VideoGame Expo 2007 Formally AnnouncedVideoGame Expo 2007 Formally Announced

Officials have formally announced the 2007 return of the America’s VideoGame Expo (VGXPO) event, to take place in Philadelphia between November 2nd and 4th. Now in its third year, VGXPO is primarily a consumer convention and is billed as one of the largest gatherings of video and computer games fans in North America. Attendees are invited to experience the newest games, meet game attending industry figures, compete in tournaments, dress in cosplay, buy games and meet with friends. The 2007 event is planned to be twice the size of last year, moving to the Pennsylvania Convention Center with access to over 100,000 square feet of floor space. What's being described as the largest video game job fair on the east coast will also take place alongside the convention, with conference seminars for students and other related events. Although 2007 sponsors have not yet been announced the previous year’s event saw participation from over fifty organizations, including NVIDIA, Atari, Comcast, Microsoft, Nyko, Tips and Tricks magazine, Game Crazy, 1UP Network, Game Developers Conference, Nubi/Pelican and Nintendo. "America's VideoGame Expo is three days of videogame revelry," stated Ed Fleming, founder and executive director of VGXPO. "Our convention is an annual gaming destination - where gamers and industry insiders can come together to celebrate videogames." "We have one rule for VGXPO - no gamer should be left out. We want to make VGXPO accessible to everyone," continued Fleming. "So to do this, we've made single day passes $15.00 and additional discounts will be found online. These passes will include access to the expo hall, the VGXPO Arcade, VGXPO gaming kiosks, and keynote speakers." Further information on the event can be found at the official VGXPO website. [UPDATE: In a note to journalists announcing the new event, VGXPO's Ed Fleming has revealed both his ethos and his thoughts on the market, revealing a planned California version of VGXPO for 2007 which he did not execute on, and commenting: "Looking at the landscape of successful consumer events, the advisory board and I have modeled VGXPO after events such as Comic-Con and Wizard World. We've also taken cues form the International Auto Shows, and the success and short comings of mega events like Comdex, E3 and CES. After a lengthy investigation, I believe that, in the United States, there is a market for 5 or 6 large videogame events. In the future we look forward to hosting two, or three, of these events annually. In all honesty, we had plans to expand VGXPO and host two events in 2007 - one in Philadelphia and the second in southern California. We were planning to announce this a couple of weeks after our last event. However, with the announcement of IDG's 'GamePro Expo / E for All' just a couple of days after VGXPO 2006, we were forced to reconsider our southern California event. Unlike IDG, my company is focused just on videogame related events. So, the truth is, we have a limit on our resources. Not having revenue form other events to capitalize on, we're just not in the position to go head-to-head with E for All in their geographic region. Instead, we're taking a different approach, but one that we think has less risk to us, and to our sponsors and exhibitors."]