LeoGaming - an international processing company from Ukraine - once again visited the most famous exhibition of the gaming industry - Gamescom. The annual conference takes place in the second half of August in Cologne, Germany and year by year becomes one of the largest industry events in the world. According to official information of the organizing committee, gamescom 2018 was visited by 370 000 people from 114 countries.
Nevertheless, the event consists not only from an impressive entertainment b2c-zone, with two Ukrainian studios: Frogwares and Creoteam. The most important part of the event is a high-profile business zone where the largest game publishers, developers and payment systems conduct meetings and establish contacts at their stands (booths). For the third consecutive year LeoGaming was the only Ukrainian company with a stand in this business zone. LeoGaming CEO Alyona Degrik traditionally shared their working impressions and gave some tips for companies who are planning to visit the exhibition in 2019.
«1037 companies from 56 countries attended the gamescom business zone as exhibitors in 2018. This medal has two sides. One the one hand- such a number of publishers, developers and our colleagues from the payment acceptance sphere opens great opportunities for establishing contacts and gaining new partners. If we add the fact that LeoGaming is once again the only company from Ukraine with a stand in the business zone - these opportunities become exclusive for us. Nevertheless, the reverse of this medal is the highest level of active work and competition. If you want your company to be noticed by others - you need to clearly understand the strategy of your work and know the key facts and figures about potential partners» - explains Alyona Degrik.
Also, CEO LeoGaming spoke about the elaborate preparations of the team for the event, which it considers the most important in the year. The high-level of the conference makes it necessary to make the first arrangements at least 6 months before the start. The a meeting list for the next year can be agreed even at the previous conference.
«Gamescom business zone is a three-day intensive of your business development, and gaining the maximum of it is not something unreachable. It’s a real requirement for effective work. The most productive day is the first day - when the exhibition is open only for exhibitors and trade visitors. The working schedule has minute-by-minute planning. But you communicate and work with the leaders of the world video game market, which is a unique opportunity for business and gives the strongest prospects for Ukrainian investment climate and the economy in general. »
Alyona Degrik gave some advice to everyone who plans to start their work in the business zone next year. Here are a few basic rules for effective work, tested in a three-year experience:
1. Start planning ahead. You won’t get to speak to serious companies «with a swoop» - meeting lists are closed 3-4 months before the event. Start planning the meetings for the next year from October-November, maximum - in January of the same year.
2. The most important meetings must be appointed on the first day. The first day of gamescom is a traditional "business day", when the exhibition is not filled with visitors from the entertainment zone. Everyone is trying to manage as much as possible. Consider this and arrange your schedule of meetings according to the formula: "1st day - 60%, 2nd day - 30%, 3rd day - 10%"
3. Talk about yourself no more than 2-3 minutes. The standard rule for any business meeting. You have so little time for introducing yourself, so the attention of your potential partner needs to be attracted immediately. Outline the essence of the company's work in one sentence, and all the information - on 4-5 presentation pages. No text massive - short sentences with infographics give the maximum result.
4. Participate in networking. Parties, discussions, informal communication - the best way not only to fix the result of a successful meeting, but also to become «the insider». European and American companies are not used to work with colleagues from Eastern Europe so easily. It’s important to understand you don’t only speak the same language, but share the same values. The fewer barriers in the communication - the easier work will be.
LeoGaming is an international processing company that accepts payments in favor of online games, gaming services, electronic wallets and develops payment solutions for business.
In partnership with leading Ukrainian and international payment systems, the company provides reliable and secure processing of funds crediting to user accounts, availability of their replenishment in any cash-in payment terminal on favorable tariffs and mutually beneficial calculations with publishers and developers of online games.
