Major retailers back GamePlan

Leading High Street games retailers GAME, HMV and Asda have all pledged to support upcoming games retail event GamePlan, which takes place this June.

In addition, the former boss of Woolworths’ games division Gerry Berkley has agreed to work on a consultancy basis with GamePlan.

I am delighted to become involved in GamePlan,” Berkley stated. I know the team behind it well and know they have a great deal of experience in building and delivering events.

UK retail undoubtedly needed a shot in the arm and a forum in which business could be done in a controlled environment that was not onerous on time and cost for all parties. GamePlan’s formula, I believe, delivers the perfect solution.”

This year’s event, which takes place between June 24th-26th, will be the debut year for GamePlan. It hopes to attract 15 leading games companies who will each have their own formal sales, meeting and presentation suite.

GamePlan is clearly an event that will help publishers deliver briefings on new titles to our buying teams in a way that is more economic,” GAME’s head of commercial planning Alex Vines stated. This is good news for everyone and presents an important step forward in the maturing of the UK business and how we all do business together, respecting the pressure we all have on our time.”

An HMV spokesperson added: Sending key staff to so many sales conferences has proved difficult to sustain. Two days of meetings with leading publishers is a welcome move for HMV.”

And an Asda representative said of the event: Bringing suppliers together under one roof for sales discussion is very important for a company like ASDA. The decision to create an event that allows us to see publishers side by side, locally, is very much what we have been seeking. It is low on time cost as well, which is important for retail and publishers.”