Pocket Gamer Connects adds first online-only Digital conference to its games industry event line-up

Steel Media, the UK company behind the Pocket Gamer series of sites and events, today formally announces its first ever online-only event. Set to take place from Monday, April 6 to Friday, April 10 this year, it will distil the spirit of PG Connects and its Big Screen Gaming partner conferences into digital form.

Networking is an essential part of the games business, there are usually industry events happening somewhere in the world literally every week. However, right now, not everything is running as usual. Whilst many smaller and mid-range events are going ahead as normal (and PG Connects in Seattle, Hong Kong, Helsinki and Jordan are very much included), some of the bigger events like Taiwan Games Show, MWC, GDC and E3 have been cancelled or postponed, and many people are unable to travel quite as freely.

In Steel Media’s continuing mission to serve the games industry, it has come up with an answer in the form of PG Connects Digital. Sitting alongside its live events, April 6 sees the launch of its first completely digital event.

“It could be the first of many, it could be the one and only, to be honest, we don't know yet,” said CEO Chris James. “This is very much an attempt to do something to help the industry and to continue our ongoing mission to connect people. What we do know is that we're going to work incredibly hard to bring as much of the content and spirit as we can from the traditional PG Connects events you have come to know and love over the last seven years.”

Already planned are expert talks and panels, a brand new and massively improved digital meeting system (with built-in audio/video conferencing), digital versions of Big Indie Pitches and fringe events like Publisher SpeedMatch and Investor Connector, and more.

This will all be carried out to fit around your schedule and from the comfort of your office computer, wherever you are in the world. You can register for tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pg-connects-digital-1-tickets-98035584071. And there is more information unfolding daily at https://www.pgconnects.com/digital/.


Expert Insight
As one of an expected 750+ delegates, you will have access to an innovative online platform for five days in April.

For the first two days you'll be able to select from a programme of great live video content full of insight and practical advice across themed conference tracks. You can watch the tracks live or catch up on the recorded videos within your own time, and if you're online while the speakers are performing you'll be able to interact live with them and the other viewers with questions and comments.

Already confirmed to speak: Taewon Yun (Super Evil Megacorp), Langer Lee (mixi), Simay Dinc (Recontact Games), Michail Katkoff (Rovio), Mariela Tzvetanova (Imperia Online), Sabrina Carmona (King), Harri Manninen (Play Ventures) and loads more.

More names and topics will be revealed over the next month, but you can expect the usual inspiring talks from over 60 speakers who will educate and inspire through an agenda of themed tracks set to cover monetisation and growth, global game trends and company culture, development tools and stories and strategies to thrive in the modern gaming market be it mobile, PC, console or XR.


24-Hour Networking For All
Aside from the talks, you'll have until the end of the digital conference week to connect with other attendees, to meet, discuss, do deals and make plans using the all-new online meeting system.

Plus the Digital site will also be running online variants of celebrated Big Indie Pitch, Publisher SpeedMatch and Investor Connector activities, that will bring together specific groups with specific needs.

“We're not going to pretend this will have ALL the benefits of a regular conference,” commented CEO Chris James. “There are no free drinks for a start, no booths to wander or cool freebies to pocket! And there’ll be less of those incidental catch-ups and spontaneous meetings. This is very much a beta project - and we've priced it accordingly! But we feel sure that you'll lend us your patience, trust and support to try and pull off something that can genuinely help us all stay connected, doing business and having fun through these challenging times.”

More details and tickets are available from the official site at https://www.pgconnects.com/digital/.