Gamescom has expanded its event series by merging with Brazil’s Independent Games (BIG) Festival to form Gamescom LATAM.
BIG Festival first formed in 2012 with the aim of promoting Brazil’s games industry to the wider world. Over the years, the event has grown in stature, welcoming 50,000 attendees at its 2023 show.
Following its merger with Gamescom, the new LATAM event will continue to feature both B2B and B2C segments. The BIG Festival name will be retained for an area dedicated to promoting independent games to attendees.
Event partners include Gamescom Cologne and Singapore organiser Koelnmesse, German games industry association Game, Big Festival, and CCXP creator Omelete Company.
Big Festival CEO Gustavo Steinberg will remain in the same position for the newly formed Gamescom LATAM.
The show will have “strategic support” from the state government of Sao Paulo. Organisers said they hoped to promote games throughout the city during the event.
Gamescom Latam will take place between June 26th and 30th at the Sao Paulo Expo in Brazil.
The Brazil show marks the third event in the Gamescom series, with the show heading to Cologne on August 21st to 25th and Singapore on October 17th to 20th.
You can read our full exclusive interview with Game MD Felix Falk and Gustavo Steinberg on the merger here.
"Expanded visbility"
“The creation of Gamescom LATAM corresponds to the recognition by the world’s largest gaming companies of Brazil and Latin America as central territories,” said Steinberg.
“It is also an important alignment between two events that already had the same nature: for both Gamescom and BIG Festival, celebrating the world of games and gaming communities by showing the newest releases, the best games and so much more to fans.
"It is for this reason that BIG Festival will continue to exist as one of the areas within Gamescom LATAM, attracting the best independent games from around the world as we have been doing since 2012, but now within a platform with much expanded visibility."
Game MD Felix Falk added: “We are very much looking forward to bringing Gamescom to Brazil together with our partners. Latin America and especially Brazil are exciting emerging markets: the community and the games industry are growing strongly, and Gamescom LATAM is set to become the home for both plus many guests from all over the world. Because Gamescom 2023 in Cologne clearly showed that: The international games industry needs events. We are happy to have an unique and powerful set of partners to make this happen.”
