Korean G* Expo Promotes Itself As E3 Alternative

Organizers of the South Korean G* event have become the latest in a long line of show promoters to attempt to position their event as a replacement to the recently downsized E3 expo in Los Angeles. G* organizing committee chairman Ki-Hwa Hong has commented that the repositioning of E3 would enable G* to expand in size and content as well as establish a new exhibition identity, beginning with the 2006 event scheduled for November 9th to 12th. Although the previous year’s show focused on online games, a major preoccupation of the local South Korean market, this year’s show is intended to be more wide-ranging. It claims to promise a more effective business environment than E3 has been able to offer in recent years, with support for one-on-one business meetings, conferences and IR seminars. G* has been supported by central and municipal government organizations since its inception, and saw 160 exhibitors and over 150,000 visitors attending last year. Ancillary public events, including an amateur game league and game music festival where also organized around the four day event. Although an event hosted in Korea would undoubtedly ensure that only those attendees with a prominent business or media connection would be able to attend the event, the organizers are also promoting it as the perfect business event for Western game companies seeking entry into the growing Asian games market, and a means for local companies to gain access to the West. "We will make every effort to contribute to raise global competitiveness as well as decline the nation's trade deficit by providing opportunities to meet international companies with high technologies and new business models for local game companies and IT companies," said G* organizing committee director Moon-Kyung Chung.