2025 San Francisco Agenda
- Day 1Wednesday 22 October
- Day 2Thursday 23 October
-
Select a Theme
- User Acquisition - SoMA Room
- Product Monetization - Foothill C Room
-
08.00 - Badge Pickup & Welcome Coffee
Josh Vowles, Head of Product, GamesforumJosh VowlesHead of ProductGamesforum08.55
Welcome to Gamesforum San Francsico 2025
Chul-min Sim, CEO, KabamChul-min SimCEOKabamCEO of Kabam and Netmarble Western representative, driving global strategy for acclaimed free-to-play games like Marvel Contest of Champions and Shop Titans. Leading studios across North America and Asia, dedicated to delivering world-class gaming experiences to millions of players worldwide
CK Wang, CEO, KooappsCK WangCEOKooapps
Aki Sano, CEO, DeNA NAAki SanoCEODeNA NA
Sarah Xie, Head of Partnerships, Gaming & Apps, GoogleSarah XieHead of Partnerships, Gaming & AppsGoogle
Tanner Hanson, CEO, RevUTanner HansonCEORevUTanner Hanson is the CEO of RevU, where he is responsible for the business’ growth, product, and account management. He joined RevU in 2022 to transform the business into a multi-platform solution for publishers and advertisers.
Prior to RevU, Tanner led US account management across advertisers and publishers at ironSource (now part of Unity Technologies), overseeing both ad network and offerwall clients. He started his mobile career after a post-college stint in retail on the agency side, running app campaigns for clients including Square, Eventbrite, and Meta. Tanner is Bay Area born and raised, currently based in San Francisco.
Mariam Ahmad, Head of Content, GamesforumMariam AhmadHead of ContentGamesforumMariam recently joined Gamesforum as Head of Content, having previously worked at Exchangewire as editorial lead. With a keen interest in ad tech, Mariam’s area of interest also includes ad monetisation, UA, curation, and more. Previously, she also hosted the Madtech Podcast, which featured a range of industry leaders and visionaries, ranging from Paramount to Uber and Microsoft.
09.00
Gamesforum Unfiltered: San Francisco Edition
Off the record, unrecorded, uncensored, join us as we kick off Gamesforum San Francisco with our Unfiltered panel.
The mobile game ecosystem remains turbulent, a series of rising costs, depreciating revenue and an increasingly competitive market leave growth managers innovating for incremental uplift.
Join our industry leaders as they dissect the state of the mobile games industry, providing their hot takes, annoyances and advice on how to locate pockets of growth.
Nate Ahearn, VP of Product Marketing, XsollaNate AhearnVP of Product MarketingXsolla
Travis Anderson, Head of Partnerships, XsollaTravis AndersonHead of PartnershipsXsollaSponsored by
Xsolla is a global commerce company with robust tools and services to help developers solve the inherent challenges of the video game industry. From indie to AAA, companies partner with Xsolla to help them fund, distribute, market, and monetize their games. Grounded in the belief in the future of video games, Xsolla is resolute in the mission to bring opportunities together and continually make new resources available to creators.
Headquartered and incorporated in Los Angeles, California, Xsolla operates as the merchant of record and have helped over 1500+ game developers to reach more players and grow their businesses around the world. With more paths to profits and ways to win, developers have all the things needed to enjoy the game.
10.00
Direct-to-Consumer and the Future of Mobile Game Monetization
In this session, we’ll explore the shift toward direct-to-consumer game commerce and the monetization stack, a framework for engaging every type of player, from casual participants to your highest-value users. You’ll learn how to expand the total addressable market of your D2C business into a holistic strategy that maximizes lifetime value, strengthens retention, and fuels your game’s growth.Check back for more information...
Josh Chandley, President & COO, WildCard GamesJosh ChandleyPresident & COOWildCard Games10.30
From Collapse to Comeback: How WildCard Engineered Its Best Year Ever
WildCard went from five years of profitability and a standout 2020 to near-total collapse in 2022. A 40% revenue drop, 25% CPM crash, and geopolitical crisis shattered the company’s growth loop. With UA slashed and yield down over 90%, survival seemed unlikely.
