Industry event Game Republic New Horizons has established a new international advisory board to help shape its 2026 conference.
The board consists of over 20 industry experts, including Kickstarter’s head of games Asher McClennahan, Revolution Software head Charles Cecil, Pitchify’s Gina Jackson, Game Advisor’s Stefan Lampinen, Rainy Frog’s Tony Byus, Double Eleven co-CEO Kimberley Turner, Kudos Games commercial director David Lilley, The Irish Game Makers Association’s Elaine Dowman, and GamesIndustry.biz alumnus Chris Dring.
The full list of advisory board members is as follows:
- Alison Lacy (Radical Forge)
- Andrew Crawshaw (Thunkd)
- Ben Robinson (ID@Xbox)
- Bob Makin (Behaviour Interactive)
- Callum Underwood (Uwu Biz)
- Charles Cecil (Revolution Software)
- Charlie Kemp (Tees Valley Combined Authority)
- Chris Dring (The Game Business)
- Chris Taylor (Eaton Smith Solicitors)
- David Lilley (Kudos Games)
- Des Gayle (Day Off Interactive)
- Elaine Dowman (IMIRT – Irish Game Developers Association)
- Gina Jackson (Pitchify)
- HaZ Dulull (Beyond the Pixels)
- John Sanderson (Pitstop Productions)
- Kimberley Turner (Double Eleven)
- Luke Mills (Dink)
- Michael French (Games London)
- Michelle Shelton (Middlesbrough Council)
- Nareice Wint (Miami Avalon)
- Nina Cliff (Business Development)
- Ron Ashtiani (Steamforged Games)
- Sarah York (Panda Cat Games)
- Simon Iwaniszak (Red Kite Games)
- Stefan Lampinen (Game Advisor ltd)
- Tony Byus (Rainy Frog)
The conference is also supported by Tees Valley Combined Authority and Middlesbrough Council, with its members, Charlie Kemp and Michelle Shelton, also sitting on the advisory board.
“The advisory board meetings have been incredible for helping us to shape this year’s now 3-day programme,” said Game Republic managing director Jamie Sefton. “The focus remains on the future for tech, business, funding, markets and opportunities for games and creative industry leaders.”
“What we saw at the GR New Horizons conference last year was the clear potential for the event to be an international flagship games industry conference that takes place in The North.”
Game Republic New Horizons 2026 will take place between October 14 and October 16 at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, with early-bird tickets available until the end of March 2026.
This year’s event is sponsored by Kudos Games, Red Kite Games, Xsolla, Double Eleven, Steel City Interactive, Plus Accounting and Behaviour Interactive.
“Over a third of attendees were from outside the region coming from London, the South-East and overseas,” added Sefton. “Feedback indicated 89% had secured new contacts and that 28% secured a new project or deal at the event with over 100 meetings on MeetToMatch. People were so positive about the event and wanted it to continue and grow – so we’re delighted to be working on the 2026 New Horizons.”
