ICE Expo Still On Track Despite Rising Omicron Fears
Clarion Gaming have announced that plans for the London ICE Expo in February are still firmly on track. MD Stuart Hunter has been quick to assert that despite the ambiguity generated by the latest Omicron COVID variant, organizers are confident that the annual event will proceed as planned.
In an open letter to all potential attendees, Hunter has addressed a number of concerns that should serve to ease concerns around travel and access logistics.
There have been recent changes in entry requirements for international travel, with the UK government re-introducing a range of measures in an attempt to curb the potency and spread of Omicron. All visitors must now conduct a PCR test on arrival, subsequently self-isolating until a negative test result in confirmed.
Although this may cause some commuter headaches, Hunter doesn’t believe this will be a major factor in attendee numbers. He might be right; registrations are so far 11% up vs. the like-for-like period last year, and current corporate events remain largely unaffected by this latest development.
The event’s managing director suggested it was ‘reasonable to assume’ that if the Omicron strand is less severe than the recent Delta outbreak, restrictions will likely to have been lifted prior to February.
The UK’s vaccination and booster campaign has been market-leading, but a recent dramatic spike in cases demonstrate the risk is still very much present. Boris Johnston has also lifted the national alert level from 3 to 4.
Clarion Gaming will host a free webinar this Friday to discuss provisional plans and potential contingency measures in an attempt to placate visitors and communicate current progress. Chances of the ICE event going ahead in February remain positive.
