Gamescom Asia is growing. This year, the third event on the annual Gamescom calendar has swapped Singapore for Bangkok after merging with the Thai Game Show in a bid to create what organizers say will be the region's biggest show.
There is hope that a new kind of event, dubbed Gamescom Asia x Thai Game Showwill provide robust B2B and B2C distribution connecting professionals, publishers and players. But how do organizers work behind the scenes to deliver on this promise? To find out, we contacted Koelnmesse project director Daria La Valle, who is overseeing the event.
In a conversation with Game Developer, La Valle expressed hope that the combination of Gamesom Asia and Thai Game Show will promote a wide exchange of knowledge between East and West. She describes Asia as a “fragmented market” that can be difficult for those outside of it to analyze, and believes it may be just as difficult for Asian developers to break into Western markets. Therein lies the opportunity.
“Ultimately, it's not about one region doing better than another, but about global success as the world of gaming converges around the world,” says La Valle. “Over the past few years, Gamescom Asia x Thai Game Show has grown into the largest B2B gaming industry exhibition in Southeast Asia, already attracting leading international experts to the region.”
She argues that growing an event for that mission is a “constant pursuit” that will require organizers to be open about their successes and shortcomings to ensure the event can grow meaningfully for the benefit of exhibitors and visitors.
“Take for example launching Gamescom Asia during Covid,” she explains. “We're not going to pretend that this hasn't confused us and made things more difficult. Despite this, every year we have grown in scale, size and level of participation in both B2B and B2C.
“We certainly have a significant element of growth for B2C this year as we bring the show to Thailand. But to make sure we continue to achieve this goal, we need to maintain a space that attracts developers from all over the world to come together and collaborate. To iron out the problems they see in the industry and to form partnerships and grow together.”
“We are very aware of the cost pressures for both exhibitors and visitors.”
Discussing the move from Singapore to Bangkok in this context, La Valle believes it would have been difficult to expand the event's B2C offering if Gamescom Asia had remained in place.
“As Singapore is a relatively small market, this meant that only limited growth could be achieved on the B2C side. We continue to have a strong relationship with the Singapore government and are very grateful for the support they gave the show in its early years,” continues La Valle.
“How can we ensure the B2C portion of the event thrives? With a bigger and better consumer show, this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Thai gaming community is fantastic, from gamers to developers, they welcomed us with open arms.”
La Vallee also insists that Gamescom Asia and the Thai Game Show will actively support local developers to ensure they are not left in the shadows in their own backyard when the gaming industry's major players come to town. The pledge comes months after some Brazilian developers at Gamescom LATAM said they were mistreated by organizers during open letter addressed to Gamescom management.
“Indie developers have been the key to our success from day one. We have always had a separate indie zone, organized by the leading developers of the region,” La Valle said. “This year we have more than 200 developers participating in our specialized indie zones and country pavilions. There's really no risk that indie developers will be left out at Gamescom Asia x Thai Game Show.”
In addition, La Valle says Gamescom organizers are keenly aware of the costs associated with attending the event and are looking to add value to the event through initiatives such as offering free business tickets to those who pre-register and offering special rates to select trade organizations around the world.
“We fully understand the financial challenges for both exhibitors and visitors, and we are committed to delivering maximum value. We do this by putting on the best possible show and creating as many opportunities as possible for people to meet, get together and collaborate. A good outcome for an event is one where people can learn as well as network. We invest heavily in parties, events and special spaces where people can find each other,” La Valle said.
“These price pressures are exacerbated in Asia, which is a very lean environment, and we price accordingly. Ultimately, we attract a great audience and put on a great event, and this is evident from the fact that we have several regular exhibitors from the indie community who have been with us for several years. We have literally seen them and their games grow.”
The proof, of course, is in the pudding. Stay tuned to Game Developer for more from Gamescom Asia in the coming weeks, straight from Thailand.
The game developer will be attending the Gamescom Asia x Thai Game Show 2025 as a media partner, with tickets and accommodation covered by the event organizers.
