The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) has today announced that its board has endorsed the launch of a major new games industry event in the UK. Owned and driven by ELSPA, the first European Games Network (EGN) will take place on September 1-3 in London's Docklands--alongside the first three days of the new Game Stars Live five-day consumer event.

　　"EGN is for everyone in the business of games. Our members and our board believe it is right for the industry to be the stakeholder of the European business event. They have encouraged us to develop EGN, using the ownership model the ESA (Entertainment Software Association) enjoys in the US, where it owns and drives the huge E3 trade event," said Roger Bennett, director general of ELSPA. "Clearly our objective is to balance this with the needs and expectations of Europe. Therefore, EGN will deliver a mix of business, free of hype, in a structured environment for all sectors of the games value chain."

　　EGN will cater to all sectors of the games industry with a large exhibition space, complemented by meeting rooms for delegates and a series of conferences and workshops for developers. We'll bring you more information on the event as soon as it becomes available.