Six Tips to Survive the Last Ever ICE London

For the last 12 years, the International Casino Exhibition has been held at ExCeL London. Before the event grew into the behemoth it is now, it was at home at Earls Court, a venue that’s long gone now and only “industry veterans” will remember those early days. This year will be the last time that everyone travels to London, as the event is moving to Barcelona from 2025. The last ever ICE London promises to be a big one, and if it’s your first (welcome to the industry, junior!), then here are a few lessons I learned over the years:

1. Wear comfortable shoes

The event keeps getting bigger and bigger. As a result, the amount of walking you’ll do over the three days keeps going up. Wear comfy shoes and expect to use them a lot. Some figures to give you an idea of distances: Each of the N and S event space numbers correspond to around 2000 square meter parcels of space measuring 86x23 meters. The central boulevard is 600 meters long in total, but just to walk from one end of one hall to the other end is roughly 500 meters. Look at the 2024 ICE floorplan and you’ll quickly realise that if you want to see every single stand, you have to walk back and forth three times per hall, six times in total. That’s three kilometres or 1.8 miles just to have a look at the place.

2. Don’t book morning meetings on Wednesday or Thursday

You’ll find the event ram-packed from morning until evening on day one, but as the week progresses, the halls will remain increasingly empty in the earlier hours, and anything before lunchtime is early in this industry. The reason for this should be pretty obvious: this year, there are at least five different parties and events on the Tuesday night alone. Many of us might have an extra pint or two to celebrate the last ever ICE London (as if we need a reason to party) and as a result might not feel so fresh come morning.

3. Don’t book a meeting on Thursday afternoon

Just as many people might come in a little later, many are also heading to the airport slightly earlier on Thursday. It’s not something I actually like doing, and experience has shown that it’s worth staying to the very last minute. Why? Because many people will be stuck on their own stands for most of the time and might only have a short time window on the last day where they head out to check out / speak to / meet that person or company they were interested in.

4. Have a good data sim

Yes, there will be free WIFI, but it will likely be flaky depending on how many people are trying to connect. Some years it's good, some it's bad. The UK has some cheap pay as you go data sims you can stick in your phone to stay connected, or check out an eSIM and remain online while at ICE. Mobile reception has always been quite good in the venue and I usually run on my data SIM over the week.

5. Pre-book your Uber / Transport

Trying to get a ride into town right after the exhibition closes in the evening? Congratulations, so does everyone else. Pre-booking your four wheeled transport means you know you’ll be picked up when you want to be and don’t have to join the crowds of people frantically tapping away on their phones. This being London, public transport is also a great option, and the new Elizabeth Line has been a bit of a game changer when it comes to getting in and out of the big smoke quickly.

Don’t expect your meeting schedule to go to plan

Your calendar is probably quite full with ICE meetings by now, but don’t expect them all to go to plan, or to go ahead at all. Your calendar will turn into a rough guide of what might happen during the three days, which is why having a good data connection is so important.

Those are just some of the things from many years at ICE. Got any tips yourself? Share them in the comments or stop by the Isle of Man government stand, N6-120, to have a chat. See you in London!