and demonstrated the significant demand within the mobile games community for these types of events. The conference not only showcased the potential for growth but also created an organic, welcoming atmosphere – hosting our games industry family has become an oft-stated goal of Pocket Gamer Connects. One of the key things we were keen to encourage is that the event welcomes a complete cross-section of the industry. Unlike some events, which are targeted at CEOs and business leaders, or technical conferences aimed at programmers, a Pocket Gamer Connects has something for everyone. They are events where a new indie developer can rub shoulders with executives from the biggest publishers. Artists, musicians, UA experts, business development managers, CTOs and investors all get to raise a glass together at our event networking parties.
“At such a troubling time in the industry, the anniversary event was a beacon of opportunity. It captured the positivity we really all needed to feel.”
This clear community spirit and the compliments we
received were the driving forces behind our decision to organise subsequent events, with Helsinki emerging as a particularly appealing location because of its status as the spiritual home of mobile games. People often forget that juggernaut brands like Alan Wake, Angry Birds and Clash Of Clans are from the region, and we were perfectly placed to support the developers of those games. The reputation of the first Pocket Gamer Connects in London ensured interest in subsequent conferences, and the 2014 Helsinki event was 10% bigger than our launch event.
Because we publish professional websites too, we were
able to bring expert journalists to our events, so Pocket Gamer Connects also became the perfect spot for launching and promoting games and services.
PGC has become something of a world tour. How did that develop and how important is the global business to PG as a brand? The fact that our team has always thought in international terms is something I believe we can be genuinely proud of. We were always very conscious that the games industry is not just a European or American thing – in fact, territories like Asia, India and the Middle East are huge markets for mobile. Our global perspective was further reinforced by the international footprint of our advertisers and partners, with support coming to our business from Korea, China, and beyond. So, our evolution into a global series was a natural
progression, reflecting the international nature of our games industry family. From the outset, we aimed to build bridges and eliminate barriers to entry into Western markets, supporting innovation and talent worldwide. In 2015, we experimented with conferences in
Bangalore and San Francisco. In 2016, we launched our first event in Canada. By the time of the 2020 pandemic, we’d already run conferences in places as disparate as Hong Kong and Jordan. The Middle East remains a big focus for us – it’s the fastest-growing games market, and in the last couple of years, we’ve hosted networking and knowledge-sharing activities in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. We keep coming back to London and Helsinki,
though, of course! In 2024, we’ll also be returning to San Francisco for the first time in six years.
Aside from the scale and location of the event, what has changed over the years? Over the years, PGC has expanded its focus beyond mobile gaming to encompass PC and console gaming,
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