With never ending advances in technology, it is of no surprise that gaming conventions are one of the most anticipated events held worldwide and the most widely attended. While many feel these conventions are a newer phenomenon in this age of social media and entertainment, they have, in fact, been around for the past 60 years! In 1968, Gen Con debuted in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with nearly 100 in attendance. Today, the attendance of gaming conventions reaches into the hundreds of thousands. Let’s take a look at the top 5 biggest gaming conventions in the world today and see what the offer!
The largest convention with an attendance of 320,000 in 2023, is Gamescom. It is held annually in Cologne, Germany. This year, it will be August 21–25, 2024, with a LIVE opening night on the 20th. Gamescom is Europe’s version of a general gaming expo and showcases cutting-edge hardware and gaming engines through over 1,000 exhibitions from 56 countries. It is live-streamed on YouTube, Twitch and its official website. From international cosplayers, artists, music and show acts to a unique retro arena that brags over 200 ready use game consoles, home pcs, handhelds and automats from the past 4 decades, there is something for every participant to enjoy.
Eidetic collaborated with BMW and carried out the planning and execution of the 2023 Gamescom exhibition, effectively showcasing the AirConsole service. Bringing the BMW i5 vehicle to the booth, allowed visitors to fully experience AirConsole paired with BMW’s electric car technology, providing an immersive in-car gaming experience. By integrating BMW’s comfortable seats, high-quality speakers, and curved displays with the AirConsole platform, they created the ultimate gaming environment. Eidetic managed all aspects of the exhibit, including graphic visuals, booth design and constructions, event planning, and operations, offering a comprehensive solution to effectively reposition BMW as a mobility company.
Hot on Gamescom’s heels is the Taipei Game Show, held in Taipei, Taiwan. This year it occurred this past January 25th and 26th. It’s been held for over 20 year now and attracts over 2,500 business visitors from 40 different countries and regions. Covid did not slow this event down at all. With quick thinking and planning, the conference was held entirely online in 2021 and it currently offers a hybrid experience so no one will miss out! In 2023, it saw an attendance of 320,000!
The Brasil Game show also boasted a turn out of 320,000 last year, in São Paulo, Brazil. It was first gaming convention in the world to break the 300,000 mark and we are sure they are hoping to break more records in the future. This year it will be held on October 9–13, 2024. The gaming convention encourages co-mingling of game developers as well as cosplay to real-time strategy. Some annual features include an opening ceremony and lifetime achievement awards, an arcade game station, talks record TV, meet & greet, shopping and PC gaming area.
Heading back to Asia, the next convention is the Tokyo Game show with an attendance of 270,000 in 2023. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association & Nikkei Business Publications. While its main focus is new up and coming Japanese game titles and release dates, it musters up even more excitement with high tech gaming inventions like headphones, controllers, furniture and portable gaming devices. Its “Sense of Wonder Night” with innovation and experimental computer games is always a buzz! The show is closed to the general public for the first 1–2 days so that industry professionals can gossip about what’s in. This year don’t miss your chance to visit it on September 26–29, 2024.
Last and certainly not least is ChinaJoy, held in Shanghai, China. This summer the dates are July 26–28, 2024. The convention is also known as the China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference. It has 30 different countries participating and showcases over 3,500 games a year. It hosts many exhibitions related to literature, art, and music and is a massive venue of 700 square meters.
With all these conventions, there is a lot to choose from and it certainly doesn’t seem like these gaming conventions will be slowing down any time soon! So take your pick! And if you are an exhibitor, looking for a successful gaming convention agency, check Eidetic Marketing out! They have extensive experience in branding, international expansion, and game launch marketing. Most importantly, their planning aligns seamlessly with the actual outcomes, resulting in smooth operations and impressive results.
Contact Eidetic to design special experiences for your gamers!
