§ 31 per cent more exhibitors, 13 per cent more exhibition area
§ opening concert in Gewandhaus is sold out
§ 150,000 visitors expected
As Europes only fair for interactive entertainment, infotainment, edutainment and hardware, this years GC (Games Convention) will be even bigger and more diverse. Overall, the exhibition area has grown by 13 per cent to 90,000 square metres (gross). 367 exhibitors - a plus of 31 per cent - are expected in Leipzig.
We are very pleased with these interim figures. It confirms our position as the industrys leading event in Europe, says Josef Rahmen, the Leipzig Fair executive vice president. We are assuming another visitor record and expect more than 150,000 people to come from all over Europe.
Run on tickets for GC opening concert: mega star Will Wright as guest speaker
For the fourth time, the GC (Games Convention) will mark its official opening with a colossal concert performance of computer game soundtracks at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. Tickets for the concert were completely sold out within just a few days. Around 1,000 tickets had been on sale. Conducted by Maestro Andy Brick, the well-known Prague FILMharmonic Orchestra will be performing in the Gewandhaus in Leipzig at 8.00 p.m. on 23 August. The audience can look forward to world premieres from Final Fantasy, Two Worlds and Anno 1701, as well as the classic The Revenge of Shinobi. The soundtrack from Castlevania will be accompanied for the first time by the soloist Daniela Kosinova on the Gewandhaus Schuke organ. The programme will be introduced by the well-known Pro Sieben presenter Steven Gätjen.
The main speech for the GC will be given by Will Wright, inventor of Sims, SimCity and SPORE. He is one of the most successful designers of interactive entertainment in the world. The GC is now one of the worlds most important shows for interactive entertainment. I am delighted to meet more than 100,000 fans of the fair in Leipzig. I am also very honoured to give the main speech in which I would like to introduce to the public my ideas on the future of digital entertainment, says Will Wright.
More information on the opening event can be obtained on the GC website at
www.gc-germany.com and on the Gewandhaus website at
www.gewandhaus.de.
Acquiring media literacy with GC family 2006
Interactive experience combined with play, fun and information relating to the topic of media literacy are at the heart of the GC family, the forum for entertainment, learning and knowledge for the whole family. A new hall concept awaits visitors in the shape of a 5,000-square-metre 3D board game in which they themselves become pieces on the board. Indicators on the hall floor and from the hall ceiling lead visitors to the theme-based exhibition sections Childrens/Family Games, Learning and Knowledge and Media Literacy. The individual exhibitor stands function as playing courts with KidsGames, family entertainment, education and knowledge software, application programmes and hardware. Alongside the hall game, actions areas include opportunities to bring sport back from the virtual world to reality, inviting the whole family to join in.
Worldwide developer industry meets up at the GCDC
As Europes leading developer conference, this years GCDC is bigger and more international than ever. From 21 to 23 August 2006, hundreds of conference delegates and speakers are expected from Germany and abroad. Within the past four years, the GCDC has established itself as the industrys most important European platform. There has been a steady increase in the number of attendees from home and abroad, explains project director Angela Schierholz. Key subject focuses are the areas of development, business and science, each introduced by a special international keynote speech. Speakers include games guru Bob Bates (chairman, IGDA), Don L. Daglow Stormfront (president, CEO, Stormfront Studios) and Peter Molyneux (Lionhead).
Honky Tonk® Music Festival meets GC
All those who fancy tripping the light fantastic after their visit to the fair on 26 August will have plenty of opportunity to do so this year. For the first time, the GC 2006 is accompanied by a special edition of the legendary Leipzig Honky Tonk® Music Festival. At around 50 venues and on three open-air stages, bands and DJs present handmade music of all possible different genres, from pop, rock, Latin, funk, R&B to soul, jazz and party hits. As from the end of July, all the information on the Music Festival will be available on the Internet at
www.honky-tonk.de.
Looking back on GC 2005:
134,000 visitors came to Leipzig in August 2005, not wanting to miss the 189 world, European and German premieres presented by 280 exhibitors from 15 countries. The GC 2005 was also a media sensation. Around 2,000 journalists from 28 countries (2004: 1,700 journalists from 21 countries) filed reports from Europes most important adventure event and trade fair, with its focus on interactive entertainment.
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