gamescom congress 2024 closes with record figures

The gamescom congress in Cologne on 22 August 2024 was more diverse, international and larger than ever before. 150 experts from all over the world impressively demonstrated in 70 sessions on eight stages how social, economic and technological progress can be spurred on by games. Over 900 guests, more than ever before, did not miss out on the varied programme and took advantage of the numerous opportunities for professional exchange on site. These record numbers were made possible by the event’s move to the new Confex conference centre on the Koelnmesse exhibition grounds. The gamescom congress 2024 thus once again underlined its position as the world’s leading conference on the potential of computer and video games.

The gamescom congress took place for the 16th time in 2024 as part of the world’s largest games event, gamescom. Using current practical examples, the congress showed how culture, business, science and society can benefit from the innovative power of games. The variety of topics this year was greater than ever before and ranged from the use of games in space travel, the automotive industry and foreign policy to strengthening education and climate protection. This year’s programme focused on talks and panels on the topics of ‘Games and Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘Games and Democracy’. A review of the programme and recordings of selected talks are available here.

To utilise the enormous potential of games in Germany and to catch up as a location for the games industry in international competition, the framework conditions for the development of games and their technologies must be improved in Germany. Top politicians debated the necessary steps and strategies in the panel ‘Games Location No. 1 – How can Germany catch up?’. The panel included Michael Kellner (State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action), Nathanael Liminski (Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Media of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and Head of the State Chancellery), Franziska Giffey (Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises and Mayor of Berlin) and Dr. Fabian Mehring (Bavaria’s State Minister for Digital Affairs).

”Games are among the most important drivers of innovation for technology and business and make an effective contribution to the transfer of knowledge and basic democratic values. Nowhere is this more evident than at the gamescom congress. With a record number of impressive talks and presentations, experts from all over the world have shown: games are making an impressive contribution at all levels such as education, research, diversity and environmental protection as well as business and politics. The gamescom congress provides important impulses to ensure that the outstanding potential of games is utilised even more frequently,” says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – Association of the German Games Industry, the co-organiser of gamescom.

”The gamescom congress brings together experts from all areas of society, business, science and politics. Thanks to its wide range of topics, the congress offers a unique forum during the week of gamescom. By moving to the new Confex conference centre, we are paving the way for further growth in the coming years,” says Gerald Böse, Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.

gamescom congress 2024 thanks its partners Stadt Köln, KölnBusiness, BDI, eit Culture & Creativity, esports player foundation, Fashion Council Germany, GMK, Google, Institut français, k3d, Nordic Game Institute, Playing for the Planet, Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur, Dataspelsbranschen and USK as well as Curatomic, Nerdstar and Quinke Networks.