In July 2005 Clarion Events Ltd purchased ATE from BACTA, the British Amusement Catering Trade Association. The shows in the ATE brand transferred in their entirety and ATE became a division of Clarion Events Ltd. Simon Kimble, Managing Director, Clarion Events Ltd. commented: “ATE has won success by knowing their industries and working with them, Clarion is entrepreneurial, fun and people-centric, similar to the gaming and gambling industries.” From this point on Clarion has been focusing strongly on using the entrepreneurial spirit that has seen them become the UK’s largest independent event organizer, in tandem with the existing ATE team, to expand the shows.

ATEI, ICE and ICEi, free from UK trade association links, which Simon Kimble confessed “created a certain tension” concerning the UK Gambling Act, can now focus on the issues that need addressing to enable them to become an even more formidable force in the world of trade exhibitions. On how the shows would evolve under new management, Kimble made it clear the company will “..continue to move forward investing in them and be sensitive to the needs of our customers, including achieving a better synergy between ATEI and ICE.”

At the Press event during the shows last week, Clarion unveiled an exciting new floor plan for ATEI/ICE 2007, which will allow exhibitors to maximise the massive commercial opportunities provided by the London shows. Current and potential exhibitors were invited to visit the organizers' office at ATEI/ICE 2006 to see the new floor plan, as well as view the many imaginative show features and the new impressive facilities on offer for 2007. From that day onwards there was no respite for the organizers, whose offices were flooded by enquiries.

Head of Exhibitions, Karen Cooke explained: "This is a massively exciting time for everyone involved in the London shows. We have taken stock of market trends, changes in legislation and the technological advances that have taken place. With this in mind and in order to present buyers with even more of a 'must do' proposition, we have decided on this ground breaking floor plan for 2007. In practical terms what this means is that exhibitors will be able to take hugely improved positions, have even more impressive stands and present themselves in the most compelling and exciting manner possible to the thousands of buyers from hundreds of nations that visit the London shows each year."

Cook, added that "as organizers we will be able to break out of the existing straight jacket within which we currently have to operate and provide visitors with a range of dramatically improved facilities including high profile feature areas, top quality restaurants, chic wine bars and executive business lounges, all of which will be in keeping with the first class international status enjoyed by the exhibitions. I believe that this represents one of the most significant developments at ATEI/ICE for decades and will allow us to consolidate our position as the best shows in the entire world."

ATEI and ICE, incorporating ICEi, present a unique proposition when it comes to gaming, gambling and attractions exhibitions. They offer the largest and most diverse collection of products, people and networking opportunities across the globe, as exhibiting companies ensure that prime stand space at the events does invigorate their presence at the world's leading gaming, gambling and amusements expos.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ATEI AND ICE

The origin of all this was ATE, (Amusement Trade Exhibition), set up 62 years ago as a single UK trade association exhibition staged at Olympia, London. By contrast, in 2006 Earls Court hosted three whole shows over three days, with thousands of visitors and exhibitors. This expansion has encompassed virtually every aspect of gaming, gambling amusement and attractions. The shows have grown simply because they have addressed market demand.

The strength of the ATE show and the innovation of UK product offering meant that international visitors were attracted in high numbers, necessitating the renaming of the Expo to ATEI, the ‘I’ representing the international community. ATE became the brand name for the company responsible for the exhibition. The portfolio was strengthened in 1990 with the launch of the International Casino Exhibition, a unique co-locating of two separate types of gambling. ICE itself has an i-gaming zone (officially named ICEi in 2001) added to reflect the growth of remote gaming, which has become a multi billion-dollar industry.

In 2005 more than 24,000 visitors walked through the combined doors of ATEI and ICE, a historic high, after years of expansion. Following extensive research it was found that attractions-focused visitors were looking for further ways to boost their revenue aside from ticket sales. To satisfy this demand, this year has seen the first collection of exhibitors offering services and products to attract secondary spend, with the launch of the Visitor Experience Show. Next year's events are taking the London shows to a new level yet, and the long awaited expansion will ensure that the growing gaming market has a home apt for new experiences. (E-02.03.06)

© Copyright 2006 CasinoCompendium



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