World record and gaming frenzy: The Essen games fair is open!

World record and gaming frenzy: The Essen games fair is open!

The “Spiel” trade fair in Essen is in full swing and is exciting the audience. The event opened its doors at midday on Thursday and draws large crowds. Those responsible are expecting over 220,000 visitors who will be able to find out about the latest innovations in the world of board games. In addition to numerous stands and exhibitors, guests can also expect interactive gaming tables where they can try out the latest games.

This year a participant from Norway, Morten, also made his big appearance. He brought a rolling suitcase full of games that he bought cheaply. He enthusiastically reports that he has already played 88 games this year, and last year there were over 130. Morten prefers to play mainly with his wife, his nine-year-old son and friends. At the trade fair, his printed list of games that he would like to try out or buy is his constant companion.

A record and more about the industry

Something special is planned for Friday evening: a world record attempt with 1,100 players, which shows how popular the board game format continues to be. The gaming industry's turnover is estimated at an incredible 400 million euros this year, a significant increase compared to 263 million euros in 2019. What is particularly pleasing for publishers is the growth in the games and puzzles product group, which grew by an impressive 18 percent in the first nine months of 2023.

The German board game industry has an excellent reputation not only nationally but also internationally. This is demonstrated not least by the fact that an expansion of the popular game “Seti: In Search of Extraterrestrial Life” has already sold out, and “Seti” recently won the “German Game Prize”. This prize is decided by online voting, in contrast to the “Game of the Year”, which is awarded by a jury. Christoph Schlewinski and Robin de Cleur discussed the differences between these two important awards and recognized that the “German Games Prize” is gradually becoming more relevant, which is even reflected in the placement of its logo on the packaging.

So it's an exciting year for board games, and the anticipation for the Christmas season is great. The publishers are optimistic that they will achieve even better sales figures. The “Spiel” trade fair plays a central role in this, acting not only as a sales venue, but also as a platform for exchanging ideas, creating new collaborations and linking future trends with new technologies, similar to the Messe Frankfurt Group, which is at the forefront of organizing such events worldwide to bring people and markets together.

The people who come together at such events not only benefit from the exchange, but also from the opportunity to discover new games and approach each other. As the history of Messe Frankfurt, which dates back around 800 years, shows, the interaction between players and publishers remains a central element in the development of the industry, constantly generating new ideas and business models. In addition, the trade fair's digital expertise is becoming increasingly important in times of digitalization.

For those who don't know yet: You can find out more about the trade fair here nd-current or find out more about Messe Frankfurt: messefrankfurt.com.