Serious Play Conference

What Serious Play Conference does

Serious Play Conference is an annual professional conference organization focused on serious games, gamification, simulations, and play-based learning. Founded in 2006 by Sue Bohle and now in its 19th year (2026), the organization operates two flagship in-person events: Serious Play Conference North America, held at Duke University's Wilkinson Engineering Building in Durham, NC (August 5-7, 2026), and Serious Play Conference Europe, held at KUZ Kulturzentrum Mainz in Germany (June 18-19, 2026) and organized through the affiliated entity Mind Games GmbH. The North America 2026 program features over 80 sessions and 120+ speakers across six tracks (Game Development, Higher Ed, K-12, Healthcare, Culture & Society, Corporate, Government & Non-Government); the Europe 2026 program features 35+ speakers across comparable tracks plus dedicated stage areas including an Arcade Zone.

The conference does not develop or sell technology products; it is a pure-play event business. Operations rely on standard third-party event tooling, notably the Brella app for attendee networking and scheduling, and the Judgify platform for the International Serious Play Awards. Revenue is generated through four primary streams: conference registration tickets (US$250-$750 per attendee in North America; subsidized €20 student tickets in Europe via Rheinhessen Sparkasse), exhibition and booth fees (US$300-$500 in North America; €200-€1,200 in Europe), awards entry fees (US$100-$400 scaled by organization size), and tiered sponsorships (Gold, Silver, Bronze) from game industry, education, and government-facing organizations including Epic Games, Ubisoft, Unity Technologies, Global Game Jam, FableVision, and Healthy Simulation. The customer base spans educators, healthcare professionals, corporate trainers, government and military users, game studios, and museum/cultural institution practitioners.

Following Sue Bohle's 2023 retirement, leadership passed to Dr. Paul Darvasi (Executive Director) and Elisa Navarro (Associate Director), supported by an academic advisor at University of Toronto OISE and a Selection Committee drawing senior executives from BreakAway Games, Second Avenue Learning, FableVision Studios, Duke University's GDDI program, iThrive Games Foundation, and Mind Games GmbH. The organization operates as an independent private entity with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or M&A activity. Year-round community engagement is sustained through the International Serious Play Awards program, a Discord server, post-conference field trips (e.g., UNCG educator excursion), and volunteer opportunities. The organization is registered as Serious Play Conference in North Carolina, USA, with the European edition operated through Mind Games GmbH in Otterberg, Germany.

Name

Serious Play Conference

Legal name

Mind Games GmbH

Website

https://seriousplayconf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Serious Play Conference is an annual event organization (founded 2006) running North America and Europe conferences on serious games, gamification, and game-based learning for educators, healthcare professionals, corporate trainers, game studios, and government practitioners, complemented by the International Serious Play Awards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Conference Services (Serious Games and Game-Based Learning)

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Serious games conference
• Game-based learning events
• Gamification professional development
• Educational technology conferences
• Serious play awards program

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Tickets: Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales for the annual North America and Europe conferences. Ticket prices range from US$250 to US$750 for the North America event. Student tickets are subsidized through sponsor support (e.g., €20 student tickets at Europe through Rheinhessen Sparkasse). Group discounts are also available. This is the core revenue stream supporting the conference operations.
2. Exhibition and Booth Fees: Exhibitors pay to showcase their serious games, VR/AR/XR experiences, simulations, and learning technologies at the conference. Exhibition tables at North America cost $500 and include a table, 2 chairs, 1 monitor, foam board, and 1 conference ticket. Board game exhibitor slots cost $300. At the Europe event, arcade cabinet slots cost €1,000, shared cabinet slots cost €350, board game slots cost €200, and conference booths cost €1,200.
3. Awards Entry Fees: The International Serious Play Awards program generates revenue through entry fees scaled by organization size: large studios (25+ employees) pay $400, mid-sized studios (10–25) pay $350, museums/universities/nonprofits/government pay $300, independent studios (9 or fewer) pay $250, individual educators/freelancers pay $200, college students pay $125, and K-12 students pay $100. Late entries incur an additional $100 surcharge.
4. Sponsorships: The conference generates revenue through tiered sponsorship packages (Gold, Silver, Bronze) and partner contributions. Sponsors gain visibility through logo placement on the conference website, event materials, and promotional content. Platinum/Gold sponsors receive prominent recognition, with logo placement on conference websites and event signage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Serious Play Conference organizes two annual in-person professional conferences — North America at Duke University and Europe at KUZ Kulturzentrum Mainz — bringing together educators, healthcare professionals, game developers, government, and corporate trainers to exchange ideas on serious games, gamification, simulations, and play-based learning. The organization complements its events with the International Serious Play Awards program, an Arcade Zone showcasing XR/VR/AR serious games, exhibition booths, and the Brella conference networking app.

