Mary Dimercurio Prasad: The Essen Experience 2008 – Part 1

What is it like to attend Spiel, the annual game convention in Essen, Germany? I hope to give you a flavor of what it’s all about in this two-part article, which includes a couple of short videos and photos from the 2008 event held October 23-26.

2008 Stats

Spiel in Essen, Germany, is the largest public game fair in the world, attracting around 150,000 attendees from 31 nations and it has been held annually for the last 26 years. In 2008, Spiel boasted 760 exhibitors with more foreign participation than ever before: 41%. In the past, most exhibitors came from Europe and the United States, but this year showed an increase in the number of exhibitors from Asia and Australia.

The Messe Essen conference center is huge, with over 44,100 sq. meters (144,645 sq. ft.) of exhibition space in ten different halls. Wear comfortable shoes! The cement floors are hard on your feet and back, and you’ll likely walk miles each day through the maze of booths. Check out the plans of the halls. The halls are arranged around an outside patio area. I think I lapped the place at least 30 times. Inside the halls, it is easy to get disoriented; it’s a good thing they have signs posted over every hall entrance to show where you are on the map!

The FAQs

The show hours for Thursday through Saturday are 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (just late enough so that I’m starving by the time we leave the Messe for dinner) and for Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. This year ticket prices for a one-day pass were €11.50 for Adults, €6.50 for children under 12; a four-day pass was €27 for Adults and €15.50 for children. There are discounts for families, students, senior citizens, handicapped, military, groups, and minions. (Well, I’m just guessing on the last, might be best to ask). Be aware that entry is a punched ticket; in general, if you leave you may not re-enter on the same day unless you get a wristband. You must show both your punched ticket and your wristband to re-enter.

Food in the convention hall is pretty good, although a bit pricey. There is a cafeteria with a rotating menu and many smaller food vendor areas around the hall. My personal favorite is the currywurst that comes with a fresh bread roll. There are a couple crepe and ice cream (gelato) vendors as well – yum! Good thing we’re walkin’ all day!

Smoking is officially prohibited in the halls, although some seem not to be able to resist. For the most part though, it was fairly smoke-free.

Purchases!

Most vendors take only cash. There is a bank machine outside the Messe and a bank at one end of the convention hall (a Sparkasse branch). I recommend calling your bank before you leave home to find an affiliate in Germany. Our transactions were free at certain banks. Be sure you have enough room in your luggage for all those game purchases! We removed inserts and put as many smaller games inside larger ones as possible. Of course we still didn’t have enough room and ended up carrying games onto the plane in hand. (Hint: I don’t recommend bringing Ca$h’n Gun$ through security.)

Fun Fact: Peter Eggert enjoys sneaking his image into his games. Check out the side of the Imperial game box top and the 1,000,000 bank notes inside.

Video, Part 1

Ah, the noise of the crowds, bumping and banging along the walkways (especially true on Saturday, the busiest of the four days), trying to soak up the overload of game information as you try this year’s crop of Essen releases. Check out this video for a feel of what it’s like to be at Spiel: the people, the size of the halls, the booths, and the games! There’s even a shot of a pottery booth selling bowls and other items featuring meeples and pawns. I sooo wanted to get a couple bowls with meeples on them for our game room, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit them in our luggage since the games were going to take up every last inch of space.

Note: If you want to view the video in high quality, set your YouTube settings accordingly: go to “Account,” click “Playback Setup,” then click “I have a fast connection. Always play higher-quality video when it’s available.”

Included on the video are shots of the following game booths: Rio Grande, Z-Man, Repos Production, Valley Games, ElfinWerks, and Angelo Porazzi Games. There is also a short interview with game designer Friedemann Friese and even a rare glimpse of W. Eric Martin!

(Editor’s note: I believe that I was asked to say something derogatory about Larry Levy. Thus, my cryptic remark captured for all to see.)

Game Designers

If you want to meet game designers, this is the place! Some may be found hawking their wares, others may be found just wandering the halls. There’s a good chance you will bump (physically) into one at Spiel (especially on Saturday). Most are willing to sign a game for you, especially if you buy it at their booth. (I might be wrong here, but it’s probably a faux pas to bring one from home.)

Game Companies

Publishers from all over the world come to Spiel to show off their latest games. The two big board game releases each year are in February at the Nuremberg Toy Fair (which is open only to retailers and those in the biz) and in October at Spiel (which is open to the public). This is THE place to shop for the latest in board games! (If only it were closer to home…)

Stay tuned for Part 2 with more games, international booths, and the kid’s adventure area.

Some of the information used in this article was taken from the International Spieltage web pages and press packet.

Comments:

< Back Home