With the video game industry growing by leaps and bounds, it's about time that it get its own supply chain conference. Leading publishers, retailers and distributors will be in attendance.
by James Brightman on Monday, December 15, 2008
The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) has revealed exclusively to GameDaily BIZ that it's planning on launching the first ever supply chain conference for the video game industry. The event is appropriately called "GameSupply, the Supply Chain Academy for Interactive Entertainment," and will be held February 11, 2009 at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel & Convention Center in Burbank, CA.
The goal is to bring together video game retailers, distributors, publishers, and their service providers in one spot in order to discuss new developments and technologies in the supply chain. Speakers from major game publishers, retailers and industry consultants will be on-hand; a preliminary list includes senior executives from Activision Blizzard, Best Buy, Hastings Entertainment, Hollywood Video/Game Crazy, Ingram Entertainment, Microsoft, Play N Trade, THQ, and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.
In collaboration with the EMA, GameSupply is is being produced by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA), which will formally launch in January to focus on "industry-wide issues affecting the production and distribution of both digital and physical media and entertainment in today's changing business and technology climate."
"The interactive entertainment market has its unique supply chain challenges of integrating the manufacture and distribution of both hardware and software, controlling game development and inventory costs, and the realities of an extremely short product lifecycle," said MESA Chief Strategist and GameSupply Conference Chairman Devendra Mishra. "The purveyors of the newest form of mass-market physical and digital media entertainment are increasingly looking to collaborate with the various stakeholders in the areas of best practices, sales and operations planning, production, sales and marketing, retail execution and loss prevention, B2B connectivity between trading partners, and sustainability of the environment."
"Supply chain efficiency is vital to maintaining healthy video game sales," added Bo Andersen, President and CEO of EMA. "We anticipate that this conference will stimulate meaningful discussions that will enhance the entire interactive entertainment supply chain and thus improve publishers' and retailers' profitability and their abilities to satisfy growing consumer demand fully."
EMA also said that its member retailers and distributors will present their choices for the top video games of 2008 at a reception immediately following the conclusion of the GameSupply Academy.
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