foreign pool here editor of government Insider I'm with Stuart Hunter managing director of Clarion gaming sure welcome back hi Tim good to see you again how's things yeah things good as as the viewers will know that notice I've got my England scarf on this could either be considered Brave or stupid given England play France shortly after we record this and it'll probably build air after the game so let's see you know with hindsight how that plays out keep our fingers crossed it's either a bit of luck or a bad Jinx we'll soon find that yes um I I disclaimer the the response the um the outcome the hopes of the nation I don't run around my shoulders but that's you know maybe I've shouldered maybe maybe I'll take it back with you yeah um well all the best to England um but today we're going to talk a little bit about um you know a big event in the industry ice London coming up um you know we want to hear all about it we want to hear all about kind of what's new what's on the agenda can you sort of give us an intro into you know what are the kind of main plans and themes going into 2023's event yeah so gosh I I can't quite believe we're we're back again in the in the last sort of business end of delivering ice really it feels it feels like it's come so soon after the April show we've got a slightly less shorter lead time coming into the show but um please report that everything is looking really really strong um very different from this time last year when we were battling with all of the challenging kind of coping conditions and said to say that there's still challenges out there but not to the same extent as we had last year which is which is really really good um so um yeah so the events we put out this year have been really strong and building momentum for ice in February um so we're in a good spot we've got um a full-scale ice in uh in planning and in preparation for everyone in February we've obviously got all the big brands that weren't there in April for the reasons that everyone knows uh they've all returned which is great um and the show is at the moment well I say at the moment it's pretty much sold out and full in terms of exhibitor content and it will be the biggest dice we've ever run so um and that an element of that is is is is is is I guess driven by the fact that there's been a nice a nice bounce back for the gaming industry certainly you know the lab-based industry that suffered the most during covert has got a um it is certainly getting back to its pre-pandemic levels I know the US was was was still a strongest back and then Europe has been been catching up so about an element around the land-based industry at ice is going to be strong in February and I think that demand to see what's new and that uh opportunity to look forward to the future and plan for for the next couple of years and using ice as that moment in time to do that I think that's that's looking very exciting so yeah it's a full sector four geographical split advice back to its normal strength but hopefully A Little Bit Stronger because it'll be three years since we've held a full-scale ISO one so there's a lot of anticipation but everything's looking really really strong to him good to hear um for anyone who was kind of maybe new to ice last year it was their first ice how would you sum up how different it's going to be given the fact that as you say it's going to be a full-scale ice the difference between was maybe you say a lot of online presence last year but with the big land-based presence back this year yeah so I think if you are if you are honest it was still um one of the biggest it's probably still not the biggest uh gaming shows in the world back in April even though it was probably roughly about half the size or just over half the size of its normal uh presentation so yeah it you know it it missed some of the big Bell where the brands for sure um I personally you know walking walking the show was very satisfying considering the challenges that we had to to make it happen but equally you know you walk and we were really proud and really excited and there were 25 000 attendees there which was really satisfying and there was a really good mix of of attendees from across the globe but you know it definitely was missing you know some of those bigger Bellwether Brands certainly the land-based industry the big slot machines that added extra of that feeling of color Las Vegas which you know ice recreates in February in London which is you know if you're if you're not used to coming to wise and all of a sudden you feel like you're in the middle of of the strict in some extent so you know we missed a bit of that so all of that is back obviously the show will be twice the size almost than what it was in April difficult to tell on on how many attendees will get but I certainly think we'll break break some records based on the trends that we're seeing now so I think the 2020 event was about 35 000 attendees so we're looking forward to getting uh you know getting the whole industry back together and whilst the volume of people there is is clearly important for us it's that quality of those buyers that we can match with our with our exhibitor mix really so it'll just be if you came to April it'll be it'll be more of everything you saw it'll be a wider split of sectors you'll see some of the bigger Brands back there some of the bigger displays bigger infrastructure slot machines Casino industry and force and then all the things that we invested in and we developed for the April show bigger and better and and kind of evolved really so yeah I think if you if you if you operate in the gaming industry and you can make it to London in February then for sure you're absolutely sure that it's almost non-negotiable in my mind but I would say that with this hopefully um we can replicate some of the kind of Las Vegas Sunshine as well if we're kind of you're trying to have a true experience um in terms of anything new kind of anything that Clarin