Games Expo 2007 Set for March in Vegas

Las Vegas, NV (PRWeb) December 15, 2006 -- The stage is set for Games Expo 2007 as the games industry unites for a cohesive, powerful 4-day exposition and conference held at the South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas March 18-22, 2007.

Games Expo is primarily focused on non-electronic games- a thriving entertainment sector. Exhibitors at Games Expo will announce their new products for 2007 plus annual programs. They will demonstrate thousands of current and new titles to the assembled industry buyers.

Mark Simmons, founder of Games Expo and president of MSM, organizers the event, said, "Before Games Expo existed buyers would have to attend at least eight different trade shows to find the variety of games that will be on display at Games Expo. The games industry has such a large, broad consumer base, including family, educational, classic and hobby game categories, we saw the need for one unified trade show. Game publishers require more sales routes and game retailers need more knowledge about the products and programs of the publishers. Games Expo 2007 brings the industry together for the benefit of everyone involved in the serious business of games."

According to the industry's standard reference Games Quarterly Catalog™, which Simmons publishes, there are more than 42,000 games and game-related accessories offered by game publishers, which combine to make up the $4 billion games industry. Games Expo identifies the categories of board games, cards, role play, miniatures, family, party, educational, trivia and other socially interactive, face-to-face games. Games Expo is set to gather game and game-related manufacturers, marketers, and distributors from all over the world to exhibit to retailers and buyers. Held at the newly constructed, lavish South Point Hotel, Games Expo will occupy more than 80,000 square feet of exhibitor space and utilize the hotel's 150,000 square feet of event space for conferences and corporate sponsored events.

"The exhibit hall is nearly sold out. Massive displays are being assembled by key exhibitors including Wizards of the Coast, WizKids, Mayfair, Bandai, Cranium, Educational Insights, Front Porch Classics, National Games Week, Playroom Entertainment, Pokemon USA, Pressman, Rio Grande Games, Screenlife, Titanic Games, University Games, and Upper Deck Entertainment, plus the top two game distributors Alliance Game Distributors and ACD Distribution," Simmons explained. "Game publishers are signing up for Games Expo because there are so many retail channels they can reach now. Even as bookstore chains have become leading retailers for games, and toy stores, specialty stores, and catalogs are traditional outlets, there are now so many alternative retail outlets for games. Everything from teacher supply and fashion accessory stores to coffee shops and record stores are now stocking games. Manufacturers will be able to reach out to nearly any outlet at Games Expo."

An estimated 43,000 American stores and over 55,000 stores worldwide sell games, according to Games Quarterly Catalog(TM);. MSM and exhibitors from Games Expo are submitting promotions to all of the stores to attend Games Expo.

While the general public cannot attend Games Expo, the exposition is open to media, industry analysts, store owners and buyers, as well as National Games Week® members- individuals, educators, and organizations who host events each year. National Games Week®, which Simmons founded in 2003, is an annual celebration of socially interactive games. Held each year during the week of Thanksgiving, National Games Week® had grown to be a worldwide holiday. This year over 5,000 events occurred in homes, schools, churches, retail stores, restaurants and other locations, with over 140,000 attendees.

Games Expo attendees will have access to the exhibit floor as well as an abundance of educational and informative conferences, keynote speeches, seminars and exhibitor sponsored events. Special guests include Klaus & Guido Teuber (designers of the worldwide best seller, The Settlers of Catan); game expert Stevanne Auerbach, PhD aka Dr. Toy; Former Wizards of the Coast CEO Peter Adkison; Bob Moog, Co-Founder and President of University Games; educator David Niecikowski MAED/CI, an authority on using games to teach; Kevin Fahy, Publisher of EdPlay and five other educational product magazines; and leading game designer and comedian James Ernest.

Three seminar tracks are planned: Successful Game Retailing, Profitable Game Publishing, and Games in Education. About 30 seminars will be in the final schedule, divided roughly equally between the three audiences. Speakers include Cheryl Stern, Founder of The Game Keeper, a 98 store retail chain, on management techniques; Frank Martin, co-founder of The Games Gang, on sales representatives and other key aspects of sales and promotions; Eugene Wara, owner of Stonebridge Games, on building your store as the center of the community; Bob Brynildson, co-owner of The Source Comics & Games, on profitability and stability via diversification of product mix; Greg Walsh of Walsh PR leads a panel on PR, from do-it-yourself guerilla marketing to hiring & working with a PR firm; Ron Solomon of The Credit Collective discusses management of accounts receivable and credit reporting, and Jim Long, former WizKids LLC VP and current owner of Red Juggernaut Games, on Capital Funding in a Niche Market; as well as seminars and panels on Short Run and Long Run Game Printing, Game Inventing & Licensing, the Iron Game Designing Contest, Inventory Management For Success, In Store Events & Demos, Opening Your First Store, Growing the Consumer Base, POS Systems, and others.

Events during Games Expo will include banquets for the buyers and the media. WizKids LLC, publishers of the runaway hit HeroClix and Pirates of the Spanish Main, will host the Tuesday evening banquet for buyers and press. Other sponsors will be announced in late January.

During the week leading up to Games Expo 2007, Dr. Toy and is planning a huge games giveaway to the Las Vegas Clark County school district. The games will be donated by exhibiting game publishers.

Complete information on Games Expo and National Games Week is available at www.GamesExpo2007.net and www.nationalgamesweek.net.

For sales, exhibitor information and registration, contact:
Chris Fossum, Operations Manager, MSM. T: 1-866-289-3277

®2006 National Games Week is a registered trademark of Matthews Simmons Marketing.
TM2006 Games Expo and Games Quarterly are trademarks owned by Matthews Simmons Marketing. All Rights Reserved.

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