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 what organizers claim will be the largest showcase 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
Speaking to *Game Developer*, La Valle explained that uniting Gamescom Asia and Thailand Game Show aims to facilitate widespread knowledge sharing between the East and West. She describes Asia as a “fragmented market” that can be difficult for those beyond its borders to navigate. At the same time, it can be just as tough 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.”
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, boasting a track record of bringing top international expert speakers to the region.
### An Ongoing Journey of Growth
La Valle describes expanding the event in service of that mission as an “ongoing chase” requiring organizers to be candid about their own successes and shortcomings. This transparency will help the event meaningfully evolve in support of both exhibitors and attendees.
“Take for instance the case of Gamescom Asia launching during Covid,” she explains. “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. However, to continue achieving that goal, the event needs to maintain a space that attracts developers from around the world to collaborate, address industry challenges, form partnerships, and grow together.
“We’re extremely aware of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees,” La Valle adds.
### Why Move from Singapore to Bangkok?
Discussing the move from Singapore to Bangkok, La Valle highlights that expanding the event’s B2C offering in Singapore would have been challenging due to its relatively small market size.
“With the nature of Singapore being a relatively small market, that meant on the B2C side there was only so much growth that could be achieved. 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 says.
“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 devs—they’ve welcomed us with open arms.”
### Supporting Local Developers
La Valle also assures that **Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show** will actively support local developers to ensure they aren’t overshadowed when the industry’s major players come to town. This pledge follows concerns raised by Brazilian developers at Gamescom LATAM who publicly addressed mistreatment by organizers.
“Indie devs have been key to our success from day one. We’ve always had a dedicated indie area, hosted by some of the region’s leading devs,” La Valle states.
“This year, we have more than 200 devs exhibiting across our 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
La Valle acknowledges the financial challenges of event attendance and emphasizes the organizers’ efforts to provide value through initiatives such as offering free business visitor tickets to pre-registered guests and providing special rates to certain trade bodies worldwide.
“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.”
“A good outcome for the event is one where people can learn but also network. We invest heavily in parties, mixers, and dedicated spaces where people can find each other.”
She adds that cost-consciousness is especially important in Asia, and pricing is structured accordingly. The result is a great audience and a strong event, evidenced by several repeat exhibitors from the indie dev community who have participated for years.
“We’ve literally seen them and their games grow,” says La Valle.
### Looking Ahead
The proof, of course, is in the pudding. Stay tuned to *Game Developer* for more coverage of **Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show**, coming 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
