With just a few months to go till the start of Game Convention, Europe’s Summer experience of the year, the games industry’s leading companies have already announced their participation with 390 exhibitors expected to be at Europe’s leading fair for interactive entertainment, info- and edu-tainment.

The GC’s area is expected to expand by 28 per cent to 115,000 square metres gross. "The GC has grown steadily in recent years, both in its area and in exhibitor and visitor numbers. The current level of trade visitor and exhibitor registrations confirms our assumption that we will achieve considerable increases again at the next fair. We have responded to this with a change in our hall concept," says Josef Rahmen, managing director at Leipziger Messe.

Adding to the gaming fun, the outdoor area is being actively included for the first time as a display and event space. The opening hours are also changing this year. The exhibition halls are open on Thursday (23 August) and Sunday (26 August) from 9.00 to 18.00, and on the Friday and Saturday from 9.00 to 20.00.

GC Games + Entertainment is on show in the exhibition halls 2, 3 and 4. Visitors can again try out and experience fantastic innovations and numerous German, European and world premieres from the world of interactive entertainment. Hall 5 is a little quieter with GC family and GC art.

This year, the Congress Centre Leipzig (CCL) and Hall 1 together with the GC Business Centre provide the meeting place for national and international exhibitors, retailers, developers and journalists. Businesses have ideal facilities and enough space to offer information on their own products and to make new business contacts.

Tickets now on sale for computer game music concert

Fans of computer game music can look forward to 90 minutes non-stop music this year. The concert will not be part of the official GC opening, but a public performance to be given at 20.00 on 22 August in the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. Conducted by Maestro Andy Brick, the FilmHarmonic Orchestra Prague is this time including soundtracks from StarCraft, Final Fantasy IX, Ragnorak 2, Stranglehold, Metal Gear Solid 2: Snake Eater, Secret of Mana, The Abbey, Turrican 2, as well as popular classics in a Commodore 64 and Commodore Amiga medley.

The highlight is appearances by the Japanese star opera singer Izumi Masuda and singer Conny Kollet from Germany. Tickets are available at gc-germany.com.

For the Games Convention 2007, the German rail company Deutsche Bahn is offering a special service for exhibitors and trade visitors to Leipzig.

International keynote addresses, workshops, panel discussions and well-known speakers from the computer, console and mobile device sectors provide insider know-how on the current trends, together with information on future issues. The three days of the GCDC are dedicated to the programme streams "Development", "Business" and "Science". The key topics include Mobile Gaming, Server Technology, Expert Meets Students, Made in Europe and the premiere of Games Meet Movies.

"The specialisation of GCDC is consistently subject to development. This means that this year for the first time, the conference offers extended business solutions such as workshops and concepts on start-up opportunities on the European and North American market," explains project director Frank Sliwka.

Registration for the conference is available now at gcdc.eu.