20.12.2011: Game Forum Germany and Serious Games Conference / Awards are taking a Break in 2012

With the events Game Forum Germany, Serious Games Conference as well as the Presentation of the Serious Games Award, nordmedia and the Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software e.V. (BIU) have,as partners, successfully set milestones in the development of the games sector. After five successful years of organising events, the successful strengthening and support of the games sector, as well as marketing of the location of Lower Saxony throughout the entire games industry, nordmedia is concentrating its activities on the newly established Games Promotion, starting in autumn. Events will therefore be suspended for 2012. nordmedia and BIU are checking in which form the events can be taken up again in 2013.

Thomas Schaeffler, managing director of nordmedia: "We are proud that together with BIU, we were able to create and introduce the brands Game Forum Germany, Serious Games Conference and the Serious Games Award. With the new promotion and accompanying regional activities, we want to continue to specifically strengthen the sector in Lower Saxony. If successful, we are looking forwand to successfully carrying out events together with BIU on a national basis from 2013. We wish to thank all our partners, sponsors, media partners and organisers for their cooperation. It is in particular the commitment and competence of the larger  network that have made the events and award such a great success".

Dr Maximilian Schenk, managing director of the Federal Associaion of Interactive Entertainment Software e.V.: "In the last five years, we have worked very well and successfully with nordmedia, and wish to express our sincere thanks for the cooperation which was based on trust. The successes of Game Forum Germany and the Serious Games Conference with the Serious Games Award speak for themselves - in 2011 both events had well over 400 participants and have become a significant feature on the events calender of the games sector. BIU will continue to dedicate itself to the issues brought up in both events in the future, and is looking forwand to continuing the cooperation with nordmedia with a view to 2013.

The next submission date for nordmedia’s games promotion is 4 January 2012.

Information on nordmedia
Nordmedia is the joint media company of the federal states of Lower Saxony and Bremen. The aim of the association is to strengthen the media locations of Lower Saxony and Bremen by supporting and developing the media business sector. Together with its other partners, NDR and Radio Bremen as well as ZDF, nordmedia organises in Fonds GmbH the central tasks of cultural and economic media support for Lower Saxony and Bremen. On behalf of the Lower Saxony Ministry for Economics, Labour and Transport, the company "Digital Cluster Management" was established at nordmedia in 2007, with the aim of preparing, building up and managing networks in new fields of development in the IT and economic sectors. This serves in particular the areas of digital production and distribution, entertainment software and serious games, animation and mobile content.

Nordmedia – Die Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen mbH
Konstantin Bruchmueller
Expo Plaza 1
30539 Hanover
Tel.: +49 511 123456-72
Fax: +49 511 123456-29
http://www.nordmedia.de
email: k.bruchmueller@nordmedia.de

Further information
The German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU) is the interest group for suppliers and producers of entertainment software in Germany. It organizes the interests of the relevant companies in the field of interactive entertainment. As a competent partner for media as well as political and social institutions, BIU answers all questions on subjects relating to computer and video games.

Contact:
Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware e.V.
Rungestrasse 18
D-10179 Berlin
Tel: ++49-30-2408779-0
Fax: ++49-30-2408779-11
www.biu-online.de
Email: presse@biu-online.de