Join Sumo Group at this year’s Women in Games Careers Expo from 10am on Thursday the 9th of November, 2023.
Held bi-annually, the Women in Games Careers Expo is a free event which brings together women from across the games industry to tell their stories, share advice on career opportunities and development, and network.
This year, Sumo is bringing an agenda packed with inspiring talks and panels from people across Sumo’s studios which will shed light on underrepresented genders in games, how to kickstart your games industry career and navigating uncertain times. Find the full lineup below!
10am – 11am: Moving Sideways: How Transferable Skills Can Kickstart Your Games Career.
Lab42 Games Writer Cherish Goldstraw and Environment Artist Carina Sofia Oliveira Soares are joined by Secret Mode’s Influencer Relations Executive Emma Pitchford (She/Her), Auroch Digital Marketing Director Jemima Crow (She/Her) and Atomhawk’s Head of UI/UX Leanne Bayley (She/Her) to discuss alternative routes into the games industry, useful transferrable skills and how you can find your new dream career.
11am – 12pm – The Games Industry: Things I Know Now Which I Wish I Knew Then.
Lab42 take over the Sumo booth in this talk! Producer Christina Ermongkonchai (She/Her) hosts a panel featuring Programmer Pinar Satilmis (She/Her), Producer Amber Silcock (She/Her), Animator Jennifer Bristow (She/Her), Programmer Aayushi Vats (She/Her) and Lead 2D Artist Hannah Waring as they discuss the things they wish they could tell their younger selves about the games industry.
12pm – 1pm – The Development of ‘Girly Games’ and Female Characters
Sumo Group Social Media Coordinator Adele Richards (She/Her) reflects on her childhood in games and attempts to define the concept of ‘Girly Games’, female representation in games and how we can all help to improve it.
1pm – 2pm – Trans Representation in Video Games
Sumo Group’s Head of Inclusion and Belonging, Leon Killin (He/Him), Sumo Sheffield Game Designer Sandy Steele (She/Her) and Associate Design Director Joe Kinglake (They/Them) will be exploring the history of trans representation in video games, what the future of trans stories and characters are and the steps games need to take for meaningful representation.
2pm – 3pm – Permission to Play
Join a panel of women from across Sumo Group – including Secret Mode Senior Producer Claire Barilla (She/Her) and Influencer Relations Executive Emma Pitchford (She/Her), Sumo Group Talent Acquisition Manager Georgina Cornelius (She/Her), Sumo Sheffield QA Tester Violet Rose-Fae (She/Her) and Lab42 Producer Victoria Mackenzie (She/Her) – as they unpack the narrative of what it means to be ‘a gamer’.
3pm – 4pm – Using Your Passion for Games to Advance (or Launch!) Your Career
Sumo Group’s Business Operations Manager Paige Dolan (She/Her) explores how the games you love to play can help you secure your dream job in the games industry.
4pm – 5pm – Putting Your Best Foot Forward in an Uncertain World
Join Georgina Cornelius and Sara Machado from Sumo Group’s Talent Acquisition Team for an informal chat about breaking into the gaming industry and navigating difficult times. They’ll be diving into resources for those affected by recent industry shifts, offer tips to craft a standout CV and portfolio and answer your questions.
You can tune into all of these sessions and more at the Women in Games Careers Expo on Thursday the 9th of November 2023. Tickets are free and available now from the Women in Games website.