FEED attended its first real-world event in months – and learned that advertisers need a game plan
he pandemic has reached a stage where people feel that we’re almost out of the woods, just to be told that we may have only
morning and The Future of Gaming in the afternoon. One gets the sense that being deprived of in-person events for so long has actually helped some people renew themselves. Many of us have re-evaluated aspects of our lives. Even if we haven’t kept up with all our lockdown hobbies, we’re a bit more in touch with what brings us joy and how precious life is. The one-on-one conversations I had were friendly, cutting to the chase with very little pretence – as if people were gazing into each other ’s eyes, saying silently: “I know you almost threw up into the sink this morning when you were swabbing your tonsils. Me too, sister. Me too.” Might the pandemic have made us all a bit more
humble, tolerant and open? Let’s just watch this space. To the point: the dual Mediatel events had a particular focus on the relationship – not always smooth – between new media and marketing. FEED focused its attention primarily on The Future of Gaming track. MASS APPEAL Some fascinating groundwork was laid by Matthew Walker, a Credit Suisse research analyst specialising in media and gaming. Walker delivered ‘A view from the city,’ his assessment of how much potential revenue the gaming industry holds for investors. We all like to imagine how big – or busted – a particular sector is, but those impressions are often guesses, or based solely on the latest headlines. Getting the sober facts from a major international financial institution is thoroughly enlightening. The gaming industry is worth $175 billion, according to Walker. Three billion people play games, with an average age of 34 and a pretty equal 46/54% split between women and men. It’s also one of the cheapest forms of entertainment, trailing only behind music. Mobile and free-to-play games are expected to make up most of the future growth. Cloud gaming is a sector that’s going places, but Walker thinks it will still be a long time before gaming consoles are fully consigned to the dump.
now entered the woods. But, maybe we’re safe to camp here for a while? Can anyone get a phone signal? Hey, we’ve just run out of toilet paper. Oh no, rabid wolves! Run for your life... UK tech events company Mediatel rolled the dice and decided to go ahead with the in-venue component of its The Future of TV Advertising and The Future of Gaming summits at the end of 2021. Given the circumstances, there was a relatively high turnout at the King’s Cross, London venue, with The Future of TV Advertising taking place in the
LEADING VOICES Mediatel’s event featured over 20 speakers, each with fresh news
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