Gamescom Once Again Inspired Around 345,000 Visitors

Boulevard Nord

Under this year’s main theme of “Heroes in New Dimensions”, around 345,000
visitors from 97 countries (2015: 96) celebrated the world’s largest event for
computer and video games on the Cologne Convention Center from 17 to 21 August
2016.

With 877 companies (+ 9 %) from 54 countries (2015: 45), never before have so many companies presented themselves as at gamescom 2016. The foreign share of 68 % (2015: 65 %) thus achieved a new peak. Due to adapted legitimation guidelines, the number of trade visitors amounted to 30,500. The foreign share of trade visitors increased to 53 %(2015: 52 %).

Besides spectacular game stagings, gamescom offered an extensive
supporting programme on the fair grounds and in the city: for the gamescom
week, with gamescom, the gamescom city festival and other events in the direct
vicinity of gamescom, more than 500,000 visitors came to Cologne.

Eingang Süd
gamescom 2016

gamescom 2016 convinced due to the great variety of top exhibitors. Visitors were
pleased at the newest hardware, hundreds of premieres and blockbuster titles, from
consoles and PCs through online to mobile games. This year’s top trends of virtual
reality, e-sports and “The player as designer” were omnipresent in the Cologne
exhibition halls and provided gamers with fantastic experiences. Away from the
exhibitor stands, the programme of the social media stage powered by the BMVI
(Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure), the cosplay village, family
& friends, the gamescom campus and many indoor and outdoor events provided
excellent entertainment.

The area of gamescom encompassed 193,000 square metres. The business area was
located in halls 2, 3.2 and 4, the entertainment area in halls 5 to 10. The partner
country of gamescom 2016 was Turkey. Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH: “gamescom is the most important business platform for the European computer and video games industry. The growth by 9 percent and the renewed increase in the internationality of exhibitors confirm this leading position impressively. With 345,000 visitors from 97 countries on the exhibition grounds and more than 500,000 guests in the gamescom week, we made the theme of computer and video games experienceable in the exhibition halls and in the city.”

Dr. Maximilian Schenk, Managing Director of the BIU – German Games Industry
Association, the sponsor association of gamescom: “gamescom this year impressively
confirmed that it is not only a video game trade fair, but instead a 360 degree event
for the future of digital entertainment. Games are the leading medium of our time,
and for this reason more and more partners and guests from politics, the economy
and many parts of society are coming to gamescom to experience and discuss the
digitalisation of media, the economy and society. The growth in the area of national
and especially international exhibitors underlines the great international relevance
of gamescom as the most important business platform of the European games
industry.”

The gamescom week 2016 already started on 15 August 2016 with the Game
Developers Conference Europe (GDC Europe). The RESPAWN, the VideoDays and the
premiere project silent.MOD in the Cologne Cathedral in this August week (15 to 21
August 2016) once again made Cologne the meeting point for hundreds of thousands
of people. The gamescom week was rounded off by the gamescom city festival,
which this year attracted 150,000 visitors to the city centre, of Cologne. The
Hohenzollernring, Rudolfplatz, Platz an St. Aposteln and Neumarkt were completely
dominated by an attractive mix of music, street food, games and entertainment.
Around 30 bands and artists on four stages, more than 40 international street food
providers, infotainment on the theme of “Mobility” and many games stations for big
and small once again offered a festival atmosphere intense with experience in the
Cologne city.

Source: Koelnmesse