PG Connects returned to Canada this year for an incredible two days in the vibrant, diverse city of Toronto. A massive thank you to everyone that joined us for these unforgettable two days full of game-changing insights, innovative discussions and countless new connections.
We are coming up to our tenth year of delivering b2b conference experiences for the games industry, and we couldn’t be prouder of what our shows have come to be in that time. This live show marks the 39th instalment of our Connects conference series, and we were pleased to return to the Marriott Downtown in the heart of downtown Toronto from July 19th to 20th. We welcomed a whopping 750 registered attendees this year from all corners of the games industry, including those who took advantage of our Virtual Meeting tickets, thank you to everyone who joined us in all forms, from all over the world in Toronto this last week.
A significant number of our attendees were gamemakers, and we welcomed more exhibitors, sponsors and partners than ever before. We heard from 110 world-class speakers from top brands such as Gameloft Toronto, ByteBrew, Digital Turbine, 2K Games, InMobi, Magmic, Women in Games International, Zynga and many, many more as they shared their brilliant insights with us, and the showfloor was buzzing with top brands showcasing their goods and services with our attendees over the two days.
The buzz on the show floor, and the engaging and vibrant atmosphere from the delegates, is what's helped to build PG Connects as a games industry staple that consistently delivers the most thought-provoking, future-gazing insights and exceptional networking opportunities. It was truly a terrific return to Toronto!
Two insights-filled days
Our two days in Toronto were packed full of our most future-gazing insights yet, courtesy of the 110 world-class speakers that joined us this week to discuss design and development, monetisation and growth, life as an indie and company culture, as well as the conference’s focus: new technologies, particularly AI and Web3 and their impact on the games industry.
This was our second show in North America this year, and we were pleased to welcome over 700 live attendees to the show, with a large percentage of these representing the incredibly diverse games community of Toronto. Between the exhibitors, speakers and attendees, we welcomed delegates from over 374 different global companies and there were over 37 countries represented.
It was also possible to join the meeting platform remotely, and we are pleased that many people chose to do that, broadening global access to the Canadian community and enabling people from around the world to connect and do business.
This conference was possible thanks to the formidable support of our partners, associates and sponsors. We are immensely thankful to our gold sponsors Digital Turbine, Moloco, CleverTap Gaming and GameChangerSF and all the other fantastic brands who helped bring PG Connects Toronto to life. We couldn’t have done it without your support!
A strong return for the Toronto games scene
Steel Media CEO Chris James expressed immense gratitude for the amazing turnout of our first show in North America this year, “It was an absolute pleasure to be in Toronto once again, it's a fabulous city and the community was so warm and welcoming.
“Crucially, it's also a rapidly growing ecosystem of both heavyweights like Gameloft, EA, Zynga and Ubisoft as well as a wealth of indie start-ups and of course our parent company Enthusiast Gaming - something that was reflected in the growth of our event, with live attendees up over 25%.
“The show stages were a genuine treat, packed with big names offering wisdom, insight and tips to packed crowds, whilst the buzzy show floor was home to some super talented game makers alongside our generous service and monetisation partners and a couple of poker tables!
“Like the wider Canadian games industry itself, Toronto has a super bright future ahead of it and we're delighted to be playing a small part in that story!”
What’s coming up next?
Pocket Gamer Connects has a stacked event line-up for the rest of the year, and you won’t want to miss getting involved with everything we have coming up in the rest of 2023.
We have some spectacular events coming your way this year. Remember that with our conferences, the sooner you book your ticket, the better! Secure the best deals for our upcoming conferences and start planning your year ahead by booking your tickets today where you can.
On September 12th to 13th, PG Connects is coming back to Helsinki! Join us in Finland for another year of networking, pitching and learning from the world’s leading authorities. Over 1,700 attendees from the games industry will gather for two days to network, discover, pitch and learn from 200 of the world’s leading authorities. You can make the most of our limited time Early Bird sale and save up to £330 on your ticket!
We also have an announcement coming your way for PG Connects Jordan this November and a big celebration at PG Connects London in early 2024, honouring 10 years of live conferences with Pocket Gamer Connects!
Get involved!
There is no better place than Pocket Gamer Connects to network with the global games industry and share your wealth of knowledge with the games community at large, and today we would like to extend an invitation for renowned producers, developers, executives and leaders in the space to share your expertise at our upcoming shows. If you think you might be a fit and this sounds like something you’d love to do at our upcoming conferences, complete our speaker submission form or get in touch with Charlie Scowen directly to discuss further!
Additionally, if you’re looking to put your brand in front of the global games industry, you can discuss our varied sponsorship opportunities or other ways to get involved with our b2b sales team. Please contact lisa.bisset@steelmedianetwork.com or chris@steelmedia.co.uk for more details.
