MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
In just under two months MCV is bringing back the Future Games Summit. The event for leaders in the games industry, and beyond, to share knowledge and network.
And today we’re excited to announce the first of many exciting speakers who will be sharing their visions for the future of the games industry at the event on the 25th and 26th of November.
Debbie Bestwick MBE, CEO of Team17, needs little introduction having led the award-winning veteran games developer and international games label as CEO since 2010. Working on franchises like The Escapists, Overcooked!, Yooka-Laylee, Worms and many more titles from developers around the world. Bestwick has focused on transforming Team17 into a global games publishing label with strong year on year growth, taking the expertise gleaned from decades of games development to support independent development studios in taking their IP to market. In order to broaden Team17’s profile globally and to support further growth, Team17 successfully completed the admission to the London Stock Exchange in 2018.
Craig O’Boyle, head of entertainment & gaming for Google in EMEA, leads a team responsible for international client strategy and marketing partnerships for some of the company’s biggest movie studio, video-game, music and broadcast media network partners. O’Boyle oversees Google’s roadmap and industry strategy focused on the future of entertainment and gaming, and regularly speaks on topics such as how customer journeys are rapidly changing, the evolution of marketing, use of data and consumer insights, long-term digital transformation, and the opportunities that these all bring for companies and consumers. O’Boyle has over 10 years experience of working in the gaming industry, and before joining Google he was Senior Director of International Marketing at Activision Blizzard.
Catherine Cheetham, COO of Fourth Floor Creative, the fast-growing specialist influencer marketing agency delivering branded campaigns, amazing video content, high-quality merchandise and must-attend events for brands including Sega, Square-Enix, Bethesda, Codemasters, Capcom and Facepunch. Cheetham has 15 years experience in technology, operations and product management and held senior roles at OVO Energy and MyLife Digital. She is focusing on implementing an operational framework which drives maximum value for Fourth Fourth clients and the creators they help brands work with.
Si Lumb, senior producer at BBC Research & Development. A veteran of 14 years with the BBC, he’s always challenging others to think about the future of media in the age of the video game. Dedicated to work on the convergence of digital games with traditional media, Lumb has a proud history of exploring the seams between these worlds: leading development on the BBC’s first internet TV services. Innovating in games and services for BBC Children’s and BBC Education, working on landmark interactive television, managing seasons of responsive and immersive experiences for BBC Taster, plus evangelising BBC’s early VR experiments. Lumb’s trademark is boundless enthusiasm for interactive, immersive games, helping the BBC to leverage them to innovate in its systems and storytelling.
A big thanks to all four for being our first confirmed speakers at the event. We’ll be announcing more speakers every week now until the event. To hear these and many, many more across two tracks, head to FGS19 to secure your ticket.
FGS19 is a two-day conference being held on November 25th and 26th. We’ve booked the stunning Altitude 360 (now known as Atmosphere) venue by the river with panoramic views of London, so the vision of our speakers won’t be the only thing to marvel at.
The event is for C-level, decision makers and leaders in the games industry. There will be no press and no reporting from the event. It’s an opportunity for the top-level of the industry, and those working in connected sectors, to get together and talk about the future of games as a business – whether that be platforms, marketing, publishing, development, online retail and much more.
Please get in contact with our programme director Tracey McGarrigan if you wish to secure a speaking slot at the event. However, please note that we are only accepting new talks, from senior executives, that provide valuable business insight for other industry leaders.
In addition, we’re looking for speakers who are also keen to attend the event as a whole, as there’s a big crossover between the kind of speaker we’re targeting and the audience we’ll draw. Both days will be relatively lightly scheduled, providing plenty of time and space for networking, which will form a big part of the event.If you want to reach this select audience then please contact Alex Boucher about sponsorship opportunities, or to make the most of the event we’re also offering private meeting areas.
For more details on the event head to www.futuregamessummit.com.
