- 09:30 – How are we Weathering the Storm
- 09:50 – Rovio’s Integration Journey With SEGA
- 10:10 – How on Earth did a Small Village in the Middle of Nowhere Become a Successful Game Development Hub?
- 10:30 – Celebrating a Decade of Innovative Finnish Games
- 11:00 – Minigames – Max Impact in Cost per Retained User
- 11:20 – The Early Agent Gets the Worm: How to Prioritise Player Support in Game Development
- 11:40 – Building Game Teams for Success
- 12:00 – Uniting the Industry Through Pride and Pixels
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With Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki 2024 coming up next week, we thought it was time to explore the 21-track conference schedule. This October 1st and 2nd, more than 150 world-class expert speakers will bring you the hottest trends and latest innovations in the global games industry.
You’ll have access to two days of cutting-edge talks, seminars and panel discussions with some of the world’s leading authorities covering everything from monetisation and growth strategies, to the state of play in the heart of the global mobile games industry: Finland.
Don’t miss out on this unparalleled opportunity to meet and learn from some of the most exciting companies, brands and individuals in the games industry – tickets are available now.
Between now and when the venue doors open, we’ll share what each track is about, as well as the talented individuals that will lead the sessions.
To register for the show, head to the Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki website.
The Finest Finland track
Tuesday, October 1st
Discover Finland’s hottest industry trends and gain valuable insight into the latest facts and figures. Explore beyond the borders to uncover a wealth of information, encompassing diverse sectors and cutting-edge developments.
Stay updated and informed with concise, relevant content that captures the essence of the ever-evolving games industry landscape.
09:30 – Finnish Game Industry – How are we Weathering the Storm
- KooPee Hiltunen, director at Neogames Finland
09:50 – Bringing two Icons Together – Rovio’s Integration Journey With SEGA
10:10 – GameCity Kajaani – How on Earth did a Small Village in the Middle of Nowhere Become a Successful Game Development Hub?
- Veli-Pekka Piirainen, chairman of the board, Critical Force
Why did Kajaani, a small village in the middle of forests and lakes, become a very successful game development center in Finland? How everything started almost twenty years ago, what made the success story happen and how the growth will be fueled in the future?
10:30 – Fantastic Finland – Celebrating a Decade of Innovative Finnish Games
- Henri Lindgren, CEO, Lightneer
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Licia Prehn, diversity, inclusion and HR specialist, Next Games – A Netflix Game Studio
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Lasse Seppanen, game lead (Hay Day & Boom Beach), Supercell
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Kimmo Kari, chief gaming officer, Kuuasema
In conjunction with Pocket Gamer Connects’s ten-year anniversary, our panellists take a trip down memory lane and discuss the last 10 years of the Finnish games scene, and what we can expect going into 2025 and beyond.
11:00 – Minigames – Max Impact in Cost per Retained User
- Gus Viegas, VP of marketing, Cosmic Lounge
Why do studios use misleading ads and minigames? What is the percentage impact on their businesses? What are the gains and trade-offs in cost per retained user when using these? This case study will go over the tangible data highlighting the business benefits of rapid and streamlined production and market testing of minigames.
Understand why marketing and design teams need to work together to design seamless end-to-end experiences for sustained user engagement and acquisition success.
11:20 – The Early Agent Gets the Worm: How to Prioritise Player Support in Game Development
- André Mendes, player experience team lead, Next Games, a Netflix Game Studio
Smooth and stress-free player support is essential for keeping players and communities engaged with your game. But game development is all about prioritization. In this talk, André Mendes will share tips on how to keep Player Experience top-of-mind for even the busiest of teams.
11:40 – Vision, Roles & Strengths: Building Game Teams for Success
- Jaakko Sarno, design director, Lightneer
When aspiring to build a successful game how we can assure that we have needed building blocks? What roles the vision for the game needs? What talent? Can the chosen team build it?
In the14 years of my career in mobile game industry I’ve seen successful teams that work like a dream creating machine, which delivers and teams that struggle to make it happen. in this talk I’ll share some insights how to aim for the dream creating machine.
12:00 – Better Games Together: Uniting the Industry Through Pride and Pixels
- Licia Prehn, diversity, inclusion, and HR specialist, Next Games – A Netflix Game Studio
- Essi Jukkala, game programmer, Supercell
- Viivi Ali-Löytty, brand lead, Supercell
- Anni Mäkitalo, communications and partnerships manager, Metacore
Founded in 2022, Better Games Together is a collaborative made up of Metacore, Next Games, Supercell, Rovio, and We in Games Finland that works towards making the Finnish Game Industry a more safe and inclusive place for LGBTQIA+ game makers.
In this panel, they will discuss their journey so far, and offer tips and insights for companies looking to team up in other countries as well.
Fringe events, parties and networking
As well as two full days of unmissable conference content, whether you’re a publisher, developer, investor or indie, we have seminars, roundtables, networking, fringe events and parties designed to give you a conference experience you won’t forget.
To register for the show, head to the Pocket Gamer Connects Helsinki website.
