adminGame Republic New Horizons 2026 has appointed an international advisory board of more than 20 games industry professionals to help shape the conference programme. The three-day event was announced for Middlesbrough, with experts from across games, business, funding and creative industries contributing to its development.
Game Republic New Horizons 2026 advisory board
The board brings together representatives from game studios, public bodies, business organisations and industry groups. Members named in the announcement include Kickstarter head of games Asher McClennahan, Revolution Software head Charles Cecil, Pitchify’s Gina Jackson, Game Advisor’s Stefan Lampinen, Rainy Frog’s Tony Byus, Double Eleven co-CEO Kimberley Turner, Kudos Games commercial director David Lilley, Elaine Dowman of the Irish Game Makers Association, and Chris Dring of The Game Business.
The full advisory board list is:
- Alison Lacy (Radical Forge)
- Andrew Crawshaw (Thunkd)
- Ben Robinson (ID@Xbox)
- Bob Makin (Behaviour Interactive)
- Callum Underwood (Uwu Biz)
- Charles Cecil (Revolution Software)
- Charlie Kemp (Tees Valley Combined Authority)
- Chris Dring (The Game Business)
- Chris Taylor (Eaton Smith Solicitors)
- David Lilley (Kudos Games)
- Des Gayle (Day Off Interactive)
- Elaine Dowman (IMIRT – Irish Game Developers Association)
- Gina Jackson (Pitchify)
- HaZ Dulull (Beyond the Pixels)
- John Sanderson (Pitstop Productions)
- Kimberley Turner (Double Eleven)
- Luke Mills (Dink)
- Michael French (Games London)
- Michelle Shelton (Middlesbrough Council)
- Nareice Wint (Miami Avalon)
- Nina Cliff (Business Development)
- Olly Bennett (Cardboard Sword)
- Ron Ashtiani (Steamforged Games)
- Sarah York (Panda Cat Games)
- Simon Iwaniszak (Red Kite Games)
- Stefan Lampinen (Game Advisor ltd)
- Tony Byus (Rainy Frog)
Conference programme and local support
Game Republic managing director Jamie Sefton said the advisory board’s meetings helped shape a programme expanded to three days. The conference focus was set to include technology, business, funding, markets and opportunities for games and creative industry leaders. Sefton also described the event’s potential to become an international games industry conference based in the North of England.
Tees Valley Combined Authority and Middlesbrough Council supported the conference. Their representatives, Charlie Kemp and Michelle Shelton, respectively, also joined the advisory board. For attendees considering industry events, the mix of commercial, creative and public-sector perspectives can offer a useful setting for making connections and learning about opportunities across the sector.
Dates, venue and event details
The announced dates for Game Republic New Horizons 2026 were October 14–16 at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough. Early-bird tickets were offered until the end of March 2026. The event’s listed sponsors were Kudos Games, Red Kite Games, Xsolla, Double Eleven, Steel City Interactive, Plus Accounting and Behaviour Interactive.
Sefton said that more than a third of attendees at the previous year’s event came from outside the region, including London, the South-East and overseas. Feedback reported that 89% of attendees had made new contacts and 28% had secured a new project or deal. The event also recorded more than 100 meetings through MeetToMatch. These figures provide an indication of the networking activity reported by organisers, although individual outcomes can vary.
The advisory board list was later updated to include Olly Bennett. Overall, Game Republic New Horizons 2026 was planned as a three-day conference bringing together industry specialists and regional partners. Anyone reviewing the event’s details should note that its announced October dates and March early-bird deadline have passed.
