Clarion invests in ICE team with the appointment of Andy Ventris as Event Director

Andy Ventris recognised as one of the event industry’s rising talents has accepted an invitation to join the senior team at Clarion Gaming as Event Director responsible for the flagship ICE London brand. Andy, who reports directly to Clarion Gaming MD, Stuart Hunter, was previously Director of the 20,000 visitor London Book Fair where he had full ownership of the brand’s global strategy and delivered the event in April 2022. With a marketing background and several years’ experience running international events for the travel industry, he is joining Clarion Gaming at an exciting time for the ICE London brand.

Commenting on the appointment Stuart Hunter said: “Andy has enjoyed a glittering career working with stakeholders to grow and develop brands across a number of contrasting sectors and in five continents. The London Book Fair plays an important role within the publishing industry, as ICE does for gaming, and the most recent event which Andy led faced similar industry challenges and opportunities as ICE.

“Having worked in a start-up sports events business early in his career, Andy also is driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, a culture that also underpins and drives the gambling sector. I am delighted to have him on board as we welcome the land-based suppliers back to ICE in February 2023 and partner with our stakeholders to deliver gaming’s pre-eminent international in-person event.”

Speaking shortly after participating in the first ICE ECA Summer Symposium held July 13 at Les Ambassadeurs Club in central London, Andy Ventris commented: “ICE London is a formidable brand that every ambitious event professional aspires to work on. I’m hugely excited to be joining the team, working with clients to deliver first class solutions and bringing my insight and events knowledge to the exciting and dynamic space in which ICE operates.”

He added: “The ICE European Casino Association Summer Symposium was a fantastic opportunity to meet many of the casino industry’s thought-leaders literally within days of joining Clarion and I look forward to continuing my industry education in August with a trip to meet with our Las Vegas-based partners. This is a really exciting next step in my career and I am relishing the journey.”

The 2023 edition of ICE London, (7th/8th/9th February, ExCeL London) will match the physical size of the pre-pandemic 2020 edition with over 90% of stand space booked seven months in advance of the show opening.