Video game festival · Fiera Milano Rho
For Italian and European video game publishers, independent and triple-A development studios, professional e-sport teams of the Italian and European leagues, content producers of the streaming platforms, broadcasters and media partners of the gaming calendar, specialised retailers and technical sponsor brand teams that run a merchandise programme — limited editions for stand hospitality, kits for the e-sport tournaments and finals, gifts for content creators, welcome packs for international publisher delegates, promotional items for fans attending the show — delivered in time for the opening of the Italian gaming calendar at Fiera Milano Rho and the satellite calendar that touches the promotional tour stages in the main cities of Northern Italy.
GamesWeekend Milano is the Italian event dedicated to video games, e-sport and digital culture that IIDEA organises together with Fiera Milano and with the support of the main Italian and international publishers and developers, with a calendar of national previews of triple-A and indie titles, presentations of new hardware platforms, e-sport tournaments of the Italian and European professional leagues, training and recruiting panels for developers, retro-gaming areas, themed pavilions on the genres of the sector (RPG, sport, racing, simulation, horror, family), meetings with content creators and the communities of the streaming platforms, and an exhibition area dedicated to accessories, merchandise and collector items of the sector. The event is conceived as a public synthesis of the work that IIDEA carries out year-round supporting the Italian video game sector, and is addressed both to the enthusiast public that crowds the show on the opening days and to the professional community of the sector (publishers, developers, retailers, broadcasters, e-sport teams, creators) that participates as exhibitor, sponsor or accredited.
For a merchandising programme around the Italian video game calendar, Corp-Merch.IT manages from its operational hub the full chain: reception of the master graphic files of the publisher, the development studio, the e-sport team or the technical sponsor (AI, EPS, PDF/X-4 with CMYK images at 300 dpi, FOGRA39 colour profile for printing, Pantone and RAL for materials), adaptation for the different personalisation techniques (direct UV printing on plastic objects for the pavilion gadgets, sublimation on technical fabrics for e-sport team apparel, computerised embroidery on sweatshirts and polo for staff, 3D powder printing for limited-edition prototypes, laser engraving on Maniago stainless steel for the small finals prizes, hot stamping on FSC-certified paper for the preview catalogues), physical pre-production sample with Pantone colour map and technical sheet, production on Italian supply chains (Como textile for premium merchandise, Pisa plastic, Maniago steel for technical accessories, Fabriano paper for catalogues, Faenza ceramics for finals prizes) and delivery to Fiera Milano Rho, the reference hotel of the delegation or the publisher office on slots confirmed by the GamesWeekend direction.
The audience of the Italian video game calendar is a combination of publishers and developers who follow the previews and the training panels, professional e-sport teams that play the finals of the league tournaments, content creators and streamers of the Twitch, YouTube Gaming and Kick platforms that crowd the stands and the meet & greet areas, broadcasters and media partners of the sector (Mediaset Infinity, RaiPlay, Multiplayer.it, Everyeye, IGN Italia) that follow the preview calendar, specialised retailers (Gamestop, GameStop, Unieuro, MediaWorld, Amazon Italy) that manage merchandise and limited-edition reservations, enthusiast public that crowds the show on the opening days (families, teenagers, young adults, limited-edition collectors), and delegations of international publishers (Sony Interactive Entertainment, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, Take-Two Interactive, Square Enix) that arrive for the Italian previews. For each of these actors Corp-Merch.IT operates as an external B2B supplier, on the brief of the client, without any role of representation of IIDEA, Fiera Milano, the publishers or the e-sport teams.
A recurring case for publishers that accompany the calendar with their own merchandise programme is the limited edition that the publisher distributes on the occasion of the national preview or the e-sport tournament, often in a low print run and with a format coordinated with the launched title or the competitive season. For these jobs we propose a neutral graphic base coordinated with the publisher brand manual (graphic identity, dominant palette, title claim, property identification codes), declined on a set of coherent articles (t-shirts in GOTS-certified organic cotton, cotton-fleece sweatshirts, branded technical gadget, limited editions in steel or premium plastic for collectors, thermal drinkware coordinated with the title palette) and we add in a second wave the specific details of the title or tournament presented (addicted, launch date, numbered limited edition, event claim) on a limited print run reserved for the accredited public. For e-sport teams that wish a coordinated merchandising with the competitive season we propose sets where the institutional colours of the team become the graphic base, with application of the logo and the payoff in a controlled and certified print run.
