Hamburg Games Conference 2024: First Highlight Speakers

The Hamburg Games Conference 2024 announcement, published November 23, 2023, previews the second-year edition of a B2B event that brings the international games industry together in Hamburg on March 5 and 6, 2024. The central theme is "Invest in Games," with a program focused on current investment topics, practical insights, and business matchmaking. The venue is the Altonaer Museum, whose maritime setting hosts keynotes, panels, roundtables, and networking across two conference days and two stages.

The announcement names the first confirmed speakers and their topics. Brjánn Sigurgeirsson of Thunderful Group will discuss building and sustaining a successful gaming brand. Sophie Vo of Rise and Play will cover cultural due diligence in mergers and acquisitions. James Batchelor, editor-in-chief of GamesIndustry.biz, will address what is definitely not the future of games development. Timm Geyer of Geyer Media Consult will speak on options for studios in challenging situations, and Are Mack Growen of London Venture Partners will explain how to approach a venture capitalist when raising funds.

For scale, the previous year's conference drew more than 500 guests from 26 countries. The 2024 edition expands the Expo area, where companies and studios can showcase products and take meetings. Hamburg's games companies support the event through an advisory board, and sponsors include 4Players, Bytro, Photon, Playa Games, THREAKS, and Tiny Roar.

Practical details include an open call for speakers running until December 4 and ticket sales via Eventbrite. The event is organized under Gamecity Hamburg, an initiative of the Hamburg Kreativ Gesellschaft, which positions the conference as a hub for networking and deal-making within the German and European games business.