Square Enix Montréal, Gameloft Montréal, and Ludia Games Team Up Amplify Women’s Voices in the Video Game Industry

The second edition of the Next Lev’Elles virtual conference to be presented on September 30, 2021, during the GGAide COnference, the philanthropic event of the Quebec video game industry

 

Montreal, September 14, 2021 – Mobile game developers Gameloft Montreal, Ludia Games, and Square Enix Montréal, today announced the second edition of Next Lev’Elles, a unique cross-studio collaboration that aims to amplify women in games, break the cycle of underrepresentation, and raise funds for community organizations that support women.

Created by the 3 studios for International Women’s Day 2021 to encourage more women to join the video game industry, Next Lev’Elles presents inspiring talks with women who have made their mark in a wide range of games industry jobs.

Next Lev’Elles 2, moderated by Writer, Analyst, and Podcast Co-host Amanda Farough, will deliver personal and professional insights from industry experts. The program includes a keynote presentation of Bryter’s 2021 Female Gamers Survey and a panel of women on the topic of Creating Games for a Female Audience.

Highlights

Program Speakers

  • Jenny McBean, keynote, presentation of Bryter’s annual Female Gamers survey
  • Paula Neves, panelist, Senior Product Manager, Square Enix Montréal
  • Ashley Homan, panelist, Studio QA Manager, Gameloft Montréal
  • Hilary Boarman, Lead Animator Jurassic World Alive, Ludia Games

Discussion

The panelists will address questions such as:

  • How to break the barrier to entry for women players?
  • What are the misconceptions about women players?
  • How is the growing number of women creating games behind the scenes changing the perception we have of women players?
  • How can developers better reach and connect with women players?

ʺWe are committed to doing our part to improve diversity in our industry by challenging the perception that women aren’t succeeding in tech or interested in video games, ʺ said event creators and organizers Geneviève Sorel of Gameloft Montreal, Junel Popp of Ludia Games, and Nedjma Belbahri of Square Enix Montréal. ʺWhile significant progress has been made in recent years in terms of female representation, there’s still a great deal of work to be done. We are thrilled to renew our collaboration to amplify women’s voices. When it comes to diversity and inclusion, there is no place for competition. ʺ

Next Lev’Elles 2 has partnered with GGaide, a major philanthropic virtual conference event launched this year by a dozen Montreal-based games studios to raise funds for Centraide of Greater Montreal and is proud to be included in the event’s program.

All proceeds from GGAide and Next Lev’Elles 2 will go to Centraide of Greater Montreal with a portion allocated to community organizations that directly help underprivileged women and their families.

Information

  • When: September 30, 2021, 11 am ET during the GGAide Conference (September 30, 2021, 9:30 am to 5 pm ET)
  • Where: Virtual event
  • Tickets: $50. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Centraide of Greater Montreal. Tickets give access to the complete GGaide conference program.
  • To purchase tickets: https://www.techaidemontreal.org/en/event/2021-ggaide-conference/
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