Product overview

Serious Play Conference operates as an annual event organization with two flagship conferences: Serious Play Conference North America (held at Duke University, Durham, NC in August) and Serious Play Conference Europe (held at KUZ Kulturzentrum Mainz, Germany in June). The conferences serve as a gathering platform for professionals from education, healthcare, game development, government, military, heritage, and business sectors to exchange ideas on game-based learning and serious games. The organization complements its conferences with the International Serious Play Awards program, an Arcade Zone for hands-on demonstrations, a Brella-powered conference networking app, and post-conference field trips. The portfolio spans K-12 education, higher education, healthcare, corporate training, museums, and government applications, with sessions covering XR, VR, AR technologies and traditional board games.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Serious Play Conference North America Annual three-day in-person conference held at Duke University's Wilkinson Engineering Building in Durham, North Carolina, covering serious games, gamification, simulations, and play-based learning across six tracks: Game Development, Higher Ed, K-12, Healthcare, Culture & Society, Corporate, and Government & Non-Government. The 2026 edition features over 80 sessions and 120+ speakers.
• Serious Play Conference Europe Annual two-day in-person conference held at KUZ Kulturzentrum Mainz, Germany, featuring over 35 speakers across tracks including Sun Stage, Main Stage, Workshop, Sand Box, Arcade, and Board Games Area, showcasing serious games across XR, VR, and AR technologies.
• International Serious Play Awards Global awards program recognizing exceptional gameful products that harness play and games for education, training, and real-world impact, with sector awards presented at the Europe conference and Student and Special awards presented at the North America conference.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 sessions and 120+ speakers (North America 2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers24 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

