The Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Moscow is inviting games industry professionals to take part in the online workshop “Business strategy and planning”.
The workshop is delivered in partnership with the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), Universal University and Scream School and is part of the international PlayUK Russia programme.
Workshop dates and duration:
- Session 1: Wednesday 10th November, 3pm-6pm BST
- Session 2: Wednesday 17th November, 3pm-6pm BST
Application deadline is Wednesday 3 November 2021 23:59.
The workshop will give participants an understanding of the fundamentals of the business aspects of the games industry including structure, metrics, trends, processes & partnerships.
It will enable participants to identify and define their own Vision, Mission & Values (either for themselves or their company) and provide an understanding of the importance of business strategy, plus some practical strategic techniques that can be used to drive the planning process.
Additionally, participants will learn an understanding of the different business models available to games companies and how to decide which works best for them alongside considering an overview of games marketing through the Go-To-Market (GTM) planning process.
The workshop will be delivered online via Zoom in English with no translation.
Selection criteria for participants
We appreciate your interest in the PlayUK Russia workshops. We are expecting demand to be high for these unique workshops and have set a maximum number of attendees to ensure we maintain the quality of the sessions. Therefore, all applications will be judged against selection criteria. We are not expecting everyone to exactly meet the criteria and recommend you apply even if you do not meet all the requirements fully. The selection criteria include –
- An attendee is expected to work in a games company or be studying on a games-related academic course at a degree equivalent level.
- The content is aimed at individuals who have 3 years or less experience working in a games environment or more experienced individuals who are changing their role within the games industry or starting a new studio.
- Individuals must be located within the Russian Federation but also have an excellent grasp of English, including an understanding of games terminology
- Attendance will be via Zoom so an internet-connected device is required.
- Each workshop lasts for 6 hours in total which will be split over two days. You will be expected to attend both 3-hour sessions in each workshop and there may be homework to undertake between the two sessions.
If you would like to take part, please, complete the application form by 3 November 2021 Wednesday 23:59. Successful candidates will be informed by email no later than 5 November 2021.
The number of places is limited to 20 people.
The workshop will be delivered by Chris Bain, Player One Consulting
Chris is the founder & CEO of Player One Consulting – the strategy consultancy for the games industry. Since 2018, Chris has advised game developers, publishers, and investors on their strategy to enable them to maximize profits & growth. Before founding Player One, Chris was an executive at Microsoft for over 13 years. In his most recent role there he was the Xbox General Manager for CEE (including Russia), with full sales, marketing and finance responsibility for across that region.
Prior to Microsoft, he was a consultant for Accenture running business transformations projects for major companies across multiple industry sectors. He also holds a science Ph.D. and has published several academic papers.
Workshop detailed summary
Session 1 - 10/11/2021
- Welcome & introduction to the course
- Participant introductions
- Course objectives / outcomes / agenda review
- Chris Bain's background + "A business leader's reflections on gaming in Russia vs R.O.W."
- Games Industry Overview pt. 1: Structure, metrics, trends, challenges
- Games Industry Overview pt. 2: Key roles, processes & partnerships
- BREAK (15 mins)
- Vision, Mission & Values
- Breakout session - What are your Vision, Mission & Values?
- Breakout Session Review - Each group presents / talks about their discussion findings
- Final Q&A opportunity (general questions from the whole session)
- Homework setting & Wrap Up
Session 2 - 17/11/2021
- Welcome & admin
- Summary review of Session 1 + Session 2 agenda
- Homework review & discussion
- Strategy - The Basics
- Understanding Games Business Models
- BREAK (15 mins)
- "Go To Market" Planning
- Breakout session - Prepare either a basic GTM or SWOT for a game/company
- Breakout Session Review - Each group presents/talks about their discussion findings
- Final Q&A
- Wrap up