But instead of pivoting, WildCard rebuilt. Overhauling systems across product, monetization, and user acquisition. In this candid keynote, hear the full story of how WildCard turned extreme adversity into its most successful year to date, achieving record-breaking revenue and cash flow. This is a real-world case in point for navigating downturns, rebuilding growth engines, and leading through turbulence.
11.00 - Morning Networking Break
Athar ‘Z’ Zia, CEO , BLKBOX.aiAthar ‘Z’ ZiaCEOBLKBOX.aiAthar “Z” Zia is the CEO of BLKBOX.ai, an AI-powered all-in-one creative intelligence platform for mobile marketers to analyze, ideate, create, test, and scale.
With deep expertise in statistics, ad auctions, and performance marketing, Z previously helped scale a top gaming advertiser to become the fifth largest on Meta — achieving a track record of $1M in daily ad spend. Driven by the rise of artificial intelligence and creatives being the key lever to unlock scaled ad performance, he then left Meta to build BLKBOX.ai in 2020.
Sponsored by
BLKBOX was built by a former Meta Ads auction expert as a unified platform where advertisers can Analyze, Ideate, Create, Test, and Scale.
Leverage AI and advanced automation to reduce your CPI by up to 30%, lower testing costs by 50%, increase production by 200%, and scale your ads profitably.
- Analyze and clone your competitors' top ads.
- Generate unlimited new ideas and data-driven iterations.
- Create AI-Powered video ads within minutes.
- Omni-channel testing to highlight winning ads within 48 hours.
- Scale winning ads using advanced automation and drive profitable ROAS.
A single platform for all your marketing needs!
Learn more at www.blkbox.ai
11.30
Personalized AI Ads for Every Player Persona: Scientific, Measurable & Scalable - Attend Our Live Demo!
Most game ads take a one-size-fits-all approach—hoping a single theme connects with casuals, core players, and VIPs alike. At BLKBOX, we know that doesn’t work. We’ve cracked the code to deliver personalized, measurable video ads that speak to every player persona and scale profitably.
Our process is scientific: start with a hypothesis, define personas, build and test creative, then report on exactly which audiences the ads unlocked. The result? Ads that feel right—driving higher engagement, deeper conversion, and true audience growth.
The best part is that we do all the heavy lifting of understanding your game and users to deliver Ads weekly, with no creative briefs!
Too good to be true? Come check out our live demo, you will find it extremely interesting!
Ken Walton, VP of Growth, AZRA GamesKen WaltonVP of GrowthAZRA Games
Phil Shpilberg, CEO, bookme.comPhil ShpilbergCEObookme.comPhil Shpilberg is the CEO of bookme.com, an all-in-one booking and marketing platform for creators, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. Before bookme.com, he founded GameChangerSF, a performance marketing agency for mobile games that was acquired by Pixis. An AI-focused data scientist, Phil has built his career at the intersection of gaming, marketing, and technology.
Kevin Miranda, UA Manager, EAKevin MirandaUA ManagerEAKevin Miranda is a Senior UA Specialist at EA with a background in advertising and economics. He has worked in Mobile Growth for the last 5 years and gaming over the last 3.5 years helping grow titles like Apex Legends Mobile, SimCity Buildit and Madden Mobile 26.
Cihan Oklap, UA ConsultantCihan OklapUA ConsultantCihan Oklap is an independent user-acquisition consultant with a decade of experience growing mobile games and consumer apps. He has managed nine-figure budgets and led teams that turned clever ideas into ads people actually click. He loves testing, learning, and helping studios find the right players without wasting money today.
12.00
The Last Lever of Control: Creative Successes in the Era of Automation
Learn how to craft mobile game creatives that stand out by leveraging AI, storytelling, bold design, UGC, and influencer partnerships to boost engagement, foster community, and drive growth in a privacy-first world.
13.00 - Networking Lunch
Faith Price, Director of Growth Marketing, DoubleDown InteractiveFaith PriceDirector of Growth MarketingDoubleDown InteractiveFaith has over ten years of mobile games marketing experience. She leads User Acquisition and Engagement teams at DoubleDown Interactive, creating strategies that grow audiences and player communities. She’s passionate about connecting audiences with great games and driving lasting player relationships.
