Kate Chambers, managing director of Clarion Gaming, tells the highlights of the second edition of the event, beginning today, October, 2 , in South Africa.
Undoubtedly, Ice Africa is among the most expected events from the international gaming world this fall, which takes place at the Sandton Convention Center in South Africa, on October, 2 - 3.
A second fundamental edition for the development of the market on the continent, as Kate Chambers, managing director of Clarion Gaming, affirms.
"When we were asked to create and organise an event for the industry in Africa our vision was to help establish the foundations for future growth. In other words we weren’t simply concerned with staging an event which satisfied short term objectives. Our aim was to work with existing stakeholders and to use the influence and reputation of the Ice brand to help create a sustainable and successful future within an environment in which we could bring together the international industry’s
more than 60 most respectable thought leaders alongside more than 70 innovators.
John Kamara, co-founder of the Global Gaming Africa consultancy and Brand Ambassador for Ice Africa, believes this year’s event has captured the imagination of the pan-African gaming community, to the extent that people active in the industry have personally informed him that they are looking forward to Ice Africa more than any other event held this year. To be successful in any new territory it’s important to be able to forge partnerships with like minded organisations and a great method of achieving this is via the networking opportunities available at events such as Ice Africa. In terms of what to expect, John has gone on the record describing Ice Africa as being an event offering ‘opportunities, networking and partnerships’ which is a pretty good summary of what we set out to achieve".
What are the main presentations and themes that visitors will experience at Ice Africa?
"t’s a great opportunity for operators, regulators and suppliers to meet, network, share best practice and see the very latest gaming products and services. Delegates will also benefit from a programme of engaging and topical content including
Thought Leadership, Training, Regulation, Online vs. Retail, Integrated Resorts, Branding, Marketing, Sports and Esports. Regulation, market entry and return on investment opportunities will all be hot topics for discussion as the industry makes full use of this once a year opportunity. The positive feedback tells us that we made the right decision providing Africa with an event she can be proud of and confirms the important role Ice is going to play in shaping the future of gaming on the continent", Chambers higlights.
Clarion Gaming's Managing Director points out that Ice Africa “will feature key regulators and decision makers from trade associations and commissions representing Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Lagos, South Africa, Tanzania as well as those from Francophone Africa.
A brand new development for this year is what we are calling
Ice Africa Champions, which includes leading individuals from the industry who will endorse their respective territories and drive co-operation across all of the continent’s regulated gaming economies. Our Ice Africa Brand Ambassador John Kamara has praised the initiative describing it as a powerful method of showcasing what each region has to offer supported by informed insights on the market. The Ice Africa Champions are working alongside the team at Clarion to identify, research and advise on industry topics and data to ensure the most up-to-date information is available to all Ice Africa visitors. This twin pronged approach will, I hope, provide a comprehensive assessment of the various jurisdictions and their direction of travel".
The last question is about the
Women In Gaming initiative
scheduled on the occasion of Ice Africa. "Shining a light on Diverse Women within the gaming industry,' is the theme of our Women in Gaming initiative which is being sponsored by the South Africa-based Zamani Holdings, the parent company under which Ithuba, the Sa National Lottery Operator functions. Clarion Gaming has been promoting the role of women within the industry via the #womendiverse social media campaign alongside a series of empowering interviews with women associated with this year’s edition of Ice Africa, including: Christina Thakor-Rankin, Co-Founder, All-in-Diversity; Amne Suedi, Principal, Shikana Law Group – Tanzania; and, Qhinaphi Sitsila, General Manager, Casino Association Of South Africa. The women that we have featured come from all sectors of the industry and the nations that Ice Africa supports. The exclusive Women In Gaming breakfast which is taking place on the second day of Ice Africa, will provide the perfect opportunity for delegates and attendees to meet some of the inspirational women that have participated in the campaign, to network and to talk all things Women In Gaming. There will also be a series of educational and learning opportunities covering a broad spectrum of topical issues drawing on the lived experiences of influential women in gaming".
For more information: www.iceafrica.za.com
Gioco News is one of the media partner of the event.