iON: Hamilton
November 4, 2015
11am-4pm
CoMotion on King (115 King St E, Hamilton)

Join Interactive Ontario as we bring i-ON, a one-day seminar focused on Interactive Digital Media, to your neighbourhood. Limited seating available: Get tickets here!

i-ON was designed to be a province-wide event series bringing knowledge sharing, networking and economic development opportunities to companies in Kitchener-Waterloo, the Niagara-St. Catharines region and Ottawa. For our 1.1 series in Fall 2015, we are returning to the original three areas, and expanding into two new ones – London and Hamilton.

Schedule

Event Format:

• 11 am – 11:30 am Registration opens
• 11:30 – 1 pm Plenary Session
• 1 pm – 2 pm Sponsored Lunch
• 2 pm – 3:30 pm Breakout: Established IDM professionals
• 2 pm – 3:30 pm Breakout: New IDM entrepreneurs
• 3:30 – 4 pm Networking Coffee Break
• 4 pm – 5 pm Digital Media Town Hall (separate registration required – click HERE to register)

11 -11:30 am
Plenary Session – iON Funding
Moderated by Colin Ferguson, SHG Studios with speakers Kim Gibson & Jennifer Blitz (OMDC), Rod Butler (CMF), and Dan Clark (Moonray Studios)

Whether creating video games, transmedia, e‑Learning, web series, mobile content or other IDM products, the challenge of obtaining financing is by far the most common barrier to the growth of Ontario’s IDM companies. Are you aware of the funding and tax incentives that are available in Ontario? Is your company taking advantage of these incentives?

Join us for a general overview of OMDC funding and tax credits and CMF funding, including the types of activities that they are intended to support and the impact it can have on your business. This session will also feature a case study of Moonray Studios.

2 – 3:30 pm
Breakout session for IDM professionals:
“What I Wish I’d Known”
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self as you prepared to start a company, deliver a product on deadline, or keep your team happy? This panel brings together IDM professionals to share their personal experiences working in the industry, what they wish they’d known back then, and what they’ve learned since. Join us for this discussion and learn from their mistakes!

Moderated by David Carter ED, Innovation Factory

Panelists:

• Dave Elton, Beeline Interactive
• Colin Doncaster, Peregrine Labs
• Kirsten Bodenstedt, Head of Studio, Peregrine Labs

2 – 3:30 pm
Breakout session for Freelancers and Students: Digital Media 101
“Digital Media 101: Getting a Job, Starting a Company, and Doing it All Over Again”
Digital Media is an industry constantly on the move and there are many different paths you can take to find the right fit for you. Whether you choose to become a freelancer, start your own studio, or get a job working for someone else, there are lots of things to consider. This session features panelists with their own unique stories to share to help answer your questions about the future.

Moderated by Abigail Santos: Chair Woman, Hamilton HIVE

Panelists:

Chad Fullerton: Fullerton Media Inc. & Co-Founder, CoMotion On King & Freelancers Association, Interactive Content Manager, CORUS Hamilton;

• Erik Betz: Ownder and Creative Director, EB Media Solutions
• Shaun Illes: Co-Founder, Flyte Studios

This event is open to all students, and I have a discount code to offer any student who plans on buying a ticket to attend the event. All you have to do is send me a direct message to me via twitter and I will send you the discount password. The discount is limited so first come first serve. Thank you all, and I will see you at the event. DM me @BretMeasor or @GameDevDrinks or @HardCircle