Hall Restructuring for the GC - Games Convention 2008

GC - Games Convention 2008

(August 21 - 24, 2008)

Press & Trade Visitor Day: August 20, 2008

Leipzig - January 7, 2008

GC Business Center Expanded to 35,000 Square Metres

The seventh GC - Games Convention will take place at the Leipzig Exhibition Centre, August 21-24. Preparations for Europe's biggest games event are already in full swing. The Leipzig Fair is currently expanding its exhibition grounds to include a new walkway tube between Halls 4 and 5. The aim of the restructuring work is to make visitor flows more flexible. "Visitor numbers at the GC have risen steadily over recent years. There were already more than 185,000 in 2007. Added to this is the length of time people stay in the halls. In order to ensure the many gaming fans can still be relaxed in the halls in future, we have decided to construct an additional walkway", is how Peggy Schönbeck, GC project director, explains the work. The tube connection will be complete by the beginning of August, just in time for the start of the GC - Games Convention 2008.

As well as structural changes, there are also new hall occupancy arrangements. For the first time, the GC Business Center will extend this year through the entire Congress Center Leipzig (CCL), Hall 1 and part of Hall 2. This means that a total of 35,000 square metres (2006: 30,000 square metres) will be available to exhibitors to set up contacts with the national and international trade, publishers, developers and representatives of the media. The GC Business Center is the fair's trade visitor centre. Business dealings are conducted here in a relaxed atmosphere, with ordering for upcoming Christmas business. At the GC 2007, exhibitors from 29 countries introduced themselves in the GC Business Center.

GC 2007 in retrospect

The GC - Games Convention was first held at the Leipzig Exhibition Centre in August 2002 and since then, has become Europe's leading fair for interactive entertainment, infotainment, edutainment and hardware. With 503 exhibitors from 46 countries (2006: 374 exhibitors from 24 countries) and 185,000 visitors (2006: 183,000), the fair achieved a record result in 2007. The GC was also a highlight in the media. 3,395 journalists from 46 countries (2006: 2,610 journalists from 38 countries) reported on the 225 world, European and German premieres at the GC 2007.

Note to editors: We are happy to provide photos of the construction work on request.

Contact for the press:

Torsten Anke, Press Officer

Phone: +49 (0)341 678 79 59

Fax: +49 (0)341 678 81 82

E-mail: t.anke@leipziger-messe.de

Contact for exhibitors:

Peggy Schönbeck, Project Director

Phone: +49 (0)341 678 82 81

Fax: +49 (0)341 678 82 82

E-mail: p.schoenbeck@leipziger-messe.de

Internet:

www.gc-germany.com

www.gcdc.eu

www.leipziger-messe.com