On the eve of this year’s event, Tim Endres and Stefan Heikhaus – respectively the directors of gamescom at Kolenmesse (the venue) and game (Germany’s industry trade body) – took the time to answer our questions, on everything from organising gamescom 2024 to what it’s legacy might be.
What are the biggest challenges you faced in organising gamescom 2024?
Tim Endres: I think that every year is challenging in its own way. With gamescom we try to adapt to the industry’s and fan’s needs yearly. That means we must listen to all sorts of feedback and see how and where we can improve the event. That goes from the feedback of our industry partners up to visitor surveys, which all have great impact on plans for the years to come.
Of course, it is always challenging to find new areas and places, because there are few things you can build on. So, in a way it was challenging to create the ards & boards area or the social stage. But we are happy that we took that chance, as we are proud to see many companies like Hasbro, Konami and Ravensburger joining this newly found area. Or the many talented artists and content creators that will perform on our social stage for the gamescom community.
How do you manage the logistics of accommodating an increasing number of attendees and exhibitors?
Tim Endres: Year after year, we try to optimise the placement of areas and booths to ensure the best possible experience for the visitors and exhibitors. That is why we can only speak for our event and not further logistics in the overall city and places nearby. One notable change in that regard is the relocation of the social area to Hall 11.2 and 11.3, along with the move of our event arena to Hall 8. This move greatly enhances the visitor experience by allowing us to increase seating capacity for major events such as gamescom Opening Night Live. The new layout not only enhances the atmosphere, but also streamlines the organisation of our programming and connects all entertainment area halls with each other to create an even better experience for visitors and exhibitors than before.
We’ve also been able to expand one our B2B events with the new Conference and Exhibition Centre Confex at Koelnmesse. This new building not only gives more space to both devcom and gamescom congress, which lead to better networking opportunities and growth potential, but it also benefits from better connections to the gamescom Business Center and the train station, making it easier for more guests to attend.
More and more social institutions are using games to convey and defend the values of democracy
What are some of the most exciting new content features or additions this year?
Stefan Heikhaus: At gamescom 2024, several new areas will make their debut. As the world’s largest gaming festival, we aim to represent as many interests of the gaming community as possible. For the first time this year, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the cards & boards area, where they can meet numerous companies showcasing new content and classics in Trading Card Games, board and tabletop games. In addition, our social stage will offer a diverse program that is free to experience. Creators and artists will bring gamescom themes to life on stage through a varied schedule of events ranging from live-recorded podcasts to pen and paper-session to anime-soundtracks played on piano.
However, games will continue to be the heart of gamescom. Attendees can also look forward to the return of companies like 2K and Electronic Arts, who are coming back to gamescom after a break or The Pokémon company joining us for the first time.
For those participating online, there will be plenty of announcements during gamescom Opening Night Live with Geoff Keighley and Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere, as well as during gamescom awesome indies with Shay Thompson. We also added trading cards to gamescom epix. Fans now have the chance to solve quests in our free adventure with our hero EPI to be rewarded with unique cards featuring different aspects of gamescom like “areas & shows”, EPI in alternative versions or content creators. The more cards people collect, the more and better rewards they will earn for themselves. Those range from discount codes to full games up to the chance to win hardware.
In summary, gamescom is growing bigger and more diverse. The event is evolving both on-site and digitally, providing more content for everyone. We invite everyone to explore gamescom’s offerings from August 20-25.
Are there any new technologies or trends being highlighted this year?
Stefan Heikhaus: gamescom 2024 is taking place under the banner ‘The biggest community in the world’. Anyone who has ever been to gamescom themselves knows the unique feeling: You immediately recognise the joy, curiosity and passion in people’s faces. Long-standing friendships are celebrated and new friends are made – because games connect people in an incomparable way, creating the biggest community in the world. This social component of games is still overlooked far too often, yet it’s so valuable. In times when isolation has become a serious societal challenge and there’s more and more focus on what divides rather than unites us – in these times, games connect billions of people around the world every day in a special way. At gamescom this year, we therefore decided on a theme that highlights this unique community – the players of video games.
We also feature a trend called ‘Games – access to the future’. games are the key that opens up the latest and best technology. Those who position themselves strategically will benefit from the most dynamic media market of our time and reach the biggest community in the world. The world’s most valuable companies have long recognised this and are working harder than ever to secure their place in the global game market.
A second trend this year – maybe a smaller one but very important – is called “‘Games protect democracy’. Because more and more social institutions are using games to convey and defend the values of democracy. These organisations include, for example, the Federal Agency for Civic Education, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Foreign Office and a wide variety of memorials in Germany. All of them utilise video games in a range of contexts to communicate and protect democratic values. With the topic of ‘Games and Democracy’, this year’s gamescom congress, Europe’s leading conference on the potential of games in a digitalised world, will devote special attention to the vital role that games can play.
