Game Connection Europe will once again be the center of attention for professionals of the games industry from October 29-31. Two days before the start of one of the biggest European B2B conferences in the video game industry, Game Connection can already boast a record breaking number of attending companies. Over 900 firms will be represented in Paris, more than ever before. Almost 300 exhibitors will vie for the attention of over 1.800 attendees and close to 200 buyers. Visitors can expect a bustling networking area, as more than 4.100 meetings were already scheduled through Game Connection’s Meeting Application, with many more to follow on-site. This year also sees an unprecedentedly high level of media attendence, with editors coming to Paris from France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Romania, Greece and the US to cover the show.
The conference schedule consists of more than 100 sessions, panels, and Master Classes. The seven main tracks will cover the areas of Business, Game Design, Marketing, Technology, Arts, Finance and Production. Also included are some specific in-depth sessions on Audio and Localization. In addition, there will be several dedicated tracks such as the Unity Day, hosted by middleware-provider Unity Technologies or the Polish Day, a track dedicated to developments in the gaming industry in this developing market. The UK Day explores Franco-British partnerships, while the Payment-Monetization track covers the financial aspects of the industry.
Conference highlights include panels by speakers from companies such as Microsoft Studios, Electronic Arts, Oculus VR, OUYA, Activision Blizzard, Bigpoint, Square Enix, Wargaming Europe, Amazon, Epic Games, Ubisoft and King. The final schedule overview can be found online.
Game Connection also hosts two award ceremonies. The Development Awards will be given out on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 between 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm (Orange Room). Winners of the Marketing Awards will be announced on the same day between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm (Orange Room).
48 different countries will be represented in Paris, many of them focused on showcasing the best and most promising companies of their region. Under the umbrella brand “Games in Italy” a group of ten Italian companies invite visitors to find out why „Italians do it better“, even when it comes to gaming. At the Nordic Pavillion, Nordic Game Institute hosts over 20 companies from Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway, who are all eager to prove why the regions‘ large independent scene is so famous for creating innovative games of the future. TAITRA, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, has organized a delegation to debut Taiwan’s top gaming companies at Game Connection Europe. Capital Games, the video game association of Paris and Île-de-France, the Brazilian Game Developers Association, Games from Spain, Games Bavaria, UKIE, the association for UK Interactive Entertainment, and image and entertainment clusters Pictanovo, Imaginove and Magelis also have a large presence on the exhibition floor.
The European Games Booster Area, developed in collaboration with the European Creative MEDIA program, aims to promote European project creation with an Equity Investment Session, while the Gamification Area deals with Advergames and Serious Games.
Game Connection Europe will also host an official party on Wednesday night, at club ELECTRIC, on Hall 7’s rooftop. This year, Game Connection has partnered with Paris Games Week, one of the largest consumer events in Europe with more than 250,000 visitors expected. Registered attendees of Game Connection will also have the chance to visit Paris Games Week. Both events take place at Paris Expo in Porte de Versailles at the same time. Game Connection can be found in hall 4.1 of the Expo Area.