Most of the publishers, e-sport teams and publishing groups that run a merch programme for the Italian video game calendar coordinate their Italian operations from the Milan hub, where the communication agencies, the graphic studios, the technical merchandise producers and the personalisation partners converge. The Milan hub allows us to consolidate the publisher or team graphic files and the Pantone references with the brand team, run the physical pre-production sample on the Italian supply chains (Como textile for premium merchandise, Pisa plastic, Maniago steel for technical accessories, Fabriano paper for catalogues, Faenza ceramics for finals prizes) and ship the lot to Fiera Milano Rho, the reference hotel of the delegation or the publisher office on a very short courier window, twenty-four-forty-eight hours from the Lombard capital. For programmes that combine an Italian publisher with an international distribution partner we manage bilingual materials (Italian and English at minimum) and, on request, full multilingual release with translations aligned to ISO 17100.
The Italian video game calendar window is concentrated but must be prepared against a calendar that includes the Fiera Milano Rho setup days that open the previous Thursday, the public and delegate opening days of the weekend, the national preview calendar of the triple-A and indie titles during the week, the e-sport tournaments of the professional leagues on Saturday, the finals awards on the closing Sunday. For publishers and e-sport teams the gap between the confirmation of the launch calendar or competitive season and the opening of the video game calendar is normally less than ten weeks, and any object that must be at the stand, the finals area or the community area for the first day must be closed and shipped at least one week before the opening. We work backwards from that moment: production must close two-three weeks before the opening; the courier slot must be booked for the Thursday or Friday of the calendar week; the addressee list must be finalised at the same time as the preview and tournament calendar confirmation; the details of the single title or tournament add only a small reprint to an already produced neutral graphic base.
For Italian clients with VAT number the invoice is issued through the Exchange System (SdI) of the Agenzia delle Entrate with application of 22% VAT in EUR; reduced rates of 4%, 5% or 10% available on the categories of products that allow them (publishing, art objects, limited-edition art prints). Reverse charge for intra-EU buyers registered with VIES, split payment for public administration entities, destination code or PEC for electronic invoice delivery. For clients subject to CSRD reporting (D.Lgs. 125/2024, which transposes Directive (EU) 2022/2464) we provide a sustainability sheet per order with Scope 3 CO₂e estimate according to the GHG Protocol Corporate Value Chain on the Milan-Lombardy route and from the production supply chains indicated.
Branded technical articles (gaming headsets, XL mouse pads, desk mats, controller stands, branded USB cables, high-capacity power banks, USB sticks with exclusive content) for distribution to the stand public and for limited editions reserved for delegates and content creators of the streaming platforms.
Race jerseys in breathable technical fabric, branded cotton-fleece sweatshirts, t-shirts in GOTS-certified organic cotton, coordinated windbreakers and polo for the e-sport teams, the publisher staff and the video game calendar volunteers, with computerised personalisation (embroidery and sublimation printing) and coordinated cut by role and size.
Coordinated objects for stand hospitality, kits for international publisher delegations and prizes for e-sport tournament finals: limited editions in Maniago steel for the small prizes, miniatures and statuettes in premium plastic for collectors, limited-run art prints on Fabriano paper for title previews, thermal drinkware coordinated with the title palette.
Notebooks in FSC-certified paper, thermal drinkware coordinated with the calendar palette, premium pens, branded power banks and premium gift boxes destined for content creators of the Twitch, YouTube Gaming and Kick platforms, media partners of the sector (Multiplayer.it, Everyeye, IGN Italia), broadcasters and delegates of international publishers, delivered by name and booked in advance.
