A New Home
ICE, one of the iGaming industry’s biggest events, is set to relocate to Barcelona from London from 2025 onwards. The decision was made following a lengthy six-month bidding process, with the Spanish city beating Paris, Madrid, and London to hold the event.
Clarion Gaming organises the annual three-day ICE event, and it has been held in ExCeL London for the past 12 years. It is seen as one of the most important shows in the industry, with the biggest companies in iGaming coming together to meet one another and showcase their brands and services.
The event will now be held in the 240,000 square meter Fira de Barcelona venue, where it will stay for a minimum of five events. The contract will start in 2025 and run until 2029, with the 2025 edition running between January 20th and 22nd. There is no confirmation from Clarion as to whether there will be another bidding process when the contract runs out.
The Catalan Capital will also host the iGB affiliate show from 2025 onwards. London will not be totally left out, though, with the city hosting the iGB Live show starting in 2025.
A Thorough Bidding Process
The decision to move ICE to Barcelona was not taken lightly, with a thorough bidding process being used to determine the new host.
In a statement, Clarion Gaming managing director Alex Pratt said that the bids from all four cities involved in the process had been highly professional and impressive. He described the process as complex and said that it allowed Clarion to identify the city best equipped to be the company’s partner in the future and help hold world-class events.
It was also noted that ICE and iGB Affiliate will be the only major events being hosted in Barcelona on that weekend in January 2025. Clarion believes that this will provide an exclusive environment within the city and allow all of the focus to be on the two events.
Pratt praised Barcelona, stating that the Spanish city was selected for its world-class facilities, excellent hospitality infrastructure, and the ability to scale as and when needed. He also thanked the panel of experts and stakeholders that helped make the decision.
Pratt also confirmed that the decision to move to Barcelona was not unanimous, with five of the represented organisations voting to keep the event in London.
