GDC organisers announce a new series of industry events

CMP Game Group, organisers of the Game Developers Conference, has announced a new series of events that focus on specific areas of the interactive entertainment industry, beginning with the Game Advertising Summit in June.

Taking place at the Marriott Hotel in San Francisco on the 9th June, the first in a series of FOCUS ON events will serve as a focal point for key players in the advertising and videogame publishing sectors, offering insight, first hand experience and an opportunity to explore and develop the growth of the in-game advertising business.

The event will feature a keynote address by Kevin Browne, General Manager Xbox New Media and Franchise Development, in addition to a series of panel discussions, presentations, seminar events and the obligatory networking and business opportunities for all key players in the growing sector.

Neil Kent, CMP Media's regional events director, commented: "Our new 'GDC FOCUS ON' series will allow attendees to utilise GDC's vast resources to dissect the most topical issues the game industry is wrestling with and provide a deeper analysis on key subjects. The Game Advertising Summit will examine the realities of in-game advertising for both the video game and advertising communities. At the end of the day, both constituents will have a deeper understanding of what this new medium has to offer and if it should be included in their future business plans."

Full conference details, including confirmed speakers, panel sessions, registration, accommodation and travel for the event can be found by visiting the FOCUS ON website.

The Game Advertising Summit marks the first of a broad range of events planned this year, which to date include the Game Development Services event in Los Angeles this July, the Game Advertising Summit in New York this September and the Casual Games in Seattle, which is currently scheduled for December 2006.