GAMESCOM ADVICE
How to stand out from the crowd
The halls of Koelnmesse are deafening, but with smart planning, the smaller companies of the games industry can make themselves heard over the noise. James Batchelor finds out how
WHO YA GONNA KOL’?
Koelnmesse press officer Franko Fischer tells us what organisers do to help exhibitors make the most of
their time in Cologne: “Gamescom is the definite platform where everybody comes together. To stand out from the crowd, exhibitors can participate in country pavilions. We have 11 countries that organise pavilions so that companies get noticed under the flag of their country in the business area, which is much more widely international than it was before. Last year, 45 per cent of participants were from foreign countries. This year, it is more than 50 per cent.
GAMESCOM may be Europe’s biggest video games trade and consumer show, but it gets pretty crowded in those exhibition halls. And with the usual industry giants distracting consumers and potential clients with mammoth booths and flashy lights, how can smaller games firms grab the attention they need? In addition to the support offered by Gamescom organisers Koelnmesse (see ‘Who you gonna Kol’?’), exhibitors are advised to try and meet as many people as possible. “To have the industry under one roof gives a priceless opportunity to see first hand how peak’s shaping up and where you can maximise your own opportunities,” says Sony DADC’s head of business development Rob Gross. “Have as many relevant
meetings as possible, and work hard at the after show events to catch up with people you haven’t already met up with.”
Creative Distribution’s
commercial director Craig Lewis suggests the best way to do this is to book one of the many meeting
36 August 12th 2011 “
rooms available at Koelnmesse: “Running around trying to meet people at coffee shops and so on can be very stressful, so a meeting room is a great idea. To get the most from Gamescom you must arrange meetings before you go, people have such busy schedules without planned meetings it can be tough.”
The entire industry is heading to the German trade fair, so don’t limit yourself to your usual clients.
Another thing to remember is that you don’t need neon-lit demo stands and costumed ladies to get people’s attention. It’s also important to explore Gamescom yourself so that you can see what presence the competition has. Iceberg Interactive’s PR and
marketing manager Kimara Rouwit explains: “To visibly stand
out, small companies would have to be very clever as the larger publishers will have much deeper pockets to reach into. “Walk around the halls a bit and reserve some time on Wednesday (press day) to visit the consumer halls. And don’t forget to go to the various Gamescom parties in the evenings.”
The running theme from all of these companies is that meeting as many new people as possible is the most effective way to benefit from your time at Gamescom. The entire industry is coming to Cologne, so don’t limit yourself to your usual clients.
“It’s not too hard to make your time successful,” says Lace Group MD Adam Lacey. “It’s a giant networking event, and everybody is looking for new business opportunities.
“Established partners and people from countries you might have not been dealing with before are coming over. It’s a very international show, so it’s easy to find new business opportunities, as long as people know where to find you.”
“
Gamescom is the definite platform where everybody comes together.
“Smaller firms can also show off their games using the Browser Games Park in Hall 9’s Online World. The Park is essentially a terminal that exhibitors can use to demonstrate their games to the public – whether they have a whole team or just one guy. The terminal is almost sold out, which suggests it is a highly efficient concept. “Of course, we support all our exhibitors with our press and PR department. If they want to arrange press conferences and VIP guests, we will then forward that information on to 4,600 journalists from 49 countries. “Our advice to any exhibitor is to use the networking character of Gamescom. You can use the opening ceremony on Wednesday or Gamescom Party on Thursday to get in touch with people that are useful for your business.”
www.mcvuk.com
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