World’s largest consumer fair for board games reaches maximum venue capacity

SPIEL Essen continues its impressive growth of recent years and is heading toward an unprecedented milestone: for the first time the world’s largest fair for board games will occupy all eight halls, reaching the maximum capacity of the Essen exhibition grounds. This step is a direct response to the overwhelming interest from the industry, which has already exceeded all expectations.

With the addition of the new hall, the total area of SPIEL Essen increases by approximately 3,700 m², bringing the fair to a total size of 81,200 m² this year. Following the addition of Hall 7 last year, the opening of the final hall marks the next area record – the fourth in a row.

Growth on All Levels

Even now, eight weeks before the end of the registration period and months before the fair itself, the organizer, Merz Verlag, reports an exceptionally high number of registrations. This reflects the enormous trust in the fair and the dynamic nature of the gaming world.

The demand is primarily driven by two factors:

Loyal Partners: Many long-standing exhibitors wish to significantly increase their booth space to present their growing portfolios and highlights to the over 220,000 international visitors.

Newcomers: An impressive number of new exhibitors who have never been to SPIEL before have registered for a booth. While the fair traditionally hosts many new small booths introducing their first games, the number of new exhibitors is particularly high this year.

"The fact that we can already plan the opening of a new hall and the full occupancy of the grounds is fantastic – it’s a sign of both the international importance of our fair and the vitality of the gaming industry," explains Carol Rapp, Managing Director of Merz Verlag. "SPIEL and the industry are growing, and we are creating the necessary space for this development."

Optimizing the Hall Structure

To create this space, SPIEL is converting the former Hall 8, which previously served as a waiting area, into a full exhibition space. This expansion necessitates adjustments to the existing hall structure, which the fair team is currently working on at full speed.

The team will not overhaul the general hall logic but will optimize certain areas to accommodate the growth wishes of large exhibitors as well as the increase in new, small booths. Despite some shifts in sections, the halls will remain divided into clear categories, and the familiar mix of major publishers and small developers will be maintained. The goal is to provide visitors with clear orientation and a first-class fair experience despite the increased size.

Focus on Visitor Comfort and Admission

Merz Verlag is placing special emphasis on the quality of the visit. Since Hall 8 will now function as an active exhibition area, intensive coordination talks with Messe Essen are already underway to further optimize admission and visitor flow.

The goal of this close cooperation is to develop additional solutions for the entry situation and to compensate for the loss of the classic waiting area through even more efficient organization and intelligent routing.

Consequently, SPIEL Essen will open the North Entrance for the first time this year, which leads directly into Hall 5 and is located behind the Grugahalle. This additional entrance will not only relieve the East, West, and South entrances but also guide visitor flow more directly into Halls 5 and 4.

Furthermore, a new waiting area will be established in Hall 1A, which can be accessed via the Congress Center South. Here, fans of the fair can wait in comfort before the gates open in the morning, even in the event of rain or poor weather.

"For us, growth also means responsibility. We are working closely with the venue to ensure the experience remains positive for every fan," says Carol Rapp. "The experience of recent years shows that our planning has led to good visitor flow in the halls and that many routes at the fair have improved overall. I am absolutely confident that with the new measures, we will create an even better entry situation, allowing all visitors to enjoy SPIEL in a relaxed atmosphere."

About SPIEL Essen

SPIEL Essen is the world’s largest consumer fair for board games, bringing together over 220,000 passionate gaming fans from all over the world with national and international exhibitors in the heart of the Ruhr region. The fair has existed for over 40 years and presents thousands of new releases from exhibitors representing over 50 nations. The focus is on togetherness and community play, as the new titles can be tested directly on-site at the booths at SPIEL Essen.