The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) has today announced that it will launch a weeklong festival of gaming in London next year to support the European Games Network and Game Stars Live events. London Interactive will take place between August 30 and September 5 and is designed to position London as the center for the games industry in Europe.

　　London Interactive will comprise both large-scale consumer activities and investment-in-industry initiatives, and discussions have already taken place with the mayor of London's office and Visit London (formerly the London Tourist Board) about ways for them to support the event. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTi) has also been approached with a view to developing a series of inward missions for trade delegations from around the world for the week.

　　"The creative industries, including computer and video games, are major contributors to London's economy," said Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London. "It is important to promote these industries and to create conditions in which they can thrive. A London-wide festival of gaming could offer an excellent means to promote computer and video gaming to investors as well as the public and to underpin the capital's role as a center for gaming."

　　"As our industry grows in prominence within the creative industries, developing our own equivalent to the London Film Festival, London Fashion Week, or In The City is both logical and desired," added Roger Bennett, director general of ELSPA. "There's a lot of hard work ahead of us to bring this to fruition, but we are confident in our expectation of seeing London reinforce its position as the European hub of gaming, not just for the industry but for the general public as well."