Tanner Hanson, CEO, RevUTanner HansonCEORevUTanner Hanson is the CEO of RevU, where he is responsible for the business’ growth, product, and account management. He joined RevU in 2022 to transform the business into a multi-platform solution for publishers and advertisers.
Prior to RevU, Tanner led US account management across advertisers and publishers at ironSource (now part of Unity Technologies), overseeing both ad network and offerwall clients. He started his mobile career after a post-college stint in retail on the agency side, running app campaigns for clients including Square, Eventbrite, and Meta. Tanner is Bay Area born and raised, currently based in San Francisco.
Mark Yeend, Chief Media Officer, ShrapnelMark YeendChief Media OfficerShrapnel14.00
Rewarded UA in a Crowded Market - Navigating Noise and Unlocking Value
Is the golden age of rewarded UA over? With the rewarded ad network approaching oversaturation, many studios are facing player fatigue and diminishing returns. This panel explores how leading teams are rethinking reward mechanics and engagement strategies to keep rewarded traffic effective, optimize campaign structure and drive strong LTV.
Lauren Steidl, CEO, Integrated Reality LabsLauren SteidlCEOIntegrated Reality Labs
Ian Andolsek, Co-founder, Integrated Reality LabsIan AndolsekCo-founderIntegrated Reality Labs14.45
Hacking Growth With User-Generated Video Content
Check back for more information...
15.30 - Afternoon Networking Break
JJ Park, Product Marketing ManagerJJ ParkProduct Marketing ManagerJae Jun “JJ” Park is a product marketing leader, leading go-to-market campaigns for 10+ AAA titles across mobile, console, and PC. He drove Civilization: Eras & Allies to the top of the charts and has led expansion into mobile on various projects. Previously, at Blitz, he scaled an AI-driven computer vision coaching app powered by 2B+ analyzed match data to over 3M active users.
16.00
From Seoul to San Francisco: Rewriting UA Through Korea's Lens
Few markets embody this tension like Korea. Its gaming scene runs on emotion, speed, and spectacle, constantly rewriting how user acquisition works. In this talk, JJ Park unpacks the paradox of a market where players protest and praise with the same passion. Attendees will learn how to adapt creative testing, budget pacing, and cultural empathy to win launches across Asia while keeping their global playbook intact.
16.30
Heather Gainer, Senior Marketing Manager, Series EntertainmentHeather GainerSenior Marketing ManagerSeries EntertainmentHeather has been in the gaming industry for 11 years and education for 6. She has worked primarily in mobile user acquisition, but has had the pleasure of getting to try a little of everything in game marketing, including but not limited to: mobile and web paid user acquisition, email marketing, cross promotion, ASO, trade show organization, social media strategy, sweepstakes and influencer marketing. Currently she works for Series Entertainment.
16.30
Failing Faster with AI
Most games don’t work, but we’re spending months or years validating things we could’ve figured out in weeks. Our talk walks through how we’re using AI tools to compress the timeline from pitch to kill, so we can test more ideas, with fewer people, and focus our energy on the ones that actually show signal. I’ll cover our end-to-end process, from first brainstorm to launch, and how AI and marketing fits into each step. We’ve run this process on over a dozen prototypes and killed most of them early. That’s the point. This talk will show teams how to move faster, reduce risk, and give more games a shot at being great.
Winnie Wen, VP of User Acquisition, Jam CityWinnie WenVP of User AcquisitionJam CityWinnie Wen is a seasoned User Acquisition (UA) and Mobile Marketing executive with over 11 years of experience driving growth across some of the most iconic titles in mobile gaming. As Vice President of User Acquisition at Jam City, she leads global strategies that fuel user growth, engagement, and revenue at scale for the company’s blockbuster mobile games, including Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Disney Emoji Blitz, Cookie Jam, Panda Pop, and Disney Frozen
Adventures.
Yoni Ellert, VP of Performance Marketing, ScopelyYoni EllertVP of Performance MarketingScopelyExperienced Growth and Performance Marketing leader with over a decade of impact across industry leaders including Scopely, Draftkings & MZ. Proven track record in scaling user acquisition, optimizing ROI, and driving data-informed strategy across games, gaming and ad-tech. Passionate about strategy, cross-functional collaboration, team development, and delivering measurable business outcomes.
