Conferences are where the iGaming industry invariably comes out to play. They take place in cities that usually have a huge party scene and the party to end all parties very often takes place at the beginning of the year in London. The capital city’s status as the centre of the iGaming industry means that it’s the natural home for conference goers to end up for the biggest party of the year.
Industry bods are being brought to the city by the lure of two conferences in particular and the largest of these, ICE Totally Gaming, takes place from Feb. 5-7 at one of the city’s Olympic venues, the ExCeL Centre. Now we’ve shown you all kinds of different aspects of the conference in the weeks leading up to it. One stone remains unturned though and as the conference gets underway in just a couple of days we wanted a guide to drinking in and around ICE to be fresh in your mind.
The venue itself doesn’t let the side down and attendees will have their pick of four different watering holes while attending the conference alone and it makes for a networking paradise.
Anyone that is a regular on the European conference circuit will be very familiar with the Microgaming Bar that seems synonymous with the networking experience. This year is, thankfully, no different and at ICE the stand can be found at S2-250 and there are changes. This year’s bar will be THREE TIMES larger than it ever has been at ICE Totally Gaming and it ensures that if you’ve come to network then you won’t be disappointed. For more information on the bar, and to see last years photos, head over to their Facebook page at this link and in the meantime start preparing your liver.
There’s a special treat at this year’s exhibition though as the new sports betting village carries with it a new addition to the bars line-up. The PlanetWin365 Sports Betting Bar, at the heart of the village, will likely be chock-a-block with the sports betting industry’s finest personalities. Much like Microgaming’s bar in the main room, this will be the place to get networking done with the most important people in the sports betting industry. Failing that you can always just chew the fat about last night’s game with other likeminded lads.
ICE themselves have even got in on the act this year, with the news earlier this month they’re taking over not one but two pubs inside the ExCel Conference Centre. There will be an ICE Inn at both ends of ExCeL as the conference organizers take over the Fox Pubs. They are open all day long on the three days of the conference with Happy Hour taking place from 6-8 p.m. on Feb. 5 and 6, and from 4-6 p.m. on Feb 7. There will also be promotional beermats dotted around the bars that will give the holder a 10 percent discount on all drinks.
What’s for sure is that no one will get away from ICE Totally Gaming without doing some stellar networking and if you haven’t got your ticket yet then what are you waiting for?!
