Inaugural UK games festival will position Guildford as the “Hollywood of Games”

Enterprise M3 LEP is among the partners supporting Guildford.Games Festival, a major new consumer, cultural, and business event taking place from 27-29 June 2019.

Guildford is a recognised epicentre for games development, games publishing, and technology in the UK. The region has a long and highly respected track record for delivering globally successful and industry defining video games, earning its reputation of being the ‘Hollywood of Games’. Funded and run by members of the Guildford games community, Guildford Borough Council, Ukie, The University of Surrey, and Enterprise M3 London Enterprise Panel (LEP), the Guildford.Games Festival will highlight Guildford’s creative talent and contribution to a market that globally is worth around $81bn, and will celebrate its cultural recognition as the UK’s ‘Hollywood of Games’. The festival aims to attract investment and skilled talent to the region to work with and in local games companies. It will also showcase to the public and wider sector, the cultural and economic output of the Guildford games community; a hotbed of creative talent with a huge amount of potential to expand and grow. Each day of the festival has a different theme. June 28 is Industry Day, sponsored by The University of Surrey / G3, and Enterprise M3 LEP. "Kathy Slack OBE, Executive Director of Enterprise M3 LEP, said: “Enterprise M3 LEP are delighted to continue their support of the region’s digital creative economy, through sponsorship of this important event for the highly renowned Guildford and its creative area hinterland games industry. Our area enjoys a digital, design and knowledge-based economy with a strong record for exports. The talent and innovation found within our games industry are an outstanding example of that, and Enterprise M3 will continue to support this high value, high growth sector to continue to grow, diversify, and find new international markets." The event is the brainchild of the Guildford games community, supported by Guildford Borough Council, the UK games trade body Ukie, The University of Surrey, and Enterprise M3 LEP, Further information can be found at Guildford.Games/Festival