This year’s GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit, returning to the Royal Institution on October 1, will have a new focus on People and Workplaces, with a series of sessions featuring, and speaking to, both HR professionals and business leaders on what the modern games workplace needs to be in a time of ongoing turmoil in the industry.
Guided as always by feedback and comments from previous attendees, this year’s event features a broader lineup of speakers and topics focused on practical, first-hand insights into the issues facing games businesses now, as well as how to build effective people strategies for the years ahead. Games recruitment specialist Amiqus has returned as headline sponsor.
Our first keynote speaker will be noted HR influencer Sasi Venables, founder of the HR Confidence Club, who’ll be speaking on the future of people leadership amid changing workplace expectations for people professionals. Her session will give broad guidance into resilience and strategic thinking for HR staff in games businesses.
Venables has 25 years of industry experience specialising in diversity, equality, inclusion, culture, and employee relations, and is a CIPD Chartered Fellow with a master’s degree in Human Resource Management. Her work with the HR Confidence Club is dedicated to researching and delivering structured and reflective development experiences that help to articulate the value of HR, rebuild confidence, set boundaries, and reconnect HR professionals with their ‘why’.
That session will be followed by Niki Head, people and development director at Stellar Entertainment, who’ll be hosting a practical session titled Challenge without conflict: how HR becomes a “critical friend” to leadership. She will cover how HR can be elevated to becoming a trusted, influential strategic partner in leadership and boardroom settings, communicating challenging topics in a way that drives meaningful business results.
Other topics for presentations and breakout sessions include:
- Insights into working effectively with trade unions
- How to effectively support and manage neurodivergent staff
- Creating strategies for workforce, leadership, and capability challenges created by the rising use of AI in the workplace
- Practical insights into handling AI-generated casework in employee relations
The day will also include additional keynotes giving first-hand insight into how workplace culture drives organisational success. This will include insights from both HR business partners and C-suite execs on how an effective people strategy can support games businesses during times of extreme uncertainty, reflecting the ongoing challenges faced by so many organisations in recent years.
Our lineup has been guided by our panel of industry experts: Liz Prince MBE, business manager at Amiqus; Sarah Brewster, managing director at people and management consultancy Fresh Seed; Gina Jackson OBE, founder of coaching and skills agency Skillfull; and Emma Smith, founder of Hestia Talent Partners.
Further speakers and sessions will be confirmed in the coming days. Tickets can be purchased here.