Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 2, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The trade exhibition is expanding compared with the previous year; more than 30 companies have currently announced their participation (2009: 27). In parallel, an extensive programme of talks and panels on new developments and industry trends is taking place. Business matching (targeted facilitation of business contacts) is particularly in demand, especially among international participants.
The public exhibition planned in parallel will not take place in 2010. “This is a regrettable but necessary decision,” said Strategy Director Silvana Kürschner. The number of registered exhibitors and planned presentations had not been sufficient to maintain the customary high standard of the GAMES CONVENTION trade fairs. “This would neither guarantee the commercial success of the fair nor satisfy the interest of visitors who travel to Leipzig with high expectations based on their previous experiences.” In 2009, 74 exhibitors had presented themselves in two separate public halls.
In the run-up to GCO 2010, industry interest is focused primarily on the Business Area offerings. As a platform for the dynamic online and mobile-games market, GCO is used not only for contacts between developers and publishers but also as a central forum for cross-border trend analyses and developer discussions. Alongside European developers and publishers, representatives of the Asian games market in particular are seeking contacts in Leipzig. Leipzig Trade Fair had adapted to this with the modification of the event concept, Silvana Kürschner said. GCO’s business section is a recognised forum for the national and international online-games industry, and the fair is an optimum platform for such a specialised trade event.
Marc Wardenga, Chairman of GCO’s Advisory Board and Head of Games at SevenOne Intermedia, regretted that there would be no public halls. When the specialist advisory board was formed in spring, the event character of the public concept had been strengthened once more. “Unfortunately, however, there was not enough time to increase the number of industry representatives significantly as a result,” Wardenga said. At the same time, the advisory board strongly supports expanding the Business Forum. “GCO focuses on online, and we believe that is right because online is the growth market in games. We continue to work very closely with Leipzig Trade Fair to consolidate GCO as an industry platform,” Marc Wardenga explained on behalf of the specialist advisory board. All advisory-board members are also represented with their own presentations in GCO’s Business Area.
GAMES CONVENTION ONLINE 2010 (GCO) takes place as a trade fair from July 8 to 10 at the Congress Center Leipzig.
Further Links:
- Further information
