The first WN Conference of 2024 will take place in Abu Dhabi on February 15-16. Here are all the details about the event, which will be attended by representatives of such game companies as Ubisoft, Unity, SuperScale, Savvy Games Group, and Leonardo AI.
About the event
WN Conference Abu Dhabi’24 will be the first games industry event for WN Media Group in the United Arab Emirates. To mark the important milestone, the company joined forces with Abu Dhabi Gaming, a government-led initiative that aims to transform the Emirate into a global gaming hub.
WN Media Group expects around 800 participants, primarily members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) video game market.
Program
Overall, there will be over 20 talks, panel discussions, and interviews at WN Conference Abu Dhabi’24. Below are some takeaways from the two-day program:
- Ubisoft Abu Dhabi senior game designer Nick Phipps will provide a deep dive into the process of turning an iden into actual game design;
- Leonardo AI general manager for Europe and MENA Oz Silahtar and Kinetix co-founder and CEO Yassine Tahi will discuss the present and the future of generative AI and its usage in game development;
- Saad Hameed, founder and CEO of publisher Game District, will give a talk on hyper-casual game publishing, including both the good and the ugly of the process.
In addition, experts from Artisan Studios, TikTok, Google, Savvy Games Group, Xsolla, and many other companies will share some industry insights and knowledge during their dedicated talks.
Expo zone, showcase, and contest
The WN Conference Abu Dhabi’24 expo zone will feature booths from the event’s sponsors (AD Gaming, Moloco, Google, GEM Capital, Xsolla, TikTok, and more) and the dev showcase with 30 games.
Game developers will also be able to win prizes and gain exposure to industry leaders as part of a special contest. The list of jury members includes:
- Johnnemann Nordhagen — founder of Dim Bulb Games, co-creator of Gone Home;
- Jason O’Connell — creative director at Saber Interactive, principal level designer of Doom Eternal;
- Alena Dubrovina — art director at Larian Studios;
- Keaton White — senior production manager at Riot Games.
Tickets
Tickets start at €369 for indie developers (without access to the parties). Standard tickets with access to the pre-party cost €639, and the Premium pass is sold at €829.
Those who cannot attend WN Conference Abu Dhabi’24 in person but want to network with the participants can purchase the online pass for €329. This ticket grants access to lecture hall live streams and the unique meeting system available through the WN Hub communication platform.