NX Publishing

Jean-Michel Blottière is a pioneer in the field of new technologies. After preparing ENS Ulm – a French grande école (higher education establishment outside the framework of the public university system), he created TILT, the very first magazine dedicated to Videogames in Europe (1982), and PixiFoly, the first TV Show to plunge audiences into virtual worlds (1983). Since then, he has been Editor in chief of magazines such as Consoles + or PC Review. He has produced and hosted TV Shows (Pixifoly, Microkids, the Night of Videogames…). As Editorial Consultant for all of Canal+’s « new programs”, he was involved in the creation of such groundbreaking programs as Cyberflash, Cyberculture and Le Deuxième Monde (8 years before Second Life!). He has been leading prestigious Festivals and Conferences in Europe (Imagina, FMX, Videogame Economics Forum…). He is the President of Games for Change Europe, and CEO of NX Publishing – The NeXt Media Specialists – a communication company specialized in the field of VFX, Animation, Videogames, VR-MR-AR, and Transmedia.

Dave Gougé has been working in technology and entertainment for over 25 years as an accomplished marketing executive.  Over the course of his career he has put together over 100 events as a curator, host or creator, covering the entertainment and design industries and beyond.  Dave specializes in building products and brands through targeted community engagements that enhance market positioning.
Prior to his time at Autodesk as Sr. Industry Marketing Manager, he worked at CNET, and advertising agencies Young & Rubicam and Goodby Silverstein & Partners.  Dave is currently Head of Marketing at Weta Digital, one of the world’s premiere visual effects companies known for The Lord of the Rings, Avatar and the recent Planet of the Apes films.

Thomas Haegele is the Co-Founder of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, where he has been teaching Animation and Digital Imaging (1991), Founder and Director of the Institute of Animation at Filmakademie and Founder & Conference Chair of FMX – International Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Digital Media (2002). Prior to his engagement at Filmakademie, Thomas founded Polygon, one of the first 3D Computer Animation production houses in Germany (1986). Thomas retired in 2016 and lives with his wife, Renate Haegele, in Berlin.

Manny Francisco is an entertainment veteran with over 25 years of technology experience.  As VP of Advanced Creative Technology for NBCU/DreamWorks Animation, he developed their Virtual Production and real-time workflow using performance capture, game engine, and real-time visualization.  Manny is also responsible for architecting DreamWork’s Virtual Studio Telepresence system (Halo) creating an immersive unified studio that connected their UK, US, China, and India facilities.  Manny has laid the technology foundation for many movies including How To Train your Dragon, KungFu Panda, and the Shrek franchises.  Manny holds an MSEE degree from UCLA and a BSEE from CSULA.  He is author to a number of patents in performance capture, telepresence, and computer architecture.

Victoria Abrash has produced dozens of conferences in New York and around the United States including Games for Change; the National Performing Arts Convention; APAP|NYC, the world’s premier performing arts marketplace, and many others. She has also worked widely as a theatrical dramaturg and is on faculty at The New School university in New York.

Professor Odile Limpach teaches economics and entrepreneurship at the Cologne Game Lab, TH Köln Technical University of Cologne. She is also co-founder of the Acceleration Program SpielFabrique 360° and works as a Strategic Consultant for games and serious game projects. Between 2007 and 2014, she was the managing director at the German entertainment software studio Blue Byte. Before, she was the managing director of Ubisoft GmbH. She graduated from business school in France and completed her MBA in the USA. Odile Limpach is also involved as a volunteer in the areas of vocational training and acts as German partner for Games for Change Europe. Furthermore, she acts as an advisor (CCEF) for the French Ministry for International Business Development.

Manager of B2B Strategy & Development at Forum des Images – TUMO Paris. Strategic development, in tandem with the directing manager, of a prestigious cultural institution in Paris in order to position the institution in new technological and creative industries. Additional responsibilities include the evaluation of the feasibility of actions to be taken in order to realize goals and the implementation of the measurements to be taken to gauge the success of the strategy. Chiefly managing and overseeing major project teams, internally and externally, with a myriad of international profiles, from private companies as well as public services.

Diplômée des Arts décoratifs de Strasbourg, Sophie démarre sa carrière en 2006 chez Tralalere dont elle accompagne la croissance et devient directrice du développement stratégique. Depuis 2014, elle partage son activité entre conseil et production en mettant son expertise de l’éducation et du numérique aux services de ses clients et partenaires. Elle s’engage également au côté de Games for Change Europe sur les actions en lien avec l’éducation.

Catherine Rolland pilote et favorise depuis 9 ans la conception et le déploiement de jeux comme outils d’apprentissage, de sensibilisation, de soin. Elle est actuellement responsable des projets d’innovation chez Tralalere, où elle développe des solutions pour l’initiation à la programmation, l’apprentissage par la recherche et l’inclusion par le jeu. Elle est aussi maître de conférence associée au Cnam-Enjmin et accompagne à ce titre les étudiants dans le développement de leurs différents projets.

Katharina Tillmanns is a researcher, designer and lecturer for interactive media based in Cologne / Germany. In her studies and work, she is exploring and promoting the expressive qualities of games as a means of art and activism. A former co-president and founding member of the Games for Change Europe network, Katharina is currently focussing on her research on collaborative learning in the context of mixed reality environments at the Cologne Game Lab, an Institute for Game Development and Research at TH Koeln (University of Applied Sciences).

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