gamescom 2024: Shopmacher revolutionizes event experience with new digital features
Mehr Event, weniger Warten: Mit einem digitalen Warteschlangenmanagement hat die E-Commerce-Agentur Shopmacher die traditionellen Warteschlangen vor einigen gamescom-Ständen verkürzt. Die digitale Schatzsuche gamescom epix sorgte mit neuen digitalen Sammelkarten und Quests für ein noch intensiveres Community-Erlebnis.
gamescom 2024 once again caused a sensation: over 335,000 gamers flocked to the Koelnmesse halls and gaming fans generated more than 40 million video views on the digital screens at the gamescom Opening Night Live alone.
In the midst of the hustle and bustle, the e-commerce agency Shopmacher ensured that the entire digital platform was optimized and operated for the event for the fourth time in a row.
Smart digital features also turned the analog visit to gamescom into a real experience for everyone.
gamescom epix: Community adventure with new digital trading cards
One highlight was the “gamescom epix” community adventure introduced two years ago.
This year, it was expanded to include digital trading cards, which were developed in collaboration with influencers and drawn by artists from the gamescom community.
At gamescom epix, gamers can complete quests to gain fame and rewards, including the coveted trading cards.
The figures show how well the idea has been received: 200,000 quests were completed last year, which contributed significantly to the traffic on the website.
The story and concept were developed by gamescom itself in collaboration with social media consultant Patrick Teeuwen, while the technical development and implementation were carried out by the store makers.
“With our gamescom epix community adventure, we have created a very entertaining way for gamescom fans to immerse themselves in the gamescom cosmos before, during and after gamescom, on the exhibition grounds and/or online,” says Cornelia Köhler, Strategic Marketing Communications Manager at Koelnmesse.
“At the same time, epix allows our many partners to present themselves to our community in the most captivating way possible.
With the gamescom trading cards, we have added an aspect to epix this year that promotes even more exchange among gamers.
Our results show that this has worked.
Ultimately, we owe it all to the tireless work of our team, our social media consultant Patrick Teeuwen and our agency Shopmacher,” says Köhler.
One of the popular Fastlanes at gamescom.
Digital queue management: less waiting time, more gamescom
Another novelty was the digital queue management.
Gamers sometimes have to wait a long time in front of popular stands to be able to play the new products on show for themselves.
The store makers wanted to make these annoying queues a thing of the past and offered exhibitors a feature with which they could tame the crowds of visitors.
Interested parties booked time slots at some stands in advance via the gamescom website and were given direct access to the exhibitors of their choice.
This meant that no precious festival time was wasted on useless waiting time.
The rush in the “signing area” was also channeled by the system so that autograph hunters could meet their idols without stress.
Agile project management live on site
To further optimize the system on site, the store makers were on site in Cologne with an entire team.
Project Manager Moritz Helten personally explained how the application works to visitors and was also in constant contact with the developers behind the scenes.
As a result, 29 minor updates were made during gamescom and the digital queue management system was made even more convenient for visitors and exhibitors – all without interrupting ongoing operations.
“The fact that key players such as Xbox, Bandai Namco and Porsche used our solution makes us a little proud,” says Shopmacher Managing Director Manuel Ludvigsen-Diekmann.
However, the huge rush sometimes meant that the available slots online were booked up in a matter of seconds.
“In the coming year, we will improve the user experience even further and communicate even more transparently how many free slots are still available and when the queue management will be closed,” promises the Shopmacher manager.
Big plans for the future
And because after gamescom is before gamescom, the store makers are already working on new ideas.
“We certainly have the opportunity to make a visit to gamescom even more exciting and convenient in the coming years.
For example, by giving visitors the chance to plan their entire day at the trade fair in advance without having to wait and without stress,” says Manuel Ludvigsen-Diekmann, looking ahead to the future of the digital-analog trade fair visit.
It is already clear that he and his team will be going to gamescom again next year.
Just to work there, of course.
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