Mark Simmons of Matthew Simmons Marketing announced his Game Expo 2007 for March, 2007 in Las Vegas, which will put it head to head with the likely dates and location of the long-running GAMA Trade Show (see 'New Game Trade Show Goes Head to Head with GAMA in 07'). We asked Simmons why he scheduled the show 'at the same time and place as the probable location and time of the 2007 GAMA Trade Show.' This is the full text of his response:
When enough companies asked me to start a new trade show I began a search, of both dates and venue. There was no question that Games Expo 2007 would be in Las Vegas. I found the venue quickly--never underestimate luck as a primary component of victory. The South Coast is opening this coming December, and even with delays it is firmly available for 2007. It's an incredible venue for Games Expo.
I wanted to place the show in the Fall, so that it fit with our current schedule of preparing all resources and promotions for National Games Week. I had to rule out September and October, though, due to the Alliance Open House and Essen Spiele, both of which would take up the attention of many game publishers. Alliance is an excellent client, having always advertised in Games Quarterly Catalog. They were very been supportive of last year's launches of both Games Quarterly Magazine and National Games Week.
Every other month offered other problems. March was settled on. The many companies who asked me to start a new show, and the clients whom I consulted, nearly 200 as of a week ago, were clearly going to exhibit at Games Expo if I started it with the features I have promised, so GTS was not a deterrent. I decided on the third week in part because GTS has been tending toward the second week. They had no venue or dates for 2007, and I certainly was not going to start in 2006. They would know well in advance and could make whatever plan they thought appropriate. In consulting, through May and June, with my top clients it was confirmed that the dates were favorable for them. I signed the contract in late June and zoomed off the promote NGW and using games to educators at the NEA conference.
I have three primary campaigns to bring Games Expo to fulfillment. The first is getting every possible non-electronic game publisher to exhibit- from the large family game companies to the smallest hobby game publishers. They all have merit, and they're all required, to present the greater games industry in the strongest way. The second is the bring enough of those 20,000 retailers, and distributors from all over the world, who already stock some non-electronic games to really justify the exhibit hall and the costs of exhibiting. The third is to bring sufficient numbers of National Games Week members to have those two and a half days packed with excitement. NGW members are not just any consumers- they run events and show off games to their friends, family, classmates. This qualified group of consumers gives our industry its best outreach, by word of mouth and by loving games. With all three campaigns won and with a strong media message I am relatively certain that media will attend.
The March 18-23 dates, and the Las Vegas venue, work for all three groups.
