A Final Goodbye to IGEA

So, my time at IGEA has come to an end and oh what an incredible time it has been!

Over the last few years, I have worked on so many amazing projects alongside an array of absolutely wonderful people, many of which I regard as life-long friends. I am so grateful that I was encouraged and empowered to pour my passion into important initiatives, lend my voice to pivotal industry conversations and lead projects that have had such a huge impact.

Upon reflection, these are the projects that I led that I’m most proud of:

1. The Australian Game Developer Awards (The AGDAs):
Since 2020 I have continually overhauled every aspect of The AGDAs, from the judging process to the ceremony run sheet. There was no stone left unturned in my pursuit to transform a small conference after-party to a sold-out cocktail gala that thousands of people enjoy in-person and online.
But honestly, the aspect I’m most proud of was redesigning the judging system. This multi-tier judging system with over 80 judges ensures that talented Aussie developers are elevated and celebrated for all to see. To put this into perspective, on average over 600 game keys are redeemed in order to narrow it down to 12 game award winners.

2. The SMART Program:
I had the privilege of designing and managing this early-career development program as well as personally mentoring the immensely talented mentees as they navigated their journey into the games industry.
The program included event activations, professional development workshops and mentor sessions with a variety of industry leaders. I can’t even begin to explain just how rewarding it is to see my mentees go on to secure jobs, acquire games funding and give back to the community.

3. ESG Transformation:
By representing the Australian industry as a member of the UNEP’s Playing 4 the Planet alliance, I’ve been able to gain a deeper insight into the sustainability practices needed to tackle our industry’s carbon emissions. This transformation is most evident in the green practices implemented at our industry’s key conference, GCAP.
By utilising on-demand printing and redesigning the swag to be both reusable and made from sustainable fabrics, single-use plastics have been eliminated and GCAP is well under way on its journey to lead the way in sustainable event practices. This was only made possible thanks to the passionate and talented people both locally and internationally who have shared their expertise and given their support along the way.

So, a big, big thank you to my IGEA Colleagues and all the industry partners that I’ve had the pleasure to work with, you’ve been instrumental in the success of all of this.

This may be the end of my chapter at IGEA, but it is only the beginning of my journey to empower and support all the brilliant creative technologists making amazing products.

All I can say for now is watch this space, because there’s plenty more that you’ll be hearing from me soon!