16 MCV 10/09/10
MCV INTERVIEW MICHAEL RAWLINSON, UKIE
so far – to come together to present a collective, single voice to the Government. So that’s what I’m doing.” What Tiga does is up to them, says Rawlinson, but the point links back to one of the motivating factors for why ELSPA changed to UKIE in the first place. “We live in a diminishing world – that’s not to say our older core members will disappear, but our ability to maintain the organisation would be challenged if we didn’t change. Stakeholders, policymakers and the press want to talk ‘to the industry’ – but sometimes the area they want to talk to is a group of people with no representation. You mention the other organisation – they do represent another part of the industry, but they don’t represent much of it in total either. I think too many people become fixated that it’s only us or them. But historically there are loads of companies that neither of us cover – and now we’re saying UKIE will in future cover them too.”
BRAVE NEW WORLD Rawlinson’s confident words prove his claim that UKIE will be sharper, more vocal, and more proactive. The new name hasn’t just meant a nice new logo and slick website, but an overdue and reenergised change of pace. “We are very excited – I’ve been at ELSPA for a little over 11 years and I’ve loved pretty much every day of it. But you need a new challenge. This industry has changed beyond recognition in that time, and ELSPA will now morph with that change. In the same way the UK is a leader in games, we want to lead the thinking behind addressing and organising this wider world of games.”
Has there been any resistance from that ‘old boys’ club’? Why would the ELSPA board condone this switch, given that it has the potential to hand over their protected, powerful and pioneering organisation to a wave of new voices? “All our members are astute businessmen and women. Within their companies all of them are seeing their business changing and transforming, going into the brave new world – not necessarily jettisoning the old world, but embracing new things. Our board has taken the big picture view, they are not narrow-minded one bit. And I think that’s a great way to explain our view going forward. “ELSPA was created in 1989 and we were the first trade association for this industry – the first anywhere in the world. When you think of the type of gaming we did in those days and how far we’ve come today… Well, you can’t stand still. We’re always seeking new customers and new partners and new opportunities. Or else we will die.”
FRESH BLOOD
OVER THE past few months director general Michael Rawlinson has helped ELSPA pave the way for its transformation into UKIE by changing and growing the organisation’s in- house team with a mix of new hires. A mix of talents from inside and
outside the industry will better inform UKIE’s activity going forward. “A quality team of professionals
and experts to support our commercial and policy aims is key,” he tells us. “We have a great team in place now to drive UKIE forward.” Two key new headline additions
are Daniel Wood and Sam Collins. Wood is communications and public affairs manager, and moves to UKIE from music royalty business PRS for Music, where he worked as head of strategy and planning for the marketing and communications department. Working with Wood is new public
affairs and policy officer Gemma Hirsch, who also joined this summer.
WWW.MCVUK.COM
Wood (above left) is public affairs manager, while Collins is commercial manager Meanwhile former Midas man
Elsewhere, David Smith has been
Collins takes the role of commercial manager. He will be working with existing and new members to both grow UKIE and flesh out the organisation’s value proposition.
UKIE: THE NEW WEBSITE
promoted to marketing executive – and John Hillier still leads the anti- piracy and IP crime unit supported by his crack squad of four IP crime investigators.
A KEY element to the new UKIE offer is a revamped web presence. “In the past we didn’t want to rock the boat – it was a very passive, undemanding website that didn’t need maintenance,” says Rawlinson of the old ELSPA site. “But we’ve made the decision to be more active. If we’re going to properly represent this vibrant new industry we need the site to be like that too.” The classic members-only area and chart database remains, but UKIE’s
new site will offer updates on campaigns with Government and more regular communication with its members, plus a forum and networking opportunities for individuals whose companies are signed up as members. Ancillary services like recruitment
feeds are also under consideration. “Showcasing is a big part of the
website as well,” adds Rawlinson. “Every company who is a member of UKIE will have the opportunity to
showcase their work to other members and to the world at large. That could be very useful for someone creating content that might want to reach out to publishers. “We all assume that everyone
knows your company – but really in our industry everyone is so immersed in their own world that they don’t know much about others. “This is a chance to flick through the industry’s catalogue and make some new connections.”
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