17. August 2023
How to: Make the most of gamescom 2023
For some new members of the industry gamescom 2023 might be their very first visit at the biggest German gaming convention and one of the most important games events worldwide, while others might appreciate a quick refresher on what's going on at gamescom. It's big, it's crazy and it's a lot of fun! Let's take a look at how you can make the most of it as a business visitor.
1. First up, we highly recommend you invest time in the week before the big event and really plan your meetings. Contact the people you want to meet early as their calendars might also fill up quickly. Write down a schedule with times and locations. Pay close attention to the latter and include generous breaks for switching locations. Depending on the day you're attending, it might take you up to 30 minutes to change halls.
2. To find the right people to meet and talk business, we highly recommend getting a MeetToMatch account set up or joining the dedicated Indie Arena Booth Matchmaking. These offers are an easy way to overview and connect you with the right business contacts without having to reach out on different platforms, where your requests might get lost.
3. If you or your contact can't meet at a booth, finding the right location is key. Both the Indie Area and the Indie Arena Booth have meeting spaces that you can use if you are an exhibitor of the Indie Area and the Indie Area Booth. The same goes for the Meeting Spaces in the Business Area. You can find the Business Area Hall 2, 3 and 4. The Business Area opens from Wednesday to Friday at 9:00 AM. It will close on Wednesday at 7:00 PM, while it stays open on Thursday and Friday until 8:00 PM. During the weekend this area will remain closed.
4. Are you going to visit gamescom 2023 in a wheelchair or might have other health needs that you need to take care of during your visit? Then take a look at this German article from Gameswirtschaft, which contains many useful tips for people with disabilities. Here you can find at a glance information and links about booths with barrier-free services, discounted tickets for people with severe disabilities, a barrier-free hall plan and much more.
5. Don't want to schedule even more meetings and simply reconnect or meet new people in a more relaxed environment? Then you should check out the public receptions! Visit a booth you might have overlooked otherwise and share a drink with other members of the industry. Take a look on Eventbrite to find public events and limit your search to Cologne and the time around the gamescom.
6. Mix business with fun and don't skip the official gamescom party on Thursday! The entry fee is 90€ which you couldn't spend better during this week because chances are high that you will meet pretty much everybody you've ever added on LinkedIn at this event.
7. Last but not least: take care of yourself, listen to your body, bring along some cough drops for your voice, don't forget to drink some water and have fun!
Also, you can find us in hall 10.2 as part of the Indie Arena Booth, together with some great games from Hamburg - come by and say hi!
