In London the ICE fair is canceled, in Cartagena the GAT continues with a firm step
Clarion Gaming, organizer of what for many is the largest international igaming fair, the ICE in London, has decided to cancel all the events scheduled for this June at the request of interested parties after consultation by the organizers. However, on the other side of the Atlantic, the GAT Expo scheduled for August in Cartagena de Indias is still firmly announcing new events.
The British capital will not host the igaming ICE fair this year, which has been rescheduled for February 2022. In Colombia the GAT Expo is going ahead with all the planned events. ©Ichigo121212/Pixabay
ICE London is postponed until February 2022
Clarion Gaming's announcement to cancel the ICE London fair this year it hasn't caught anyone by surprise , as it was a decision that the igaming sector was waiting for and the one that seems most reasonable at the moment. Stuart Hunter, general director of Clarion Gaming, would have stated that with the uncertainty that reigns throughout the sector, the exhibitors would have shown their desire to concentrate better on 2022 which should pass as the year of recovery for the industry.
However, the decision is controversial. England is in the midst of de-escalation and just a few days ago it was announced in all the press that he had not registered no Covid deaths in the UK , something that had not happened since the beginning of the pandemic. Other important industry events such as the EGR Awards 2021 they are going ahead with the in-person event scheduled for July 7 at York Lawns, London.
The desire that the exhibitors and participants of ICE London would have expressed is that the organizers focus on the preparation of a grandiose face-to-face event without restrictions in the usual ICE dates , which until now had always taken place in February.
In this regard, Erik van den Berg, CEO of the veteran Australian software company Aristocrat , applauded the decession taken by Clarion Gaming in statements collected by the ICE website:
“We fully support Clarion Gaming's view that people's safety and comfort should always come first and therefore welcome this decision. Returning ICE to its traditional February window offers many more possibilities to get back to normal with a vibrant and business-oriented event that reflects the exciting reality of the sector we all serve.” – Erik van den Berg , CEO Aristocrat Gaming, official statement
The GAT Expo remains firm and with the spirits intact
In Colombia, specifically in Cartagena de Indias, the scheduled dates for the celebration of the GAT Expo fair they have not moved one iota: on August 18, 19 and 20. With the pandemic far from being controlled and the political tension in the country , especially in the south, the organizers of GAT have made a great effort so that the international exhibition can run smoothly in the best possible scenario .
From the organization of GAT it is expected that by August the progress of vaccination will allow the face-to-face event to have a large number of participants, and for this they have worked together with those responsible for the fairgrounds so that the enclosures and stands adapt to a biosecure environment for exhibitors and operators .
World eSports Betting Congress
One of the great novelties announced by the organizers of GAT is the first "World Congress of Betting on eSports”, which responds to the growing interest of the industry, but also of the players, for the virtual and electronic sports ; an expansion that is being observed throughout the sector, with more integration in international operators focused on the betting markets of Great Britain or the United States, but also in Latin America where the interest in this type of betting is growing .
In the official gazette of GAT points to a academic meeting with an extensive list of speakers national and international, as well as a business conference with executives of betting salons to find common points of contact and work. From GAT it is expected that it will be a unique opportunity to discuss the current opportunities and the future development of a segment whose expansion is unstoppable.
