Australia is back at Gamescom 2023 – Register Now to Join the Stand

Australia is back at Gamescom 2023!

Gamescom is the world’s largest and most important business event for video games, and this is the perfect opportunity to show the world what Australia has to offer! IGEA will again be organising an Australian pavilion at the event, generously supported by:

• Screen Australia
• Trade and Investment Queensland
• Screen Queensland
• Screen New South Wales
• Creative Victoria
• VicScreen
• South Australian Department of Trade and Investment
• South Australian Film Corporation

The stand will accommodate up to 40 studios and we are looking for expressions of interest from you!

If you are interested in participating on the Australian stand, please register your interest here:

Expressions of Interest for Aussie Stand at Gamescom 2023

Please familiarise yourself with the Q&A section below as it includes important information regarding the stand, the services on offer, tickets, and everything in between.

For further information, please contact Jens via jens@igea.net or join the Aussies at Gamescom Discord server.

Australian Stand FAQs

When and Where Will Gamescom Take Place?

Gamescom is hosted at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany. The business halls, complete with the Australian stand, will be open from Wednesday 23 August to Friday 25 August.

Tell Me About the Australian Stand

The Australian stand will be located in the business area of Gamescom. It will be located in the exact same location as last year, i.e., right at the entrance of hall 03.2.

This is a great location as the stand is right at the entry of the hall and will see a lot of foot traffic!

The stand will have a footprint of 210m2 and will be able to accommodate up to 40 studios. Last year’s stand helped to generate more than AU$ 6.5m worth of deals!

IGEA will take care of all the stand building.

What Packages Are on Offer?

This year, the Australian stand will offer two options:

1. The opportunity to demo your game with access to a shared meeting room (with a monitor). There will be up to 28 spots available.
2. Access to your own private meeting room. This will also come with a monitor for you to demo your products: There will be up to four exclusive meeting rooms available.

You can book your own meeting rooms with up to two other studios (i.e., three overall). It’s then up to you how to split up access.

(Please note, the above is subject to demand; e.g., if there is not enough demand for exclusive meeting rooms, we will reduce their number and increase the number of demo stations – and the other way round.)

Other services include:

• Two meeting planning tools (MeetToMatch and Gamescom’s own tool)
• Stand internet
• Pre conference training
• Drinks for guests

Moreover, each studio will be issued three exhibitor tickets (see below for more info on tickets).

Marketing/PR Support:

We are currently investigating options for PR support for the stand to ensure that it gets its due attention. Once a decision has been made, we will update this post.

Pre Conference Training:

In addition to media training, we are planning the following activities:

• Destination information
  • Hotels, access to the venue, what to know about Cologne, but also how to use MeetToMatch
• Business training
  • Pitch experience and feedback, including identifying potential partners and what to ask for
• State-based training
  • g., information on what support programs each state has to offer so that attendees can confidently talk about them
• ‘Live’ get-togethers by state so delegates can meet in person and get to know each other

(Please note that these training activities are yet to be confirmed and will vary from state to state.)

In addition, we will again make available the print version of Level Up! Your Guide to the Australian Games Industry. It will feature up-to-date information on the ecosystem, support programs, and case studies of a range of studios. In addition, it will feature photos and contact details. (You will be able to opt out of this.)

Most importantly, IGEA does all the heavy lifting and stand build, so you don’t have to. All you need to do is turn up and start your meetings.

What Is This Going to Cost?

Please click on the links below for an overview of the fees for the stand packages.

• Queensland, Victoria, South Australia
• New South Wales
• Western Australia, Canberra, Northern Territory, Tasmania

Alternatively, you can use the filter function in this spreadsheet to determine your fees.

The differences in fees are a reflection of each states’ subsidies towards the stand.

You will notice that prices have increased compared to 2022; this is because we have a) not received the same financial support as last year but also due to b) an increase in stand building costs and c) a worse exchange rate.

Please note: If you are eligible for Austrade’s Export Market Development Grant (EMDG), you may be able to claim 50% of your costs back! This means that if you share your meeting space with two other studios you can have it for all little as $3650.

