gamescom Note on Security Precautions and Simpler Rules for Costumes

Checks, incl. bag checks upon admission to the grounds: visitors should leave bags and backpacks at home if they are not urgently needed
Cosplayer: separate entrances with trained security personnel for the security check of props and accessories
The intensified security and prevention measures will remain in place at gamescom 2017. The measures apply for all participants of gamescom: exhibitors, visitors and media representatives. With regard to costumes, significant simplifications have been made in this year: specially trained personnel will be deployed at separate entrances for the security check of props and accessories. The following generally applies: as in the previous year, the organiser will remain in constant contact with the responsible security authorities both prior to and during the event, and will cooperate closely with these authorities.

In the past year, the organizer of gamescom, Koelnmesse GmbH, has intensified the security and prevention measures for the world’s largest event for computer and video games. The following applies for this year’s gamescom (Status in mid July 2017): the intensified security measures remain in effect for gamescom 2017 (22 to 26 August). In concrete terms this means that participants of the trade fair should please leave bags and rucksacks that aren’t absolutely necessary at home in order to keep the waiting times to a minimum for admission to the grounds. Control measures, incl. bag checks, will be carried out at the entrances before admission to the fair grounds. The organisers request that participants support these control measures by bringing no or as little luggage as possible with them to the fair. For planning your arrival: the safety controls start at 7:00 a.m. Queues must be expected. The measures already apply as of 20 August 2017 with the beginning of devcom.

Costumes at gamescom 2017:

separate entrances, trained personnel and a cloakroom for cosplayers

Following the introduction of the changed costume provisions in 2016, dialogue was entered into with many cosplayers on the subject of a simplification of the rules.

The objective of the changed costume provisions in 2017 is to not unnecessarily inhibit the great creativity of the cosplay community, but to at the same time observe the rules resulting from the house rules and regulations of the organiser, as well as from the gun control law of the Federal Republic of Germany, and from the obligations as an organiser and operator. The following thus applies for gamescom 2017: costumes are welcome, but with conditions. The props and accessories of cosplayers will be checked and registered at the entrances to hall 11 and at Entrance North by employees with special training for precisely this purpose. Props and accessories that do not correspond with the rules can be checked in at separate cloakrooms and picked up again when leaving the fairgrounds. The organiser asks all cosplayers to observe the costume design rules and to use the entrances provided for this purpose. The specific costume design rules can be found at the homepage of gamescom in the section “Events/cosplay village”:

Click to access Kostümgestaltungsregeln.pdf

Koelnmesse reserves the right to prohibit the carrying of imitation weapons and accessories in the context of the right to decide who shall be allowed or refused access.

The organizer offers to check the corresponding object in advance for cosplayers who are uncertain of whether their costume or imitation weapon may be carried. A photo can be sent to for examination to this purpose gamescom@visitor.koelnmesse.de

Nathan Stevens

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I have always enjoyed playing video games and am a programming team lead for a video game company. I co-founded Gaming Cypher because I enjoy the gaming community and would like to provide the best news service around. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will make sure to get back to you quickly.