might be trying anything in new projects or anything you're introducing is there anything in that area for kind of the the February show in 2023 well there was quite a lot of work that we put into the April show in all honesty um I think we had when we had that break um in 2021 when we didn't run the shows but we obviously weren't doing a huge amount um or we weren't doing any large events I guess we you know we were closed like the casino industry was closed during that period and like most most industries were closed so we took that moment to reflect uh and then personally myself and the ice teams um it was just really important for me that when people start to come back to life that we showed them an even better experience than they'd had before um just to remind them what they've been missing because you know I certainly think when um covet first struck I think people were thinking gosh will live events ever come back are we all going to do these things disappear for the rest of our lives and whilst it was quite novel at the beginning I think by the end people kind of you know sick of it really it's not it's not comparable so one so yeah we put a lot of investment there into things like our ice 365 new studio which was kind of our attempt to bringing an editorial Hub to the show for it also allowed us to kind of keep the conversation going throughout the show just to kind of keep that content and and also a platform for some of our great speakers that we use in our education tracks through Vox um and it also allows us to to broadcast some of that content to those that can't come so we're running with the is365 new studio again bigger and better lots lots of learning really from the first time we ran it so that's going to be a bit of a heartbeat of the show um I think we've also got our picture protection Zone this year which has been something it's been an initiative running for about four to five years now which in foot four or five years not 45 four or five years um and um it keeps growing I I just the longer spending time in this industry the more I'm learning but actually it's not it's not just an initiative that bias is proud of it's something the industry is really getting behind I think that player protection is is Paramount to the um uh future um success within the industry so everyone's taking it seriously and it's our responsibility and our passion eyes to create a platform for that so we've grown it it's it's bigger than it's ever been before we've put it in the most prominent location um we've added another five or six um safer gambling um brands in that space and we've kind of increased the amount of activations that we're doing now so if if so the gambling is on your radar which from all our research from attendees it absolutely is then that is a place you want to spend some time at high so that's in a new location New Design we've separated the theater from it which is where all the editorial content is and we've kind of expanded it so there's some exciting things to to see there so so yeah that plus all the all the usual platforms for connections are icebox editorial tracks they're looking the best ever I think we spend a huge amount of time really just fitting down what those pain points are in the industry and what those opportunities are and creating that kind of you know those master classes where people come and get the real level of Education either personally to to advance themselves or their business really so yeah lots lots going on really exciting I'm glad you mentioned the consumer protection Zone because uh objectively speaking a few people did come up to us at grabbing attire and say that they really noticed it last year and it was something that stood out and I think that's something me and you discussed when we kind of caught up to look back at the show at the end of the week um you mentioned education as well what kind of big themes and kind of comrades and panels are kind of the standouts this year I know Esports was there was kind of a nice Esports focus last year among other things but is there anything kind of uh not necessarily new but anything that's standing out on top of the agenda this year you know there's there's the if you put it under the umbrella of the main themes um they tend to be fairly um consistent so obviously anything in that regulatory uh arena is is always always um in hot um in high demand so that kind of the anything from a regulation perspective so there's a huge amount of Regulation coverage there I think from a UK perspective uh there are rumors that the white paper will be released um between now and the show potentially so there's lots of of um content that's being derived around that we are I think um having some um some topics and sessions around that and hope that there'll be um there'll be more clarity on what that looks like for the show and I think things like emerging in New Markets is something that our customers are always asking for me information about how do they get into new markets what are the pitfalls and opportunities so that is certainly a theme that's moving forward um and then I guess things things that we've seen I guess the things that we try to ice over the last few years which haven't quite landed as well as perhaps we thought was it's certainly from the casino industry is looking at that Las Vegas model and thinking about some of those Las Vegas casinos that have enhanced and changed they're offering slightly to either attract a younger a younger player or to attract a different revenue streams and sometimes sometimes that model hasn't always that applied itself to the European model in some respects so we're looking at that and definitely some of the European casinos are um adapting how they present themselves and looking at kind of almost future proofing their business so there's lots of topics and themes and discussions and and Master supplies around that which I think will be really really interesting actually