TIGA announces developers' conference to run alongside European Games Network

The Independent Game Developers' Association (TIGA) has announced a new European development conference to complement ELSPA/London EventCo's European Games Network trade show at ExCeL in September.

The European Developers' Forum will take place from September 1st to 3rd, and consists of two days of wide-ranging conference and one day dedicated to mobile entertainment. The EDF has the support of the TIGA membership, its Board, "key developers" from across Europe and tools and technology providers.

The timing of the event means that just as the European Games Network trade show clashes with ECTS 2004, the European Developers' Forum will now clash with CMP's Game Developers Conference Europe, which is due to run from August 31st until September 3rd at Earls Court. This is bound once again to raise concerns about splitting delegates' focus between two distant but similar events.

The TIGA board is currently convening a steering committee with a view to ratifying the full EDF conference programme in mid-June. At the moment the committee consists of Chris van der Kuyl (VIS/BAM!), Hermen Hulst (Guerrilla Games), Herald Rigler (Sproing), Jason Kingsley (Rebellion), Mark Hewitt (Elixir) and current TIGA chairman Ian Baverstock (Kuju Entertainment), with more names to be announced over the next few days.

TIGA chairman Baverstock this week explained the thinking behind the EDF. "We see this event as being about the people involved in game development in Europe, about the technology and about business developments in the global games development sector," he commented.

TIGA CEO Fred Hasson elaborated. "We need to ensure that the community has a professionally executed event that deals directly with the key issues of the moment. The European Developers' Forum will do exactly that; it is an event supported by the major development companies and talent in Europe and is programmed by the community for the community."

"We will of course be working closely with our partners in Europe and the US to ensure we really deliver the right mix to our audience, this means leveraging our relationships globally," he added.

TIGA will also run an International Content Market area within the neighbouring European Games Network trade event. Here developers will be able to meet in open plan areas and low cost closed presentation rooms, and make use of private meeting rooms and demo areas.

They will also benefit from the EGN Meeting Planner, an online meetings diary open to all VIP delegates and exhibitors to manage and plan time at the event.

In addition to EGN and the EDF, ExCeL will also play host to consumer show Game Stars Live, which runs from September 1st to 5th.