SPIEL Essen has grown steadily in the 40 years of its existence and has also continued to expand in the halls of Messe Essen. It has been taking place in Halls 1 to 6 and the Gallery for many years now. While space and the number of exhibitors kept growing, however, the clarity and orientation for the visitors got a little smaller. In which hall is this family game booth? Where were the booths with miniature games again? We want to structure this grown distribution of the booths more clearly and more simply for the coming SPIEL Essen.

It has been no secret that we want to change the hall planning. In various videos and posts, we have addressed the issue and said that we want to improve orientation for everyone and help them find the booths they are looking for more quickly. At the same time, we want to make it easier to discover new games. We had planned the big reconstruction for 2024, this year Hall 6 was to be redesigned first to start. However, due to the remodeling of the one hall, it made sense to tackle the entire hall concept now.

The new hall design envisages that all halls will have thematic focuses and that the booths in the halls will present mainly the corresponding games. There will be a large area for simple to upscale family games, children's games, and light to medium hobby games. Another segment is aimed at tabletops, miniatures games, role-playing games and trading card games. Finally, there will be areas for hobby to expert games. We will distribute the other booths, for example those of retailers or accessory suppliers, sensibly to the corresponding areas. Our goal is to create the optimal trade show experience for everyone.

Of course, we don't assign the booths on a whim. We consult with the exhibitors, take a look at their assortment and, as a team, are familiar with many games ourselves. Through this combination of feedback and experience, we build the halls in such a way that everyone at SPIEL Essen 23 feels comfortable, can find their way around easily and can enjoy their favorite hobby.

We are working at full speed to finalize the plans. Please be patient a little longer, give us the time and the trust, so that in the end there will be an excellent and unforgettable SPIEL Essen 23 for everyone.

Best and playful greetings
Your SPIEL Team