GamesIndustry.biz HR Summit reveals new People and Workplace focus, dedicated to shaping the future of games workplaces

GamesIndustry.biz’s HR Summit is back at the Royal Institution on October 1, and this year the event is widening its scope from HR process into broader People and Workplaces strategy. The shift reflects how much of the industry’s pressure now lands on hiring, retention, leadership, and day-to-day workplace culture, not just compliance and policy.

The opening keynote comes from Sasi Venables, founder of the HR Confidence Club, who will focus on the future of people leadership as workplace expectations keep changing. Venables brings 25 years of experience across diversity, inclusion, culture, and employee relations, and the session is aimed at helping HR teams rebuild confidence, set boundaries, and think more strategically.

Niki Head, people and development director at Stellar Entertainment, will follow with a session on how HR can act as a “critical friend” to leadership. Other sessions will tackle trade unions, supporting neurodivergent staff, workforce planning under AI pressure, and handling AI-generated casework in employee relations. That mix should be especially relevant for studios trying to scale responsibly while keeping managers and HR teams aligned.

The event is being shaped by an advisory panel that includes Liz Prince MBE, Sarah Brewster, Gina Jackson OBE, and Emma Smith, with Amiqus returning as headline sponsor. More speakers are due to be announced, but the current lineup already points to a summit focused on practical operating problems rather than abstract workplace theory.