Zona de Azar U.K – Clarion Gaming: Alan Pratt Responds Why Barcelona Was Chosen

U.K.- August 02, 2023 www.zonadeazar.com  After what has been an exhaustive and detailed bid process conducted between Barcelona, London, Madrid and Paris, I can confirm that from 2025 iGB Affiliate and ICE will be held in Barcelona.

The first editions of our two world-class b2b events are to be held at the Fira de Barcelona (Gran Via) and will take place across 20-22 January 2025. iGB Affiliate will be on 21 -22 January and ICE on 20-22 January. The 2024 editions will take place at ExCeL London.

I appreciate that you will have many questions and I have attempted to answer these under the headings below. If there are any specific issues that you would like to raise, please email hello@clariongaming.co.

​​​​​​Moving forward we will be creating communication channels to keep you fully informed of all developments in relation to both the 2024 and 2025 editions.

What prompted Clarion to explore alternative host city locations in the first place?

Everything we do is customer-led, and dating back to 2021 a number of exhibitors and stakeholders asked us to undertake a feasibility study to explore what different cities and venues in Europe could offer. We are very conscious of our responsibility to the industry and of the need to look beyond the ‘here and now’. iGB Affiliate and ICE have grown exponentially and it was important that we took time to evaluate what would meet the future needs of the gaming and affiliate communities.

Who was responsible for organising the bidding process?

We hired a professional consultancy highly experienced in the space to construct and manage all aspects of the process and to evaluate each bid.

How detailed was the process?

Incredibly so. It comprised 30 variables, numerous venue visits, city presentations and detailed negotiations. It examined issues such as the ease and costs of participating both as an exhibitor and as a visitor, as well as the logistics involved in terms of transport and event organising. In addition, the process explored longer-term strategic factors impacting the development of the iGB Affiliate and ICE events. It was a highly complex, customer-led undertaking.

Did Clarion make the final decision?

An integral part of the selection process involved the creation of an Advisory Board comprising international brands drawn from both the land-based and online sectors of the industry. It was the Board that made the final selection.

Did you consult with iGB Affiliate exhibitors?

Yes – we brought together an Advisory Board of iGB Affiliate exhibitors. The vast majority of the Board said they wanted the iGB Affiliate event to be co-located alongside ICE. Research undertaken at iGB Affiliate 2023 showed that 37% of visitation was crossover from the ICE show.

Did you consult with visitors as well as exhibitors?

Yes. We ran additional surveys among a sample of visitors as well as in-depth quantitative analysis relating to the ease and costs of participating in the event

What does Barcelona offer?

The venue has outstanding facilities and offers an opportunity to grow both iGB Affiliate and ICE. We’ve had great engagement from the city and are confident that we will be able to deliver enhanced ROI for both exhibitors and visitors. iGB Affiliate and ICE will be the only major events taking place in Barcelona over the January dateline, enabling us to create an exclusive experience in one of Europe’s most popular and attractive cities – one that boasts an incredible hospitality infrastructure.

What do we have to do next?

We will communicate further details later this summer. From September, we will be issuing monthly updates on the relocation which will include all the information you need to ensure you have a great show in 2025.

Thanks again for your patience during this process. Now it is complete, our focus is on continuing the iGB Affiliate and ICE success stories in partnership with you to deliver an amazing experience in London in 2024. As you can imagine, these editions are shaping up to be even better than this year’s events, with the majority of exhibition space already sold, so look out for registration opening in the autumn.

Best regards

Alex

Alex Pratt
Group Managing Director
Clarion Gaming

Edito @_fonta   www.zonadeazar.com