Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009

Monday 20th April/... The Edinburgh Interactive Festival has today announced that early-bird rates are now available for delegate passes for this year’s Festival. Rates will be available for anyone wishing to book tickets between now and Friday 29th May. The early bird discount will offer delegates 20 per cent off the cost of a standard delegate pass for this year’s conference. The Edinburgh Interactive Festival will take place in Edinburgh City centre in the week of 10th August with industry conference and public showcase running on Thursday 13th and Friday 14th August.

A special discount will be made available to all students and Scottish companies looking to come along to this year’s Festival. Details of these discounts are available at www.edinburghinteractivefestival.com

The Games Festival offers delegates, speakers, the public and press a unique opportunity to network and share opinions in a relaxed atmosphere. Passes include full access to the main two-day conference, a speed networking session, a networking drinks reception, the games screening program and the public gaming area.

Dare ProtoPlay, the public showcase event of Dare to be Digital, UK’s premier video games design competition, will run alongside the Edinburgh Interactive Festival from 14th August to 16th August.

The conference will bring together leading experts and decision makers from the interactive entertainment industries across video games publishing, hardware manufacturing, mobile content, games development, TV and film, retail, new media advertising agencies, Government, media and students.

Chris Deering, Chairman of Edinburgh Interactive Festival, said: "Every year the interactive world of entertainment evolves in scope and amazing creativity. The Edinburgh Interactive Festival embraces the "new shoots" and helps us enjoy the progress rather than be intimidated by it. Edinburgh is a unique celebration of the creative culture of games.”

Wendy Rosenthal, Conference Director of Edinburgh Interactive Festival, said: “I am really excited about this year’s forthcoming Interactive Festival. We have a number of key industry luminaries lined up, from traditional game companies to those at the cutting edge of their field. I am confident that Edinburgh Interactive 09 will be the best Edinburgh Interactive Festival to date.”

Now in its seventh year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is set to bring the latest developments that the interactive and video games industry has to offer. Year on year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festive Festival is becoming more and more synchronised with the world famous Edinburgh Festival. With such rapidly growing popularity, Edinburgh Interactive Festival’s appeal has broadened considerably; it is now a massive draw for press and professionals from film, TV and interactive media backgrounds.

To purchase a delegate pass, download the booking form www.edinburghinteractivefestival.com.

If you would like receive more details about partnership opportunities available for this year’s festival contact jodie.holdway@edinburghinteractivefestival.com

Press enquiries should be directed to sarah.hartland@bhpr.co.uk or tom.sargent@bhpr.co.uk

Ends.

About Edinburgh Interactive Festival 2009

Now celebrating its seventh year, the Edinburgh Interactive Festival is powered up to showcase the continued popularity, growth and influence of video games. And this year, the Interactive Festival is more synchronised with the world famous Edinburgh Festival than ever, appealing to the press, public and professionals from film, television and interactive media backgrounds alike, offering a bigger event for delegates, more consumer focusing – an overall spectacle for all.

EIF 2009 will again host a Free Game Play and Recruitment areas specifically tailored to cater for the public - allowing them access to the latest games and job opportunities in games.

As ever, the Interactive Festival wouldn’t be complete without the cornerstones of conferences, keynotes, panel sessions, debates, games screenings and even more people than ever jostling to get through the doors.

The Edinburgh Interactive Festival is managed by a committee drawn from all areas of the games industry, including publishers, developers and the two industry trade bodies: The Independent Game Developers Association (TIGA) www.tiga.org and the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA) www.elspa.com.