the old newsletters).

I am rather surprised that none of the folks at Clarion took the vile crime situation into account. They know all about it - many of these folks were there then. I will be giving it a pass I am sure.

At last, someone who says it as it IS!

I wouldn't worry too much about the dusky toms chasing you down the street now, they've probably all crossed the channel in dinghies by now.

But pickpocketing and robbery are pretty widespread - still. Paris is nearly as bad.

You won't see ICE reported as disaster, even if it obviously is, because then Clarion would be in the situation of having a dud event contract tied in for the next 4 years afterwards as the deal is until 2029.

By the way, did you escape the African toms? They're pretty fast runners usually, you'd have had to get those knees pumping...

 

[bamberfishcake]

And I agree about Barcelona - it's a cool town, and a pretty good location for a small venue. ICE? meh - I think that's going to be a disaster, but we'll see.

And yes, Barcelona is RIFE with crime. I think it was the year 2009 or so that the EIG conference had over 200 pick pocketing events in one night, at one party by the harbor - no shit. One of our affiliate managers was even getting into a cab, and as she got in someone snatched her bag off of her arm. My ex-wife had her wallet stolen in a store in the Rambles area. Even I was chased down the street one time by African prostitutes (it's in one of the old newsletters).

I am rather surprised that none of the folks at Clarion took the vile crime situation into account. They know all about it - many of these folks were there then. I will be giving it a pass I am sure.

My experience of Barcelona was very different, albeit for 1 week only, but of course, there is crime in every city. Maybe I am not pretty enough to be chased by prostitutes.

Petty crime, not just in London but all over the UK, is left unchallenged and unchased nowadays. And the docklands area is pretty bad if you stray off the beaten path.

 

[bamberfishcake]

Thinking on, I should probably add that I was in Barca around 18 years ago, and it's been well over 10 years since I was treading the streets of London.

So my experience might be a little out of date come to think of it

 

[Kroffe]

Who cares where the event is held?
On a completely different note, have you heard this great Swedish song?



Edit: for balance, there are actually nice songs about London aswell.

 

[johnnymcc1966]

I think there will be some controversy here considering 5 of the panel voted against and for London and one abstained. In gaming site polls, Barcelona came a distant third behind Madrid. Clarion are releasing another statement this summer.

The Pratt (the spokesman's name lol) has cited numerous logistical reasons and ROI etc. but Barcelona is small compared to London, the transport infrastructure is nowhere near as good and the place is virtually closed in mid-January when it tends to be pretty grim and damp. You have serious pickpocketing gangs etc. and won't have the diversity of places to eat and visit, only so long you can stand looking at either the Nou Camp or Sagrada Família (the unfinshed cathedral.)

Reading between the lines this has much to do with Spain's infant gambling industry and a certain few big exhibitors.

I'm sure we'll have Clarion claiming at the time 'record number of badges issued' etc. but I cannot see it if that's the case. Even odder is the fact London 2023 did really have a huge record in attendance, it was heaving.

I seriously suspect palms were greased here.

Qatar winning the hosting of the 2022 World Cup tournament was more believable than this crap.

P.S. Then poor Amsterdam has been binned off altogether as their traditional iGB in the RAI in July seems to have been given to London as a consolation prize, a softener, just so they can say Europe's biggest market still has a slice of the action.

So after next year the much-loved trip to the Netherlands has gone.

A touch of xenophobia here?