Making sure you start the year in style, Pocket Gamer Connects London is happening on 13-14 January 2015 at Vinopolis. 

And tickets are available now.

So to give you a hint at what you can expect, we're shining the spotlight onto our speakers to provide a deeper look at the personalities who will be taking the stage at PG Connects London 2015.

Community in mind

Jason Garber is a big ol' Canadian by birth, and was raised in The Netherlands. He's a strategic game fanatic and charismatic entrepreneur. Originally having studied Theatre Science at the University of Amsterdam, he chose instead a career in videogame development, and started out by shocking the globe with his outrageous game Hoolligans, back in 2001.

Age 28, he had a company with 50 employees in Amsterdam, but subsequently decided to broaden his work experience - which led to him joining Stainless Games for the first time a decade ago, followed by jobs in Belgium and Germany, then crossing oceans to set up studios throughout Asia (Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul).

With 20 years of experience, he founded a mobile-based game studio in Berlin, Eelusion, but the opportunity to re-join Stainless Games proved too enticing to turn down.

Garber now combines his big mouth, publishing skills and worldwide networking expertise in his new role as Publishing Director.

Pocket Gamer: We're showcasing the Best of British at Pocket Gamer Connects so how much of an impact have British game developers had in your gaming life?

Jason Garber: Immensely. My career would not exist without it.

Why is user acquisition such a challenge in the mobile business today?

The Curve from Nicholas Lovell gives a good example of how to do this, but it all comes down to a good game and conquering the game slot of our customer with your game.

What are the major challenges in terms of global publishing?

Polarisation of the market by developers and publishers alike.

Getting the attention of the customer becomes more and more hard and convincing them to part of their money and rewarding thus the experience you give them.

How can indie developers adapt to survive in the mobile economy?

Understanding the market and making sure your finances are in impeccable order.

Do not blindly develop and have no understanding of the situation after development.

Will new technology like wearable tech and VR change the mobile landscape?

If it does, it is just another thing to adapt to as developer.

Whatever the customer use/want, we should supply. It is just another platform in my opinion.

What are you most looking forward to at Pocket Gamer Connects?

Meeting colleagues and discussing.

What's your prediction for the mobile gaming industry in 2015?

Bigger than ever before. More mature than ever before. Costing more than ever before. More challenging than ever before.

But if done right also more rewarding than ever before.

Grab your tickets for Pocket Gamer Connects London 2015 here!

Don't forget to keep up-to-date with content from our speakers via the Speaker Spotlight hashtag.

And you can check out videos of our speaker talks from PG Connects Helsinki 2014 here.