The San Francisco Bay Area is a hotbed for gaming technology companies, making this an ideal venue to bring together the best in the business. This seminar will provide useful information for women and men, as well as new and veteran game developers, with topics including marketing to women and designing games that appeal to both genders. Round-table discussions with industry leaders will include: how to break in and advance your game industry career, mid-career strategies, achieving a work/life balance and resolving quality of life issues. For those who are looking for work in the gaming industry, there will be a recruiter Q&A with resume and portfolio reviews.
The Women in Games International Conference series has been created as a forum to discuss a wide range of issues related to women in games. The half-day conference consists of an opening keynote address, panel discussions with top experts in the field, round-table discussions and a post-conference networking reception. Conference sponsors include Microsoft Game Studios, Game Developers Conference (GDC), International Games Developers Association (IGDA), Mary-Margaret.com, Girls in Games, ThemePark Studios, WomenGamers.com and BusinessWire. This event is presented in cooperation with the Women in Games Conference in the U.K.
Kathy Schoback, Development Chair for Women in Games International, states "Games wouldn't be what they are today without the combined ideas and technical skills of both men and women on the development teams. WIGI is providing a forum to get industry leaders together to share insights and inspire even more women to join this exciting field." Kathy is VP of Content Acquisition for AGEIA in Mountain View.
Sheri Graner Ray, Steering Committee Chair for Women in Games International, offers "As the games industry continues to grow, the interest in attracting women into the industry has also grown. Women In Games International is a place for people to work together to identify and address the issues of women in the industry. Through Women In Games International, we continue to work to further grow the games industry into an economically strong, diverse, and exciting place to be for everyone." Sheri is currently Content Lead Designer for Sony Online in Austin.
Confirmed speakers include Brenley Brotman, Senior Recruiting Manager, Lucasfilm; Gina Centoni, SVP of Product Marketing; (M)forma; Don Daglow, CEO, Stormfront; Nicole Lazzaro, President, XEO Design; Mitzi McGilvray, General Manager for Casual Games, Slam Dunk Productions; Elisabeth Marty, HR Director, Linden Lab; Heidi Perry, Vice President of Marketing, PlayFirst; Nicky Robinson, Technical Director, Limelife; Jessica Tams, Director of Partner Development, Trymedia Systems; Margaret Wallace, CEO, Skunk Studios and more.
The Women In Games International Conference -San Francisco will be held at the Fort Mason Conference Center, Landmark Building A, located at the Presidio in San Francisco, California. Attendance is $45 for general attendees, $35 for WIGI members and $30 for students with I.D. Space is limited, so interested attendees are encouraged to secure their spot by registering online at www.womeningamesinternational.org.