MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Gamescom set a new visitor record this year with more than 350,000 attendees passing through its halls from 106 countries. It also marks the first time Gamescom has beat the ‘100 country mark’ for visitors, cementing its importance on the international stage.
Gamescom 2017 also saw 30,700 trade visitors attend the show, which again is an increase on last year’s figure of 30,500. The number of exhibitors also rose this year, with 919 companies from 54 countries represented. That’s an increase of five per cent year-on-year. The foreign share of exhibitors, meanwhile was 72 per cent.
Gamescom 2017 also saw the debut of Devcom this year, Gamescom’s developer-orientated event. Here, over 3,000 people attended its 140 sessions across ten stages, listening to over 200 speakers talk about the world of games development.
Gerald Bse, president and CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH, organiser of Gamescom said: "We are excited. gamescom 2017 set new standards and a new visitor record.
"More than ever, it proved its exceptional, worldwide importance as a 360 degree experience event and a leading communications platform for current and future themes of the computer and video games industry. We are very satisfied and are pleased that we were able to offer trade and private visitors the fascination of digital entertainment here in Cologne in this extraordinary form."
Felix Falk, managing director of the BIU, the association of the German games industry and sponsor of Gamescom added: "Gamescom 2017 was a success at all levels. The new record for visitors and the number of exhibitors, as well as the renewed increase in internationality impressively underline the status of Gamescom as the world’s largest event revolving around computer and video games.
"The opening by Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel, as well as the Election Campaign Arena with its top class panel emphasised both the unique success of Gamescom and the considerably increased recognition of games as an important economic factor, provider of impulses for innovation and cultural asset.
Gamescom 2018 will take place from Tuesday August 21st to Saturday August 25th in Cologne.
