ICE London 2023, which took place on February 7-9, was one of the industry-shaping events for iGaming ops, providers, and anyone related to the industry.
The GBC Time team talked to Diego Salas, Sales Manager at Altenar, to find out what software providers think about this event.
What were your expectations for ICE London 2023?
We expected a larger number of participants and visitors this year, especially from Latin America who were unable to attend during the 2022 expo due to the Covid restrictions. This year, 2023, we were happy and elated to welcome back our esteemed friends and partners and experienced a very fruitful ICE.
We, Altenar, were able to spread our wings at this event. We had imagined a great and busy expo, but it was one for the books for us, and we welcomed a lot of new faces to our sportsbook.
In terms of anything unexpected, I wouldn’t say there was anything in this tone for us as a company, but there were some grounding issues for certain planes due to a foggy London on the first day of ICE. Thankfully, the weather perked up for the rest of the expo!
What was your impression of the event organization? What were the major differences compared to the ICE 2022?
Everybody is bringing their A-game in recent years. Since the pandemic, there has been an influx of innovation throughout ICE and the industry as a whole through media, technologies, and solutions.
We’ve witnessed an increased need for sportsbook solutions, especially as the internet is penetrating more global markets and a desire for unique features, content, and B2B experience grows amongst operators. And this is something we have been able to provide.
What were your objectives for ICE London 2023? Which goals did you manage to achieve?
At ICE 2023, we wanted to spread brand awareness, and for this, we were able to unveil our new brand style for the first time. It is sleeker than the previous one, stands out against neighboring brands on the event floor, and brings together this seamless vision of what it is we at Altenar provide.
Not only this, but we aimed to have a host of new and improved features for our customers at the event, and we were able to have these built and live for the Expo as we demonstrated our sportsbook.
In your opinion, what is the role of offline events in the iGaming brand’s promotion and brand-building strategy?
It is important, we see a lot of fellow industry members, colleagues, friends, and partners, and it’s a way to bring us all together to see the impact and enormity of our industry. At its core, events like ICE can promote, envision, and bring to life the entertainment of iGaming and gaming in general. In a way, that couldn’t be achieved on such a large scale without these events, especially as we’re all more reliant on the internet and technology.
There is something to be said for human-to-human interactions even when we’re discussing some of the best technology and applications in the world. It’s invaluable to understand and get to know your partners and potential clients in this way. We like to connect, and, above all else, events allow us to do this whilst benefiting our respective brands and expanding on them. A key point for us at Altenar is our client events, one of which we hold the evening before ICE begins, and it allows us to interact with our partners from around the world in a unique way that’s not only fun but builds on these long-standing relationships.
How have live iGaming events changed since the global pandemic? Are in-person meetings still as important for an online gambling company’s success?
People have come back even harder and with more content, offerings, and the like. The pandemic has allowed time to reflect on what’s needed, how to move forward, and how to move an expanding industry with the times.
In-person meetings are extremely valuable, this is how we build connections, how we understand our partners better, and how we feel as a part of this industry.
What do you anticipate seeing at the next ICE event? In your view, what could have been different at this year’s conference?
More participants, increased footfall, and, of course, more operators looking for sportsbook solutions! Though, joking aside, the event to grow more would be amazing and pull even more industry experts and partners to join the expo floor.
