Nordic Game friends and followers,
I shared a statement from Jacob Riis yesterday regarding his decision to step down as host of Nordic Game this May – emphasising that I didn’t want to accept what he proposed but acknowledged that he’d made the right choice.
However, there are also things that in my mind can’t be left unsaid about my seven-month long investigation into alleged misconduct by my staff. As it seems not to have been clear enough, I repeat that I’m very sorry for any and all discomfort caused, and grateful that this has come to light, so that it can be remedied.
Responding to some criticism about the length of time I’ve taken to complete this process and develop an appropriate response; I strongly feel that I’ve acted promptly on information as I’ve received it and investigated as thoroughly as I’ve been able, as well as engaged industry organisations and lawyers for guidance and feedback.
Regarding my decision to conduct this process myself; as personally responsible for the finances of our very small company, I could not outsource this project to professional consultants, and there are duties as employer that are only mine. That said, the many days I’ve devoted to this albeit very important work have also come at a huge cost. No small business owner should go unprepared into something like this.
Train your staff. Make your code of conduct clear and violations unacceptable. If something still should happen to you, you will get to find out who your true friends are. And when the rest get you down, there is always the Nordic Game Party Bad Business Blues Bar playlist.
That said, my investigation and concurrent actions have now progressed to the response stage.
Firstly, our independent whistle-blower platform, permitting anyone witnessing or experiencing behaviour contrary to our code of conduct at a Nordic Game event and/or by Nordic Game staff to report misconduct safely and anonymously, launches the first week of May at nordicgame.indberet.nu. This platform can also be used by anyone previously hesitant to come forward.
Several additional measures for everyone’s safety and well-being at Nordic Game will also be in place this spring. Our new venue partners have over 30 years of experience in hosting public events. An independent care team will join us at Slagthuset to support anyone in discomfort or distress during our May conference. Our code of conduct is also under review, with enhanced staff on-boarding and sensitivity training in mind.
Lastly, these issues will be key parts of the program this spring, and new guidelines and best practices will be made available to help other small businesses navigate these fundamental issues.
Truly yours,
Erik Robertson
Managing Director
Nordic Game Resources AB
About the Nordic Game conference
Nordic Game is the leading games conference in Europe, and 2022 will mark its twenty-first and twenty-second editions, as well as our return to historic Slagthuset. 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.
Nordic Game welcomes you on 17-20 May to Slagthuset in Malmö for NG22 Spring, both online and in the venue, as well as next November.
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