The Women in Games Lunch 2018 was hosted by Trade Media and supported by Xbox. Fran was in attendance this year representing gotogame.temp927.kinsta.cloud. Here is her quick recap of the event including what it was like, who won awards and more.
What is Women in Games Lunch all about?
So, Friday was my first time at the Women in Games Lunch. It’s all about celebrating women in the local ANZ gaming industry.
From what I could tell of the room there were about 12 tables of 10. So, there were at least 100 people there (90% women, with a few male attendees supporting). It was super exciting to be in a room with so many accomplished and amazing women.
Angela Hession’s keynote
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We also had a keynote from our guest speaker Angela Hession of Xbox. Specifically, she spoke about two programs headed by Xbox. One program is Gaming For Everyone and the other is Women in Gaming.
Our favourite quote from her speech:
If you do not intentionally, deliberately, proactively include… You will unintentionally exclude.
Who won awards?
Part of the celebrating of women includes presenting awards to nominees in several categories including development, business, etc.
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Here are all the categories and their winners:
- Trailblazer Business: Sonali Abrol
- Trailblazer Development: Caroline Carter
- Campaigner: Ally McLean
- Journalist of the Year: Lucy O’Brien
- Unsung Hero: Kim Allom
- Influencer of the Year: Anais “Naysy” Riley
- Esports Achievement: Eileen Bell
- Business Achievement: Kelsey Gamble
- Creative Impact: Ally McLean
- Outstanding Achievement: Ally McLean
- Shining Star: Helen Stuckey
What it was like
If you’re a woman, it’s easy to think that there are no women in the industry. Especially, since games (both players and businesses) are male-dominated.
Women in Games Lunch makes a huge difference to people like me in the industry. It feels amazing to be able to walk into a room and be surrounded by women who are all supporting and celebrating each other. It’s also reassuring to know that we all have each others’ backs.
Events like Women in Games Lunch are a step forward toward equality in games. And, of course, I’m very glad I was able to be a part of it this year.
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Kudos to Trade Media
Thanks, Trade Media for making this event happen and opening up free invites to women like me. I look forward to next year’s lunch!