Ubisoft, BlackBird Interactive, Zynga, Red Barrels, Certain Affinity, and Tencent are just a few of the star-studded speaker lineup.
May 31th, 2024, Toronto, ON — XP Gaming is thrilled to share the full program schedule of world class speakers and panellists for XP Game Summit 2024 at the Hyatt Regency, June 13-14, 2024.
This year’s summit will feature a robust lineup of talks and masterclasses across three stages with tracks covering business, development, IP, production, and, in partnership with Interactive Ontario, the Indie Superboost.
A cornerstone of Canada’s $5.5 billion gaming industry, the XP Game Summit is focused on the importance of Intellectual Property innovation as a driving force to grow the Canadian gaming industry for the 2024 edition.
As part of that focus on game IP development, keynote speakers for the event are celebrated experts in the field; Dr. Michael Schmalz, whose experience includes Warframe, one of the most successful Free-to-Play PC-Console action-adventure games in the industry; and Trey Smith of Blackbird Interactive, whose game roster includes Hardspace: Shipbreaker, Minecraft Earth, and Minecraft Legends among others.
With over 50 talks and panels across five tracks, the full program schedule taps into the expertise of more than 70 professionals including:
- Erin Roach, Director of Diversity and Inclusion for Canada, Ubisoft, on DEI in the workplace
- Yaron Levand, Zynga’s EVP of Mobile Studios, on integrating IP into mobile games
- Jean-Sylvain Sormany, Founder of Snowed In Studios on the challenges of building a new studio
- Patil Angaladian, Marketing Director of 3dverse, on 3d rendering with cloud computing
- Max Hoberman, CEO of Certain Affinity, on negotiating and deal-making
- Xalavier Nelson Jr, Studio Head of Strange Scaffold on developing seven games at once
- Philippe Morin, Co-Founder of Red Barrels, on surviving a bad playtest
- Luc Duchaine, VP of Publishing of Behaviour Interactive on developing new IP
- Chris Zukowski on the new way to market on Steam
- Tencent’s Head of Business Development Amir Satvat, as well Dean Takahashi, Lead writer for Gamesbeat, on community management in challenging times.
“Our lineup of speakers this year is stronger than ever making this year’s XP Game Summit the largest gathering of industry knowledge on the east coast of North America” notes Jason Lepine, founder of XP Gaming Inc.
Every Indie studio has the promise to be the creator of the next big IP. Games are what make the industry what it is, and this year will feature three indie showcases, including the return of the Ubisoft Indie Series Spotlight.
“XP Game Summit is a beacon for collaboration in the video game industry and provides the perfect opportunity to bring together video game professionals from across Canada,” says Julien Lavoie, Director of Corporate Affairs, Ubisoft in Canada. “We’re thrilled to continue to be part of the summit and bring the Ubisoft Indie Series Spotlight back for another year, with several of our past or winners – Vivid Foundry, Achimostawinan Games, Thousand Star Studio and Play Underground Games! – showcasing their latest projects at the event.”
In addition to the Indie showcases and B2B exhibit floor, attendees can also look forward to the Business Lounge with MeetToMatch matchmaking platform, a VIP Lounge, and networking events like the IO Connect: Summer Mixer 2024, and the VIP Dinner Reception atop the beautiful Malaparte rooftop in downtown Toronto.
At the epicentre of the Toronto video game industry, XP Game Summit is the official kick off to Toronto Games Week 2024. The gaming celebration will run from June 13-19, with a series of events organised independently by dozens of organisations, curators, companies, creators, and communities. More information and schedule can be found at https://torontogamesweek.com/.
Passes are still available at www.xpgamesummit.com/register, starting with the Conference Pass for $349 or the exclusive VIP Pass at $499.
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Join us at the XP Game Summit 2024 and help shape the future of the gaming industry.
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For Media Inquiries please contact:
Ryan Sno-Wood
XP Gaming Inc.
Email: [email protected]
About XP Gaming Inc:
XP Gaming connects the global video game industry for business, recruitment and education.
Curating world class B2B conferences as idea exchange platforms; XP Gaming events become epicentres of innovation, collaboration, and connection that unite businesses, investors, and experts to help forge new business opportunities that ultimately shape the future of gaming. Their proprietary employment platform and Career Day events power recruitment efforts, linking recruiters with job seekers. And their education initiatives guide future professionals in exploring career possibilities and post-secondary educational choices.
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