Gamescom, the world’s largest and main occasion for laptop and video video games, will stay in Cologne, Germany and be additional expanded.
In 2024, Gamescom counted 1,462 exhibiting firms from 64 nations – a brand new report. The occasion attracted a complete of 335,000 individuals from 120 nations. This yr’s occasion will happen from August 20 to August 2024.
The deal was introduced in the present day by Koelnmesse and Sport – The German Video games Trade Affiliation. The brand new contract was signed within the presence of Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne, and Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, Worldwide Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery.
“Cologne and Gamescom are the right match – a partnership that has confirmed to be successful story yr after yr,” mentioned Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse, in a press release “Collectively, we have now made Gamescom the world’s largest and most related video games occasion whereas repeatedly setting new information. The long-term contract extension is an expression of this profitable cooperation.”
Böse added, “It provides us the chance to additional increase Gamescom in Cologne along with the satellite tv for pc occasions Gamescom Asia and Gamescom Latam in addition to Devcom and Gamescom LAN – and to make it a pageant for all kinds of pop cultures around the globe.”
This yr, I’ll average classes with Henk Rogers, Shu Yoshida and others on the B2B occasion at Gamescom Latam, from April 30 to Might 4. Gamescom Latam is paying my solution to Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Lars Janssen, chairman of the manager board of Sport, mentioned in a press release, “As a worldwide beacon of video games tradition, Gamescom has been setting requirements for a few years. We wish to proceed this success story with Koelnmesse in Cologne. Gamescom will stay as dynamic, progressive and fast-growing because the video games market. To this finish, we have now agreed, amongst different issues, to additional strengthen the various Gamescom codecs worldwide and to put money into the model and worldwide attain. We’re grateful to have such a very good accomplice for the longer term in Koelnmesse.”
Ralf Wirsing, govt board member of Sport, mentioned in a press release, “Our thanks go to our accomplice Koelnmesse and in addition to town of Cologne and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, who’ve proven nice dedication to Gamescom and can make a fair larger contribution within the coming years to make sure that the guts of the video games world beats in Cologne each August with Gamescom.”
A hit story since 2009
Since its premiere in Cologne in 2009, Gamescom has developed into the world’s largest occasion for laptop and video video games. Final yr, it broke information once more, underlining its central position for the worldwide video games business and its rising financial relevance for the placement.
In 2024, Gamescom round 32,000 commerce guests and it drew round 500 million viewers. As compared: on the first Gamescom in Cologne in 2009, there have been 450 exhibitors from 31 nations and 228,000 guests, together with 17,000 commerce guests.
The constant additional growth of content material and the growing digital attain are the driving elements behind Gamescom’s continued progress. The quantity of people that adopted G2024 on-line additionally reached a brand new report final yr with over 500 million video views. As well as, the organizers have additional expanded Gamescom’s international presence with the satellite tv for pc occasions Gamescom Asia and Gamescom Latam
Necessary help from NRW and Cologne
A decisive consider Gamescom’s success is the shut cooperation with the Metropolis of Cologne and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. As a part of the contract extension, each events have pledged their help and prolonged funding measures for the longer term. Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia have already supplied vital help for Gamescom in earlier years – together with via measures to extend visibility within the metropolis and across the Gamescom metropolis pageant, which brings gaming tradition to city areas.
The town and state additionally make an necessary contribution to the occasion itself, for instance by investing in codecs such because the Gamescom Congress, Europe’s main convention on the potential of video games, or the Gamescom Make investments Circle, a matchmaking occasion for buyers and video games studios.
Mayor Henriette Reker mentioned in a press release, “Cologne is the house of Gamescom and can stay so. That is excellent news, as a result of Gamescom is a vital financial issue for our metropolis and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It strengthens the native financial system via the lots of of 1000’s of people that journey to Cologne from everywhere in the world yearly, creates jobs and consolidates Cologne’s position as one among Europe’s main business areas. However I’m positive that Gamescom can even proceed to profit from Cologne as a artistic media metropolis.”
“Gamescom is making a long-term dedication to Cologne. This can be a particular distinction for Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia as a video games location,” mentioned Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal and European Affairs, Worldwide Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery, who’s liable for video games, in a press release. “The state is a powerful accomplice behind Gamescom – a global flagship, economically, culturally and technologically.”
He added, “I want to thank Koelnmesse and the video games affiliation for his or her complete dedication right here on the venue and for the nice cooperation. The state authorities will proceed to supply Gamescom with intensive help sooner or later to increase its particular place because the world’s largest occasion for video video games. Collectively, we’re setting the tone for video games as a driver of innovation and a cultural issue. We wish to assist form the megatrend of gamification worldwide from Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia.”
