Third Annual D.I.C.E. Europe Conference Lands In Barcelona

LOS ANGELES, April 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The third annual D.I.C.E. Europe conference will be hosted at the W Barcelona where speakers and attendees will focus on the 2015-2016 D.I.C.E. theme, The Art of Engagement. D.I.C.E. is a destination conference where, in addition to top-tier programming, attendees are provided maximum opportunity to form lasting professional connections through activities, roundtable discussions and networking events. New for this year to deepen attendee engagement will be the inclusion of a full day of break-out sessions on day three, a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with industry peers in topical workshops designed to foster new learning and relationships.

"I'm very excited to bring D.I.C.E. Europe to the W Barcelona this year.  It was always our intention to periodically move the conference, and the overwhelming choice among Summit attendees and Academy members was Barcelona," said Martin Rae, president, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. "This year's conference will not only highlight the provocative talks from thought leaders that D.I.C.E. is known for, but will add programmed small group discussions led by industry leaders designed to both enlighten and foster long term business and personal relationships.  We are designing this as a true three-day leadership retreat."

THE SUMMIT

D.I.C.E. Europe, now in its third year, will take place September 13-15, 2015 at the W Hotel Barcelona. This three-day event will make the most of the stunning surroundings, offering a relaxing, resort atmosphere in which attendees will be treated to insightful speaker programming and an intimate exchange of ideas. Attendees will participate in roundtable discussions hosted by top leaders that revolve around topical issues affecting the business and art form. Attendees are encouraged to bring their spouse/significant other to participate in events such as tours of the Gothic Village and the Picasso Museum along with several networking functions guaranteed to be great fun and part of an unforgettable experience.

THE THEME

This year's D.I.C.E. Europe theme will be discussing The Art of Engagement. Interactive entertainment is an art form defined and elevated by engagement — the prowess and talent to acquire and retain enthusiastic fans, to intrigue and engross with new or venerable experiences and technologies, and to lead and engage from within, in order to extend and immerse audiences en-masse. At D.I.C.E. Europe, speakers and attendees will explore the magical and sometimes elusive Art of Engagement – the varying ways it has enlisted and enraptured others as the entertainment medium of the future is built.

SPEAKERS

D.I.C.E. is an exclusive conference, gathering the brightest minds in interactive entertainment to explore the creative process and discuss the ideas and innovations that drive the industry forward. Below are confirmed speakers thus far who are sure to promote the same level of discussion and excitements for this year's attendees:

• Alf Tan, Head of Games Business Development at Amazon, and previously spent 12 years at Microsoft XBOX – Tan will be speaking on "Driving gamer engagement."
• David Helgason, Founder at Unity Technologies. An ex-engineer, technologist, and visionary, Helgason serves on the boards of several games and technology startups, speaks his mind about what he cares about most.
• Greg Essig, Head of Business Development at FunPlus – Essig will present on "Defining value in mobile publishing" where he will describe how local expertise on player behavior, social habits, marketing consumption and other values is integral when engaging consumers to serve them with better content from all over the world. 
• Michael Denny, Senior Vice President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Europe – Denny leads the company's game development operations in Europe.  His responsibilities include managing all internal studios and externally developed first party productions. 
• Michael Pachter, Managing Director at Wedbush Securities – Pachter will discuss "Gaming life after the console" where he will take a look at how technology is rapidly making consoles unnecessary for immersive gaming, and a view about how business models will change to allow content to be sold more broadly in a world without consoles. 
• Tommy Francois, New IP Editorial Director at Ubisoft – Francois is now in charge of developing new franchises at Ubisoft, supporting studios throughout the creative process and helping them achieve the best game play experience.

To register for the early bird registration rates for the 2015 D.I.C.E. Europe conference, please visit www.diceeurope.org.

SOURCE Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences

Related Links

http://www.interactive.org