37 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Gold Bug InteractivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold Bug Interactive is listed as a Gold sponsor and is co-founded by the Serious Play Conference's Executive Director Paul Darvasi and Associate Director Elisa Navarro. The company develops serious games for education and social impact. This represents a closely aligned partnership where conference leadership directly co-owns a game development studio that is both a sponsor and active participant in the serious games ecosystem the conference serves.
• Epic GamesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEpic Games is listed as a Gold sponsor of the Serious Play Conference North America. Epic Games provides Unreal Engine, which is used by serious games developers for simulation and training applications. The sponsorship supports conference visibility within the game development community.
• Mind Games GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMind Games GmbH, based in Otterberg, Germany, is the operational entity and data controller for the Serious Play Conference Europe. Founded by Dr. Philipp Busch (who also serves on the Serious Play Selection Committee), the company specializes in serious games and gamification for learning, awareness raising, and behavior change. Mind Games GmbH organizes the Europe event, handles GDPR compliance, and develops conference-related serious games content.
• Global Game JammajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal Game Jam is listed as a Gold sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America. As the world's largest game creation event, Global Game Jam shares an overlapping community of game developers and educators interested in serious games and game-based learning.
• ESA (Entertainment Software Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerESA is listed as a sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, supporting visibility and credibility within the broader video game industry.
• IGDA (International Game Developers Association)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIGDA is listed as a sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, providing community reach to professional game developers.
• Healthy Simulation / healthysimulation.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthy Simulation is listed as a Gold sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, serving the healthcare simulation community.
• Endless Studios (Endless Access LLC)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerEndless Studios is listed as a Gold sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America. The studio develops community-driven educational and creative experiences, including Threadbare, an open-source narrative adventure game showcased at the Serious Play Europe Arcade.
• FableVision StudiosmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFableVision Studios is listed as a Gold sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America. The studio, led by Paul Reynolds (brother of Missing Middle School co-creator), develops educational games including GASHA GO! World (2024 International Serious Play Award winner).
• PlayVSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlayVS is listed as a sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, operating esports leagues for K-12 schools in the United States.
• ExtronminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExtron is listed as a sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, providing professional audiovisual solutions for conference events.
• TCFS (The Simulation and Game Information, simulationinformation.com)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTCFS is listed as a sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, serving the simulation and training community.
• Phygital LabsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPhygital Labs is listed as a sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, operating at the intersection of physical and digital experiences.
• Board Game AcademicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard Game Academics (boardgameacademics.com) is listed as a sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America. The organization focuses on academic research and education around board games.
• Mind Games OnlineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMind Games Online (mind-games.online) is listed as a Silver sponsor of Serious Play Conference North America, a German serious games studio specializing in educational and gamified experiences.
• iThrive Games FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartneriThrive Games Foundation, led by Dr. Susan Rivers (Selection Committee member), develops games for youth civics learning and social-emotional skill building. The organization partnered with FEMA on Disaster Mind (2024 award winner) and with One Love Foundation on Cadence Ford (2024 award winner). iThrive Sim is the award-winning platform hosting several award-winning games.
• DiscordTechnology or IntegrationDiscord (invite: xbT6kYCTqy) is used as the community engagement platform for Serious Play Conference, hosting ongoing discussions, opportunity sharing, and community connections between annual events.
• KUZ Kulturzentrum MainzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKUZ Kulturzentrum Mainz is the venue partner for the Serious Play Conference Europe 2026. Located at Dagobertstraße 20b, Mainz, it is a distinctive cultural venue in a former industrial complex offering flexible halls, high ceilings, and exposed materials — described as well-suited for the Serious Play community. The venue partnership is critical to the Europe event operations.
• Rheinhessen SparkassemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRheinhessen Sparkasse is a Gold sponsor of Serious Play Conference Europe 2026. The financial institution's generous support enables subsidized €20 student tickets, making the conference accessible to students in the Mainz region.
• InnovamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInnova is listed as a Gold sponsor of Serious Play Conference Europe 2026, supporting the conference's European edition.
• Rheinland-Pfalz (State of Rhineland-Palatinate)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerRheinland-Pfalz (state government) is listed as a Gold sponsor of Serious Play Conference Europe 2026, indicating regional government support for the serious games and gamification conference.
• Mainzplus (Mainz Congress und Tourismus GmbH)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMainzplus is listed as both a partner/contributor and a venue/hospitality partner for Serious Play Conference Europe. The organization acts as the official tourism organization of Mainz, curating quality hotels with special rates for conference attendees and supporting venue coordination.
• UbisoftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUbisoft is listed as a Silver sponsor of Serious Play Conference Europe 2026, one of the world's largest video game publishers with interests in educational and simulation games.
• Lander MainzminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLander Mainz is listed as a Silver sponsor of Serious Play Conference Europe 2026.
• Unity TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnity Technologies (game engine provider) is listed as a Bronze sponsor of Serious Play Conference Europe 2026, supporting the conference's visibility among Unity-based game developers and serious games creators.
• ONWATERminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerONWATER provides raft tour services for the Serious Play Conference Europe 'Rafts on the Rhine' networking event on June 18, 2026. ONWATER tour guides accompany rafts during the evening river excursion departing from and returning to the KUZ venue.
• Geo Play MainzminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeo Play Mainz provides geocaching, outdoor escape room, and team event experiences for the Serious Play Conference Europe 'Tours' program, offering attendees an active and playful way to discover Mainz.
• Board Game AcademicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard Game Academics (bga) is listed as a partner/contributor for Serious Play Conference Europe, alongside Spiel Essen. The organization bridges academic research and board game practice.
• Spiel EssenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpiel Essen (spiel-essen.de/en/) is listed as a partner/contributor for Serious Play Conference Europe, connecting the conference with the prominent German board game community and industry.
• Duke UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuke University's Wilkinson Engineering Building is the venue host for Serious Play Conference North America 2026 (August 5–7). Duke University's Master of Engineering in Game Design, Development, and Innovation (GDDI) program, led by Ernesto Escobar (Selection Committee member), connects closely with the conference.
• University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCG hosts a post-conference educator field trip on August 8, 2026, offering a full day of gaming in education activities including tours of the UNCG Esports Arena, educational sessions, a complimentary lunch, and a gaming mixer. Transportation is provided from Durham.
• Ernesto Escobar (Duke University GDDI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErnesto Escobar serves on the Serious Play Selection Committee and is Director of the Master of Engineering in Game Design, Development, and Innovation (GDDI) at Duke University. He connects the conference with Duke's academic game development program and industry advisory board.
• Dr. Philipp Busch (Mind Games GmbH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Philipp Busch serves on the Serious Play Selection Committee and is the Executive Director of Serious Play Conference Europe. He founded Mind Games GmbH and has published on gamification and serious games in international cooperation. He teaches serious games design at the University of Mainz.
• BreakAway GamesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBreakAway Games, represented by Jenn McNamara (Selection Committee member and VP of Serious Games and Strategic Products), has over 20 years of experience in game-based solutions for learning, training, and assessment spanning defense, healthcare, education, and corporate sectors.
• Second Avenue LearningmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond Avenue Learning, founded by Victoria VanVoorhis (Selection Committee member), is an award-winning education technology company developing serious games for K-12, higher education, healthcare, and corporate markets.
• FableVision StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFableVision Studios, represented by Kellian Adams Pletcher (Selection Committee member and Director of G.L.A.M. Innovation), develops serious games for museums, libraries, and cultural institutions including award-winning games for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian.
• The PlayLab (University of Toronto / OISE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PlayLab at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), directed by Leslie Stewart Rose (Academic Advisor), is a research initiative and community of practice for equity-based play and serious game-based learning. Leslie also serves as Academic Advisor to Serious Play Conference.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SXSW EDU: SXSW EDU is a major education innovation conference in Austin that attracts overlapping K-12, higher-ed, and corporate learning audiences. Its broader scope and scale make it a competitor for SPC's education and corporate training segments.
• PAX (Penny Arcade Expo): PAX is a major family of gaming conventions (West, East, South, etc.) run by Penny Arcade/ReedPop. It is broader and consumer-oriented, but competes for some of the same indie/serious game developers as exhibitors and sponsors.
• Game Developers Conference (GDC): GDC is the largest professional game industry conference, run by Informa Tech. While it is far broader than SPC, it competes for the same game-developer and serious-games audience (e.g., Serious Games Summit track) and overlaps on sponsors like Epic Games and Unity.
• SIGGRAPH: SIGGRAPH is the leading conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques. Its XR/VR/AR focus overlaps with SPC's Arcade Zone and cutting-edge serious games programming, vying for the same tech-savvy sponsors and academic participants.

