Casual Games Forum
Opens in London on October 30th with assorted speakers and - slurp - a drinks reception.
October 20, 2008: The Casual Games Forum kicks off on Thursday 30th October with a strong list of leading names from this dynamic sector. The first seminar of its kind in the UK, the Forum aims to help growing companies maximise their revenues whilst providing emerging companies with a clear path for growth. Tandem Events, the organiser, has designed the day to appeal to anybody working within the sector, with tracks and sessions aimed at developers as well as business development executives.
“Casual Games is no longer a small side show to the traditional games market. It is a significant multi-pronged sector that has the potential to dominate the interactive entertainment world. We’ve assembled some of the brightest minds in the sector with sessions that should help delegates unlock the potential of this fascinating industry. We’ve no doubt that this event is set for major growth in the years ahead," commented Andy Lane, managing director of Tandem Events.
The keynote speaker at the forum is Mathieu Nouzareth, CEO, cafe.com and Boonty. Mathieu will be delivering a hard-hitting and sobering message about the potential for growth within the sector. Yes it has its rewards, but he will argue that there is no silver bullet, you have to compete in every market and consider every monetisation strategy if you are going to be truly successful. Mathieu will draw on his experiences managing the worldwide activities of café.com where he concentrates on strategy, corporate development, product management and finance.
Other speakers include Kristian Segerstrale, CEO, Playfish, who will be talking about the social gaming revolution and answering the question: Why do casual gamers like to do it in company?
On a more practical note, Eric Zimmerman, CEO of Gamelab will be looking at the game design fundamentals for casual gamers.
The day will be split in two by a networking lunch. In the morning, everyone will be together to focus on industry trends and future forecasts. In the afternoon the Forum will initially split into two tracks – the Business track will look at strategies for monetisation and growing audiences whilst the Development track will take a technical look at the trends in game design and production. The formal part of the day ends with a panel session for everyone.
Other topics and speakers include:
Flash Forward: New Evolutions in the flash games ecosystem Matt Spall, MD, Eidos Data download: The casual games market in facts and figures Steve Bailey, Research Analyst, Screen Digest Online advertising: The easy way of paying to play? Simon Jones, MD, Game Jacket Dave Ranyard's session: The future in their hands: How SCEE's EyeToy and SingStar games are expanding social gaming on PlayStation The panel session is entitled: Getting in touch with the iPhone games market. With Ed Fear, deputy editor, Develop magazine; James Brooksby, Studio Head, Doublesix Games; John Chasey, Finblade; Paul Farley, MD, Tag Games; John Cook, Senior Partner, Bad Management (Stainless Games); Mark Ettle, CEO, Cobra GamesThe day will conclude with a networking drinks reception hosted by the organiser, Tandem Events.
The Casual Games Forum is at the Ambassadors Hotel in Bloomsbury on Thursday 30th October 2008. Delegate tickets are £295 and can be booked online at www.casualgames-forum.com.