Clarion Gaming announced Monday that over 200 gaming industry professionals have accepted their invitations to become part of the ICE London 2023 Ampersand event, which will take place October 10, on the opening day of G2E at Top Golf Las Vegas.
The gathering will be based on the Open Space format, following July’s ICE Symposium which was held in conjunction with the European Casino Association at London’s Les Ambassedeurs Casino. The Open Space model allowed participants to determine the agenda and reflect on the issues that are important to their businesses.
Drawing on the history of the Ampersand Open Space assemblies staged by Clarion Gaming in Las Vegas, the meeting will gather the thought leaders, influencers and innovators active in North America’s gaming and betting industry for a day of discussions and an evening of networking.
The event will comprise a series of discussions on the topics put forward by the participants and will culminate with a reception celebrating Ampersand’s return to Las Vegas after a two-year absence.
Ewa Bakun, Head of Insight and Industry Engagement at Clarion Gaming set out the purpose and format of the day. She explained: “We will be using the tried and tested Open Space format that we have successfully used in other events, most recently the ICE Symposium held in London earlier this year, as well as the many Ampersand meetings that we have held in both London and in Las Vegas.”
“Open Space has an ‘un-conference’ format, in which participants build the agenda at the start of the meeting and then discuss in a series of free-flowing conversations throughout the day without speakers or moderators,” she explained. “The idea is that everyone is empowered to contribute with their thoughts, opinions and experience, drawing on the wealth of experience of all of the attendees, rather than a small group of expert speakers. This is a format that’s conducive to networking drawing on meaningful conversations and shared challenges,”
From an event organiser’s perspective, the outcomes from Open Space meetings are “gold dust,” noted Bakun. The insights will help Clarion to shape the ICE experience, based on customer needs rather than on a mix of assumptions and anecdotal information. “It’s vital that our in-person events remain totally relevant to the needs of what is a fast-moving and dynamic industry,” she concluded.