to see how the I guess post covert how the casino industry is evolving so we we hope to facilitate all those conversations and try and cut those connections really so um yeah a lot lots going on but all the all the information on the box and education is all on the website it's all pretty much update so I'd encourage any of your listeners to go and dive in and see what see what floats their boat the good thing about the master class is since we redesigned it last year is that you can cherry pick what you're interested in rather than buy a conference ticket that includes stuff that's not relevant to you you can just Cherry play on so if you've got if it's a purely regulation you're after then great you can go and you can go and fill your boots on that and then get back on the show floor so um hopefully it's a more efficient way of learning and making those connections this time right yeah yeah definitely sounds like plenty of Rich content um fingers crossed that may actually be that white paper out for ice I mean it would be great if it came out sort of the week before I saw ice quick then they'd be actually planning to discuss but as you say this there's plenty to talk about anyway um uh great to hear about kind of all the initiatives you're you're looking to get out there for the show um I think for for a final note if I could ask you about uh maybe plans for the for the rest of the year because obviously you've got the uh the Amsterdam show as well I know Isis is you know the big one but uh what are your kind of focus is I guess for the next few months uh looking at maybe off the back of ice and moving into the rest of the year yeah so obviously on ice and our co-located RGB affiliate events in February in London you know make up a significant part of our of our Focus really so yeah getting getting February over the line after three long years I think will be really satisfying and not not just but not just a feeling of you know gosh you know we've we've achieved it we've got it back but also just because I think it's gonna there's a genuine real excitement about getting back together you know we I felt that when I was over in g2e in Las Vegas it was great to be at that show uh I think it was it was one of the best that they've ever had I think and there was a real energy of the industry coming back together and I think and I would hope that that building is a great precursor to ice really so look I'm I'm excited I know all the teams are excited and everyone we speak to exhibitor and the tender you're excited to see what see what's going to happen but we hope it's going to be that moment where you know a pack full of exclusives and opportunities to connect it's going to almost sort of reset the dial really so that that's a big that's a big Focus for us as you touched on we've obviously then got igb live in Amsterdam which is is really exciting obviously it doesn't really compare to the London shows in terms of size and scale but in terms of in terms of the sort of distilling down uh the the kind of the purpose of it and the satisfaction that we get between buyers and sellers and and the industry there so we've got exciting plans for that product as well it's definitely growing um and we're enhancing that um in lots of different ways so that that kind of picks up the main part of our year and then at the moment we're just putting finishing touches on a new opportunity with the RGB brand out in the US uh which is currently scheduled um in and around the end of November December time um which is sort of sitting in that in that in the sort of sports betting space but also with our partners at the Indie gaming Association certainly not the tribal gaming industry so there's there's lots of little um a little bit of work to do around that and we look to sort of launch that formerly uh in January at the show so um it's good for for Our Brands to get out again and be entrepreneurial and look at new markets and sectors and that's something that we're really excited about it's a US is a certain Sports and the evolution of online gaming certainly with our tribal um Partners there's a real excitement there to um to get something uh in that market space so yeah watch the space absolutely well thanks very much for your time Stuart uh plenty plenty on the go and uh I'm around the run but this time everyone's I think everyone's very excited about ice it's kind of it's before you know it really obviously we've got Christmas the small matter of you know spending time with our families but yeah before you know ice will be around the corner and I guess as you say things are things will feel a little bit more normal this year because it's the normal February date and uh yeah everyone's looking forward to it yeah I hope well this guy last year I was strumming around with Excel trying to find a new day a new venue which wasn't fun so thankfully we're not doing that so we can have a bit more of a relaxed Christmas and get back to January but um but yeah no it's equally always good to talk to you um and if I don't see before I'll see you I'll see you in February at the show definitely absolutely and uh common England but uh you know if people are watching this next question what was the score come on you've got to give us a score um two on England two one two one England that's a good shot yeah I think about people score but we'll uh Walker will keep him quiet for the rest of the 90. exactly exactly well so let's see but it's been it's been it's been good to watch so far I think the sports betting is the majority too it's been that it's been a great great event absolutely I think the fact there's a lot of Latin American teams well the two big ones still in there I think um big betting absolutely worldwide so yeah it's been a good World Cup for the industry for sure yeah I think so I think so if if you've got a maybe a French relative in there somewhere not sure I've got it all covered but yeah thanks again for your time appreciate it