Please enjoy some refreshments before workshops begin.

As live service games evolve, so does the responsibility – treating player data with respect and compliance, while turning insight into impact is essential. During this interactive workshop led by Oscar Clark – author, speaker, and live operations pioneer – attendees will interact with one another to discuss the challenges and opportunities of:

• Knowing Your Duty to Players – Legal and ethical principles for data use, security, and integrity across updates.
• Structuring Data for Insight – How to design event triggers and parameters that actually tell you something useful and that can tap into ML/LLM AI 
• Running a DPIA the Right Way – Step-by-step approach to running a Data Protection Impact Analysis to assess data risks and compliance standards.
• Turning Player Actions into Strategy – Using event-level attribution and cohort analysis to drive continuous LiveOps improvement.

Oscar Clark

CEO
Stormlantern Consulting

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When player engagement dips or becomes stagnant, it's not game over. Al Hibberd, a man known for running award winning campaigns for the likes of Meta, Frontier, Imagination Technologies and Wired Productions, will explore how data-led decision making, targeted community management and strategic content programming all play a vital part in game success.

Featuring first-hand insights into Elite Dangerous’ journey, this workshop will detail how the MMO rebounded to its all-time peak player count by:

• Leveraging player data to refine content loops and identify re-engagement triggers.
• Crafting programming strategies that resonate with loyalists while welcoming lapsed users.
• Strengthening community trust through transparent, responsive communication.

Al Hibberd

CEO & Founder
Pixel Helix

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Managing live service operations for legacy IP comes with unique challenges such as balancing audience expectations, leveraging brand recognition, and evolving gameplay without alienating loyal fans. During this session, led by Buddy Fleer — a product and business leader with over 20 years of experience shaping and scaling games — attendees will explore how to navigate:

• Inherited Audiences, Inherited Pressure: Understanding the emotional investment and behavioural patterns of an existing audience, and what that means for your roadmap and priorities.
• The Double-Edged Sword of Recognition: Why pre-existing IP awareness is not a shortcut to acquisition, retention and monetization. How to effectively differentiate live content cadence, tone, and monetization for IP vs. original games .
• Innovation Without Alienation: Strategies and range of movement for evolving core gameplay and monetization systems without breaking the emotional contract with your audience and especially your hardcore fan base.
• When Nostalgia Isn’t Enough: Turning brand recognition into active engagement through live event scaffolding, narrative hooks, and retention-first systems.

Buddy Fleer

Consultant | Advisor | Owner
Lensfleer

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