Singapore -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/14/2006 --The very first GCA Games Convention Asia will be held in Singapore from 7–9 September 2007. The Leipzig Fair, the organiser of GC (Games Convention) – Europe’s biggest show in the industry – has granted Singaporean organisers CEMS (Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd) the right to use the name ‘Games Convention’. Yet although the new exhibition will be based on the highly successful Leipzig GC, the Leipzig Fair’s CEO and President Wolfgang Marzin stressed that: “GCA is an exhibition for the Asia–Pacific market that is being developed by CEMS in conjunction with LMI Leipziger Messe International GmbH, a subsidiary of the Leipzig Fair operating abroad.”

GCA Games Convention Asia will be the only exhibition in the region to reflect the trends of the rapidly expanding Asian electronic games market. As well as showcasing the latest computer games and hardware, it will also feature entertaining information, media education and dazzling events for the general public. The organisers expect about 200 exhibitors from the Asia–Pacific region – mainly China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and India – to take part in the exhibition’s debut. Moreover, the show is set to draw more than 100,000 visitors from Singapore and the neighbouring region, including 5,000 trade visitors. The organisers’ aim is to firmly establish what will be the Asia–Pacific region’s biggest exhibition devoted to digital media, computer games, entertainment and educational software as well as hardware. The venue will be the Suntec International Convention & Business Centre in the country’s capital Singapore.

GCA Games Convention Asia will be officially supported by the EDB (Economic Development Board, which spearheads economic growth in Singapore), IDA (Infocomm Development Authority, the country’s IT and telecoms agency), MDA (Media Development Authority), SECB (Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau) and SiTF (Singapore infocomm Technology Federation) along with leading Singaporean business organisations such as the DMC (Digital Media Chapter), GXA (Games eXchange Alliance) and SGGA (Singapore Gamers’ Association).

In Wolfgang Marzin’s view, this cooperation with CEMS is an opportunity to participate in a growth market. During the contract signing he declared: “The global networking in telecommunications, the friendly business climate in Singapore, the strict, reliable laws protecting intellectual property, and the strong media and digital entertainment market all make Singapore increasingly attractive to companies in the electronic games industry. We believe that GCA 2007 will be an outstanding B2B forum attracting exhibitors and visitors from all the ASEAN states and Asia’s three key markets: China, India and Korea. GCA is a neutral, unique platform for effective communication and initiating business contacts.”

Speaking about the forthcoming exhibition première, CEMS’s Managing Director Edward Liu said: “GCA Games Convention Asia 2007 will spotlight the growth of the local digital media and games market, and also strengthen international perception of Singapore as the region’s games axis. It will provide insights into the state of the art of games technologies and solutions. Furthermore, it will enable our own innovative solutions and applications to be demonstrated to international buyers.”

Thomas Lim, the Director of the infocomm Development Authority, added: “If Singapore is to be perceived as a centre of games development and marketing, we have to make creative use of state-of-the-art technologies and support GCA Games Convention Asia. The Asian games market is growing, and we intend to make Singapore the region’s trading centre for this market. As far as we’re concerned, GCA Games Convention Asia is a central part of this strategy.”

Aroon Tan, Chairman of the Games Xchange Alliance, expects GCA to generate new business for the companies in his organisation: “By bringing together the complementary services of its members and through the extensive access to technologies, talents and markets, GXA provides a gateway to the entire value creation chain. And thanks to the broad range of one-stop services we offer, we can cut costs for our international partners. GCA 2007 will play an important part in consolidating this platform, which is already used by firms of developers from both Singapore and abroad.”

In terms of visitors, GCA Games Convention Asia 2007 is designed to appeal to trade visitors and professional developers on the one hand, and numerous fans of computer games on the other. Its main pillars are as follows:

1. The exhibition. New games can be tested before their official market launch, enabling retailers to get an idea of the new products available before ordering.

2. GCA Business Centre. Far away from the crowds, the Business Centre will provide an oasis of calm for trade visitors in separate rooms complete with internet access, presentation systems and catering. The atmosphere is ideal for suppliers and purchasers to meet up and do business.

3. Games Developer Asia Conference. Taking place in parallel to the three-day exhibition, the developers’ conference will be co-organised by the Games Xchange Alliance of Singapore. Focusing on ‘Developing and Developments’, the conference will examine various aspects of programming and production as well as the areas of audio and visualisation. Expert discussions and workshops will cement the role of GCA as the industry’s ideal information platform.

4. GCA 2007 Cyber Games Competition. Specially designed for amateur gamers from Singapore and the surrounding region, the Cyber Games Competition is the ideal launch pad for brand new games. What’s more, with over 1,500 entrants expected from in and around Singapore, the Cyber Games Competition will be the biggest contest of its kind anywhere in Southeast Asia.


All in all, the Asian games market is known to be growing rapidly. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, its turnover in 2009 will be in the order of $23 billion. The online games sector in Asia alone currently has a volume of $6.3 billion – and by 2008 looks set to reach $7.5 billion.

About the Organisers

Conference & Exhibition Management Services Pte Ltd

Established since 1980, CEMS is a regional organiser with a global perspective. A key player in the Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) industry in Singapore, CEMS has vast knowledge and experience in organising and managing exhibitions, conferences and other special events for government agencies, associations and private enterprises, with business activities spanning across many countries in Asean including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines, China in North Asia, and India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan in the South Asia.

In October 1997, CEMS achieved the distinction of being the first professional conference and exhibition organiser in Singapore to obtain the ISO 9002 certification.

For the past decade, CEMS has formed strategic partnerships with both local and international players to achieve mutually desirable goals in the MICE industry.

Leipziger Messe International GmbH

As organiser of the largest interactive gaming exhibition in Europe, Leipziger Messe’s subsidiary, Leipziger Messe International GmbH is now ready to expand it’s business to Asia Pacific. Founded in 1990 as the overseas trade fair marketing and exhibition company, LMI possesses extensive contacts to open new markets anywhere in the world.

As the co-organisers of GCA Games Convention Asia 2007, LMI will be responsible for marketing the event on an international basis. By sharing its experience of organising Games Convention in Europe, LMI will transfer its expertise to Asia Pacific. Together, LMI and CEMS will head the conceptualisation of Games Convention Asia 2007, customising it to suit Asian culture and environment with assistance from CEMS.

For media enquiries, please contact:
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITIONS MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Ms. Abby He
Marketing Communications Executive
Direct : +65 278 8666
Fax: +65 6278 4077
Email : abby@cems.com.sg

Web:
http://www.leipziger-messe.de
http://www.lm-international.com
http://www.cems.com.sg