SHELTON, CT – The National Indian Gaming Association and Clarion Events have entered into a strategic partnership to expand their respective brands and carry out the mission of serving and protecting tribal gaming.
The National Indian Gaming Association hosts the annual Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention – the largest gathering of tribal leaders and casino executives in the country. This new long-term relationship will leverage Clarion Events’ experience expanding association owned tradeshows and conferences. Clarion Events will utilize its multi-platform production reach to introduce Indian gaming into its family of International Casino Exposition (ICE) brands.
As two of the largest players in the gaming events space, the National Indian Gaming Association and Clarion Events have worked to move the gaming industry forward as a whole. Through their events and multi-media platforms, they have delivered industry leading content, technologies and products. In 2019, tribal gaming was a $35 billion industry and generated an additional $6.2 billion in ancillary revenues from hotels, entertainment, restaurants, and retail operations, while collectively ranking as the eleventh largest employer in the U.S.
The National Indian Gaming Association’s annual tradeshow, the “Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Conference,” provides access to new strategies, technologies and relationships in the tribal gaming industry. In July 2021, the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention was the first large scale gaming event to run in-person following the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was a success with participation in step with 2019 numbers, bringing together both tribal leaders and commercial gaming operators along with the industry’s suppliers.
“Tribal gaming is a dominant force in the gaming community,” said National Indian Gaming Association Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr. “Before COVID, tribal gaming revenue had increased each year for the past decade – demonstrating the innovation and achievement of Indian Country. The work we do empowers our tribal communities and generates important revenue for economic development. We are already building back. As we look to establish a new normal, we are excited to join forces with Clarion Events. They honor the mission and vision of the National Indian Gaming Association, support its membership, and are experts in producing large scale tradeshows and conventions. With their partnership we will grow the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention and expand tribal gaming’s global reach through ICE.”
Clarion Events currently operates a robust portfolio of live events and digital content including the flagship event ICE, the largest global gathering of gaming operators in Europe.
“We have had a great working relationship with the National Indian Gaming Association for the past seven years,” said Greg Topalian, CEO of Clarion Events North America. “We greatly respect the work that the Association does for its members and the tribal gaming community. As part of Clarion Events’ ongoing strategy, we are actively looking to expand upon our current partnerships and work together with new associations to scale events and support their missions. Greater ties between the National Indian Gaming Association and our ICE brands will build on their standard of excellence and grow the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention to new heights.”
The next edition of the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention will take place April 19-22, 2022 in Anaheim, CA.