BitSummit & Osaka World Expo: Join the Australian Game Delegation to Japan!

16
Apr

IGEA is excited to invite Australian game developers to join us at BitSummit and in the Australian Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka. These events offer a unique chance to demo your game, meet key industry players, and explore opportunities in Japan and beyond.

BitSummit is Japan’s largest independent game development festival, held annually in Kyoto. It showcases a variety of indie games from both Japanese and international developers and has become a staple of the international events calendar: In 2024, organisers doubled the exhibition space and attracted more than 39,000 visitors and 100 exhibitors.

The event has also moved onto the radar of Australian independent game studios. Which is why IGEA will be running an Australian stand. Four studios will get an opportunity to show their games.

BitSummit will take place from 18 July to 20 July 2025.

This aligns perfectly with the World Expo in Osaka – which is why, thanks to the support of the Australian Government through the International Cultural Diplomacy Arts Fund, IGEA, in collaboration with the Office for the Arts, will run a free networking event in the special event zone of the Australian pavilion right after BitSummit (22 July)! This will also include the opportunity to demo your game and promote Australian game development to the world!

This networking event will connect you to stakeholders in the Japanese industry and also see the launch of gameonaustralia.com, the one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about the Australian games industry.

Even better, if you exhibit at the Australian BitSummit stand and will demo your game at the Osaka event, we will subsidise your travel with $1000. To top that, there will be another six $1000 travel grants available for the Osaka event (see the FAQs below for more details).

Sign me up!

You can register for the BitSummit stand here:

Expressions of Interest for IGEA’s BitSummit Stand 2025

  • The cost for IGEA members is AU$ 2000.
  • The cost for non-IGEA members is AU$ 2500.

You can register for the Osaka networking event here:

Registration for IGEA Networking Event at the World Expo in Osaka 

(You can apply to attend as a guest and to demo your game.)

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

 It also includes the form to apply for the travel grants.

For further information, please contact Jens via jens@igea.net

 

Japanese Delegation FAQs

 

Why Should I Consider BitSummit?

BitSummit is squarely aimed at indie studios, and as such is well-aligned with the needs of a large chunk of the Australian ecosystem: It is (comparatively) close, cost-effective, and offers great access to the kind of industry stakeholders that can assist Australian developers in their traditional markets (North Americas, Europe) while also offering exposure to Asia.

When and Where Is This Happening? And How Do I Get from Kyoto to Osaka?

BitSummit will take place from 18 July to 20 July 2025 at the Kyoto International Exhibition Hall.

The networking event at the World Expo in Osaka will take place on 22 July. The World Expo itself is held at Yumeshima which is just over an hour from Kyoto by train.

Tell Me About the Australian Stand at BitSummit

The Australian stand will allow four studios to demo their games. It is a turnkey solution – all you need to do is turn up and sing your game’s praises!

(Please note, the stand will not include a meeting area and as such is not well-suited to work as a home base for Australian studios. You are, of course, more than welcome to use it as a meeting point to then have your chats somewhere else.)

Tell Me More About the Osaka Event

The networking event at the World Expo will take place in the special event zone of Australian pavilion. It will allow up to ten studios to demo their games; all the hardware will be made available if needed. There will also be complimentary drinks and food as well as Japanese interpreters.

Moreover, there will be a separate meeting space if you would like to have confidential conversations.

In short, everything will be taken care of!

Best of all, it’s free! (Thanks to the support of the Australian Government and the Office for the Arts.)

The event will take place in the evening (6 pm – 9 pm), which means that you also get to spend all day at the World Expo and its spectacular pavilions, all on a man-made island.

IGEA will be present at both events to assist you.

Who Will Attend the Osaka Event?

We are engaging a specialist Japanese PR agency to ensure the event is attended by Japanese game industry members, including developers, press, and influencers. We also aim to have platform holders attend.

I’m Not Attending BitSummit, Can I Still Come to Osaka?

Absolutely! The Osaka event is open to anyone in the Australian games industry. From small indies to publicly listed companies: You are all welcome.

There is one caveat, however, and that is that space is limited. If we reach capacity, we may have to engage in a selection process, see below.

Who Qualifies for a Travel Grant?

  • If you are selected to exhibit at the Australian BitSummit stand and demo your game in Osaka, you will automatically receive an AU$1,000 travel grant.
  • An additional six travel grants (AU$1,000 each) are available for other Australian developers attending the Osaka (If you are only attending BitSummit, you are not eligible to apply.)

You can apply for a travel grant here:

Osaka Networking Event Travel Grant

What is This Going to Cost?

If you would like to demo your game at BitSummit, you are looking at AU$2000 for IGEA members and AU$ 2500 for non-members.

So Many Forms! Can You Break It Down for Me One More Time?

  • I want to exhibit at BitSummit:

Please fill out this form: Expressions of Interest for IGEA’s BitSummit Stand 2025

  • I want to exhibit at BitSummit and Osaka and claim the $1000 travel grant:

Please fill out the form above and make sure you tick the box in Section 4 of the form!

  • I want to attend the Osaka networking event:

Registration for IGEA Networking Event at the World Expo in Osaka 

  • I want to exhibit at the Osaka networking event:

Please fill out the form above and make sure you tick “Yes” at question 5.

  • I would just like to apply for the travel grant for the Osaka networking event:

Please fill out this form: Osaka Networking Event Travel Grant

If you have applied to demo your game in Osaka, you will only have to give us your name and studio name again.

If you do not have anything to demo but still would like to apply for a grant, you will need to answer a couple of questions.

What are the Selection Criteria?

If we receive more applications than the BitSummit stand can accommodate, studio selection will be based on the following criteria:

  • The level of creativity and entertainment value of the game
  • The commercial potential of the game and the team’s ability to deliver it
  • The level to which the project and key creatives reflect gender equity and/or the diversity of people and experiences from around Australia

The same criteria apply if you would like to demo your game at the Osaka event.

(If you get selected to demo your game at BitSummit, you are automatically eligible to also show it in Osaka. In that case, we will subsidise your travel to the tune of $1000.)

If the Osaka venue reaches capacity, we will select attendees based on commercial criteria, given the main audience of the event (e.g. your studio’s track record, the team’s track record etc.)

What’s That About a Website Launch?

We will use the Osaka event to launch a website to promote Australia as a premier destination for video game development and investment, showcasing its thriving industry, generous government incentives, supportive ecosystem, and attractive lifestyle. (Think Game Engine but as a website.) This is the best place in the world to make video games, let’s spread the word! #teamaustralia

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 Japan after you have confirmed your attendance, the following fees will apply:

  • Cancellation of attendance up to eight weeks before the event (i.e., 23 May): You will be liable for 30% of the stand fees
  • Cancellation of attendance up to six weeks before the event (i.e., 6 June): You will be liable for 50% of the stand fees
  • Cancellation of attendance up to four weeks before the event (i.e., 20 June): You will be liable for 100% of the stand fees

Pre-Travel Briefing

We are planning on running a briefing webinar on the destinations, accommodation, travel between Kyoto and Osaka, access to the venue etc. so you can best take advantage of this opportunity.

Code of Conduct

Please also note that as these are official IGEA events, our Japanese 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.