Tiga tradeshow support

For immediate release - July 23rd 2008

Tiga has been awarded accredited trade organisation status by UK Trade & Investment (UKT&I). This will enable Tiga to provide its members with a new service in 2009: financial support for exhibiting at selected tradeshows.

Richard Wilson, CEO of Tiga, said:

“Tiga’s purpose is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business. If this vision is to be realised then Tiga must provide a range of services to its members that enable them to enhance the competitiveness of their businesses. “Tiga members compete on a global basis, selling products and services all over the world. I am delighted therefore that Tiga has been awarded accredited trade organisation status by UK Trade & Investment. This will enable Tiga to financially support UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and universities that are new to export to stage exhibitions at selected tradeshows through the UKT&I’s Tradeshow Access Programme (TAP). Tiga will also be able to support businesses in high technology fields or which are new to exporting to emerging markets. Providing financial assistance to Tiga’s UK trade exhibitors will help more Tiga members raise their profile and sale in overseas markets.

“I am determined to provide Tiga members with a range of cost effective services and benefits which strengthen their ability to compete successfully. Tiga is examining the introduction of further services for its members in the months ahead. In the meantime, I would like to thank all those games developers who supported Tiga’s application to become an accredited trade organisation.”

End

Notes to editors:

1. Tiga is the national trade association that represents games developers in the UK and in Europe. We have 155 members, the majority of whom are games developers, but we also have outsourcing companies and technology businesses as members who provide services to games developers. Tiga’s vision is to make the UK the best place in the world to do games business.

2. Tiga was awarded accredited trade organisation status in July 2008. Tiga’s participation in relation to specific trade shows will be agreed with UKTI on an annual basis as part of a process for agreeing each year’s programme. The event selection process for 2009-10 will begin in August.

3. SMEs that can benefit from TAP are those businesses with less than 250 employees; an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million euros; and which are independent (i.e. not more than 25% of its capital or voting rights are owned by one enterprise).

4. Businesses that can benefit from the TAP should be new exporters. During the previous 12 months less than 10% of turnover should have resulted from proactive exports (i.e. sales to new overseas customers that have been actively identified by the business). No more than 25% of turnover should have resulted from a combination of proactive and reactive exports (reactive exports are the result of unplanned approaches from overseas customers and from UK-based third parties, or from overseas responses to UK-focussed websites).

5. Businesses in high technology fields and businesses that are new to important emerging markets can also be supported. Most Tiga members should be eligible for support under this category.

6. For further information, please contact: Dr Richard Wilson, Tiga CEO on: 0845 0941095; Mob: 07875 939643; or: Email: richard.wilson@tiga.org.