“2014 represented our fifth consecutive year of growth”

Do you have the preliminary numbers for ICE 2014?
Yes we do and I'm delighted to confirm that a magnificent 23,891 gaming industry professionals defied the 48-hour strike on the London Underground to set a new record attendance at ICE 2014. The figure, which at this stage remains unaudited, represents a 7% increase on 2013 and a 12% uplift on 2012, the last edition of ICE to be held at Earls Court. The ICE team worked tremendously hard to put on an event which reflected the investment made by our visitors and the 503 exhibiting companies which occupied the 55,000 sqm of space at ExCeL.  2014 represented our fifth consecutive year of growth and a 28% uplift on the 18,676 who attended ICE 2010.

How affected were you by the tube strike and the weather?
Obviously the specter of the tube strike loomed large and gave us some sleepless nights!  We were in constant contact with the owners of ExCeL, with Transport for London, the office of the Mayor of London and many other influencers in order to have contingency plans in case the strike became a total shut down of the underground system.  However you should never under estimate the commitment and determination of the international gaming industry who weren't going to allow some industrial action to get in the way of the most important business event of the year!  When we looked towards the station on the second day to see literally thousands and thousands of people from all over the world waiting to get in to the ICE hall it was a fantastic feeling.  Certainly if the strike had not taken place I think we would have had marginally better figures.  As for the weather, I think the world has become accustomed to London in the winter and plans accordingly!

Judging by the conference program and what you saw on the exhibition floor, what were the main trends at the show this year?
It's not really my position to comment on trends in gaming as I am a professional event organiser and not a gaming commentator, however from what we witnessed on the ICE show floor this year's hot topic was mobile.  Most of the big players in the traditional supply industry gave over increasing areas of their stands to mobile applications.  M-commerce is the key driver in the business world and gaming appears to be embracing it fully and with enthusiasm.

How did ICE TV work out?
ICE TV worked extremely well.  It gives an opportunity for stakeholders to gain additional coverage and for us to document what is a really busy and dynamic week. It is one of the added value items which combine to make ICE such an event.

How did the ICE 2014 Mobile App perform? Do you have the statistics on that?
With such a lot happening over the 3 days at ICE, the mobile app was a really useful tool allowing attendees to plan their time prior to the event, check out the exhibitor list, book meetings and add sessions to their diary. In the run up to and including the event, the app and networking tool had over 20,000 users. The experience was enhanced for visitors onsite by Giant iTabs explaining how the app worked. We look forward to building on the experience for ICE 2015.

What are you already planning for next year?
It sounds like a bit of a cliché but we don't stop planning and thinking about how we can improve the event every year.  We will shortly start our program of strategy meetings to discuss what we did well, identify the areas in which we under-performed and move forward with our plans for 2015. We also work extremely closely with our exhibitors and trade association partners all of whom make a really valuable contribution to the development of ICE Totally Gaming.  We've established a great platform to move forward from and there's a great deal of energy and commitment to help make ICE 2015 an even better event for the international industry.