On March 26 and 27, 2015, two representatives from DOT Lebanon attended the MENA Games Conference held in the Historical Train Station in Beirut under the hospices of the Ministry of Telecommunication in Lebanon.
The MENA Games Conference and Exhibition is a place to support the growth of the online mobile and console gaming industry in the Middle East and North Africa regions. The event attracted representatives from 400 international and local companies serving the gaming industry in all its sectors. That included game publishers, developers, infrastructure and mobility providers, mobile payment companies, analytic and user acquisition services, design to platforms, and online advertising companies.
The two-day workshop, started by introducing the partners, the aim of the camp, and its mission. The meaning of innovation and entrepreneurship were illustrated, as well. After that, participants introduced themselves, and discussed their weak and strong points.
There were a number of objectives for the two-day conference. Some of those objectives were:
1. Developing Games for the MENA Region;
2. Insights into investing in the MENA Region's online and mobile gaming industry;
3. The status of the free-to-play business model;
4. Game education, the missing pillar in the MENA region;
5. Pitching your game to publishers;
6. Presentation of awards for the 2015 Arab Games Jam;
7. Guidance on how to start your own gaming company.
Mustafa Dasuki and Houssam Shamsedden from DOT Lebanon had the chance to be part of the conference. They had the opportunity to meet some of the world’s leading CEO's in the gaming industry. Their main professional objectives were to network, socialize, and spot prospective partners for the organization. As for the panel sessions, they were a good chance to grasp and learn new things in the domain of mobile gaming apps, not only from the technical side but also from a business and marketing perspective.
Several partners from the entrepreneurial and technology ecosystem collaborated to make this event a success, including: IFP, Alfa, Berytech Fund, Berytech, Beirut Digital District, International Game Developers Association (igda) and DigiPen Institute of Technology.
You can find more information about the MENA Games Conference and Exhibition by visiting: http://menagames.com/
Rhea Azouri
Program Officer
DOT Lebanon
