Workshops

Highlights

  1. Workshops held during GIC
  2. Pixelart
  3. Game Dev competences
  4.  Leadership and mentor skills

Workshops during Game Industry Conference

Several workshops take place during the GIC. Due to limited capacity, you must register separately for every workshop you’d like to attend. Access will be granted on a first-come-first-served basis.

This year, only GIC attendees can take part in our Workshops. Please ensure you have a conference ticket and free time in the workshop slot before you submit the form.

GIC 2024 workshops list

Pixelart (not only) for beginners

Aleksandra Jarosz (Purple Lamp), Thomas Feichtmeir (Feichtmeir – Pixel Arts)

Unleash your creativity with Pixel Art for Beginners, a live workshop tailored for pixel art enthusiasts of all skill levels. Learn the fundamentals of using tools and prepare art for games with expert guidance. Leave the session with your own game assets. Don’t miss this chance to learn from a top-tier artist and game designer while you take your pixel art skills to the next level!

Requirements: 
To participate you need a laptop. Preferably with Gimp 2.6.12 (free software, downloaded & installed).

Expert Insights: Defining Game Industry Competences

Saija Heinonen (Gamebadges / Metropolia UAS)

Participants will collaborate in small groups with peers and colleagues to produce summarised competence descriptions based on their areas of expertise. Fields covered: Business & production, art, design, programming, marketing, audio, QA, soft skills & green skills. The written descriptions form the foundation of the European Open Badge ecosystem for the game industry. Once published in 2025, it will allow students and professionals to apply for badges that recognise their skills and competences, including those gained at work or in non-formal training. More info: https://gamebadges.eu/

Identify your leadership and mentor skills-level

Allan A. Kirkeby (Game Hub Denmark, Dania Games)

Being a game industry team leader and/or mentor requires complex skills and competencies. Your experience, knowledge, and social competencies accumulate into your unique approach. But have you ever mapped out your spectrum of competencies? Do you understand your strengths and weaknesses? 

In this session/workshop, we will demo our skills matrix tool, and show how you can utilize this tool to identify and measure your competence levels. During the workshop you will use the tool to map your own skills, while you spar and share insights with other participants.

Enhancing Your Mentoring Game in the Industry

Maria Simó Alonso (SYBO)

Mentorship is a vital yet nuanced process for women in gaming, whether as mentors or mentees. In this session, Maria Simó Alonso, Senior Engineer at SYBO, will share the fundamentals of building a mentorship program, along with tips on how to find a mentor for those just starting their careers. The workshop will provide practical advice for industry professionals at any stage of their journey, offering actionable takeaways that empower and inspire women in gaming to engage actively in mentorship.The session will start with an introduction where Maria will share her personal journey into mentoring, and how her experience as a developer in tech and games has shaped her ability to help others. An ice-breaker will be used to get participants involved from the outset. There will be a discussion on what mentoring actually entails, distinguishing it from coaching and training, followed by a brainstorming session on these concepts.Participants will also receive guidelines on how to structure mentorship programs, tailored to the specific needs of different mentees, whether students or professionals. The workshop will include role-playing exercises based on hypothetical scenarios to provide hands-on experience. To wrap up, attendees will leave with support materials, a curated bibliography, and insights that will encourage them to reflect on their approach to mentoring, or help them start if they are new to the process.