Stephan Reichart: "More Open, Modern, and Accessible"

Stephan Reichart, Managing Director at game events GmbH and for devcom Developer Conference 2024, speaks with GamesMarkt about the development of devcom in 2023, expectations for this year's event and the opportunities created by the move to Koelnmesse's new Confex event location.

GamesMarkt: In 2023, devcom developer conference closed with record figures. 3,400 visitors, 250 speakers and more than 160 sessions on 13 stages. What does last year's success mean for your (and games industry's) expectations of devcom 2024?
Stephan Reichart: Last year's devcom Developer Conference was a remarkable success and milestone for the event und for us as a team, with new record numbers across all aspects of the event. We saw a 28 per cent increase in attendees, reaching 3,400 industry professionals, and noted significant interest in our new partner events like "Xsolla Game Night" and "Courage Cologne," which attracted thousands more. The seniority demographic also shifted, with 80 per cent of attendees at senior, lead, or director levels, and every third participant had over seven years of industry experience. This feedback underscores our efforts to create a conference with high value networking opportunities and sessions. In 2024, we anticipate continued growth and interest, building on the success of last year. We plan to introduce new event formats and side-events, expand our program and speaker lineup, and leverage our new location, the Confex, to further enhance the event's quality and experience.

How are the preparations going, how are the sales going and can you already reveal some highlights that visitors can look forward to this year?
Preparations for #ddc2024 are well underway, and we experienced an encouraging increase in early ticket sales and we are hoping to see this in our final numbers as well. Additionally, speaker submissions have surged by more than 60 per cent. One of the key highlights for this year is the opening keynote by Kelsey Beachum, the acclaimed Game Writer and Narrative Designer behind the award-winning indie title, Outer Wilds. You will also see new sessions from Stéphane Roy, Former Vice President & Studio Head at WB Games Montreal, Mihir Sheth, Game Director SIE Santa Monica Studio, Jason Latino, Cinematic Director Larian Studios and a panel with Meghna Jayanth, Adrienne Law (Larian), Helen Hindpere (Writer on Disco Elysium), Sarah Makdad among the latest speaker updates. We are also introducing new features such as the VIP & Business Mixer, a special networking event designed to facilitate connections among these attendee groups. Our kick-off event, the devcom Networking Dinner on Sunday, will feature a new location as we are moving to the infamous Wolkenburg in the heart of Cologne to welcome our speakers, VIPs, and partners.

"We believe that devcom’s success stems from our ongoing presence and industry-first approach." - Stephan Reichart

This year's devcom is one of the first events to be held at the new Confex on the Koelnmesse site. How has the move affected your preparations?
The move to Confex has required us to rethink and redesign our event layout and logistics from the ground up. While this presented some initial challenges, it also allowed us to optimize our space and partner options. The new venue offers more stages (we will have 15 distinct stages), customizable areas for exhibitions, and dedicated spaces for meetings, press, and VIPs. This flexibility enables us to enhance the overall event experience, making it more open, modern, and accessible. The Confex's prime location next to the south entrance of gamescom and the Köln Messe/Deutz station will also make it more convenient for attendees to reach us.

How has the move affected the devcom developer conference?
The new location is set to positively transform the dynamics of the devcom Developer Conference. With increased space and improved facilities, we can accommodate a larger and more diverse program, offer better networking opportunities, and provide an overall enhanced experience for attendees like reducing queues for sessions and dense crowds in the aisles. The modern and accessible venue will help us to deliver a more engaging and enjoyable conference, allowing for more interactions and collaborations among participants.

At the beginning of June, devcom launched a new scholarship programme with partners such as the IGDA, Global Game Jam and IndieGameBusiness. How has the programme been received and have more partners been added?
The devcom Scholarship Programs have been exceptionally well-received, attracting significant interest from international associations, organizations, and universities and hundreds of applications from participants. Our partners are supporting the initiative through applications and by contributing content and connections, and we make sure that the program is more than providing free passes but creating a supportive community and welcoming atmosphere. This widespread enthusiasm underscores the industry's commitment to bringing diverse voices to devcom and gamescom. We currently have 20+ announced partners, with additional ones in the onboarding process, further expanding the reach and impact of this program.

For several years now, you have been working to make the devcom brand a year-round platform for game developers, whether through summits throughout the year or programmes on Twitch. Are you happy with what you have achieved and how will you continue on the path to becoming a 365 day/360-degree brand?
We are proud of the milestones achieved through our year-round initiatives. The Leadership Summit in Lisbon received excellent feedback, establishing it as a safe space for industry leaders and will continue in 2025. Our Leadership Dinners have become staple events at major industry gatherings, and the Safer Spaces Online Summit for event organizers demonstrated our commitment to further improving attendee experiences for our own formats and industry events in general. We believe that devcom’s success stems from our ongoing presence and industry-first approach.

Independent of the devcom developer conference, the company was renamed devcom in game events at the end of April, precisely because you do much more than just organize devcom. What exactly are your responsibilities and how much more can, and do you want to do?
The rebranding of devcom in game events has clarified our structure and responsibilities, allowing us to focus more effectively on our diverse projects. Our team is dedicated to organizing the devcom Developer Conference while also managing events like the German Computer Game Award and the game Summer Party. This rebranding has enhanced communication and distinction between the conference and our broader activities. Looking ahead, we aim to expand our services with initiatives like the devcom Academy, providing specialized training for industry professionals. Our vision is to establish devcom as the leading brand for games industry conferences and content, continuously innovating and expanding our role in the industry.

Stephan Reichart is the managing director of game events GmbH and responsible for the devcom brand.

Reichart had his first contact with the games industry in 2001 as head trainer of a game design course at the IT Academy in Gütersloh. In 2003 he co-founded Aruba Studios with Christian Kaufmann. Aruba was one of the studios that co-founded the then G.A.M.E. association in 2004, which Reichart co-managed until 2010. Alongside game development, Reichart organised various events, first under Aruba Studios and later under Aruba Events, such as the German Developer Award, the Quo Vadis developer conference and many other formats. Reichart sold Aruba Events in 2017, but stayed on board to push a young project called devcom. This was later taken over by game and outsourced to the wholly-owned subsidiary devcom GmbH, which now operates as game events and has been headed by Stephan Reichart since 2019.

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