Gamescom Asia is evolving. This year, the third event in the annual Gamescom calendar has swapped Singapore for Bangkok after merging with the Thailand Game Show in a bid to deliver a showcase organizers claim will be the largest in the region.
The hope is that the new-look event, dubbed **Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show**, will deliver a robust B2B and B2C spread that unites professionals, publishers, and players. But how are organizers working behind the scenes to deliver on that promise? We caught up with Koelnmesse project director Daria La Valle, who oversees the event, to find out.
### Bridging East and West through Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show
Speaking to *Game Developer*, La Valle explains that uniting Gamescom Asia and Thailand Game Show is meant to facilitate widespread knowledge sharing between East and West. She describes Asia as a “fragmented market” that can be difficult for those outside its borders to parse, and notes it can be just as challenging for Asian developers to make inroads in Western markets.
“Therein lies an opportunity,” La Valle says. “Ultimately, it’s not about one region doing better than the other, it’s about global success as the world of gaming converges globally.”
She adds that over the past few years, **Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show** has grown to be the largest B2B show for the games industry in Southeast Asia, with a proven track record of bringing top international expert speakers to the region.
### Continuous Growth and Honest Evaluation
Expanding the event to serve that mission is an “ongoing chase,” La Valle explains. It requires organizers to be candid about their successes and shortcomings to ensure the event meaningfully evolves in support of exhibitors and attendees.
“Take for instance the case of Gamescom Asia launching during COVID,” she says. “We’re not going to pretend that didn’t put us on the back foot and made things really difficult. Despite that, each year we’ve grown in scope, size, and level of participation in both B2B and B2C.”
This year, there is a significant growth element for B2C as the show moves to Thailand. “But to make sure we continue to achieve that goal, we need to maintain a space that attracts developers from across the world to come together and collaborate—to iron out issues they see in the industry, form partnerships, and grow together.”
La Valle acknowledges the cost pressures faced by both exhibitors and attendees and says the team is extremely mindful of these challenges.
### Why Move from Singapore to Bangkok?
Discussing the move from Singapore to Bangkok, La Valle explains that the change was necessary to expand the event’s B2C offering.
“With the nature of Singapore being a relatively small market, there was only so much growth that could be achieved on the B2C side. We still have a strong relationship with the Singapore government and are really grateful for the support they’ve given the show in its early years.”
She continues, “How can we make the B2C portion of the event thrive? With a bigger and better consumer show, that’s going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Thai games community is a fantastic one—from gamers to developers—and they’ve welcomed us with open arms.”
### Supporting Local Developers and Indie Communities
La Valle also pledges that **Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show** will actively support local developers to ensure they aren’t overshadowed when major industry players come to town. This promise comes months after some Brazilian developers at Gamescom LATAM claimed mistreatment by organizers in an open letter addressed to Gamescom management.
“Indie developers have been key to our success from day one,” La Valle states. “We’ve always had a dedicated indie area, hosted by some of the region’s leading developers.”
This year, more than 200 developers will be exhibiting across dedicated indie areas and country pavilions. “There’s really no risk of indies getting sidelined at Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show.”
### Addressing Cost Pressures and Maximizing Value
La Valle emphasizes that organizers are acutely aware of the costs associated with event attendance and are striving to deliver value through initiatives such as free business visitor tickets for those who pre-register and special rates offered to some trade bodies around the world.
“We’re extremely aware of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees and we strive to provide the most value. The way we do this is by putting together the best possible show and creating the most opportunities for people to meet, come together, and collaborate.”
According to La Valle, a good event outcome includes both learning and networking opportunities. “We invest heavily in parties, mixers, and dedicated spaces where people can find each other.”
She also notes that Asia is a very cost-conscious environment, and pricing is adjusted accordingly. “Ultimately, we bring in a great audience and put together a great event, and that shows from the fact that we have several repeat exhibitors from the indie dev community who’ve been with us for several years. We’ve literally seen them and their games grow.”
### Looking Ahead
The proof, of course, will be in the pudding. Stay tuned to *Game Developer* for more coverage of Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show straight from Thailand over the coming weeks.
https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-it-s-about-global-success-gamescom-asia-x-thailand-game-show-director-outlines-vision-for-new-look-event
