Annual conference plans to launch careers in growing industry.
Innovation Birmingham’s fourth annual LAUNCH Future Gaming & Digital Conference will feature a ‘Launch a career’ day for the first time. Organised in partnership with gaming recruitment specialists Aardvark Swift, the event has attracted registrations from over 20 universities and colleges from across the UK.
The LAUNCH Conference takes place at the Innovation Birmingham Campus on Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd November, with the second day being the ‘Launch a Career’ event. The first day carries the themes ‘Launch a Product’ and ‘Launch a Business’. Over 350 people will attend the two day event, which will showcase some of the biggest names in digital gaming.
Speakers include Craig Duncan, Head of Microsoft Rare Studios; Will Freeman, Contributing Editor of Develop magazine; Alex Zoro, Head of Development and Technology at Pixel Toys; Simon Barratt, Founder of Four Door Lemon; Ella Romanos, CEO of Remode Studios; Gary Dunn, VP of Franchise Business at Codemasters and Dr Jo Twist, CEO of UKIE (UK Interactive Entertainment).
Pia Pearson, Digital Marketing Manager and Head of LAUNCH at the Innovation Birmingham Campus said: “The LAUNCH Conference and events programme is one of the largest activities of its kind for the UK’s digital gaming industry. The calibre of our partners and sponsors illustrates the impact LAUNCH has across the UK; we’re thankful to Unity, Microsoft, Aardvark Swift, Business Birmingham, bluegfx, Autodesk and Develop magazine for supporting this initiative and enabling us to concentrate the focus of the digital gaming industry on Birmingham.”
The universities that will be in attendance for the ‘Launch a Career’ day include those with specialist digital gaming and computer science departments such as the University of Huddersfield, Staffordshire University, Hertfordshire University, De Montfort University and Birmingham City University.
The LAUNCH Conference will provide delegates with an insight into the industry’s latest innovations, trends, online tools, computer games, mobile products and services. Delegates will also be able to get hands-on with cutting-edge technology via the interactive exhibition, which will feature a dedicated showcase for gaming start-ups to demonstrate their latest creations.
Pia Pearson added: “The UK games industry is the second largest in the world after the US, and the West Midlands is home to 25 per cent of the country’s total games workforce. This region has become a hub for games and digital media, with Innovation Birmingham Campus’ Faraday Wharf building being home to 18 games studios.
“As recently reported by Business Birmingham, almost four in ten of the SME tech firms which have experienced obstacles to expanding in London say they have missed out on new business because of this. LAUNCH enables us to bring digital gaming professionals and mobile app developers out of the capital to Birmingham to see how advantageous it could be to relocate their business here.”
For more information and to book your place at the conference, visit www.launchconference.co.uk.