Egor Corvin Ampleev, Senior Director of UA, MobilityWareEgor Corvin AmpleevSenior Director of UAMobilityWare
Steve Green, EVP, GM of Performance Revenue, FluentSteve GreenEVP, GM of Performance RevenueFluent
Alex Pan, Senior Director of Performance Marketing, IMVU, Together LabsAlex PanSenior Director of Performance MarketingIMVU, Together LabsAlex Pan is a veteran gaming marketer who has scaled user acquisition and re-engagement for some of the industry’s most successful titles. From leading growth at Together Labs’ IMVU to driving the Best Fiends franchise at Seriously, and earlier roles at PlayQ, nWay, and Tencent, Alex brings extensive marketing expertise covering various free-to-play gaming genres on web and mobile.
17.00
UA in 2026: The Next Evolution of Growth
Walk away with actionable insights to future-proof your growth strategy and stay ahead in an ever-evolving landscape, so you’re ready to scale games successfully in 2026 and beyond.
In this panel, industry leaders explore how evolving privacy regulations and cutting-edge AI tools are reshaping the UA stack, rendering legacy metrics like CPI less relevant and welcoming in smarter, LTV-first approaches.
18.00 - Networking Drinks -
11.00 - Morning Networking Break
Elizaveta Savenkova, CBDO, ZiMADElizaveta SavenkovaCBDOZiMAD11.30
Games Stores in Flux: 5 Years of Change and What Comes Next?
The mobile game store landscape is changing fast. Apple and Google no longer hold all the cards—new players like Epic, Huawei, and Amazon are offering real alternatives with better deals and more freedom for developers. But with greater choice comes greater complexity. Join this session for a look at the shifting store ecosystem, how developers can take control of discovery, and what it all means for monetization and growth in the years ahead.
Joel White, VP of Product , Kingsisle Entertainment, Gamigo GroupJoel WhiteVP of ProductKingsisle Entertainment, Gamigo GroupJoel White is a 24-year professional in the games industry and currently VP of Product for KingsIsle Entertainment.
Mari Yalong, Product Manager, Live Ops, PerBlueMari YalongProduct Manager, Live OpsPerBlueAs a behavioral economics enthusiast and lifelong gamer, Mari found her calling in life in Product Management and Live Ops. She’s currently the product owner for the award winning mobile game, Disney Heroes: Battle Mode which will celebrate its 7th anniversary this May.
Mari is also working on advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the games space, partnering with nonprofit organizations such as the*gamehers, Inspiring Girls, and more.
Josephine Friday, VP, Enterprise Business Development, XsollaJosephine FridayVP, Enterprise Business DevelopmentXsolla
Fernando Vasconez, Head of Gaming Investment & Partnerships, SAGA.xyzFernando VasconezHead of Gaming Investment & PartnershipsSAGA.xyz
Chen Stopiky, VP, General Manager, SciPlayChen StopikyVP, General ManagerSciPlay12.00
Revenue, Retention & Trust with Out of Game Experiences: Unlocking D2C
There is a lot to be covered and learnt in adopting successful out of game experiences, from ensuring solid builds to player messaging, but under this lies great revenue and engagement potential.
Sharing their experience building and integrating webstores, our panellists will explore how to best communicate out of game experiences with players, how personalisation and value exchanges can improve both player experiences and your revenue streams and how to set about scaling your IAP share.
13.00 - Networking LunchJoel White, VP of Product , Kingsisle Entertainment, Gamigo GroupJoel WhiteVP of ProductKingsisle Entertainment, Gamigo GroupJoel White is a 24-year professional in the games industry and currently VP of Product for KingsIsle Entertainment.
Joseph Kim, CEO, LILA GamesJoseph KimCEOLILA Games
Satoshi Murakami, Lead PM, ScopelySatoshi MurakamiLead PMScopely
Solomon Ruiz-Lichter, Founder, Dual Pulse AdvisorySolomon Ruiz-LichterFounderDual Pulse Advisory14.00
Content is King: LiveOps Designed for Revenue & Retention
With rising UA costs and shifting monetization models, effective LiveOps is more critical than ever. This panel explores how to build LiveOps strategies that drive long-term retention and revenue. Topics include cross-team collaboration, data-driven campaign timing, content personalization, and balancing monetization with player satisfaction to turn acquired users into lasting, paying players.
