With over 3.5 billion gamers in the world, gamers are no longer a sub-culture and gaming is not just one way people choose to entertain themselves – it's fast becoming the way, to spend time alone or connect with friends. Odds are a large portion of your target audience are gamers. As gaming grows in prominence and the field becomes increasingly crowded, how do brands play an authentic role in these platforms and where are the opportunities to engage audiences and build real cultural relevance?

To discuss this and more, join the Marketing Society and THINKHOUSE on Thursday 19th May at 8am in Thinkhouse HQ, Fumbally Lane, Dublin 8 to hear from brands, gamers and thought-leaders on where the industry is going and how brands can navigate their way in to build deeper connections tapping into the gaming community and leveraging dynamic and evolving social and gaming platforms.

We’ll hear from Claire Hyland, Head of the Youth Lab, THINKHOUSE who’ll share an 'Gaming 101' overview of the gaming industry, a debunking of the gaming ecosystem exploring different types of games and gaming subcultures, and the opportunities gaming presents to brands as a way to deliver on business and brand objectives.

Flying in from Florida, is international Twitch Star and Social Media influencer, 26-year-old Georgina "Gee Nelly" Rose Nelly. Gee Nelly is one of the biggest variety Twitch streamers in the UK, and has one of the biggest loyalist followings which have labelled themselves #NellyNation. Working with world leading brands such as Lacoste, Netflix, Xbox, Facebook and Uber, she will talk about her own experience of working with brands and pushing the boundaries in innovative content.

Aoife McGuigan, Head of Marketing, Suntory Beverage and Food Ireland will discuss Lucozade's legacy in gaming, from Lara Croft, to being the soft drink sponsor of Three eStars to influencer marketing with the gaming community for NPD launches. She will also speak to the impact its work has had on brand and sales KPIs.

Conor Barron, Digital Marketing & CRM Manager An Post, will discuss how they launched their Pocket Money App using a Gaming first strategy to target hard to reach segments.

And finally Ben Finnegan, ESport and Gaming Partnership Manager, Epic Global, will discuss why sports stars and celebrities are investing in their own digital avatars and 'owning' their own digital assets to both engage their fan base and profit from their own fame.

Registration: 7.30am - Refreshments will be served.

Speakers: 8.00am - 9.am