Want to speak at Develop:Brighton
Develop:Brighton is all about bringing the development community together to share ideas and learn from each other. So if you have an idea for a conference session, we'd like to invite you to submit your proposed talk below.
Please follow our guidelines and complete the submission form no later than 13 February 2019.
Do keep the following in mind when you submit your talk:
- The conference focuses on offering delegates practical advice, best practice guidance and inspiration so they can take something of real value back to the studio. So we ask every speaker to provide a "Takeaway" statement that clearly summarises what a delegate can expect to get out of the session.
- The proposed outline you submit now must match the presentation you give at the conference.
- Preparation is vital if you're going to deliver the high-quality presentation that attendees deserve.
- We don't accept sales pitches - if you would like to promote your company, service or product to our visitors in a talk, then there are a limited number of sponsored sessions available - just contact Andy Lane: andy@tandemevents.co.uk
If you have any other questions about speaking or submitting a proposal for a talk please contact our Content Director Susan Marshall: susan@tandemevents.co.uk
Based on feedback from our delegates, here are the hot topics they'd like to hear talks on and some suggested session ideas:
Discoverability & Customer Acquisition
- Attracting and retaining a paying audience
- Beating the competition, promoting your game and getting a good following/fan base
- Social Media - best practice/fools guide
- Defining your target market
- Tips & tricks on managing your community
- How to develop a relationship with streamers
Funding
- Tips on giving the most effective pitch
- Where’s the money?
- Case study on using Blockchain funding
- Where to find experimental funding
Running a Successful Business
- Lessons learned during your first year of business
- Taking your studio from 5 to 50
- Retaining staff
- Building company culture
- Managing staff from remote locations
- Case study on using new tools for managing a global team
Games as a Service
- How can this model benefit indies?
- Case study on games as a service and why it works
Self-publishing
- What's the secret to successful publishing on Steam?
- Case study on self-publishing and lessons learned
- How to compete with big publishers
- Indies taking on publishing
- Developer vs publisher relationship
- Why everyone needs to be their own publisher
- Share your self-publishing success story
Design
- How to make game design more interactive
- How to incorporate diversity into your game design
- Innovative stories outside games
- AI for storytelling
- Advanced Narrative in Design
- Big narratives on small screens
Coding
- Big Data
- Tips & tricks on security
- Automated AI & machine learning
- Demystifying AI
- Deep learning
- Innovation and future technology
Diversity & inclusion
- How to incorporate diversity into your creative design
- How to make sure your business is inclusive
- Evaluating the business benefits of diversity
- Ensuring your content is appropriate for and accessible to diverse audiences
- Case study on your own experience of implementing diversity
Evolving Technology & Business
- What’s next on the tech horizon for the games industry?
- Tell us about new markets, new trends, new business models and new technologies in the games industry
- Tell us what’s over in technology and what will replace it
Developing for VR/AR/XR
- Case study on your latest VR/AR/XR project - lessons learned, best practice within all disciplines (art, design, coding etc.)
- How to make money in VR/AR/XR
- What’s next in VR/AR/XR peripherals?
Your submission must fit into one of these:
ART – to inspire artists and creatives across the whole spectrum of game development
AUDIO – for anyone involved in sound or music and games
BUSINESS – tackles the commercial issues and opportunities of game development including production and funding
CODING – a focus on the technical side of game development aimed at programmers of all levels
DESIGN – aimed at anyone interested in game design issues or case studies
DISCOVERABILITY - find out how to attract and retain a paying audience for your game
EVOLVE – game development for new platforms, new markets and new technologies
INDIE - tackles the challenges and opportunities facing independent developers
INDIE BOOTCAMP - covers the basics for start-ups, anyone interested in setting up a studio or those looking for a career in games
All submissions need to be in a single speaker presentation format, not panel:
Duration: 45 mins
Talks should be issue-based, provide concrete examples or case studies and may contain both practical and theoretical information. There's normally only one speaker, but we do sometimes accept more than one if that works better for the session. Please include time for for Q & A within your time slot.
Please note: We don't usually accept proposals for panel sessions, however if you are interested in doing a panel instead of a talk please email Susan at susan@tandemevents.co.uk rather than completing the Speaker Submissions Form.
Our delegates are particularly interested in:
- Best practice advice on all disciplines
- Case studies of successful or innovative game development
- Case studies of lessons learned
- Industry trends, stats and analysis
Here are a few things to think about before you submit your talk:
- How good are your delivery and presentation skills?
- Who are your audience and how relevant will your talk be to them?
- Your talk really must match your session description, so please make sure you are able to deliver what you promise.