Mari Yalong, Product Manager, Live Ops, PerBlueMari YalongProduct Manager, Live OpsPerBlueAs a behavioral economics enthusiast and lifelong gamer, Mari found her calling in life in Product Management and Live Ops. She’s currently the product owner for the award winning mobile game, Disney Heroes: Battle Mode which will celebrate its 7th anniversary this May.
Mari is also working on advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the games space, partnering with nonprofit organizations such as the*gamehers, Inspiring Girls, and more.
15.00
Personalized LiveOps: Designing Experiences That Keep Players Coming Back
As player expectations rise and competition intensifies, personalization in LiveOps has become essential for long-term engagement and retention. This session explores how to build scalable LiveOps frameworks tailored to individual player behaviours, preferences, and lifecycle stages.
Learn how to align internal structures and resources for personalized content delivery, and how to leverage IP and entertainment calendars, like major show releases or cultural events to create timely, relevant LiveOps campaigns. Packed with real-world use cases, this session will provide actionable insights to help your team drive deeper connections, stronger retention, and more consistent revenue through smarter personalization.
15.30 - Afternoon Networking Break
Devin Becker, Senior Games Industry Consultant, NaavikDevin BeckerSenior Games Industry ConsultantNaavik16.00
Game Economy Analysis: Deconstructing Legacy Games
Discover how revive games by pivoting your game economy, product and marketing strategy to course-correct on struggling titles. With analysis of small to big revamps including Supercell games like Brawl Stars and Squad Busters and Second Dinner's Marvel Snap.
Ted Verani, VP of Global Business Development, WappierTed VeraniVP of Global Business DevelopmentWappierTed Verani is responsible for business development for wappier, a leader in monetization solutions for games.
Prior to joining wappier, Ted was VP of Business Development for Scientific Revenue, a pioneer of dynamic pricing for mobile games. For nearly 20 years, Ted has held leadership roles with innovative technology companies like modl.ai, Trilibis, Enpocket (Nokia) and Vodafone.
Ted holds a M.B.A. from the University of Southern California, and a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from University of California, Davis.
16.45
Pricing in an Inflationary World
We live in an inflationary world that seems to be headed for greater uncertainty by threats of tariffs and war. How has inflation impacted game revenues? What can you do about it? Ted Verani will share results from a wappier study on impacts from pricing changes, as well as share how mobile game publishers can leverage pricing to best protect their revenue against inflation and economic uncertainty using case studies showing results from both high income and lower incomes countries.
Mariam Ahmad, Head of Content, GamesforumMariam AhmadHead of ContentGamesforumMariam recently joined Gamesforum as Head of Content, having previously worked at Exchangewire as editorial lead. With a keen interest in ad tech, Mariam’s area of interest also includes ad monetisation, UA, curation, and more. Previously, she also hosted the Madtech Podcast, which featured a range of industry leaders and visionaries, ranging from Paramount to Uber and Microsoft.
James Seaman, Founder, Hit Box GamesJames SeamanFounderHit Box GamesDevin Becker, Senior Games Industry Consultant, NaavikDevin BeckerSenior Games Industry ConsultantNaavik
Rohit Korrapolu, Co-Founder, OK2Rohit KorrapoluCo-FounderOK2
Leif Simonson, Head of Development and Innovation, WorldWinnerLeif SimonsonHead of Development and InnovationWorldWinner17.15
ARM up for 26: Building Sustainable Growth with Acquisition, Retention & Monetization
With rising costs, tighter margins, and a saturated market, user acquisition in mobile gaming is more challenging than ever. This session brings together experts from marketing and product to discuss how studios can shift focus from short-term DAU spikes to long-term retention and player LTV. Learn strategies for aligning UA with monetization models that support player longevity, and how closer collaboration between product and other teams can unlock sustainable, scalable growth.
