Nordic Game is coming to Finland on 15-16 November, with an exciting business-focused schedule and a mission to give games companies and industry professionals an even better reason to attend Slush.
But what exactly is NG22 Helsinki about, why is Slush important and why is it crucial that you visit the Finnish capital in November? Many questions, but only one who person can answer them vividly – please meet Nordic Game’s biz dev director Thor Myrdal.
Nordic Game: So hey Thor, please tell us what NG22 Helsinki is? Isn’t Nordic Game always happening in Malmö, Sweden?
Thor Myrdal: Yes, my pleasure to do so. Compared to our annual show in May in Sweden, NG22 Helsinki is a new thing – a smaller, business-focused event, as well as an official Slush partner event. If you’re working in the biz-side of the games industry and visiting Helsinki or Slush, it’s a no-brainer to join us.
Nordic Game: Readers can get the essential info about the event right here – but how would you summarise NG22 Helsinki?
Thor Myrdal: We are primarily focusing on three key business pillars, already proven from our flagship event in May to be appreciated and successful: MeetToMatch, Publisher Market and a string on invite-only executive events.
Nordic Game: Why the business focus, and not the usual speaker program and related activities?
Thor Myrdal: Our aim for NG22 Helsinki is to support all the great games-focused events happening during the Slush week. That’s also the reason why this edition of Nordic Game is entirely on-site and has no online component.
There’s so much good stuff happening – like the RovioCon Google on 16 November, which is focusing on talks, different smaller networking events like the Xsolla Löyly Mingle on 14 November, or the Stranger Things Mobile Happy Hour hosted by AppsFlyer and AWS for Games, as well as the Deconstructor of Fun on 17 November, which is also the first day of Slush itself.
We’ll soon publish a list of all the potentially interesting side events happening during the week in Helsinki, so you can simply check in with us to get the optimal overview and maximise your time during Slush week.
By the way, if you’re hosting a games industry side event during Slush week that I didn’t mention, reach out to me right here!
And since Slush is all about investment and start-ups, setting up a MeetToMatch Lounge for games business meetings and Publisher Market event in Helsinki made great sense for us and was very welcomed by the Slush organisers as well. If you are looking for the opportunity to get investment or publishing for your studio, join us – it’s free for studios to take part in Publisher Market.
Lastly, we are hosting an Executive Summit in a workshop format for invited industry leaders to have important discussions with a focus on solutions. The program will identify storm clouds on the horizon and how to prepare for them as an industry.
Nordic Game: The Executive events sounds interesting, but you’ve said they’re invite-only. How can I get in?
Thor Myrdal: The Executive events on 15 November have a limited number of seats, so we naturally need to keep a close eye on participation, but we also have a curated list – you will be invited if you are on that list.
You can also secure a spot by becoming a sponsor for one of our Executive events, which will secure you a place in the Executive Summit. To give sponsors and executives time to mingle, we are organising a Mix & Match social event after the Executive Summit, from 15:00 to 18:00 local time in the bar at Hotel Kämp.
You can have a closer look at NG22 Helsinki sponsorship opportunities here and book a meeting directly with me here.
Nordic Game: Will there be more networking activities? Maybe even a Nordic party?
Thor Myrdal: On 15 November, while the Executive program and Publisher Market participants are busy, the Haave Club will open its lounge, and you can join me there to pick up your NG22 Helsinki badge. The bar will be open, and since we will all be waiting to join the official Nordic Game After-Hours event in the evening, this will be great opportunity for casual networking.
There are some great restaurants as well directly across the street, and I’m really looking forward to hanging out with industry colleagues again to enjoy the strong Nordic community we have. In the evening at 19:00 local time, we’ll open the doors to the Haave Club for the Nordic Game After-Hours event – but remember you’ll only get in if you’ve already picked up your badge 😉
Nordic Game After-Hours, the Helsinki version of our Nordic Game Party, will be a total blast with maraoke and a free bar all night! And even with people are singing their lungs out, the lounge has perfect niches for quiet conversations. The After-Hours party will roll until 1:00 in the morning. So nobody will have a hangover excuse during the next day’s business meetings.
Nordic Game: Wow, that’s a lot!
Thor Myrdal: Yes indeed, you rarely get the chance to combine so many business opportunities and stretch your team over multiple, mostly free RSPV side events. You can truly maximise your time investment in Helsinki during Slush week, and the best part is that you don’t absolutely have to get a Slush pass – you can use us for your meetings and networking!
If you haven’t already, please reach out to us – NG22 Helsinki is all about business and community, and I personally look forward to sharing this new Nordic Game experience with all of you.
Nordic Game: Give us your top three best reasons to buy a pass for NG22 Helsinki?
Thor Myrdal: 1. Business. 2. Emotion. 3. Community.
Nordic Game: And the top three worst reasons (to join us all the same)? Muhaha.
Thor Myrdal: 1. You hate sunlight. 2. You want to hear me sing “Backstreet Boys” – Death Metal version. 3. You’re bored.
Nordic Game: That’s it! Many thanks for answering these questions, Thor!
Thor Myrdal: Thank you!
NG22 Helsinki is presented with the support of our sponsors including AppsFlyer, Autodesk, i3D.net, InnoGames, Numi (CR Studios), SuperScale, UberStrategist, Xsolla and Yahaha Studios, with partners MeetToMatch, Neogames and Rehaboo!.
Join us in Finland!
Join Nordic Game in Helsinki on 15-16 November and schedule your games industry meetings in the MeetToMatch Lounge (included with all passes), join our fall Publisher Market as a developer (selected submissions only – apply here) or publisher (pass upgrade here) and mingle during our After-Hours gathering to build relationships and make new connections that will push your business forward for 2023 and beyond.
Nordic Game Helsinki passes will go on sale and registration will open for this fall’s Executive Summit right here from Thursday, 29 September.
Welcome to Nordic Game!
Become a Nordic Game partner
Nordic Game would not be celebrating its debut Helsinki edition this fall without the tremendous support of our sponsors and partners. Many of them have already signed-up for our 2022 events, but we’re always ready to welcome new partners.
Contact us here for more info about the wealth of opportunities available to put your brand in front of the entire Nordic developer community and their global peers at Nordic Game – in Helsinki this fall, at Slagthuset and online in Malmö next spring and beyond.
This is Slush
Slush has grown from a single gathering in Helsinki to a series of events organised all around the world. The crown-jewel event is the annual Slush event, but Slush also hosts smaller get-togethers around the globe.
It all started in 2008 in Helsinki with a one-day affair made up of around 250 people. While the size of the Slush event has grown by leaps and bounds, the goal has stayed the same: focus on how best to serve start-up ecosystems across the world.
As a company, Slush serves start-ups, founders and investors through the main annual Slush event as well as Slush products: start-up media Soaked by Slush, online community Node by Slush and smaller global events Slush’D.
If you are Slush ticket holder and/or registered with Slush, you can find Nordic Game Helsinki activities scheduled in the list of partner side events on the Slush platform website here (login required).
About the Nordic Game conference
Nordic Game is the leading games conference in Europe, and 2022 marks its twenty-first and twenty-second editions, as well as our return to historic Slagthuset and debut in Helsinki. Gathering thousands of industry professionals in the spring and autumn each year, Nordic Game is the one and only “home turf” meeting place for the highly successful game developers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
Learn more about Nordic Game last May, this November and next spring.
Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest Nordic Game, NGDC and Nordic games industry news, including updates about all our events in 2022 and beyond.
Follow Nordic Game on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Vimeo, Flickr and Instagram.