The London Shows (ATEI, ICE and ICEi) underlined their reputation as being the most international expos on the industry calendar. Data for the first two days of the 2008 exhibitions reveal that a total of 122 national territories were represented on the show floor. First-time representations from Nicaragua , Rwanda and Tonga raised the total number of jurisdictions represented since 1995 to 181.

Peter Rusbridge, Chief Executive of organising company Clarion Gaming, said: “We have always maintained that our exhibitions reflect the industries they serve. The two-day figures represent a snap shot of the business. The consolidation and uncertainty within coin-op markets is manifest in the ATEI attendance. ICE continues to build on its status as one of the strongest events for land-based casinos. Of course we are delighted with the development of ICEi, both in terms of the number and the calibre of attendees. However, attendance figures in isolation are relatively meaningless and as always the response of our stakeholders – visitors and exhibitors – will provide the litmus test.”

Outline figures covering the first two days for the London Shows moved from 22,237 in 2007 to 22,838 in 2008, an increase of 2.7%. Attendance at ICE increased by 8.9%, with an additional 765 professionals registering for the industry’s most international b2b casino event. The two-day attendance of 9,370 is the biggest on record. The ICEi remote gaming show recorded the largest percentage movement. The opening two-day attendance of 2,555 represented a 24.9% year-on-year increase.

Max Lindenberg, Marketing & Business Development, Novomatic – Austrian Gaming Industries, commented, “It’s been a crowded, busy show as always. Every year it gets bigger and better, and again the success has not been unexpected to us. It’s brilliant. The show attendance has been excellent and the reaction has been great, and some of the visitors have been calling our stand Earls Court 3. ICE is the most important show for Novomatic, the international part of the show is getting bigger and better every year, which is what we're looking for.”

Nick Khin, Executive General Manager EMEA, Aristocrat Technologies Europe, added, “ICE 2008 has proved, once again, to be a unique platform to launch new products, stimulate the market and strengthen relationships with our customers in the region. I’m pleased to report that Aristocrat, ACE Interactive and PokerTek have succeeded on all three accounts – the show has been a great start to 2008.” (E-01.25.08)

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