LONDON


CONNECTING 10 YEARS OF POCKET GAMER CONNECTS


Steel Media COO Dave Bradley takes through the beginnings of Pocket Gamer Connects, the gaming conference continues to break new ground around the world


How did the idea for Pocket Gamer Connects come about? The team behind the PocketGamer.com and PocketGamer.biz websites love a good party! That’s how the events business started out. A decade ago, there weren’t many media


companies championing mobile games, but we were there, and one of the ways we supported the industry was with mixers and networking events. At the time there was a lack of dedicated events serving this growing sector, and the popularity of our little events quickly highlighted the community’s desire for more structured gatherings. The success of these mixers, particularly a mobile event at GDC, underscored the potential for a dedicated conference. So, in 2014, we launched Pocket Gamer Connects as a two-day event. Loud-shirted CEO Chris James famously remarked, How hard can it be? This


40 | MCV/DEVELOP February/March 2024


encapsulated our initial underestimation of the work involved! But also, our determination to crack on and succeed with something that we saw the industry was ready for. A little-known fact is that the original idea


had been to launch something in Helsinki, where mobile game development was already thriving, but ultimately, Finland was our second destination, with a trial event launching in London first. It took off from there, fuelled by our belief in the importance of building a community, facilitating knowledge-sharing, and supporting the global industry.


What was it about that first event that compelled you to organise a second? That first Pocket Gamer Connects event in London attracted over 500 attendees and had very positive feedback. It far exceeded our expectations


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