We are excited to bring you a new “of the Month” blog series with this month kicking off the very first featured Event of the Month article. Our other segment, Video of the Month, features a video (sometimes a livestream or webinar) showcasing a major game industry event. If you are interested in learning more about events in this other format, definitely keep watch for future video spotlights.

For this month’s inaugural featured event, we are zooming in on the yearly onsite conference, D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit in Las Vegas. D.I.C.E. Summit runs from February 11-13. If you’re a game industry professional, the summit is a top B2B event of the year don’t want to miss. It’s our second choice for networking right behind GDC (Game Developer Conference in San Francisco).

The Venue

The D.I.C.E. Summit takes place at the luxurious Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV (United States), a venue well-suited to host such a high-profile event. With its sleek, modern design and expansive meeting spaces, the Aria provides a comfortable environment for industry professionals to connect and collaborate. The hotel’s state-of-the-art amenities, including countless (we’ve counted them…) large conference rooms, top-tier technology, and upscale accommodations, ensure that attendees can focus on the exciting content of the summit while enjoying a premium experience… but be warned, those slot machines are alluring.

The Aria is also just about smack dab in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip, making it convenient for those looking to explore the rest of the city during their downtime. You certainly won’t need to think about transportation if you are sticking around The Strip (or even extending into the older downtown area just north of The Strip (aka The Fremont Street Experience, which we highly recommend you visit at least once).

B2B Networking Opportunities

What sets D.I.C.E. apart from other gaming conferences is its emphasis on broad collaboration and innovation. Rather than being just another showcase of games, D.I.C.E. invites top-tier professionals to explore the future of gaming through thought-provoking discussions, heavy-hitter keynotes, and a pretty decent array of panels (no, not solar panels) that cover everything from game design to the evolving role of AI in the industry.

We love networking at events and D.I.C.E. absolutely excels here (which is impressive considering it wasn’t nearly as popular just a few years ago). It’s not just about meeting people; it’s about forging partnerships, sharing your vision, and walking away with insights that you can immediately apply to your projects. Whether you’re an indie developer looking to make connections or an executive scouting for the next big thing, D.I.C.E. provides a great setting (Las Vegas) with a cozy atmosphere (Aria hotel).

What’s New and Exciting This Year

This year’s D.I.C.E. Summit promises even more exciting developments from 2024. From exclusive sneak peeks of upcoming game tech to deep dives into trends like virtual reality, metaverse experiences, and next-gen gaming consoles, there’s a lot to look forward to. A major highlight is the stellar roster of keynote speakers, who are poised to deliver talks that will inspire, challenge, and spark conversation.

To warm you up to the keynotes, Laura Miele from Electronic Arts is responsible for managing company-wide operations, including leadership of EA’s strategic planning framework. Laura has reflected in the past on disruption and convergence in the broader tech and entertainment industries, our role at the center of that opportunity, and why our industry is positioned to have an incredibly powerful influence on society. She also explores the human dimension of game development and why we must come together to build the industry we want for the future.

Another notable speaker is Kim Swift, the former Portal developer and now Head of Design at Valve, who will explore the future of game mechanics and player agency. For those passionate about game design innovation, Swift’s thoughts on the intersection of player creativity and developer intent are sure to be fascinating.

Check out the complete D.I.C.E. Summit Speaker List and Conference Schedule.

The D.I.C.E. Awards: Celebrating Excellence

No D.I.C.E. Summit would be complete without the D.I.C.E. Awards, which celebrate the best of the best in the gaming world. This year’s awards ceremony will feature even more categories than before, honoring groundbreaking achievements across various game genres, sound design, and innovation. Given the state of the industry, we need to come together and support each other wherever possible. It’s a time to applaud those who’ve taken risks, pushed boundaries, and redefined what games can do.

What the Industry Is Saying About This Year’s D.I.C.E.

Press coverage of this year’s D.I.C.E. Summit has been abuzz with excitement. VG247 notes that “Last year’s Game Awards boasted millions of viewers and is frequently one of the most-watched gaming shows of the year.” The Verge also mentions the D.I.C.E. Awards, “The DICE Awards (short for Design Innovate Communicate Entertain) are put on by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences — basically the video game industry’s equivalent to the motion picture, television, and recording industry academies — making the event the video game version of the Oscars.”

And Meggan Scavio, President and CEO of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS, which runs D.I.C.E. Summit), commented: “There’s nothing that can replace gathering in person to show that we are better together as we connect and celebrate the art and craft of video games at DICE in February.”

Gold Star Deserved? Our Rating for D.I.C.E. Summit

We wanted to make it extra special (and relevant to your reading it) to include a quick breakdown of D.I.C.E’s attendance strengths compared to other conferences and events throughout the industry. This isn’t exactly a “good vs bad” type of list, but more of a highlight of the event’s many strengths. Let us know what you think of this overview so we can keep it relevant to your interests!

• Informative Keynote Speakers – Laura Miele from Electronic Arts
• Networking Opportunities – The Aria Hotel and conference program spreads out important sessions and provides a good deal of break time in our opinion
• Awards Ceremony – In our opinion, D.I.C.E. Awards is one of the top award ceremonies of the entire industry and doesn’t get the attention it deserves
• Venue Conveniences – A great city with many conveniences and distractions… just don’t get distracted by them!
• Online Resources – The D.I.C.E Summit website has an excellent archive of past year’s coverage, including recorded talks and panels
• Global Reach – Can’t make it to Las Vegas? Check out D.I.C.E. Europe

Since we’re talking about a conference, passes do not come cheap and start in the hundreds of dollars. There are some conferences we would balk at paying a high ticket price for at first glance, but D.I.C.E. Summit is not one of them. The cost of registration is well worth it in our opinion.

The D.I.C.E. Summit is a special event series we never miss attending and you shouldn’t either. If you can only attend two or three events of the year and you want to focus on B2B activities, D.I.C.E. Summit is firmly on our short list to recommend.