19 August 2024
The 20th Anniversary Women in Games Global Conference will take place virtually on Friday October 11th, the Day of the Girl – Tickets available now – Join hundreds of other women and allies around the world for a full day of discussion and networking
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The one-day global online Women in Games Conference – PLAY GROUNDED – will take place on Friday October 11th, the Day of the Girl, and celebrates 20 years since the inaugural Women in Games Conference in 2004.
Covering three global time zones, beginning at 7am GMT and ending at 9pm GMT, the Conference will focus on the phenomenon of play and play spaces.
Women in Games events are not possible without sponsors, and this year we are proud to announce our Conference is supported by Inno Games as Silver Sponsors, Roblox and Disobey as Event Supporters, plus our Corporate Ambassador Supporters.
We are providing an arena for discussion of the functions of play across multiple strands, from concept to publication – the makers and the players – the pleasures [of playing] and the pain [of toxic spaces].
Delivering the 20th Anniversary keynote will be Dr Aphra Kerr, Professor of Information and Communication Studies, University College Dublin, Principal Investigator SFI ADAPT Centre, Ireland, and author of milestone texts and research on digital games.
Expert speakers will consider the challenging contemporary issue of misogyny in game spaces - gendered toxicity, harassment and discrimination in what should be playful, safe environments - and will showcase some of the best work being done to tackle this persistent issue.
Other sessions will look at the role of the cultural and education sectors in supporting and engaging women and girls in the games space; a discussion around how the media can give more of a voice to women; what women can bring to games development; and more.
Initial sessions and confirmed speakers include contributions from Women in Games Asia Chapter members, and the Geena Davis Institute, as well as:
Misogyny: Poison in the Play Space
- Dr Elizabeth Kilmer – Qualitative Researcher, Take This
- Emily Thompson – Senior Associate Director, Research Department, Simon Wiesenthal Center
- Laura Higgins – Senior Director of Community Safety & Civility, Roblox
- Lori Meakin – Author and Founder, The Others and Me
- Dr Rachel Kowert - Researcher on the uses and effects of digital games, award winning author, and founder of Psychgeist®, a multimedia content production studio for the science of games and pop culture.
Games as Culture: The Role of Museums in Encouraging girls’ and women’s involvement in games
- Cat Powell - Co-CEO and Director of Visitor Experience National Video Game Museum, Sheffield
- Eva Sturlese - Deputy Director at VIGAMUS, Rome
- Helen W Kennedy - Professor of Creative and Cultural Industries at the University of Nottingham
- Marco Accordi-Rickards - Executive Director and Founder of VIGAMUS group, and Leader of VIGAMUS Museum and Academy, Rome
The Power of the Podcast
- Lauren Kaye – Founder, She Plays Games
- Rosie Taylor – Content & Community Manager, Safe In Our World
- Dr Sharon Coleclough – Senior Lecturer, Staffordshire University
More speakers and sessions will be announced shortly.
Conference delegates will also have invaluable networking opportunities through the online platform RingCentral (formerly known as Hopin).
Women in Games CEO Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman said: “The 2024 Women in Games Conference will focus on the phenomenon of play and play spaces. How play is designed, developed and published, where play happens, and what play is, and can be, through the Women in Games Lens.
“With this, the 20th Anniversary Women in Games Conference, we will also celebrate the influence of women in the sector, and on play spaces. We will showcase engaging panels and speaker sessions and host distinctive speakers – experts in their respective fields - from across the globe.
“As with all Women in Games events, the Conference will provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive space for all women and allies – and we look forward to hosting our community from across the world for this special day.”
To find out more about the Conference and to purchase tickets, visit https://events.ringcentral.com/events/the-2024-global-women-in-games-20th-anniversary-conference/registration
Notes to editors:
About Women in Games
Women in Games is a UK-based, not-for-profit organisation operating at a global scale. We are transforming equity, diversity and belonging in the games industry through galvanising our community into action across the world.
We operate within 5 Spheres of Action, which are:
• Industry
• Education
• Policy
• Community
• Culture
Women in Games’ work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and is primarily focused on Goal 5: ‘Achieve Gender Equality & Empower all Girls and Women’. Women in Games advocates for all women, girls and people of diverse gender identities as well as transgender, gender diverse and intersex women.
Women in Games’ Purpose: The purpose of Women in Games is to empower girls and women by building a fairer, safer, more equal global gaming ecosystem.
Our Vision: Women in Games’ vision is to ensure an environment where full equity of opportunity, treatment and conditions empowers all girls and women, of any ethnicity, orientation and background, to achieve their full potential within the global gaming ecosystem.
Our Mission: Our mission is to create new initiatives, activities, pathways and synergies that foster opportunities to empower girls and women.
By investing in women and girls, we will realise an equal playing field, drive positive cultural and societal change, and deliver significant benefits for the global gaming ecosystem. We bring together agents of change, advocates, men and boys, champions, experts, grass-roots organisations and others for new dialogues and campaigns focussed on shared solutions towards achieving fairness and equality for all.