[EXCLUSIVE] gamescom asia Project Director Daria La Valle Explains the Historic Move to Thailand

The gaming industry in Southeast Asia is witnessing a major shift as gamescom asia, one of the region’s premier gaming events, makes its move from Singapore to Thailand. We had the exclusive opportunity to speak with Daria La Valle, Project Director for gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show, during gamescom 2025 to understand this significant transition and what it means for the gaming community.

A Strategic Regional Vision

Daria La Valle, a 42-year-old Italian who has called Singapore home for the past 15 years, has been steering the gamescom asia project for six years since the brand’s launch. Her vision for the event has always been clear: to serve the entire Southeast Asian gaming community, not just one country.

“gamescom asia was always an event meant for the region, right? It’s in Asia and in particular for the Southeast Asia region,” La Valle explains. “So, we knew at some point that we needed a new location and the opportunity came recently to move the show to Bangkok and merge with the Thailand Game Show which was already a very established show for the community, for the gaming brands and their fans.”

Solving Industry Competition Through Collaboration

For years, gaming publishers faced a difficult choice. The Thailand Game Show and gamescom asia often had competing dates, forcing companies to choose between the two events and split their resources. This challenge became a key factor in the decision to merge the two shows.

“We were always kind of competing, especially with the Thailand Gameshow. And by merging together, we created the largest consumer and digital show for the games industry in Southeast Asia,” La Valle notes. “That was always the goal for us and this partnership allows us to do that.”

The merger addresses a long-standing industry pain point while creating something bigger than the sum of its parts. “Of course, it is a part of the consideration,” La Valle confirms when asked about the scheduling conflicts between the events. “We were always, as you rightly said, we were always kind of competing, especially with the Thailand Gameshow.”

Expanding Scale and Reach

The combined event promises to be significantly larger than previous years. La Valle expects close to 200,000 attendees, with the show floor expanding by 40% in terms of square meters and gross area. Of these attendees, approximately 5,000 will be industry professionals attending the B2B portion of the event.

“It’s definitely going to be bigger than what you experienced the last few years. Both in gamescom asia, as well as Thailand Gameshow as well,” she says.

“We are expecting about close to 200,000 attendees. We have also expanded the square meter, the number of square meters, and the gross area of the show by about 40%,” La Valle details, emphasizing the significant growth in both attendance and physical space.

Respecting Legacy While Building Future

The merger isn’t just about size – it’s also about respecting established relationships and brand recognition. The Thailand Game Show has been serving the Thai gaming community for 18 years, building strong connections with local fans and industry players.

“The Thailand Game Show brand is a very established and well-loved brand in Thailand,” La Valle explains. “We didn’t want to come in and erase that legacy, that history. That’s why we see the combined branding.”

However, this combined branding is intended as a transitional approach. La Valle confirms that “the long-term plan” involves moving toward a merged identity, though the timeline for this evolution remains flexible. “Yes, that is the long-term plan. The Thailand Game Show brand is a very established and well-loved brand in Thailand. It’s been around for 18 years,” she elaborates on the careful approach to brand integration.

What to Expect at the Event

The expanded event will feature content across both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) segments. Major publishers including Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Xbox, and Nintendo will showcase hundreds of games. Technology companies AMD and Intel will also have significant presences on the consumer side.

For industry professionals, the B2B conference will be headlined by Glen Schofield, described by La Valle as “a veteran of the games industry, award winning game developer and producer.” The event will also include a pitch competition, which recognizes developers and their work.

Independent developers will have expanded representation, with dedicated indie areas in both the B2C and B2B sections. “We bring the indie area to Thailand to showcase,” La Valle says, highlighting the event’s commitment to supporting emerging talent alongside established studios.

“Expect hundreds of games on showcase from major AAA publishers like Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Xbox, of course Nintendo as well will be there. We have AMD, Intel and it’s just on the B2C side, and more,” La Valle lists, painting a picture of the event’s impressive lineup. “On the B2B side, our headliner this year is Glen Schofield for the conference. He’s a veteran of the games industry, award winning game developer and producer. And we have a pitch competition as well, awards for developers and their work. You can expect an expanded indie area as well in both B2B and B2C.”

Future Mobility and Regional Focus

While the event has found its new home in Thailand, La Valle keeps the door open for future moves. When asked about the possibility of gamescom Asia rotating to other locations in the region, she maintains the event’s regional mission: “gamescom Asia is an event for the region, for the industry and its fans. There may be a chance that we will move again. For now, our plan is to be in Thailand.”

Industry Reception

The initial response from the gaming industry has been positive, according to La Valle. “The feedback that I’m getting so far from the industry is that it’s a good move. They appreciate the future of the event, not having to split resources as it was in the past.”

“Expect a much bigger event this year in Bangkok. We’re expecting 200,000 attendees, of which 5,000 will be this week. We have an expanded show floor on both the B2C as well as the B2B side,” she emphasizes, highlighting the scale of the undertaking.

This merger represents more than just a change of venue – it’s a strategic consolidation that addresses real industry needs while creating Southeast Asia’s largest gaming event. As the gaming industry in the region continues to grow, having a unified, large-scale event provides a stronger platform for publishers, developers, and fans to connect and celebrate gaming culture.