GaMaYo is the second case study in a series, used to illustrate ways that a range of different events can be adapted to become more inclusive and welcoming to all by applying the getting started guidelines shared on our blog.
Challenge
To increase the diversity of attendees at a large networking event without alienating longstanding members, and without too many additional tasks or overheads for the organisers.
Event Overview
A large (250+ person) meet-up for game developers across the North of England, focused on informal networking with the opportunity to demonstrate and get feedback on work-in-progress games and build connections with publishers and studios.
- Free to attend for members, funded through sponsorship, with a free drink at the start of the event
- Space for 10 -15 developers to showcase and get feedback on their games
- Runs 6-monthly as an evening event
- Members must be involved in developing games, and based in the North of England
- Sits alongside Game Republic’s monthly meet-ups which are smaller and targeted around specific business focused topics.
Interview with the organiser: Jackie Mulligan – hear about why the event was created, approaches to inclusivity and challenge faced.
Examples Of Inclusivity Best-Practice At The Event
- Selected a venue which is the appropriate size for the number of attendees, which was open, well-lit and encouraged creative conversations
- Helped people start conversations more easily by providing name labels, pronoun stickers, first-timer stars and other visual indicators
- Created a code of conduct so that there was clear guidance on the behaviour that is expected of attendees
- Provided an easy way for attendees to visually identify the event organisers (e.g. t-shirts or lanyards)
- Event organisers introduced themselves to attendees on arrival and introduced attendees to one another
- Shared information about the event experience on social media in advance of the event so that new attendees know what to expect
- Facilitated discussions between attendees using different interventions, such as round tables around relevant topics
- Encouraged attendees to be allies and invite connections from under-represented backgrounds
- Provided a mechanism for attendees to feedback on the event and used what was shared to continue to improve.
Quotes from the organiser & attendees
“The support helped Game Republic to more fully appreciate how decisions in event design impact on how welcome people might feel at events. The intervention has helped us to think more creatively on what we can do to increase attendance for under-represented groups.
As a result, we have instituted a better meet and greet system to identify new people, name badges, and pronouns and will be introducing ambassadors to events, which help everyone to feel more welcome and comfortable at events. The updated code of conduct also helped to guide people and make people feel safe at the event.
More funding to experiment further would be good in particular looking at the experience in real-time and qualitatively, more evidence on interventions and new ideas to support inclusivity, sample survey for use at events to measure outcomes.”
Jackie Mulligan, Game Republic
“I’ve found GaMaYo to be one of the most inclusive, if not the most inclusive space and event that I can go to. I’ve never felt icky going there. The whole crowd, everyone has been really nice, and I know that Jamie and Emma are always on top of making sure that anybody that attends the events are respectful and do take measures if anything bad does happen, but thankfully, people have been really nice. I think people have been nicer than I would have expected.”
Event attendee, May 2023
“There’s much more information concerning safety and being nice to one another, essentially, because the event promotes itself as a friendly place to be able to meet people. There’s always a note about, ‘Please respect people,’ because it makes the event just much nicer, effectively.”
Event attendee, May 2023
For a range of simple, easy to implement ideas to get started in making your event more inclusive, check out the blog, or download the getting started guidelines. You can also read the #RaiseTheGame Festival Of Food Evening case study here.
These guidelines were created by Emma Brassington as a result of work funded by the Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN), based on best practice research undertaken by Anna Ozimek and Carolina Rueda at the University of York.