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 new-look event, dubbed **Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show**, aims to deliver a robust B2B and B2C experience that unites professionals, publishers, and players alike. 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 more.
### Uniting East and West
Speaking to *Game Developer*, La Valle explained that the hope in merging Gamescom Asia and 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 understand. Similarly, Asian developers often face challenges breaking 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.”
She added, “Throughout 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 track record of bringing top international expert speakers to the region.”
### An Ongoing Journey
Expanding the event to serve that mission remains an “ongoing chase,” according to La Valle. The organizers acknowledge the need to be candid about their own successes and shortcomings to ensure meaningful evolution that benefits both exhibitors and attendees.
“Take, for instance, the case of Gamescom Asia launching during COVID,” La Valle 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 brings significant growth potential 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 iron out issues they see in the industry, and to form partnerships and grow together,” she emphasized.
“We’re extremely aware of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees,” La Valle added.
### Why Move from Singapore to Bangkok?
Discussing the relocation from Singapore to Bangkok, La Valle noted the limitations of Singapore’s relatively small market. “That meant on the B2C side there was only so much growth that could be achieved,” she said.
“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 continued: “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 stressed that Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show will actively support local developers, ensuring they aren’t overshadowed when the game industry’s major players come to town.
This is a notable commitment following an incident months earlier when some Brazilian developers at Gamescom LATAM claimed they were mistreated by organizers in an open letter addressed to Gamescom management.
“Indie devs 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, 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.”
### Tackling Cost Pressures
Regarding the costs associated with event attendance, La Valle acknowledged the challenges and highlighted the organizers’ efforts to provide value.
“We’re extremely aware of cost pressures for both exhibitors and attendees and we strive to provide the most value,” she said. “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 added, “These cost pressures are compounded in Asia as a very cost-conscious environment, and we price things accordingly. Ultimately, we bring in a great audience and put together a great event—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, is in the pudding. Stay tuned to *Game Developer* for more coverage of Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show straight from Bangkok 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
