Melbourne chosen to hold Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2013

by: Ben Berry - posted: 10/21/2012 6:31:00 PM

PAX is generally the best conference in terms of gamer involvement, and it looks like expansion outside the US is finally official, with the PAX folks announcing that Melbourne, Australia will host the 'down under' version of the con for both 2013 and 2014. This year's edition will be held on July 19-21 which means it is only a few weeks after E3 next year.  I don't think it's on my list of cons for the year due to budget, but I'm certain it will be every bit the great weekend that PAX and PAX East are.

Monday 22 October 2012 - Victorian Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business Louise Asher today joined Penny Arcade President Robert Khoo to announce that Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Australia will be held in Melbourne in 2013 and 2014.

Ms Asher said PAX is the world’s premier games festival and the decision to choose Melbourne will be a fantastic opportunity to highlight Victoria’s creative capabilities on a global scale.

“This is the first time the event has been held outside the United States and attracting PAX Australia to Melbourne was a major coup for Victoria,” Ms Asher said. “It is a great opportunity to showcase games culture in Australia to the rest of the world, and the exposure around the region and the world that Melbourne’s games industry will gain from the event, and the number of international and domestic visitors that will be drawn to Melbourne, cannot be underestimated.”

Penny Arcade President Robert Khoo said the demands of the global community dictated the expansion to Australia. “When we reached out to our international fans, the response from the Australian community for a local PAX was overwhelming,” Mr Khoo said.

"Melbourne has a long history of supporting the games scene, through showcasing cultural game exhibits to supporting world renowned game developers. Holding PAX Australia in Melbourne is the perfect fit for our show.”

PAX is the largest consumer games event in North America, first held in Seattle in 2004 and nearly doubling in size each successive year and expanding to a second show in Boston in 2010. A festival celebrating games culture, it connects the world’s leading game publishers with their most avid fans while providing an inclusive community environment.

PAX Australia will combine the exciting program from the international shows with local content and community events. International guests, speakers, musicians and developers will join local game industry representatives to showcase games and community events in Australia.

PAX Australia will be held at the Melbourne Showgrounds from 19-21 July, 2013 and will be run by ReedPOP in conjunction with Penny Arcade.