Game streaming to touch in the Berlin CityCube

Trade fairs – also known as conventions or cons – have been an integral part of today's fan culture for quite some time. Cons began as niche events for comic or StarTrek fans, but have since grown into important gatherings of tech, pop and gaming culture. Here, not only interesting new products are promoted; manufacturers also meet users and fans to exchange views on their favourite topics. TwitchCon has meanwhile developed into such a groundbreaking event; it will take place for the first time in Europe in Berlin's CityCube from 13 to 14 April.

Twitch connects digitally

Not only the gaming itself, but also the live streaming of events and even the broadcasting of every-day gaming has become an integral part of the gaming culture. What has only recently been happening on TV has long been the norm on the Internet: gaming fans watch their favourite players in action. Anyone can become a streamer and make their live events or clips available to the community. Professional eSports have already enjoyed great success in this way, but smaller live streamers are also increasingly finding a larger audience. In addition to the well-known YouTube platform, the Twitch streaming portal, which is popular in the USA, is also increasingly attracting European gamer circles. Well-known German Twitch streamers are "MontanaBlack88", "GRONKH" or "PietSmiet".

TwitchCon brings gamers, streamers and fans together

On Twitch, people from all over the world come together digitally to experience the love of the game together. TwitchCon wants to make the creativity of the industry and the enthusiasm of the fans something which can also be experienced at a physical location with a large offer. On the Expo floor, visitors can test the gaming stations of various providers. They can also get to know their gaming heroes and well-known influencers and exchange ideas with them. In addition to fans and streamers, various moderators, publishers and companies will be on hand to present new products for the Twitch community. In workshops, experienced founders and operators of Twitch channels will provide assistance, tips and tricks for new live streamers. And of course Twitch wouldn't be Twitch if this "Twitch Crestor Camp" and other highlights were not broadcast live on the platform.

Conceptually, the European version of the event will have some similarities to the US TwitchCon, but the program will be tailored to a European environment and audience: "Although there will be some familiar elements for TwitchCon veterans, we will be inspired by the location and the regional culture to make the experience an enriching one for all target groups," reveals Twitch Chief Market-ing Officer Kate Jhaveri

Berlin as a perfect location for the TwitchCon

For TwitchCon, which has so far been held exclusively in the USA in Californian cities such as San Francisco, San Diego and Long Beach, Los Angeles, Berlin is an ideal partner for growing on the European continent.

The German metropolis offers the best conditions for the event, as the gaming industry has experienced a real boom here in recent years: around 200 games companies, central associations, institutions and special educational institutions are active at the location and benefit from an ecosystem which unites globally active publishers and distributors, numerous indie studios as well as service providers, for example for advertising, payment systems, dubbing, localization, quality assurance or concept art. With the Twitch platform and TwitchCon, new possibilities of application can be found for the booming industry.

GamesCom, which takes place annually in Cologne in August, and International Games Week (IGW), which is always held in Berlin at the beginning of April and is Europe's leading cross-industry communication and networking platform for the computer games industry and culture with more than ten events for industry visitors and gaming enthusiasts, show that gaming events in Germany are a great success. Together with TwitchCon, as well as the EGX in November and White Nights Berlin in February, underpins Berlin's position as games capital. Game on!