Gamescom Asia is evolving. This year, the third event in the annual Gamescom calendar has moved from Singapore to Bangkok after merging with the Thailand Game Show. This change aims to deliver what organizers claim will be the largest showcase in the region.
The newly branded event, Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show, hopes to offer a strong B2B and B2C experience that unites professionals, publishers, and players. But how are organizers working behind the scenes to fulfill 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 is intended to facilitate widespread knowledge sharing between East and West. She describes Asia as a “fragmented market” that can be difficult for those beyond its borders to navigate and says it can be just as challenging for Asian developers to break into Western markets.
“Therein lies an opportunity,” La Valle said. “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, with a proven history of bringing top international expert speakers to the region.”
### Growing and Evolving the Event
La Valle claims that expanding the event to support this mission is an ongoing process, requiring organizers to be transparent about both successes and shortcomings to ensure meaningful evolution in service of exhibitors and attendees.
“Take, for instance, the launch of Gamescom Asia during COVID,” she explained. “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, the move to Thailand marks a significant growth opportunity for the B2C side of the event. “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 address industry issues, form partnerships, and grow together. We’re extremely aware of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees.”
### Why Move from Singapore to Bangkok?
La Valle shared that the move from Singapore to Bangkok was driven by the need to expand the event’s B2C offering. “Singapore is a relatively small market, which limited the potential growth 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 stated.
“So how can we make the B2C portion thrive? With a bigger and better consumer show, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Thai games community is fantastic—from gamers to developers—and they’ve welcomed us with open arms.”
### Supporting Local Developers
La Valle also emphasized that Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show will actively support local developers to ensure they are not overshadowed by the industry’s major players when they come to town.
This pledge comes just months after some Brazilian developers at Gamescom LATAM publicly 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 said. “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 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 and Adding Value
Organizers are also highly aware of the costs associated with event attendance and are striving to deliver value through initiatives such as free business visitor tickets for pre-registered guests and special rates offered to certain trade bodies worldwide.
“We’re very conscious of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees, and we strive to provide the most value. We do this by putting together the best possible show and creating ample opportunities for people to meet, collaborate, and network.”
La Valle highlights that the event invests heavily in social gatherings—parties, mixers, and dedicated spaces—where attendees can connect.
“These cost pressures are compounded in Asia, which is a very cost-conscious environment, so we price accordingly. Ultimately, we bring in a great audience and deliver a great event, which is reflected in the number of 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, as they say, is in the pudding. Stay tuned to *Game Developer* for more Gamescom Asia coverage 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