18.00 - Networking Drinks
-
Select a Theme
- Alternative Growth - SoMa Room
- Ad Monetization - Foothill C Room
-
09.30 - Roundtables: Marketing & GrowthFaith Price, Director of Growth Marketing, DoubleDown InteractiveFaith PriceDirector of Growth MarketingDoubleDown Interactive
Faith has over ten years of mobile games marketing experience. She leads User Acquisition and Engagement teams at DoubleDown Interactive, creating strategies that grow audiences and player communities. She’s passionate about connecting audiences with great games and driving lasting player relationships.
Roundtable: Navigating Career Growth and Visibility
Advance your career and build visibility with confidence as a woman in gaming by joining Faith Price for a candid, interactive discussion. Sharing her journey, insights, and actionable advice to empower career growth.
Heather Gainer, Senior Marketing Manager, Series EntertainmentHeather GainerSenior Marketing ManagerSeries EntertainmentHeather has been in the gaming industry for 11 years and education for 6. She has worked primarily in mobile user acquisition, but has had the pleasure of getting to try a little of everything in game marketing, including but not limited to: mobile and web paid user acquisition, email marketing, cross promotion, ASO, trade show organization, social media strategy, sweepstakes and influencer marketing. Currently she works for Series Entertainment.
Roundtable: Prototyping Marketing Fit with AI
Continuin Heathers presentation on day one, streamline your UA strategy by understanding how AI can be used to prototype game success before development, validate market fit early and reduce risk.
Victor Martinez, CEO & Founder, Hunu InteractiveVictor MartinezCEO & FounderHunu InteractiveRoundtable: Forecasting Success not Demanding It
It has never been easier to make a game. The challenge lies in effectively scaling, marketing and monetizing it. To truly find success requires marriage between the analytical and calculated and the compassionate and creative.
10.30 - Morning Networking Break
Corey Rosemond, Strategic Advisor & Investor, Evil Genius GamesCorey RosemondStrategic Advisor & InvestorEvil Genius Games11.00
Mobile Gaming Blitz: 15 Trends in 30 Minutes
Run through a brief overview of 15 of the greatest trends in the F2P mobile gaming scene ahead of 2026. Corey will share his take, predictions and opportunities to bolster your growth and revenue potential.
Mike Aaronson, SVP, Commercial Strategy & Growth, Hyper Hippo EntertainmentMike AaronsonSVP, Commercial Strategy & GrowthHyper Hippo EntertainmentAs SVP Commercial Strategy & Growth, Mike is responsible for establishing & executing the growth strategy for the business of Hyper Hippo’s live games and maximizing the profitability of the business. Prior to Hyper Hippo, Mike spent 20 years scaling new digital businesses in the entertainment industry at Comcast and NBCUniversal.
Jeffry Liptak, CEO, OnlyHits GamesJeffry LiptakCEOOnlyHits Games
Ayşe Damla Gazaille, Co-Founder, Lucene CreativeAyşe Damla GazailleCo-FounderLucene Creative
Cenk Akdag, Founder, Purple Owl InteractiveCenk AkdagFounderPurple Owl Interactive
Vera Manhoso, Gaming Account Director, RTB HouseVera ManhosoGaming Account DirectorRTB House
Nick Kramskoy, Head of Growth, RevXNick KramskoyHead of GrowthRevX11.30
The F2P Model: Retention is the New Acquisition
As the mobile game ecosystem evolves, rising UA costs, privacy changes, and market saturation are forcing a strategic shift. In today’s environment, growth doesn’t come from acquisition alone, it comes from keeping players engaged.
This session explores why retention now rivals acquisition in importance and how successful studios are refocusing on long-term player experience, personalized engagement, and LiveOps strategies. Learn how to drive sustainable growth by optimizing for lifetime value, not just installs.
12.30 - Networking Lunch
Anastasia Zaiceva, CCO, ZiMADAnastasia ZaicevaCCOZiMADChief Communications Officer at ZiMAD, expert in Strategic Communications. Brand marketing professional with over 10 year of experience. Mother of a young gamer, blogger, lecturer. ExWargaming, exGame.tv, exFreeplay
13.30
Brand Isn’t Just Marketing: Why Every Studio Needs a Brand Strategy (Even Pre-Launch)
In today’s saturated market, brand is more than visuals; it’s your identity, your message, and your competitive edge. This session explores how brand influences product success from day one, and why it’s critical for both studios and individual games. Learn practical strategies for positioning, tone, and visual identity, plus how strong branding boosts user acquisition, retention, and even hiring. Includes real-world examples from mobile, PC, and hybrid studios.
