More than 60 leaders from the industry and UK studios are set to participate in the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit
Tomorrow marks the GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit on October 2. More than 60 leaders and studios from the gaming sector are set to offer guidance and expertise on managing difficult times within the industry.
The event will unfold at The Royal Institution in London, featuring a full-day program of over a dozen discussions and sessions. Topics will range from the importance of partnerships and mental health accreditation to reimagining culture after layoffs and navigating AI trends.
The day will commence with an opening address by Nicky Ormrod from Sega Europe, along with Simon Court and Dan Bobby from Value Partnership, highlighting their collaboration during challenging times. Read more about it here.
Among the various discussions, Gina Jackson from Skillfull and Liz Prince from Amiqus will delve into how studios can focus on skills, sustainability, and fairness to foster young talent. Following this, Sarah Brewster from Fresh Seed will shed light on "the unwritten rules of the workplace and adapting studio cultures."
Additionally, Niki Head of Stellar Entertainment and Chiara Santevecchi from Teem Camp will discuss "culture in the age of AI," whereas Next Jump's Kevin McCoy and GameDataCore's Simon Sparks lead a roundtable on creating a coaching-oriented workplace culture.
The finale of the day will highlight the 2025 Best Places to Work Awards, featuring 19 nominated studios such as Rare, Playground Games, FuturLab, Rocksteady, and Wushu Studios.
The GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit 2025 is proudly sponsored by Amiqus. To see the complete event lineup, review the schedule below.
Main stage
08:30: Registration (Teas and Coffees)
09:00: Welcome to the HR Summit
09:05: Sega – Recode for Growth | Nicky Ormrod (Sega), Simon Court and Dan Bobby (Value Partnerships)
10:00: The new deal at work – psychological contracts in games | Sarah Brewster (Fresh Seed)
10:30: The Talent reset – skills, sustainability and fairness in the Games Talent agenda | Liz Prince (Amiqus), Gina Jackson (Skillfull)
11:00: Break
11:30: The strategic seat at the table | Perri Lewis (Mastered), Alison Lacy (Radical Forge)
12:15: Production & People – the power partnership | Emma Smith (Hestia Talent Partners), Max Brode (The Indie Stone)
13:00: Lunch
14:00: Mental Health Accreditation Schemes, Why they're important | Safe In Our World
14:15: After the storm – rebuilding and resetting culture post redundancies | Leon Hijazi-Killin (Balance Patch), Cinzia Musio (equity, diversity, and inclusion consultant), Sara Veal (GamesAid)
15:05: Culture in the age of AI | Niki Head (Stellar Entertainment), Chiara Santevecchi (Teem Camp) – hosted by Lewis Packwood
15:45: Wrap up workshop on the main stage – drawing the line, resetting with confidence | Emma Smith, Gina Jackson, Sarah Brewster
16:30: Drinks & Networking
17:15: Best Places To Work Awards 2025
18:15: Drinks & Networking
Breakout room
11:30: Level Up or Get Left Behind: How to Win When You're Short on People, Resources, Time, and Money | Simon Sparks (GameDataCore), Kevin McCoy (Next Jump)
12:15: Workshop 1 – Skills in Action, practical tools for future-ready teams | Liz Prince, Gina Jackson
14:00: Workshop 2 – From firefighting to future – building HR as true partners | Emma Smith, Perri Lewis
15:05: Behind the Screens: Resilience in Action | Hayley Blundy (FuturLab)
The headline has been updated to accurately state that over 60 companies will be part of the event, rather than more than 30.