German Chancellor Angela Merkel Will Open Gamescom 2017

You might’ve seen German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the political arena discussing relationships between Germany and other countries, but this year, you’ll also be able to catch the politician during the opening ceremonies of Gamescom 2017 according to the German Trade Association of Interactive Entertainment Software (BIU) and event organizer Koelnmesse.

It was announced earlier today that Merkel has agreed to assist in the opening of Gamescom 2017, the first time that she will ever have visited the conference that started in Germany in 2009. Merkel has been in office since 2005, and those who are assisting with the organization of Gamescom have remarked that they’re thrilled to have her there.

“We consider it a great honour and a sign of recognition that Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel will this year participate in the opening tour of Gamescom”, says Felix Falk, Managing Director BIU. “The visit of Dr. Merkel underlines the importance of the games industry for the cultural, digital and business location of Germany.”

Falk went on to say that it was important for Germany to have a strong gaming industry in order to stay involved with the digital economy, something that the support of Merkel will surely help with.

Event organizers Koelnmesse were also excited to have Merkel present at the event as they showed appreciation for her recognition of the gaming industry.

“The participation of the Chancellor is a sign of great appreciation for us”, says Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. “With her visit she honours the development of Gamescom into one of the most successful and largest events in the German trade fair system.

It’s not known at this time what exactly “opening” Gamescom will entail, but it’s probably a safe bet to say that Merkel will be delivering some kind of speech at the convention that last year hosted over 345,000 visitors. Perhaps this is a way for the chancellor to align herself with a younger group of voters as well, but either way, it will be interesting to hear what she has to say about the gaming industry. Maybe she’ll even pick up a controller and stick around to play some games with visitors.

Gamescom will open on Aug. 22 in Germany and will run until Aug. 26.