Dobrinka Kostadinova, Founder & Principal Advisor, Ad AstraDobrinka KostadinovaFounder & Principal AdvisorAd AstraExpertise in aligning mobile-centric data analytics, technology, and process management to execute strategic initiatives seamlessly.
Offering extensive experience in App Store Optimization and Go-To-Market planning, bolstered by top tier industry KPIs like revenue, downloads, betas, geos, and genres.
14.00
The State of Play: Exploring the Shifts in Game Discovery & Growth
Understand where the gaming market is heading, how CPPs, Apple Ads placements and new discoverbability are reshaping user acquisition, engagement and retention across the app ecosystem. With updates on the Apple Games App and Google Play Games.
Jenny Xu, CEO, TalofaJenny XuCEOTalofaDobrinka Kostadinova, Founder & Principal Advisor, Ad AstraDobrinka KostadinovaFounder & Principal AdvisorAd AstraExpertise in aligning mobile-centric data analytics, technology, and process management to execute strategic initiatives seamlessly.
Offering extensive experience in App Store Optimization and Go-To-Market planning, bolstered by top tier industry KPIs like revenue, downloads, betas, geos, and genres.
Itai Keshet, Director of Store Discoverability & OptimizationItai KeshetDirector of Store Discoverability & OptimizationI have a diverse background in growth marketing, tech, project management and consulting; Currently leading a Discoverability & Optimization (ASO,web,console) team..
As part of my role I orchestrate strategies that merge strategic planning with data-driven decision-making models.
In the past I’ve worked on some of the industry's leading games and apps.
I live in LA with my wife and 2 daughters.
Yada Khoongumjorn, Head of BD, WindwalkYada KhoongumjornHead of BDWindwalk14.15
Discoverability in a Crowded Market Space
Despite a number of incredible successful launches in recent years, evergreen titles still top the charts and reap the rewards of organic traffic. So, how can marketing teams find organic growth in 2026?
Exploring ASO and organics to boost growth potential, the importance of narrative and working with games teams, platform relationships and featuring best practices. This panel will share their advice on developing successful organic growth strategies for 2026 and how to optimize your discoverability for 2026.
15.00 - Afternoon Networking Break
Anshul Dhawan, Founder, Social PixelsAnshul DhawanFounderSocial Pixels15.30
Building an AI Native Game Studio
Building an AI-native game studio by integrating AI workflows across every stage of development: generating playable prototypes without manual coding, creating concept art through ChatGPT, producing and optimizing 3D assets, automating code generation, and extracting actionable insights from analytics databases.
Ruby Chen, Art Lead, Magical TavernRuby ChenArt LeadMagical Tavern16.00
Fireside Chat: Marrying Art & Analytical in Game Growth
A candid fireside chat exploring how to balance creative vision and data-driven growth in mobile games. Finding compromise, knowing when to adapt, and when to push back to protect the art while driving growth and hitting performance KPIs.
-
09.30 - Roundtables: Product & Monetization
Josh Burns, Founder, DigitalDevConnectJosh BurnsFounderDigitalDevConnectJosh founded & operates DigitalDevConnect, working with both emerging & leading companies in the mobile and/or gaming space across business development, partnerships, sales, marketing, product and other areas. Prior to DigitalDevConnect, Josh led the US product team at social & mobile game publisher 6waves as well as holding multiple business roles at EA's Pogo.com casual gaming division.
Roundtable: From Full Games to Crossovers: Trends in IP Licensing
Join the discussion and learn the latest trends in licensed games and IP crossovers and the opportunities that exist for your games.
Anastasia Zaiceva, CCO, ZiMADAnastasia ZaicevaCCOZiMADChief Communications Officer at ZiMAD, expert in Strategic Communications. Brand marketing professional with over 10 year of experience. Mother of a young gamer, blogger, lecturer. ExWargaming, exGame.tv, exFreeplay
Roundtable: Purpose-Driven Play: How to Integrate Charity into Live Games Without Losing Players
Explore how to embed meaningful charity campaigns into your live ops without breaking product logic or player trust.
