This free workshop is for emerging and future women and non-binary game developers, including those just starting out or considering a career in game development, who want to understand the business and marketing side of making games.

Led by Dr. Jacqueline Burgess, Australia’s leading business and game studies researcher and a multi-award-winning educator, this session will show why marketing is not something to add at the end. It is a foundational skill that can shape your entire creative path.

Drawing from her work with international studios such as Ubisoft and local developers alike, Dr. Burgess will guide participants through how to define a value proposition, understand their target players, and begin building a marketing mindset from the beginning. Whether you're preparing for your first project, exploring where to start, or looking to strengthen the foundation of an existing game or studio, this workshop offers a practical and empowering introduction to one of the most important parts of game development.

Workshop Overview:

Introduction to marketing
Exploring value
Conducting market research
Identifying a target market
Understanding consumer/player behaviour
Branding, logos, and slogans

This workshop is being offered both in-person and online to reach as many people as possible:

In-Person: Receive Level Her Up swag, network with like-minded women and non-binary gamedevs, and participate in the workshop, which includes a printed worksheet. Light refreshments will be provided. Doors open at 12:30pm, with a prompt 1pm workshop start.
Online: Tune in to the workshop from afar via the Level Her Up Discord.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Jacqueline Burgess is a multi-award-winning educator and researcher based at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She is the leading business and game studies researcher in Australia and has published multiple papers in the top 10% of worldwide academic journals. Jacqueline also researches small businesses and other aspects of the creative industries and is an active collaborator who pulls her weight.

Jacqueline is also an active member in the Digital Games Research Association (DiGRAA) Australia, having served on the board since 2023 and made significant contributions in working parties, and a mentor of early career and student researchers.

She has worked with various creative practitioners from international companies, including Ubisoft, to local businesses and has taught numerous industry workshops. As a result of Jacqueline’s expertise, she has been asked to provide commentary for news organisations including The BBC, Sky News, WIN, Inside Retail, The Conversation and more.

About Level Her Up:

Level Her Up is a community of women game developers from Western Australia, dedicated to inspiring more women to experience the awesome world of game development. Our goal is to foster a supportive and welcoming community for women and underrepresented individuals to learn game development, while also building up the local WA game development community.