Before starting production, graphics, quantities per addressee, packaging and named receiving point must be confirmed. The final delivery address is defined close to the calendar against the calendar issued by the GamesWeekend direction and the marketing lead of each publisher or sponsor: Fiera Milano Rho has its main entrance on Strada Statale Sempione 28 and an operational loading bay with regulated time slots, and is subject to temporary ZTL defined by Fiera Milano during the setup days; the publisher stands have their own access that must be coordinated with the respective operations contacts; the e-sport finals areas have distinct gates for the public and delegations. The Milan historic centre ZTL, the November motorway traffic on the A4 Milan-Turin and A8 Milan-Lakes and the peak autumn trade-fair activity condition the delivery windows, and for this reason most teams opt for early-morning deliveries or after 19:30, when heavy vehicles are readmitted in the central ZTL areas.
For an Italian programme routed via Milan, deliveries are consolidated at the hub and shipped to Fiera Milano Rho or the reference hotel of the delegation on twenty-four-forty-eight hour windows via BRT, SDA, GLS or DHL Express Italy, by appointment for venues that require telephone notice. For programmes above 1,000 pieces we offer appointment delivery with telephone notice and, on request, on-site installation by our staff at the stand or a staging hotel. For materials that require controlled environmental conditions (limited editions in steel, premium plastic, ceramic) we coordinate climate-controlled transport with specialised partners. For welcome kits destined for the delegates of the international publishers we manage multilingual labelling (Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese) and tamper-evident bag packaging with bilingual packing list in the name of the addressee.
For programmes that involve international partners — foreign publishers, European e-sport teams, content creators of the global platforms, European media partners of the sector — we offer a welcome and logistical accompaniment service that covers the transfer from Malpensa or Linate, coordination with the Milan accommodation facility and management of dinners in the restaurants of the historic centre and the Navigli. For those who wish a continuous presence also in the satellite calendar (promotional tour stages, national previews, e-sport series, championship finals) we replicate the service on the whole calendar with a single operational contact and a dedicated MOQ price list.
Ten-twelve weeks before the calendar opening is the safest window for production in Italy and delivery to Fiera Milano Rho or the reference hotel of the delegation. Eight-nine weeks work when the product mix is simple, the publisher graphic is already approved and the quantities are already defined. For programmes that combine the video game calendar with the promotional tour stages we replicate the lots on both windows with a single operational contact.
Only after the GamesWeekend direction or the publisher contact confirms the setup window, the loading lane and the named addressee. Fiera Milano Rho has an operational loading bay on Strada Statale Sempione with regulated time slots; the publisher stands have their own access that must be coordinated with the respective operations contacts. Most teams opt for early-morning deliveries or after 19:30, when heavy vehicles are readmitted in the central ZTL areas.
Yes. The technical gadgets for the stand, the apparel for the e-sport team, the limited editions for stand hospitality, the kits for the content creators of the streaming platforms and the welcome packs for the international publisher delegates can be packed and labelled as separate lots, with distinct delivery addresses if the publisher manages more than one title in the preview calendar or if the e-sport team wishes a differentiated delivery between the gaming house and the Fiera Milano Rho stand. For programmes that involve more publishers we replicate the lots per publisher and consolidate in labelled crates per logistical node.
No. Corp-Merch.IT is an external and independent B2B supplier that helps publishers, developers, e-sport teams, content creators, broadcasters and technical sponsor brand teams prepare their own merch around the Italian video game calendar. It does not organise, sponsor or represent GamesWeekend Milano, IIDEA, Fiera Milano, the international publishers or the professional league e-sport teams.
Corp-Merch.IT is an external and independent B2B supplier for publishers, developers, e-sport teams, content creators, broadcasters and technical sponsor brand teams that participate in the Italian video game calendar. This page helps these subjects prepare their own merch around the video game calendar. It does not represent GamesWeekend Milano, IIDEA, Fiera Milano, the international publishers or the professional league e-sport teams.