Fernando Granata,Fernando GranataThe Future of In-App Ad Tech Platforms
An open conversation of what publishers and demand providers want in their in-app ad tech platforms, what already exists in the market, and how it can be achieved through a collaborative ad tech ecosystem.
10.30 - Morning Networking BreakCK Wang, CEO, KooappsCK WangCEOKooappsJosh Burns, Founder, DigitalDevConnectJosh BurnsFounderDigitalDevConnectJosh founded & operates DigitalDevConnect, working with both emerging & leading companies in the mobile and/or gaming space across business development, partnerships, sales, marketing, product and other areas. Prior to DigitalDevConnect, Josh led the US product team at social & mobile game publisher 6waves as well as holding multiple business roles at EA's Pogo.com casual gaming division.
Lashanne Phang, VP of Mobile, PubMaticLashanne PhangVP of MobilePubMatic11.00
Hybrid Monetization & Revenue Diversification
Exploring how teams are blending their monetization models, creating a cohesive game economy that maximizes player revenue potential. With practical takeaways on creating unique ad experiences that maximize player revenue potential regardless of your team size.
12.30 - Networking Lunch
Jordan Moshe, Head of Revenue & Growth, A Star SoftwareJordan MosheHead of Revenue & GrowthA Star Software13.30
Ad Quality: Take Back Control of your Ad Inventory
Understand how to rework your ad operations to finetune your ad inventory and increase the quality of ads your players are seeing. Sharing expertise from across a range of studios, discover how no matter your team size or resources you can best influence the quality of your inventory.
Josh Vowles, Head of Product, GamesforumJosh VowlesHead of ProductGamesforum
Ammar Banatwala, Director, Analytics & Revenue, AdsAmmar BanatwalaDirector, Analytics & Revenue, AdsI've worked in the Ad Mon industry for over 5 years now and in that time, we've all witnessed unprecedented change with widespread consolidation through M&A and evolution of the ad stack towards bidding. Having worked on some of the top grossing F2P mobile games, there's always the expectation of growth despite external circumstances. With my background in Economics and Statistics, it has led me to a highly data driven approach to Ad Mon with a huge emphasis placed on things like Segmentation to maximize the value of every single cohort within our games.
Emily Callahan, Director of Product ManagementEmily CallahanDirector of Product Management14.15
Scaling Ad Personalization in Top-Grossing Games
Discover how one team developed, tested, and scaled a personalized ad strategy across some of the world’s biggest mobile games. This session dives into the tools, frameworks, and data-driven decisions that powered smarter segmentation, improved player experience, and unlocked new revenue. Learn practical lessons on balancing performance and personalization at scale, without compromising retention or monetization goals.
15.00 - Afternoon Networking Break
Mat Harris, VP of Product, Activision Blizzard MediaMat HarrisVP of ProductActivision Blizzard Media
Gabriele Bradford Piggot , VP of Advertising, StillfrontGabriele Bradford PiggotVP of AdvertisingStillfront
Charlie Castell, Founder, PubRev+Charlie CastellFounderPubRev+Charlie Castell is the CEO and co-founder of PubRev+, a publisher, monetization consultancy and CTV demand partner. PubRev+ has a strong record of increasing publishers’ revenue, through adops, business development and technical services. Their first app, Rebuild Ukraine, built in Cherkasy, Ukraine, raises money for World Kitchen and Save the Children, by gamifying charitable giving. Charlie has consulted for a number of political campaigns, including Adam Schiff, been shortlisted for a student academy award, and previously led the ads business at Warner Bros TV, Scopely and TextNow.
15.30
Off-the-Record: Ad Revenue for 2026
Maximize your incremental ad revenue and find the value of direct deals with an exploration of ad monetization innovation for 2026. Going off-the-record our panel will share their experience, tips and challenges in driving IAA growth and tapping into new pockets of ad revenue for 2026.
Home of the Gamesforum events series, Mobilize & Monetize podcast, leading mobile game analysis and more about the world of mobile games marketing and monetization.