During the first DreamHack Leipzig from 22 to 24 January 2016 there will be a LAN area which will enable 1,000 gamers to directly compete with and against one another for a period of 56 hours. High-class tournaments involving different games will also take place. Visitors can not only look forward to cheering on the participants in the exciting competitions, but also to the DreamExpo Exhibition in which companies will present their innovations from the areas of hardware, software, games and accessories. It will be possible to purchase the products in the DreamStore. The event programme featuring analogue old school games, cosplayers and appearances by stars from the e-sports scene will turn DreamHack Leipzig into a spectacular experience for all participants and visitors.
About DreamHack
DreamHack is the world's largest computer festival. The core element and origin of DreamHack is the LAN party - the two largest festivals are DreamHack Summer in June and DreamHack Winter in November. The events provide a platform for e-sport, knowledge and creative competitions, music acts, talks by game developers, Internet and game culture, cosplay, the DreamExpo Exhibition and much more besides. DreamHack is also a production company which focuses on gaming, e-sports, music and arena productions both for traditional television and the Internet. In 2014 DreamHack attracted 104,000 visitors to its events and more than 15 million spectators who followed the live transmission.
Since the first event in November 1994, the Swedish DreamHack has become the world's largest e-sports festival. Three events are now held every year and together attract tens of thousands of visitors and participants. The central elements are the LAN party with 1,000 participants and e-sports tournaments which are broadcast to the audience on large screens. With Dream Hacks in Tours (France), Valencia (Spain) and Bucharest (Romania), for example, the event concept has already spread throughout Europe. DreamHack Leipzig will become the platform for the entire German-speaking area.
Leipzig the perfect location for this event as the former meeting point for the gaming scene
"Due to its large and passionate e-sports community, Germany is one of the most important European markets for us and for DreamHack as a festival," said Marcus Lindmark, CEO of the company DreamHack AB. "As the former meeting point for the European gaming industry, Leipzig is the perfect city for an event of this calibre. In Leipziger Messe GmbH and Schenker Technologies we have found first-class partners to realise the successful concept of DreamHack in Germany."
"Computer games have become an integral part of our zeitgeist. The best evidence of this can be seen in the huge LAN parties and e-sports tournaments in which gamers from all over the world demonstrate their skills to an enthusiastic audience," said Markus Geisenberger, Managing Director of Leipziger Messe GmbH. "We are establishing DreamHack Leipzig as a brand with international charisma in Germany. As an annual event, it will become Germany's largest LAN party and the European competition for the e-sports community."
Leipziger Messe GmbH is being supported by Schenker Technologies GmbH. The manufacturer of high-end gaming PCs and notebooks has been involved in the e-sports sector since 2009 and has established XMG as a brand which is specially tailored towards the needs of gamers. "Thanks to our cooperation with numerous teams and tournament organisers, we have an excellent direct link to the community," said Robert Schenker, Managing Director of Schenker Technologies. "Our experience and the competence of Leipziger Messe GmbH as the organiser will create ideal conditions to captivate gaming enthusiasts at DreamHack Leipzig as an annual highlight."