Gamescom Asia is evolving. This year, the third event in the annual Gamescom calendar has swapped Singapore for Bangkok after merging with 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.
### Uniting East and West
Speaking to *Game Developer*, La Valle explains that the goal of merging Gamescom Asia with Thailand Game Show is 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. Similarly, she notes that Asian developers often face challenges when trying to break into 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 become the largest B2B show for the games industry in Southeast Asia, with a strong track record of bringing top international expert speakers to the region.
### Continuous Growth and Learning from Challenges
La Valle describes expanding the event in line with its mission as an “ongoing chase.” Organizers aim to be candid about their own successes and shortcomings to ensure meaningful evolution in service 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, both in B2B and B2C.”
This year, the event features significant growth on the B2C side as it transitions 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 says. “We’re extremely aware of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees.”
### Why the Move to Bangkok?
Discussing the relocation from Singapore to Bangkok, La Valle notes that remaining in Singapore would have limited B2C growth due to the city-state’s 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 the gamers to the developers—they’ve welcomed us with open arms.”
### Supporting Local Developers
La Valle also emphasizes that **Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show** will actively support local developers to ensure they aren’t overshadowed when the game industry’s major players gather in their own backyard.
This comes in the wake of criticism from some Brazilian developers at Gamescom LATAM, who publicly stated they were mistreated 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 developers,” she affirms. “This year, we have more than 200 developers 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
The organizers are also keenly aware of the financial burden attendance can place on exhibitors and visitors.
“We’re extremely aware of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees, and we strive to provide the most value,” says La Valle. “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.”
To that end, the event invests heavily in social activities like parties, mixers, and dedicated networking spaces.
“These cost pressures are compounded in Asia where the environment is very cost-conscious, and we price things accordingly,” La Valle adds. “Ultimately, we bring in a great audience and put together a great event, which is reflected in 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.”
### The Road Ahead
The proof, of course, will be in the event itself. Stay tuned to *Game Developer* for more **Gamescom Asia** coverage straight from Thailand in 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
