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Tom Chamberlain is Head of Quickfire at Microgaming, a gaming software developer based in the Isle of Man. With ICE 2016 now just over a week away, all the companies exhibiting will be spending this week gearing up for an action packed three days.
Microgaming will be at stand N5-220 and Microgaming Bar N5-120 during ICE week. SBC spoke to Tom ahead of this year’s ICE conferences about just how much preparation the team put into it, and how he’s excited to see what industry suppliers have up their sleeves this year as well as what Microgaming has in store for attendees.
How I prepare for
Believe it or not, ICE preparation for Microgaming starts more than six months before the show; it’s the company’s biggest event within the 12 month calendar, so an incredible amount of planning goes into it. From a Quickfire perspective, because the show is so unbelievably busy, conversations begin a couple of months before, so that when meetings occur at the show they are as productive as possible. For us it’s a nicely timed event, as it enables us to start the year afresh and to set the scene for 2016.
What I am doing at ICE
I’ll be in back-to-back meetings at the show. We now have over 400 brands live on the Quickfire platform, as well as over 20 development partners, and naturally you want to be able to meet with as many of these as possible during the three days. Especially when operators are travelling from all over the world to be there!
The three-day exhibition provides the perfect opportunity to discuss platform updates and content roadmap, to confirm operators are getting the most from the platform through Quickfire iQ, and to understand the individual requirements from each and every one of our customers for the months ahead. ICE is a great opportunity to do this, but of course these conversations are happening all the time and we pride ourselves on the strong relationships we build with our clients. Working alongside the Quickfire team, we have a hands-on Account Management team that provide a personalised service to our customers.
What I’m looking forward to at ICE
ICE is known for its big announcements, so I’m intrigued to see what the industry suppliers have up their sleeves. I’m sure we’ll see new content announced, innovative technologies being explored and some partnerships publicised. From a development partner perspective, I watch these elements closely as we’re always on the lookout for specialised developers who could bring something new to the Quickfire platform.
Microgaming is no stranger to pushing the boat out at ICE and I’m excited about what we will be showcasing. We’re well known for our show-stopping displays and celebratory stunts in the ExCeL Boulevard. In the past we’ve brought a seven metre long animatronic dinosaur to the show to announce our brand agreement with Jurassic Park™ and a green screen experience to celebrate our highly successful Game of Thrones™ online slot. This year we’ve gone all out and embraced the show’s Technopolis theme. Show attendees can prepare for an out of this world experience. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t give away too much… but at least there’s only a week to wait!
Where you will usually find me at ICE
For the majority of the show, I’ll be based on the Microgaming Stand (N5-220), and the Microgaming Bar, opposite (N5-120). I’ll also be spending some time on the Sunborn yacht, moored at the Royal Victoria Dock adjacent to the ExCeL, exclusive to Microgaming at the show.
And if I ever get a spare moment or two, I will take the opportunity to explore the show. I am always curious to take a look around the land-based area to see the latest branded games being launched. Plus taking a look at our competitors and what they are pushing at the show.
First ICE attended
My first ICE was 2010 and boy has the show changed a lot since then! Back then it was held at Earl’s Court, which is of course no longer in use. Hosting a capacity of 20,000, it’s crazy to think ICE would no longer fit in what was the largest such venue within central London at the time.
To put it into perspective, in 2010 the Microgaming Stand occupied 108m², and in 2016 our Stand alone will be 440m² in size, an increase of over 400%, whilst the Microgaming Bar adds on another 180m² of space! Astonishing growth.
Typical post-ICE activity
Other than trying to recover from the sore feet, typically we’ll entertain operators in the evenings with drinks and dinner, in an informal setting away from the hype of the show.
It’s important to unwind after what will undoubtedly be a hectic few days!
