Publisher’s note: In this morning’s Flash, the dates for the upcoming ICE North America were incorrectly listed in our preview piece. The correct dates are May 13-14. We deeply apologize to Clarion Events for this error. Buck Wargo and I will be in attendance at this show and we look forward to seeing our industry friends in New Orleans on May 13-14. – Jeffrey Compton, Publisher, CDC Gaming Reports
ICE North America, which will take place in New Orleans May 13-14 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, has merged with Southern Gaming Summit to showcase the full spectrum of commercial and tribal-gaming innovations, including casino, sports betting, affiliate marketing, lottery, eSports, payments, hospitality technology, and more. Free breakout sessions will also provide educational opportunities for all casino and online-gambling professionals.
According to Rory Credland, event director for ICE North America’s organizer Clarion Gaming, ICE’s move to New Orleans reflects the wishes of last year’s attendees and the consensus of Clarion’s sales teams — that a change of venue would be beneficial.
“There has been a lot of focus on the east coast, and New Jersey in particular, since the repeal of PASPA, but the U.S. industry is so much more diverse,” he said.
“We’re very conscious of the fact that there are now lots of shows here in the U.S. and beyond and people simply can’t attend them all,” Credland continued. “Marketing budgets are finite and time out of the office comes at a premium. But a two-day conference in a great city like New Orleans has something for everyone. We looked at a number of venues and nothing beat New Orleans. There’s such a great combination of business and pleasure that ICE North America has the potential to become one of the first shows people circle on the calendar each year, much like its equivalent in London.”
Credland added, “This year’s show will focus on innovation in the industry, especially the hospitality tech sector. The co-existence of the land-based and online industries will also be explored. And the American Gaming Awards will take place on the final day. Attendees who’ve participated in the annual golf and spa event at the Southern Gaming Summit will not be disappointed. And there’s every chance we’ll be getting involved in some of the famous tours in New Orleans, which we’ll be announcing in the weeks to come.”
In terms of the recently announced partnership with the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association to merge ICE NA with the Southern Gaming Summit, Credland explained, “The Southern Gaming Summit is a well-established fixture on the conference schedule and with the proximity of the shows in May, it made perfect sense to merge the two.”
This is the first year that attendance to ICE NA’s educational program is free, with the additional fee waived.
Credland said that after discussions with attendees at Boston’s show last year, it was clear that keeping up with the gaming landscape in the U.S., which is in a constant state of flux, is a large part of why they travel to shows like ICE North America. “With that in mind, it made sense to allow attendees to enjoy the great content on offer for free in order to further their knowledge,” he said.
#newsroom – ICE North America moves to New Orleans for 2020 conference. -Deke Castleman, CDC Gaming Reports. https://t.co/MLNUcArR9k @ICENorthAmerica #CDCgaming
— CDC Gaming Reports (@CDCNewswire) February 20, 2020
ICE North American has received endorsements from a number of organizations within the industry. “It’s very important to get buy-in from the industry’s stakeholders, which play an important role in binding diverse commercial, regulatory and legislative elements together.”
ICE North America has been given the seal of approval by the National Indian Gaming Association, Canadian Gaming Association, Mexican Gaming Association, AIEJA, and the Mississippi Gaming and Hospitality Association.
“They all bring something different to the table and I hope that both they and their members find ICE North America to be beneficial,” Rory Credland concluded.
