The Entertainment Software Association is weighing whether to make substantial changes to its annual E3 trade show, including more emphasis on using celebrities and social media influencers to hawk video games, the industry news site GameDaily.biz reported.

E3, which is held annually in Los Angeles, is one of the most visible association events in the country and a place where many video games make their debut. However, the show's influence has diminished in recent years as rival video game events have emerged and game developers have increasingly turned to online video streaming and social media to generate buzz for their products.

ESA opened the previously industry-only event to the public in 2017, capping public attendance at 15,000 tickets. In a members-only document obtained by GameDaily.biz, the association is proposing to raise that cap to 25,000 but balance that with an industry-only day before the main event kicks off.

Mostly, however, ESA is seeking to reinvent the show as a "fan, media and influencer festival." The group is proposing a redesign of the exhibitor space to set aside large areas as "experience hubs" where video games could be demoed. It also suggested using celebrities and social media influencers to pitch games, although the group's members apparently ruled out paying celebrities for their participation at the event and instead chose to invite them instead.

Another idea pitched by ESA: A "queuetainment" app in which attendees could register to attend a certain event during the show instead of waiting hours in line to get a seat. The idea would be similar to the technology Disney parks use that allow visitors to avoid long waits in line to get on a ride. http://bit.ly/2m2AKxF