Leipzig "regrets" Cologne move
Messe Leipzig has expressed its regret at the BIU decision to open a new games show in Cologne in 2009
Following the earlier confirmation that the German publishers' association BIU had concluded an agreement with Koelnmesse to host a new games event in Cologne from 2009 - ostensibly taking the place of Games Convention - the owner of the existing event, Messe Leipzig has released a statement expressing its regret.
"Messe Leipzig regrets the BIUs decision to no longer support the Games Convention in Leipzig," a statement read, and went on to explain how the company had offered BIU the option of transferring the GC brand to another city.
But this idea had been rejected by the BIU in favour of a new IP created by Koelnmesse in 2003 and given to the BIU for free - GAMESCom.
The mayor of Leipzig, Burkhard Jung, and the area's economics minister, Thomas Jurk, both expressed disappointment at the BIU's decision, labelling it a "harsh blow" for the region.
There is no word on whether or not Messe Leipzig plans to press on with a Games Convention in 2009 regardless of a rival event, but the company did state that they will always be available to the industry with the brand and the know-how should it be needed in the future.