On December 14, alongside Good Game Industry , #TheAlternativeSchool embarked on an epic quest with Heineken to toast "The Future of Gaming". For a taste of the evenings’ vibe, picture this: a dedicated spot brimming with the latest gadgets, where marketers, creatives and rising stars of all stripes dived headfirst into the world of streamers.

A VIP packed event

In a time of the year where private happenings and companies’ Christmas parties were blooming across the city, The Future of Gaming event was a box office success, with a sold out venue and a record number of attendees, proof that the topic is a hot one for the forward thinkers out there.

The guests could rub elbows with esteemed personalities, like the renowned designer Omid Ghanadi, Claudia Popa representing Vodafone, Traian Mirescu of Asus, Patricia Zegreanu from Porsche, Alex Ilie of McCann, Laura Belc from The Geeks, Corina Toma from GMP&U or Good Game Industry’ stellar gamefluencers.

Tedi Migdalovici: Gaming beyond cliché

The presentations started with a review of the Cannes Lions’ recently launced Entertainment for Gaming category, in the festival’s ambassador key. Tedi Migdalovici debunked some serious myths about gaming, showing, via internationally awarded case studies, how it's a goldmine for biz growth and brand hype across diverse categories, from banking to FMCG, Luxury, health to education or climate change. She also dropped wisdom on how gaming is teaching us killer truths about real connections and tight communities.

Ad people, take a good note on that, for in the noisy social media landscape, gaming looks like the last frontier, a long sought after El Dorado. There are two conditions to reach out this sacred territory: 1. Forget about Edward Bernays’ manipulative mindset and focus on a genuine heart-set one when you build brand-audiences relationships & 2. Find some great guides to show you around the habits of those mysterious game-related tribes. After all, this is why Marius Radu, Lorena Schadi and Toma Nicolau founded Good Game Industry in the first place.

Marius Radu: Local gaming’s biggest research was revealed

On the second presentation of the evening, Marius Radu spilled the beans on the Romanian gaming research done within Good Game Industry laboratory, with insights debunked from over 21,500 players. From very specific insights on time spent on a game and socio-demographics details related to players’ profile, Marius’ presentation was a goldmine for clients, now in the posture to better navigate this uncharted territory.

Toma Nicolau: Romania is a gaming power house

To confirm the international trends and actually to show how Romania is one of the booming epicenters of the discipline, Toma Nicolau took over the stage, unveiling Good Game Industry's star-studded lineup of gamefluencers, starting with Ana Dumbrava, the world's reigning female CS:GO champ and Andrei “Odoamne” Pascu, the League of Legends European champion.

Toma didn't stop to the beauty campaign created with them and showcased jaw-dropping projects for heavyweights like Free Fire and League of Legends/Riot Games, proving Romania's powerhouse status in this arena.

Moon Hound Studio: The highlight of the evening

While some of the clients and creatives enjoyed the gamefluencers’s company, others became muses for the incredible Moon Hound crew—a dynamic duo who spun live magic, turning guests' silhouettes into 3D characters for their upcoming game launch.

What’s next?

Hold onto your controllers, because the collaboration with Good Game Industry is just leveling up! Tedi Migdalovici, the school's founder, dropped some exciting news—gamevertising will become a part of the 2024 School’s curriculum, also featured in the Young Lions competition briefs.

Mark your calendars for mid-January when school applications open. Until then, let's raise our glasses to a playful holiday season filled with joy!

Instead of a Post Scriptum: Forget about the FOMO

If you missed the fully booked event and arduously want to get a taste of its condensed, eye-opening content, drop us a line and, for a fee we can deliver the presentation straight at your office, in the first two months of the year. Believed or not, some of the companies already picked their day.

Let’s have a fabulous 2024, it’s time to #LevelUp.