We’re just two weeks away from Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital 2020, and we’re excited to bring you the next collection of confirmed speakers!
Taking place entirely online from Monday, September 14 to Friday, September 18, the conference will see 1,500 industry professionals from all around the world log onto their computers to do business, network with one another and learn from more than 250 of the world’s leading authorities in the games industry. The theme is Helsinki (it’s that time of year when we typically visit the Finnish capital) the content – entirely in English and broadcast on UK time – is perfect for games industry professionals everywhere.
Each talk, panel, keynote and seminars will be streamed live, recorded and made available on demand, so with a ticket you can interact with our speakers during their talks through our Q&As or catch up at a later time if you’re unavailable for the stream.
And as we’re finally leading up to the conference, the speaker line-up is almost completely final, with this next announcement of speakers showcasing some of the finest talent in the industry. Now the question is, which of these are you looking forward to learning from most in two weeks?
Finland and beyond
This event is called Helsinki Digital, because typically in September the Pocket Gamer Connects series journeys to the mobile gaming motherland of Finland. This year the event is completely online, which means international attendees have easier access to learn about the Finnish games industry, as well as enabling Finnish game professionals the opportunity to connect with the international market.
For instance, Neogames’ director KooPee Hiltunen takes a walk through the Finnish games industry over the last few years all the way until where the industry is during the present day. Then, LudiqueWorks’ CEO and co-founder Douglas Ogeto and Paradise Games’ CEO Sidick Bakayoko unite for a panel where they delve into the growing video game industry in Africa.
Live Ops and Hypercasual
We are pleased to announce that ZeptoLab’s head of live ops Francisco Bravo Landolfi joins us for Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital 2020 where he will deliver a superstar session which focuses on designing your game with live ops in mind.
LILA Games’ CEO Joseph Kim appears on a panel with other expert speakers to discuss why live ops is not a dirty word, and identify some of the best practices and why good practice isn’t limited to the platform.
Raw Fury Games’ producer Liam O’Neill and Epic LLama’s game designer Hernan Lopez discuss with a panel how long is too long for your game.
Explore the fundamentals of hypercasual with Kwalee’s publishing manager Allan Adham, as he provides his insider publisher knowledge on the platform. Meanwhile, Homa Games’ lead UA and monetisation Goncalo Alemao Martins leads a session on how in-app bidding boosts your hypercasual game.
Monetisation boost
Keeping the focus on in-app bidding, PeopleFun’s COO John Boog-Scott and SYBO Games’ head of growth Farhan Haq appear on a speed panel with other panelists as they discuss monetisation with in-app bidding.
Learn how to maximise the game economy with ad monetisation with App Annie’s Ron Thomas
Another much welcome addition to the speaker lineup for Helsinki Digital, much like every speaker at our conferences, is App Annie’s GM analytics Ron Thomas as he delivers a session on how to maximise the game economy with ad monetisation. Also, Vungle’s senior product manager David Rosenberg explores the next generation of ad formats with a panel.
Kukouri Mobile Entertainment’s CCO Mikko Kahara discusses with a panel how your campaigns can improve your organic growth. Hyper Hippo Entertainment’s CEO Sam Fisher shows you how to use UA funding effectively together with a panel.
NCOSFT’s SVP, corporate development Michael Chang features on a panel to discuss what are the next big acquisitions in the games industry and what is driving them. Meanwhile, Ascendant Digital’s CEO Mark Gerhard joins us for a digital fireside chat on the red hot gaming M&A market.
Irdeto’s VP of business development Paul Thind appears on a panel discussing what publishers do for their money.
Culture, gaming and beyond
King’s junior level designer Patience Ashiokai Ocquaye and Geogrify/The Global Game Jam’s CEO/executive director Kate Edwards feature on a panel together where they discuss how you can design toxicity away from your company, and how to create working cultures that reinforce positivity. Jam City’s Harry Potter game director Sarah Wolf also appears on a panel where she will discuss, with other experts, about the power of expression in games.
Hyeyon Kwon explores whether personalisation exists in the games industry
TENTUPLAY’s co-founder and COO Hyeyon Kwon explores whether personalisation exists in the games industry, and argues the need for a new segmentation approach.
Keeping things focused on culture, Fundamentally Games’ chief of curiosity Oscar Clark joins a panel which focuses on going indie after the current Covid-19 crisis. Clark is also on another panel where he will explore commercial models in PC and console with other expert speakers.
Discover how to maximise ARPDAU with a hybrid approach with Clipwire Games’ CEO Ritesh Khanna and Facebook’s strategic partner manager Ben Figueroa on this curated panel. Traplight’s senior game programmer Sampsa Oksa presents unique insights into mobile games piracy.
Additionally, Curve Digital’s chairman Stuart Dinsey joins us as a track compere for Helsinki Digital.
We’re also excited for Genvid Technologies’ director of developer relations Katleen Evers to join us for the Pocket Gamer 2020 Sessions, where she has a little under seven minutes to share her incredible insights. She’ll be one of a select group of entertaining speakers introducing our unique take on Pecha Kucha-style speed speeches, featured digitally for the first time.
Going beyond games, we are happy to announce Texas Student Television’s narrative director Ashley Poprik, HaZFilms’ co-founder Hazraf Dulull and TPub Comics’ founder and editor Neil Gibson join us for a panel discussion on the narrative flow in comics and films.
Book your tickets now!
These are amazing speakers you will want to learn from. So please book your tickets for Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki Digital 2020 now!
If you book a ticket to November’s G-STAR conference while you’re there, you can save an additional 20% too.
We’re also allocating a limited amount of free passes solely for small indie developers, enabling them to meet with investors and publishers, and learn from the industry’s biggest names. If you think you qualify, sign up here.
To support jobseekers during this difficult time, we’re inviting a select amount of people currently out of work and looking for a new role absolutely FREE.
Seeking funding for your next project? Places in our Investor Connector curated meeting sessions are still available – the application deadline is at the end of this week so sign up now.
