Welcome to the Play Creators Conference 2023
Wednesday, June 28th 2023
WELCOME TO THE PLAY CREATORS CONFERENCE 2023
Focusing on creativity, innovation, inspiration and design
The Play Creators Conference 2023, taking place within the Play Creators Festival, is a day set to inspire, enlighten and wow the industry’s creative backbone.
With a line-up of exciting speakers from across toys, games, tech and the wider worlds of design, our conference sessions will unite the global toy and game inventor community and leave your creative juices flowing.
The live event will take place at London’s Stamford Bridge Stadium on Wednesday, June 28th alongside the other Play Creators Festival in-person events including the Play Creators Summer Party, Play Creators Awards and the Mojo Pitch.
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Our 2023 speakers are...
The 2023 sessions are...
| Session | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|
| 09:45 - 10:20 | Arrival & Breakfast Networking | |
| 10:20 - 10:30 | Opening Remarks | Billy Langsworthy, Mojo Nation |
| 10:30 - 10:50 | Talk 1: How Past Experiences Fuel Today’s Creativity | Angus Walker, Hasbro: The session will explore how to take past experiences – toy related or not – and use those to define your creative voice in an ownable, unique way. |
| 10:50 - 11:10 | Talk 2: Storytelling Through Design | Sophie Bloomfield, Creative Director at Sophie Bloomfield Consultancy: Sophie’s talk will explore the importance of storytelling as a creative direction for toy and game designers. |
| 11:10 - 11:50 | Talk 3: Ingenious Designs & Great Gizmos | Tim Rowett, Toy Collector: Renowned toy collector and popular YouTube personality Tim Rowett will be showcasing some highlights from his collection. |
| 11:50 – 13:00 | Lunch | |
| 13:00 – 13:30 | Panel 1: I’ll Just Do It Myself | Chair: David Blanchard, GPI | Assim Ishaque, Simbrix | Hazel Reynolds, Gamely Games | Al Ullman, GPI. The session will explore the pros and cons of self-publishing, sharing insights from a panel of experts who have gone down the route for themselves, or helped countless other inventors along similar journeys. |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | Panel 2: Room 101 | Chair, Deej Johnson, Mojo Nation | Naomi Brugnatelli, Hasbro | Bob Moog, University Games | Richard Heayes, Heayes Design. All three will put forward their best arguments to convince the host – Deej Johnson – that their industry pet hate is the one that deserves to go into Room 101, never to see the light of day again. |
| 14:00 – 14:30 | Panel 3: The Play Lens: How Could This Be a Toy or Game? | Chair: Billy Langsworthy, Mojo Nation | Fi O'Malley, Making Things Studios | David Snow, The Fantastic Factory | Matt Burtonwood, Open 2 Design. How do inventors and designers channel real-world experiences into toy and game concepts? What ‘lens’ do they view the world through? And where’s best to look for rich sources of playful inspiration? |
| 14:30 – 15:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 15:00 – 15:20 | Talk 4 – Unfold Your Imagination | Paper Engine’s Jason McKenzie, Hayley Symonds & Keith Finch: The Paper Engine team will be discussing how they create their innovative paper builds through imaginative and sustainable means. |
| 15:20 – 15:40 | Talk 5 – Why Insight Matters in Toy Design: What It Is, Where to Find It and How to Use It | Gary Pope, Co-Founder, Kids Industries: The session will look at how a better understanding of insights – including where to find them and how to apply them – can lead designers and inventors to stronger, more saleable concepts. |
| 15:40 – 16:00 | Talk 6: Toy Design: The Biggest Myths Debunked! | Sharon Keilthy, Founder & CEO, Jiminy Eco Toys: The session – ‘Sustainable toy design: the biggest myths debunked!’ – will see Sharon tackle some of the key misconceptions around the industry’s eco-friendly design efforts. |
| 16:00 – 16:20 | Talk 7 - Toy & Content Development: From Story to Shelf | Darren Lee Philipson, design_lead_play: The session will provide an informative insight into the development phases that are key to bringing these two worlds together |
| 16:20 - 16:30 | Closing Remarks | Billy Langsworthy, Mojo Nation |
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GALLERY
Take a look at our last live event highlights, all the way back in 2019...
OUR 2023 EVENT PARTNERS
More to be announced soon...
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Venue
Stamford Bridge Stadium,
Fulham Rd.,
Chelsea, London,
SW6 1HS
By Train/Tube
The nearest London Underground station is Fulham Broadway (District Line).
The nearest National Rail station is West Brompton, a short walk away, and connects with Underground services.
By Air
Stamford Bridge is 13 miles from London City Airport, 14.5 miles from Heathrow International Airport and 29 miles from Gatwick Airport.