Ready to take your love of learning games to the next level?

With winter winding down and warmer weather hastily approaching, we thought now would be the perfect time to round up some of our most highly anticipated game-based learning events of 2019. Check out our survey of educational game conferences below, and let us know if you plan on attending any of these events! ⤵

When: June 17 – 19, 2019

Where: New York City, NY

Dubbed “the Sundance for video games and immersive media” by Forbes, the annual Games for Change Festival is a annual celebration of game creators and social innovators who work at the cutting-edge of games for education, civic engagement, and impact. Focused on four key issues: civics and social issues, games for learning, health and wellness, and XR for change, the G4C Festival offers attendees a jam-packed agenda of keynotes, panels, workshops, and so much more. G4C Festival is also home to a robust awards program – click here for an overview of last year’s winners!

When: June 26 – 28, 2019

Where: Cork, Ireland

Live in Ireland? Love game-based learning? We’ve got great news: the Irish Conference on Game Based Learning (iGBL) is coming soon to a Cork near you! Designed to appeal to students, teachers, researchers, and professionals alike, iGBL features a slew of opportunities including presentations, workshops, game demos (of both the digital and non-digital variety), as well as numerous opportunities to network with fellow attendees. Since 2011, iGBL has been organized by conference chair and director Dr. Patrick Felicia, professor and game-based learning researcher at the Waterford Institute of Technology.

When: July 10 – 12, 2019 (Montreal) / July 24 – 26, 2019 (Orlando)

Where: Montreal, Canada / Orlando, FL

Two conferences. Two weekends. Two countries. This year, folks will have the opportunity to attend one or both Serious Play events: one hosted at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM) in Montreal, Canada, the other taking place a few weeks later at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida. A leadership conference designed to appeal to education and training professionals across all industries, Serious Play features a slew of renowned presenters, each focused on illustrating the opportunities, challenges, and potential of games for learning, training, and social impact.

When: August 8 – 9, 2019

Where: Madison, WI

Play, make, learn…three of our studio’s favorite verbs! The spiritual successor to the Games, Learning & Society Conference, this conference focuses on three key pillars of game-based learning: gaming, making, and personalized learning. A multi-day event packed with presenters, posters, and developer-led demos of learning games, Play Make Learn is not to be missed – especially for us as the event is located a short walk from our offices here in downtown Madison, WI!

When: TBD Fall 2019

Where: Mountain View, CA

Held each year at the historic Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, the Intentional Play Summit is an annual celebration of games and emerging technologies that promote learning and real-world impact. Details on this year’s speakers are sparse, however last year’s lineup featured an assortment of speakers from industry-leading organizations like Google, Magic Leap, USC Game Innovation Lab, and–of course–Filament Games. Dates for the 2019 Summit will be announced soon – stay tuned on the conference’s Twitter and Facebook to ensure you don’t miss a thing!

When: October 3 – 4, 2019

Where: Odense, Denmark

Held previously in countries like Austria, Scotland, Spain, and Portugal, the European Conference on Games Based Learning (ECGBL) is returning for its 13th iteration, this time at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark. Attracting a variety of participants from across Europe including researchers, practitioners, and professional game designers, keynote speakers for this year’s event include Simon Egefeldt-Nielsen, CEO at Serious Games Interactive, as well as Helle Marie Skovsbjerg, the first Danish professor in play at the Design School Kolding.

When: October 3 – 5, 2019

Where: Irvine, CA

Hosted each year by the Connected Learning Alliance, the Connected Learning Lab at UC Irvine, and the MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program, the Connected Learning Summit brings together researchers, educators, innovators across a variety of industries, each connected by a common goal: figuring out how to best utilize emerging technologies to expand access to participatory, playful, and creative learning experiences. Keynoting this year’s conference are world-renowned speakers Dr. Eve Ewing, author and professor at the University of Chicago, and Tracy Fullerton, professor, author, and designer of award-winning learning game Walden, A Game.

Further reading:

Assistive Technology and Game-Based Learning

How VR Changes Learning

How to Avoid Getting Sick at Conferences