This year, ICE turns ten. What started as a simple idea to bring the yacht charter industry together in one place has grown into something much bigger. Over the past decade, the International Charter Expo has become a space where deals are made and business partnerships begin. Looking back, it’s not just about numbers or venues. It’s about the people, the conversations, and the community that has formed along the way.
It all began in 2015 in Opatija, Croatia. The very first ICE welcomed 290 companies from 30 countries. It was small, but full of ambition. The goal was simple: bring the yacht charter world under one roof. People showed up. Ideas were exchanged. And it felt like something worth building on.
By the next year, we had to do it twice. In 2016, ICE was held not once but two times. The second edition was even called TwICE. That year, 354 companies from 36 countries gathered in Zagreb. In 2017 and 2018, we were back in Zagreb and kept growing year by year. In 2017, 368 companies from 43 countries joined us. In 2018, we reached 370 companies from 43 countries. Each year brought more meetings, more relationships, and a stronger sense of community. In 2019, ICE moved to Vienna and welcomed 473 companies from 43 countries.
In 2020, before everything changed, we planted trees in Zagreb. Each tree represented a company that had joined us in Vienna the year before. It was a symbolic moment of gratitude and sustainability. And then, when in person events were no longer possible, we went online. ICE 2020 became our first digital edition. It wasn’t the same, but it kept people connected. We stayed digital in 2021 too, making sure business could continue even in uncertain times.
Returning to Zagreb in 2022 felt like coming home. That year, 512 companies from 43 countries joined us in person again. The excitement of being together was unmistakable. In 2023, we remained in Zagreb and welcomed 589 companies from 53 countries. Then came 2024 and with it, a new city. ICE moved to Amsterdam and welcomed 607 companies from 55 countries. In just three days, more than 25,000 B2B meetings took place.
Now we are looking ahead to ICE 2025, set to take place this November in Amsterdam once again. And while we are proud of how far we have come, we are even more excited about what is next. Because ICE has never just been about events. It has always been about people coming together with a shared passion and a drive to move the industry forward.
To everyone who has been part of this journey so far, thank you. You’ve helped shape what ICE is today. Here’s to the next ten years!
