On August 23, 2023, in Cologne, at the conclusion of the devcom Developer Conference 2023 held at the Koelnmesse Conference Center from August 20 to 22, organizers revealed remarkable achievements across various aspects of their event, alongside shifts in attendee interests and demographics. The conference saw a significant increase in participation, with 3,400 industry professionals attending, marking a 28% rise. Additionally, their new partner events, “Xsolla Game Night” and “Courage Cologne,” drew in thousands of additional guests.
The composition of conference attendees experienced a notable change, with 80% now being senior, lead, or director-level professionals, reflecting a 14% increase. Interestingly, one-third of the participants boasted seven or more years of experience in the video games industry. There was substantial demand for premium offerings such as the Business Pass, VIP & Networking Pass, and Partner options, which provided access to numerous additional side events and opportunities for connecting with peers in the gaming industry.
According to feedback from attendees, the primary motivation for attending the devcom Developer Conference was networking, closely followed by the desire to listen to insightful talks.
In addition to the increase in the number of attendees, the program included over 250 speakers who presented more than 160 sessions across 13 different stages. These sessions covered a wide range of insightful topics, including the utilization of AI in various aspects of game development, discussions on mental health, insights into leadership and company culture, and strategies for brand building.
The devcom conference commenced with a keynote address by Anna Brandberg, Lead UX Designer at The Outsiders (Funcom Stockholm), who delved into “The Psychology of Play: The Power of Understanding Your Players.” Following this, there was a Q&A panel titled “Beneath The Return of Monkey Island,” featuring esteemed guests such as Dave Grossman, David Fox, Paul Toderas, Rex Crowle, Ron Gilbert, and Zoe Nguyen Than. All sessions from #ddc2023 were streamed live on the gamescom biz event platform and will also be accessible as video-on-demand (VOD).
“My team did exceptional work in preparing #ddc2023 and I am more than grateful and proud to host this industry-defining conference with them. We were already expecting a significant growth in our event by July, as international interest boosted pre-sales by 40%. It was wonderful to listen to so many experts and opinion leaders here in Cologne, their expertise and willingness to share made devcom once again one of the key conferences in our industry. And as we can’t wait to see our attendees again, I am inviting all industry professionals to devcom Developer Conference 2024 – and they can already get their pass right now.”
Stephan Reichart | he/him | Managing Director at devcom
Reintroducing familiar side events such as the eagerly anticipated Networking & Executive Dinner, developer networking parties at the conclusion of each conference day, and the FLINTA* Meet Up, the organizers have also introduced exclusive Experience Tours of Cologne for Speakers and VIPs. They have enhanced the devcom Pitch it! concept and, in collaboration with their new partner Xbox & ID@Xbox, transformed it into a networking mixer, bringing developers, publishers, and investors together. Additionally, they’ve added new side events to their lineup, including Xsolla Game Night, offering attendees an exciting evening of tabletop games, and Courage Cologne, which showcased over 40 games during the devcom Developer Night.
As the devcom Developer Conference 2023 wrapped up, they have already announced upcoming events:
- The ticket shop for the 2024 conference edition is now open, featuring discounts until September 10.
- A Safer Spaces at Games Industry Events online summit is scheduled for Q4 2024. It will target international event organizers and will present the findings of a safer space survey conducted during #ddc2023.
- A new edition of the devcom Summit is planned for Q1 2024.
You can find the devcom team at their booth in the gamescom B2B area, Hall 4.1, B050 A041. For a comprehensive overview of the entire #ddc2023, visit the following link: ddc 2023 – devcom Developer Conference.
About devcom
devcom is host of the official developer conference of gamescom (devcom Developer Conference) and Europe’s largest community-based event for games industry professionals. Throughout the year, devcom provides content, events and services tailored to the games industry based on its core values of diversity, inclusion and sustainability.
devcom Developer Conference #ddc2023 took place on August 20-22 (Sunday to Tuesday) at the Koelnmesse Congress Centre East in Cologne, followed by a presence at gamescom from August 23-25.
devcom GmbH a subsidiary of game – Verband der deutschen Gamesbranche (the German Games Industry Association and owner of the gamescom brand), Luxemburger Straße 79-83, 50354 Hürth, Germany
Devcom is a partner from Shared Screen.
