By Kevin Fekete
I can vividly remember the very first time I set foot on an ICE show floor.
It would go on to become a defining element of my future career. It was back in 2015 when rookie me, basically fresh out of college, stepped through the west entrance of ExCeL London to dive into the hustling and bustling industry we all call home. It’s fair to say I was hooked right then and there.
Since then a few years have passed and I was almost certain I’d seen it all – only to be taught a very valuable lesson in humility come 2025. Clearly, I hadn’t seen it all. When that colorful circus of ours we call the gaming industry descended on the mild-tempered shores of the Catalan coast, it felt like my 2015 all over again.
Not only were there a new city, a new venue and countless delicious restaurants to try, but a whole new spirit emerged at Fira Gran Via Barcelona when tens of thousands of like-minded friends and colleagues from all over the world came together to celebrate ICE’s inaugural days in Spain. It’s fair to say that Clarion Gaming, the organizers of the show, made the perfect move by choosing Barcelona as their new, 120,000-square-meter hub of gaming – a whopping 20 percent increase in size compared to its final London edition. Fira Gran Via became the epicenter of gaming for more than 600 exhibitors across all sectors of the industry. They were putting their best foot forward and showing us once again why these shows still matter a great deal in an increasingly digitalized, “work-from anywhere” world – possibly now more than ever.
From land-based to online betting and gaming, payment solutions to platforms, Artificial Intelligence to beautifully crafted gaming tables, the show, its educational tracks and forums, as well as side events like “Day 0 Networking” made a lasting impression on me. The same was true for everyone with whom I had the pleasure to speak. (For Pete’s sake, ICE even had a basketball court and esports arena!)
As the lights dimmed on ICE’s first chapter in Barcelona, one thing became abundantly clear to me: This wasn’t just a change of venue — it was the dawn of a new era for the industry as a whole. The energy, innovation and camaraderie felt at Fira Gran Via remind us why events like ICE remain irreplaceable.
Barcelona didn’t just host ICE – it elevated it, setting a new benchmark for what’s possible. Here’s to the future – brighter, bolder, and unmistakably Barcelona.
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