Clarion Gaming brings in Andy Ventris as ICE London event director

Reporting directly to Clarion Gaming managing director Stuart Hunter, he joins Clarion Gaming as preparations for the 2023 edition of the show begin. The event runs from 7-9 February, returning to its traditional slot, and already 90% of stand space at ExCeL London has been booked. 

Most recently Ventris [pictured above, left] served as director of the London Book Fair, responsible for the brand’s global strategy and delivering the April 2022 edition of the event, which attracts around 20,000 visitors per year. He has a background in marketing and previously ran events in the travel industry. 

“Andy has enjoyed a glittering career working with stakeholders to grow and develop brands across a number of contrasting sectors and on five continents,” Stuart Hunter commented. 

“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 startup 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,” Hunter added. “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.”

Ventris described ICE London as a “formidable brand”, which every 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 said.

One of his first duties as event director for ICE London was attending last week’s ICE European Casino Association Summer Symposium, which brought together C-level executives from across Europe for a day of networking and discussions. 

The event 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,” Ventris said. 

“This is a really exciting next step in my career and I am relishing the journey.”