Diversity, education, inclusion, climate and environmental protection, aid for the needy – these are all issues that the games industry and community feel deeply about and support
What are you personally most looking forward to?
Tim Endres: After planning the event for a whole year, it is always the best to meet industry partners directly, see the fans reactions to all the things we worked on throughout the year and simply enjoy the overall atmosphere gamescom has. Whether I am in the business area, the entertainment area or any other area we have – the feeling is unique, and it is like a payoff for all the hard work. It is just great to be in the middle of the world’s biggest games event and simply enjoy those five days.
Stefan Heikhaus: I would also add the political side of gamescom to be a highlight. gamescom is a great stage to showcase politicians what gaming culture means and why it is important to support the games industry in Germany. To many of them, gamescom makes this industry tangible. And to directly see how impactful these impressions are, is a highlight to me.
What steps are you taking to enhance the experience for both in-person and virtual attendees?
Tim Endres: The answer to this question is quite simple: We listen to feedback. Whether it is from longstanding industry partners, exhibitors, or fans. We listen and see what is worth chasing and what is something that brings gamescom to the next level:
That simple, but effect method helped us to create many things that are part of gamescom. On the one hand, we have the newly founded cards & boards area. That area emerged from the visitor survey, which stated, that most of the visitors would love to see board and tabletop games being included in the event. And so, we took action.
On the other hand, we have gamescom epix as another example. The gamescom Discord community is quite active and helps us to fix smaller bugs and technical hiccups to improve the overall experience for all players. We also added a digital queuing system because we saw that the demand on the exhibitor side was there.
By listening to the feedback, we get the chance to improve different fields and aspects of gamescom every year. It is an extremely valuable tool, which makes us grateful, because people from all our communities take their time to share their experiences and help us become even better in the future. We always aim to match the fan’s and industry’s needs and the only way to get there is by listening to what they say.
How do you see gamescom influencing the gaming industry, whether in Europe or globally?
Stefan Heikhaus: gamescom plays a key role in shaping the global gaming industry. As the world’s biggest gaming event, it offers tailored experiences for all communities, attracting not only gamers but also thousands of industry professionals and developers from around the world. This unique gathering fosters synergies difficult to find elsewhere, driving innovation and collaboration on a global scale. In addition, with initiatives such as devcom and the digital platform “gamescom biz”, gamescom strengthens networking opportunities, enabling industry professionals to connect, collaborate and explore new growth opportunities, further increasing its influence both in Europe and globally.
Exhibitors also benefit from gamescom’s media presence by gaining significant global exposure for their game releases, reaching a wide audience beyond the event, and increasing their brand visibility and market influence.
What initiatives are in place to promote diversity and inclusion at gamescom?
Stefan Heikhaus: One of our key platforms is gamescom cares, where gamescom as well as exhibitors and partners can present social responsibility projects, events, and campaigns. Diversity, education, inclusion, climate and environmental protection, aid for the needy – these are all issues that the games industry and community feel deeply about and support in many cases. In addition, we also supported the Pride Month this year with a dedicated social media campaign, highlighting our commitment to diversity and inclusion. We also donated 5 euros for every “PRIDE BARCODE” shirt sold to Aidshilfe Köln. You can find the individual projects here.
We listen to feedback. Whether it is from longstanding industry partners, exhibitors, or fans
How do you ensure a welcoming environment for all attendees and participants?
Tim Endres: To ensure a friendly and welcoming atmosphere during the event, we have a comprehensive code of conduct that promotes respect and safety for all, as well as specific diversity and inclusion initiatives. We ensure accessibility both physically and digitally, providing quiet spaces and supportive services. For example, all booths this year will offer barrier-free access. With security staff being present at the event, we also want to make certain, that every visitor feels safe. Each day they take care, that no safety-critical moments occur. In addition, we emphasize diverse programming and work closely with advocacy groups to continually improve and ensure that everyone feels comfortable and valued at our event.
How do you measure the success of gamescom?
Tim Endres: We measure the success of gamescom by analyzing various metrics. Though, this is no easy question to answer. As visitor numbers are a number we look at, it is at the same time not our goal to reach new records, because the overall quality of stay is much more important to us. Other metrics include the number of exhibitors, international participation as well as the number of views on our digital content.
Also, the evaluation of feedback plays a huge part in the measurement of success and helps us to (re-)direct in certain ways for the future.
What do you hope attendees and exhibitors take away from this year’s event?
Stefan Heikhaus: We want all attendees – whether it’s from a business, political or a fan side – to take away that excitement gaming and gaming culture brings to the people. We want everyone to create unforgettable memories with new and old friends. We simply want everyone to enjoy themselves during this year’s gamescom and we want them to leave with one thought: “I’m excited for gamescom 2025!”, so we can celebrate the biggest event in gaming next year again.