A stellar line-up for Game Republic’s first event of 2026 has now been finalised with Des Gayle joining the speakers from investors, publishers, tech, PR and HR at Game Republic Trends and Opportunities for 2026 event in Manchester.
Des is a multi-award winning producer with over 25 years of bringing digital worlds and stories to life. He has produced one game that won a BAFTA and plenty more that haven’t. He is production director at Day Off Interactive, an Irish-based game development studio founded in July 2024, focused on creating innovative gaming experiences that build on the legacy of classic genres while pushing the boundaries of modern game design. Des is a leader in industry advocacy serving as deputy chair of the BAFTA games committee and as a founding member of the representation and inclusion movement POC in Play.
Speaking about the event Jamie Sefton, MD of Game Republic said “Des has such a wealth of experience and has been working in Germany so not only brings his own insights, but will be able to share more international insights for attendees.”
This Game Republic special event to start 2026 will include a forecast on key trends and predictions for 2026 from Chris Dring, The Game Business and ex-GamesIndustry.biz and talks from special guests on publishing, PR, marketing, HR changes and tech trends for the year ahead including Dr Tommy Thompson (AI and Games), Sophie Shanks (Kepler Interactive), Sarah Brewster (Fresh Seed), Stuart Dinsey (Curve Games), Callum Underwood (UWU Biz), Lirui Ding (Transcend Fund), and Rebecca Attard (Boost PR).
All followed by food, drinks and networking afterwards as well as a free gift for attendees which has been designed to help attendees navigate the year ahead.
Manchester Metropolitan University is hosting the event, and a small expo of game demos will be shown before the event starts.
Game Republic members can attend this event for free. If you’re not a member of Game Republic and are interested in joining and attending our events as well as receiving other benefits, contact us here