- What visuals and/or other assets will you use to enhance your talk?
- What's the "takeaway" from your talk? What 3 tangible things will delegates get out of your session?
- Please be aware that most talks will be filmed
- All sessions are reviewed by delegates and low scorers won't be invited back!
The speaker submission form will ask for the following:
1. Contact Information and Bio
Please provide full contact details plus a biography.
2. Title of your proposed talk
This needs to stand-alone as well as with the session description, so keep it concise and relevant so delegates can easily understand what this session is about. Having said that - we need to fit your title onto a timetable, adverts etc so please don't be too wordy! Clear and concise are the key words here.
3. Track
You need to decide in which area of expertise your session sits best - select one of the seven tracks listed – art, audio, business, coding, design, evolve and indie.
4. Session Description
This description will be used on the website and in promotional materials so delegates can determine whether or not they should attend this session. It's really important that it is clearly written and that delegates can understand why this session will be interesting and exactly what they will get out of it. Please use third person and present tense.
5. Session summary
Please summarise your talk in 140 characters - this is a mini version of your description, for use in social media and other promotion.
6. Session Takeaway
Exactly what will delegates learn in your session - please list as separate bullet points, 6 max.
7. Audience Level
Is your session aimed at all experience levels so no specific experience needed, intermediate or advanced?
8. Intended Audience
Exactly who would benefit from attending this session - you can use job titles or specialist areas of responsibility or roles. Is there any prerequisite knowledge needed for understanding the content of this session?
9. Previous Speaking Engagements
Please tell us where else you have spoken - conference name, title of session and if possible a link to footage of you speaking.
Please note: if your talk is accepted then we will use the information given in your form to promote it, so please only submit information you are happy for us to use.
Q. What is the submission deadline?
The Develop:Brighton Call for Speakers deadline is 13 February 2019.
Q. What makes a good submission?
- Be very clear exactly what you are going to talk about, make it appealing
- Be clear who your talk is aimed at
- Explain what is compelling about your talk
- Give clear take-away for attendees, bullets work well for this
- The best session titles are the ones that clearly and succinctly summarise the talk (on the at a glance schedule this is the only info immediately visible)
Q. What is considered a sponsored session?
The Develop Conference does not accept sales related submissions. If your talk is an advertisement for a new product, technology or service your company is offering, please do not apply. For sponsored session opportunities please contact Andy Lane: andy@tandemevents.co.uk
Q. What do I need to provide in my submission?
The Submission Form will ask for the following information:
1. Contact Information and Bio
2. Title of your proposed presentation
3. Track
4. Presentation Format
5. Session Summary
6. Audience Level
7. Intended Audience
8. Session Take Away
9. Previous Speaking Engagements
Q. What are the benefits of speaking?
The benefits of being a speaker include:
- Complimentary pass to the conference (includes access to all conference sessions, networking events and the expo)
- Lunch
- Your name and presentation featured in pre-event promotion, on our website and event App
- Opportunities for press interviews
Q. When will I be notified of the status of my submission?
You will receive an automated email response once your submission is received. We will then let you now whether your submission has been successful by early to mid April. If you do not hear from us or have any questions, please contact Susan Marshall
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I really like Develop, I really like the intimacy of it and I love the location.. there’s a good diversity of talks going on so there hasn’t been a time when there’s nothing I want to see.
Brenda Romero
Romero Games
I’ve been to every single Develop in the last 12 years. One thing you get here is networking - you will meet the most amazing individuals in the video games industry.
Kish Hirani
Terra Virtua
If you really want to have a good interface with the British game developer community then this is the place to come.
Kate Edwards
Geogrify
Develop is a very important place – it’s one of the few developer focussed conferences we have in Europe and that makes it very valuable.
Rami Ismail
Vlambeer
There’s something creative about Brighton, so it’s the perfect place to have the conference.
Graham Devine
Magic Leap
We are so lucky to have Develop here in the UK. It’s a unique event where you can come and discover new things with people who care passionately about video games. It’s a sea full of new ideas.
Jonathan Smith
TT Games
Develop is an excellent way of catching up with people – there’s a really nice community feel here.
Mike Bithell
Mike Bithell Games
I absolutely love coming to Develop, it’s a brilliant, brilliant conference – you just know you’re guaranteed to meet everyone.
Jo Twist, OBE
Ukie
A lot of the opportunities that come from being here are speaking to other developers who are doing exactly the same thing as you. And there are some good parties – it’s very much a pleasurable work experience!
Gemma Foster
Dlala Studios
There’s really something for everyone at Develop and the experience of being around like-minded people is really useful.
Grace Carroll
Creative Assembly
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