The gamescom congress will be opened on the 23 August 2017 at 10:00 a.m. with many prominent political figures in attendance: before the political arena begins with top politicians from the CDU, SPD, Die Linke, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and FDP, the guests will be welcomed by Prof Dr Andreas Pinkwart, Minister for Economy, Innovation, Digitalization, and Energy for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Afterwards, following the congress motto, ‘More than Games’, there will be countless talks and panels on the potential for computer games in business, education, research, and culture. With more than 70 top-class speakers and a wide range of topics, the congress is the only one of its kind in Europe. Representatives from all industry sectors are invited: creative artists, educators, politicians, and scientists. The gamescom congress is more popular than ever: you can get the full schedule and the limited remaining tickets at www.gamescom-congress.com .
Prof Dr Andreas Pinkwart (FDP), Minister for Economy, Innovation, Digitalization, and Energy for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia explains: “Excellent international connections and always with an eye on digitalization – that is North Rhine-Westphalia. The gamescom congress is in exactly the right location here, as it shows the diversity and the great potential of the games industry. Digitalization is changing our lives, overturning traditional business models and creating new ones. Throughout the digitalization process, the games industry is playing a significant role – including the growing start-up scene in this field in NRW. The gamescom congress offers an excellent opportunity to discuss these matters and exchange ideas with many of the participating players.”
In addition to presentations and discussions, this year’s gamescom congress will start with a premiere: in a political arena, Dr Peter Tauber (CDU), Hubertus Heil (SPD), Matthias Höhn (Die Linke), Michael Kellner (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) and Nicola Beer (FDP) will introduce themselves and explain their stance on the relevance of gaming and the challenges we face in the country’s digital policies. The Arena will be moderated by YouTube stars Florian Mundt, a.k.a. LeFloid, Peter Smits from the PietSmiets, and Colin Gäbel from Rocket Beans TV, who stepped in for Daniel Budiman on the job at short notice. The event will be livestreamed on gamescom TV.
After that, there will be intriguing keynote speeches, talks, and panel discussions on the five main topics of knowledge, business, gamification, law, and life, which will not only give an insight into the current developments and the future of the computer and video games industry, but also provide an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas with people in all industry sectors. The “Open Stage” will also add to the diversity of topics in 2017 – this year, there will be speakers from Russia and Canada, among other countries.
Beginning and end of the event:
Admission to gamescom congress 2017 begins on 23 August at 9:00 a.m.
The conference in the Congress Centre North at Koelnmesse ends at 5:00 p.m.
Participation:
- The ticket shop is available at www.gamescom-congress.com .
- Admission costs Euro 69.00. The congress ticket combined with a trade visitor ticket for gamescom on 23 August 2017 costs Euro 105.00.
- Tickets are on offer at the box-office for Euro Euro 79.00 and Euro 119.00.
- Tickets for students and teachers cost Euro 25.00. A verification is required and must be shown at the day of the conference.
About gamescom congress 2017
gamescom congress 2017 takes place on Wednesday 23 August from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Congress Centre North at Koelnmesse. The event is part of gamescom, Europe’s leading business platform for the gaming industry and the global 360 degree event for digital game culture. In keeping with the motto “More than games”, the congress will highlight trends and potential in digital games as well as their social implications, and offer an interface beyond the digital and media industries. Speakers from Germany and elsewhere will offer exciting presentations and panel discussions. The congress is hosted by Koelnmesse GmbH and the BIU — Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware e. V. (Federal Association of Interactive Entertainment Software), sponsored by the City of Cologne and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. For more information, see www.gamescom-congress.com .