ICE organizer Clarion Gaming and the European Casino Association have extended their strategic partnership for at least a further 5 years, from 2024 through to 2029, the parties announced on Thursday. Both parties have been working together in a formal sense since 2008.
Welcoming the newly extended agreement, Stuart Hunter, Managing Director at Clarion Gaming, said: "Working with the industry in order to ensure that ICE continues to provide the very best professional business environment for all of the verticals that we serve is a cornerstone of our philosophy."
Stuart Hunter, Managing Director, Clarion Gaming
He added: "We have enjoyed a close and productive relationship with our colleagues and good friends from the ECA both in an informal and a formal sense and we look forward to the next phase in our relationship working alongside new ECA Chairman Erwin van Lambaart, ECA Senior Vice Chair, Pascal Camia, Vice Chair Tiina Siltanen and Secretary General Hermann Pamminger."
Speaking about ECA's contribution to ICE, Alex Pratt, Group Managing Director at Clarion Gaming, noted: "The fact that ICE continues to grow and continues to attract international thought leaders, influencers and senior buyers is due in no small part to the contributions made by the ECA and its members.
"Our collaboration also includes the world-famous International Casino Conference held each year at ICE and which is one of the most important events of the year for the licensed land-based casino industry."
For his part, ECA Chairman Erwin van Lambaart underlined the strength of the relationship: "We are thrilled to extend our partnership with Clarion Gaming, an alliance we deeply cherish. Since its foundation, this collaboration has consistently contributed to the growth and prosperity of the land-based casino industry, supporting the European Casino Association's efforts to be the voice of the European industry at the national, regional and EU level.”
He added: "We look forward to fostering this partnership further, leveraging our collective experience and expertise to continue championing the interests of our members and the wider gaming community. This extension symbolizes more than just a continuation; it represents our shared vision and unwavering commitment to the gaming industry's growth and dynamism."