Essen's most extensive public gaming fair
SPIEL exists under many names – the International Games Event SPIEL, the Essen Game Fair as well as Internationale Spieltage SPIEL in German. Although its many names, one thing that stays consistent is its exciting reflection of market trends and innovations in the field of analogue, classic games. The board game market has been in a stable and accelerated upswing, and SPIEL captures the spirit of the industry in great detail. The international game fair exists since 1983. It maintains one of the biggest product portfolios in the world covering – board games, card games, games of skill, interactive games, movement games, chess, children's games, original comic artwork, post games, science fiction games, action figures, adult games, computer games, family games, toys as whole, and t-shirts. SPIEL creates the perfect environment to gauge interest in your products and stimulate sales.
SPIEL 2024
SPIEL 2024 will be held as a live exhibition between 03.10.2024 and 06.10.2024. The trade show will take place at the Messe Essen in Essen, Germany. The messe will not have strict Covid-19 prevention measures in place for the time being. This is due to the removal of the country's pandemic-related restrictions. The organisers will remain vigilant about the pandemic situation and adjust the venue's safety precautions as needed.
Accommodation
Given how many visitors from all over the world to SPIEL, it’s important to plan your visit to the city of Essen, Germany as early as possible and in great detail. Trade Fair Trips ltd supports you in the search for hotel accommodation for SPIEL at a reasonable price. We know not every game publisher or brand has a big budget, and it’s why we accommodate smaller budgets. Within one day you discover the most affordable hotel rates during SPIEL and place your reservations. Also, we make sure you’re located close to the exhibition grounds, so we select hotels near Messe Essen. Afterwards, Trade Fair Trips ltd can assist you with reservations for meeting facilities ahead of time. In addition, you can request us to day,and build your Over 1000 new products were on display in the 2021 edition. booth! Select the services you need and combine them in a bespoke package meant only for you.
On foot:
Not advisable when travelling from Düsseldorf International Airport
40 mins when travelling from Essen Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
By car:
15 mins when travelling from Düsseldorf International Airport
10 mins when travelling from Essen Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
By public transport:
55 mins when travelling from Düsseldorf International Airport
25 mins when travelling from Essen Hauptbahnhof (Central Station)
Hotels near SPIEL
| Hotel | Stars | Distance to fair | City | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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A&O Dortmund Hauptbahnhof | 37.4 | Dortmund | from € 147.00 EUR | Book Now | |
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Ruby Luna Hotel Dusseldorf | Düsseldorf | from € 212.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
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Novum Hotel Madison Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof | Düsseldorf | from € 469.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
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Radisson Blu Conference Hotel | Düsseldorf | from € 532.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
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Sheraton Dusseldorf Airport Hotel | Düsseldorf | from € 396.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
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Innside by Melia Dusseldorf Hafen | Düsseldorf | from € 426.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
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Hilton Dusseldorf | Düsseldorf | from € 225.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
| Dorint Kongresshotel Dusseldorf/Neuss | Neuss | from € 267.00 EUR | Book Now | |||
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Holiday Inn Express Dusseldorf - Hauptbahnhof | Düsseldorf | from € 271.00 EUR | Book Now | ||
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Leonardo Hotel Dusseldorf City Center | 30.15 | Düsseldorf | from € 366.00 EUR | Book Now |
International Games Event SPIEL has a long history with Messe Essen, which has been its host for a long time and both grow together with each year. The international exhibition lasts for four days in total and usually editions roll out at the end of every October. The Friedhelm Merz Verlag GmbH & Co serves as the official organiser and doors are open to everyone whose lives have been made better by board games. Opening hours are from 10:00 am until 19:00 pm on the first three days and then until 18:00 pm on closing day. In addition to renting a car, you can find good public transport connections to Messe Essen. The exhibition grounds are in a central district of Essen near a station and connections to the airport as well. This makes it easy to get to SPIEL from anywhere in the city.
- SPIEL is all about placing the focus on game publishers and their products. Visitors come to experience new titles and make purchases, so you are able to meet your target audience - the perfect controlled environment to receive valuable feedback and build a stronger name through community building;
- But meeting face to face with your customers is not the only benefit for companies. SPIEL invests in publicity and media coverage, which differentiate it from other similar events. Exhibitors are able to come in contact with hundreds of journalists and reports not only come out in local, domestic media, but abroad as well;
- Interaction between game publishers and games is a crucial part of SPIEL. Live role games, championships and tournaments, VIP areas for autograph signings are all integral parts of the game fair’s programming in order to involve visitors and generate publicity.
SPIEL is quite the phenomenon, if we’re to look at the numbers. Organisers report that during the last edition in 2019, over 1200 international exhibitors showcased their products and held product launches during the four days and more than 209,000 international visitors filled the halls. All in all, 53 nationalities were represented during the game fair. It’s difficult to give a full profile of the audience and exhibitors as SPIEL attracts serious gamers, board game reviewers, board game fans, families who want to find something new, comic book collectors who come for the offerings at the COMIC ACTION section, and art buyers. SPIEL encourages everyone to come and exhibit from game designers and publishers to comic artists and illustrators, who take advantage of the Artist Alley to make direct sales. In addition to end consumers, SPIEL is also a go-to place for big and small retailers since the fair has transformed into a platform for new releases.
SPIEL 2021
The 2021 edition of SPIEL took place between 14.10.2021–17.10.2021 as a hybrid event. The edition was composed of a face-to-face exhibit as well as a complimentary digital platform. Over 1000 new products were on display in the 2021 edition. The strict Covid-19 prevention measures implemented at the Messe Essen included social distancing regulations.
SPIEL 2022
SPIEL 2022 was a face-to-face trade event held at Messe Essen from October 4th to October 9th, 2022. The venue did not incorporate Covid-19 safety precautions. This was because of the lifting of the relevant domestic restrictions, which was quite welcome for the 147,000 attendees. It also featured 980 exhibiting companies from 56 countries. The exhibitors displayed over 1,800 board games. The visitor attendance rate marked a 53% increase compared to the previous edition.
SPIEL 2023
The 2023 edition of SPIEL was hosted in Messe Essen between 05.10.2023 and 08.10.2023 as a live trade fair. The event took place without implementing Covid-19 safety measures similar to the 2022 format. The event featured around 200,000 participants.