Extra Services

If you do need any additional services beyond the standard packages, e.g., a plank to demo your game or additional iPads or consoles, please let us know. We will put you in touch with our trusted stand builder who will be able to assist.

What are the Selection Criteria?

We are trying to accommodate as many studios as possible; however, if we receive more applications than we could feasibly manage, we will need to engage in a selection process.

Applications will be judged by IGEA in collaboration with the states supporting the stand. Given the importance of Gamescom in the annual calendar and the funds contributed by the states, the process will revolve around commercial criteria and/or studios’ track records.

Deadlines & Fees

Once we have completed the selection process, we will notify the successful studios. We will regard the confirmation of your attendance as a binding contract.

If you will not be able to travel to Germany after you have confirmed your attendance, the following fees will apply:

• Cancellation of attendance up to eight weeks before the event (i.e., 28 June): You will be liable for 30% of the stand fees
• Cancellation of attendance up to six weeks before the event (i.e., 12 July): You will be liable for 50% of the stand fees
• Cancellation of attendance up to four weeks before the event (i.e., 26 July): You will be liable for 100% of the stand fees

Please also note that as an official IGEA event, our Gamescom presence is subject to IGEA’s Code of Conduct. As an attendee you – and your staff – will have to explicitly agree to adhere to it.

What Do I Do if I Need More Than the Three Allocated Tickets?

This year, Australia is not country sponsor, i.e., we will not have access to a generous contingent of free exhibitor tickets. Any extra tickets can be purchased via IGEA. Let us know how many you need; they are €55.46 each.

(Please note: Only exhibitor tickets will allow you to check out the consumer areas on the weekend. The trade visitor 3-day ticket will not offer this option.)

How Do I Access My Tickets Once I Received My Ticket Code/Bought Them?

• After we’ve registered you, you will receive an invite and create an account as an exhibitor via the Koelnmesse shop
• Inside the Koelnmesse ticket shop you can redeem a voucher code for a ticket (please use a regular browser on a laptop or desktop computer)
• You will need to download the Gamescom ticketing app and sign up with your Koelnmesse account (email and password)
• Tickets will be downloaded automatically

If you are having any issues with the process, please reach out to Gamescom directly as it is out of our control.

Will I have Access to the Gamescom Party?

Since we’re not country sponsor this year, you will need to buy the tickets for the official Gamescom party. Please check the Gamescom website for tickets. (At the time of writing they were not yet availablale.)

Will There Be Drinks at the Australian Stand?

We will organise a wide variety of drinks, including water, soft drinks, energy drinks, and alcohol.

Please understand, however, that these are primarily for guests of the stand. So, if – for some mysterious reason – you are feeling a little bit thirsty the day after the official Gamescom party, please make sure you bring along a bottle of water.

Please also note that as a general rule, alcohol at the stand will only be made available after 5 pm. (Except if a guest asks for it or as part of a reception.)

Can I Bring My Child Along?

While Gamescom does not ban children from attending the business area, they would like to keep it to 18+. If you need someone to look after your children, Gamescom does offer a dedicated child-minding area. (Also, let’s be honest, it may be a video game event but the business aspect of it is likely to bore any kid to tears…)

We Are an Aussie Studio but Not Part of the Australian Stand – Can You Store Some Stuff for Us? Can We Use it for Meetings?

Unfortunately, that is not an option; the stand can only be used by paying studios.

I Would Like to Visit the Stand Before Gamescom Officially Opens – Do I Need a High-Vis Vest? I Also Heard There Was Lunch?

Nope – if you would like to visit the stand before the Gamescom officially kicks off, e.g., to set up, just rock up in your normal clothes. But don’t forget your exhibitor tickets!

Like last year, we will also organise a collective visit to the stand to make sure everything is in order and allow you to set up. For those interested, we will head to lunch at the Italian place around the corner from the venue. And yes, they do have vegetarian/vegan options.

I’m Getting These Weird Spam Emails About Attendee Lists…

Sigh… Please ignore them. This is not Gamescom sharing your data with dodgy parties but the latter somehow managing to get a hold of your details – possibly by scraping Gamescom’s website – and now trying to sell them. There’s nothing official about this and for the love of God don’t engage with them!

Timing of Booking

Please fill out the forms by 26 May!