Regional players

• Nordic Game Conference: Nordic Game is a leading European game industry conference held in Malmö. It is a regional peer for Serious Play Conference Europe, competing for the same European game developers, sponsors (e.g., Ubisoft), and serious-games practitioners.
• ISTE Conference (now ISTELive): ISTE's annual conference is the largest EdTech event in the U.S., serving K-12 and higher-ed technology leaders. It competes with SPC's education tracks for the K-12/Higher Ed segment and overlapping sponsors like PBS KIDS partners.
• DevGAMM: DevGAMM is a series of game development conferences in Eastern Europe and globally. It competes with SPC for indie and serious game developers and as a platform for sponsors in the gaming industry.

Direct peers

• European Conference on Games Based Learning (ECGBL): ECGBL is an academic conference on game-based learning run by Academic Conferences International. It directly competes with Serious Play Conference Europe for academic attendees and presenters serious games in education.
• DiGRA (Digital Games Research Association) Conference: DiGRA hosts an annual academic conference on game research, including serious games and game-based learning. It overlaps with SPC's higher-ed and research audience and is a key alternative for academic speakers.
• Games for Change Festival: Games for Change is a direct peer: an annual conference and awards program dedicated to social-impact, educational, and serious games. Its G4C Awards and festival compete head-to-head with the International Serious Play Awards for the same submitters and audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seriousplayconf
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeriousPlayConf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seriousplayconference
• Instagraminstagram.com/seriousplayconf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Serious Play Conference