Publisher/Designer

UK Games Expo are extremely pleased to welcome once more: Panda Game Manufacturing as Sponsors of the Publisher Designer Track.
We are also delighted to have Playtest UK, return as a partner.

Panda Game Manufacturing is one of the world’s premier board game manufacturers. At Panda they produce (and play!) the best board games in the business!

Playtest UK provides you with a dedicated Publisher-Designer Track, offering Playtest tables, game design and marketing seminars and panels, networking events and opportunities for budding designers to pitch their ideas to publishers.

We also offer a Publisher Designers FAQ's and of course affordable starter stands (please read the Exhibitors Guide. There are other seminars and panels with a mainstream appeal in our seminar schedule.

Key Events:

• Playtest Tables: Get feedback on your game design ideas from the visitors
• Publisher Designer Speed Dating: Game designers give a 5-minute 'elevator' pitch to potential publishers. Closed event, attended by invitation only after an application process.
• Bootcamp: An intensive, four-hour dive into the development and presentation of your prototypes to publishers and the public. Closed event, attend by invitation only after the application process.
• Designers Networking Event: For designers, publishers and other industry professionals.
• Show Preview: See the new designs at this 2-3 hour preview of the show on Thursday evening.
• Gamedesign Masterclass: A crash course in the theory and practice of creating exciting board and card games
• Press and business zone: This is an area in Hall 2 NEC (Stand 2-102) where Media, Press, Publisher and Designers can meet.
• Workshops and talks: (schedule coming April 2025)

Everything on this schedule is free, with all events having a seating limit, so arrive early to avoid disappointment.

Some events, for example, Bootcamp and Speed-Dating involve an application process, in which some of you may be invited to participate.

Other events such as Draw Like a Pro and Write Like a Pro will require a pre-event reservation, see the event listing for more details.

For most of the seminars, there is no reserved seating. Please arrive early and follow the Great British tradition by forming an orderly queue!
You may be asked to leave after each event, at the behest of some of our speakers.

Please note: You will need to book a table at Playtest if you wish to receive playtesting feedback.

Canterbury Christchurch University deisgn students talk about their visit to UKGE in 2021 with their deisgns.