gamescom

BIU is ideal sponsor of the gamescom, Europe’s trade fair and event highlight of the interactive entertainment industry. As a premier trade fair, gamescom presents significant German, European and world novelties. The combination of trade fair and public event makes this fair a unique entertainment experience for every visitor.

gamescom has taken place at the Cologne trade fair site since 2009. The service provider for the organisation and realisation is the Koelnmesse GmbH, which has a total area of 284,000 m² making it one of the biggest and most modern exhibition grounds in Germany. Usually the fair takes place every year in August. It is established as a fixed date in the games industry. In 2011 more than 275,000 people visited the gamescom, more than ever before. This success is based on three main pillars, which display the complete value chain of the industry from developer and publisher via the trade to the consumer:

The entertainment area is focused on the games enthusiastic general public. It consists of four modern exhibition halls with an area of approx. 80 m² as well as an indoor and outdoor area. Here gamescom visitors can test the latest games software as well as gaming hardware.

The business area is an exclusive area for exhibitors, industry specialists and media. As a forum for successful business and intensive talks, it is the meeting point for the more than 21,000 expert visitors at the gamescom.

The third pillar of gamescom is the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC Europe), the largest European developer’s conference. The GDC Europe, which lasts three days, starts two days before the gamescom at the Cologne exhibition ground. The gamescom starts on the last day of the GDC Europe with the business professionals and media day. The GDC Europe is the most important platform for developers from Europe where the latest developers’ trends are presented and discussed.

About 50 percent of all gamescom visitors come from abroad. Due to the large international interest, the fair has offered the opportunity for a partner country to present itself each year since 2010. The first country presented was Canada and thereby a worldwide leading representative in the games industry. In 2011 the United Kingdom, largest European games market and pioneer of interactive entertainment in Europe added an international sparkle to the trade fair.

Next to its three main pillars, the gamescom offers an exciting support programme: on the first day of the exhibition during the official opening ceremony, the international gamescom prizes are awarded for the best hardware and software products presented at the fair. Furthermore, the gamescom festival offers concerts, music and entertainment in the city centre of Cologne, which turns into a party mile during the gamescom. Exciting insights into the industry as well as contributions from science and media education are presented on the gamescom campus, a separate exhibition area in hall 8, as well as the gamescom congress. In addition to market trends or the labour market, subjects such as protection of minors or media literacy are addressed here.

The regulations of the German Protection of Minors law are strictly implemented in the exhibition areas and young exhibition visitors are completely protected from inappropriate game contents. For example, age verification takes place at the stands of the exhibitors.