Over 30 industry leaders and UK studios to attend GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit

The GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit takes place tomorrow (October 2), with more than 30 industry leaders and studios set to share their insights and advice on how to navigate a challenging period in the industry.

Taking place at The Royal Institution in London, the day-long event will include over a dozen talks and sessions covering issues including the power of partnerships, mental health accreditation schemes, rebuilding and resetting culture post redundancies, and the climate of AI.

The event will open with a talk from Sega Europe’s Nicky Ormrod alongside Value Partnership’s Simon Court and Dan Bobby to discuss how the two firms partnered together during a difficult moment in its recent history.

Among the various talks and workshops on offer, Skillfull’s Gina Jackson and Amiqus’ Liz Prince will explore how studios can utilise skills, sustainability, and fairness to retain and nurture the next generation of talent.

This will be followed by Fresh Seed’s Sarah Brewster who will discuss “the unwritten rules of the workplace and how studios can adapt.”

Stellar Entertainment’s Niki Head and Teem Camp’s Chiara Santevecchi will examine the “culture in the age of AI”, while Next Jump’s Kevin McCoy and GameDataCore’s Simon Sparks will host a roundtable featuring practical tools on how to create coaching culture in the workplace.

The event will conclude with the 2025 Best Places to Work Awards, with 19 studios nominated for awards including Rare, Playground Games, FuturLab, Rocksteady, and Wushu Studios.

The GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit 2025 is sponsored by Amiqus.

You can view the full schedule below.

Main stage

08:30: Registration (Teas and Coffees)

09:00: Welcome to the HR Summit

09:05: Sega – Recode for Growth | Nicky Ormrod (Sega), Simon Court and Dan Bobby (Value Partnerships)

10:00: The new deal at work – psychological contracts in games | Sarah Brewster (Fresh Seed)

10:30: The Talent reset – skills, sustainability and fairness in the Games Talent agenda | Liz Prince (Amiqus), Gina Jackson (Skillfull)

11:00: Break

11:30: The strategic seat at the table | Perri Lewis (Mastered), Alison Lacy (Radical Forge)

12:15: Production & People – the power partnership | Emma Smith (Hestia Talent Partners), Max Brode (The Indie Stone)

13:00: Lunch

14:00: Mental Health Accreditation Schemes, Why they’re important | Safe In Our World

14:15: After the storm – rebuilding and resetting culture post redundancies | Leon Hijazi-Killin (Balance Patch), Cinzia Musio (equity, diversity, and inclusion consultant), Sara Veal (GamesAid)

15:05: Culture in the age of AI | Niki Head (Stellar Entertainment), Chiara Santevecchi (Teem Camp) – hosted by Lewis Packwood

15:45: Wrap up workshop on the main stage – drawing the line, resetting with confidence | Emma Smith, Gina Jackson, Sarah Brewster

16:30: Drinks & Networking

17:15: Best Places To Work Awards 2025

18:15: Drinks & Networking

Breakout room

11:30: Level Up or Get Left Behind: How to Win When You’re Short on People, Resources, Time, and Money | Simon Sparks (GameDataCore), Kevin McCoy (Next Jump)

12:15: Workshop 1 – Skills in Action, practical tools for future-ready teams | Liz Prince, Gina Jackson

14:00: Workshop 2 – From firefighting to future – building HR as true partners | Emma Smith, Perri Lewis

15:05: Behind the Screens: Resilience in Action | Hayley Blundy (FuturLab)