Learn why (and how) every dev should be using UK games tax relief at Interface

Next month’s Interface will cover a key subject for developers: working with tax breaks and how to make the most out of the Government’s support.

This panel will include Ukie’s public affairs and policy officer Andy Tomlinson, who will talk about why every UK dev should use tax breaks.

After that, Anna Mansi, head of certification at BFI, will be discussing the cultural test for video games, which can allow developers to qualify for tax relief.

Finally, Moses Nyachae from accountancy practice Saffery Champness, will join the discussion to speak about the accounting rules and how much you get back.

This talk will last 30 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A.

The Interface conference is returning to London on May 5th at St Mary’s Church – inviting publishers, developers and investors to make new connections and do business in a unique and informative event. You can sign up here.

The event will bring together over 350 firms in a series of one-to-one pitching meetings, informative masterclass sessions as well as panel discussions and keynote presentations focusing on the key issues facing the games development industry.

There are limited free passes for indie developers – sign up here to secure your place. For sponsorship opportunities contact Conor Tallon or Charlotte Nangle.

On the day, attendees curate their own experience – typically a day will be a mixture of taking in conference sessions and keynote talks, pre-arranged one-to-one pitching meetings (arranged by us) and ad hoc meetings/product demonstrations at the exhibition. The entire day is designed to bring all aspects of the videos games industry together through an array of methods.

The conference schedule for Interface 2016 is as follows:

09:30
Registration & Coffee & Networking

10:00
Conference Welcome

10:10
Opening Keynote Discussion: The £6m Panel
Thomas Bideaux, ICO Partner
Chris Mehers, Edge Case Games
Charles Cecil, Revolution
Andrew Robinson, Playtonic

Leading crowdfunding experts who have together raised more than £6m via the likes of Kickstarter discuss the merits and dangers of this method of raising money.

10:45
Going Global
Sander Den Boer, Euromonitor

The games industry is an international business. But what should you consider when building your game when trying to sell your game abroad?

11:10
Panel Discussion: Is your game actually ready?
Andy Robson, Testology
Edd Buffery, Testronic
Loreto Sanz Fueyo, Universally Speaking
Orad, MoGi Group

So you’ve made a wonderful game and it’s ready for launch… but is it really? Will it pass certification? Have you checked for bugs and spelling? How do you make sure your game is good enough for the consumer? QA specialists, developers and publishers discuss the challenges they frequently face and how you can avoid them.

11:45
Coffee, Networking & Exhibition Visit

12:00
Indie Studio Surgery
Dan Pinchbeck, The Chinese Room

Your questions about starting-up and running a small game company answered by Dan Pinchbeck, studio head of successful UK studio The Chinese Room. He’s actually a doctor too, so the analogy holds (OK, so his doctorate is in first-person shooters but it still counts, right?).

12:25
Working With Tax Breaks
Andy Tomlinson, UKIE
Anna Mansi, BFI
Moses Nyachae, Saffery Champness

An expert in UK Games Tax Relief discusses how to make the most out of the Government’s support for games developers

12:55
Lunch, Networking & Exhibition Visit

14:00
Panel Discussion: Self Publishing Is Dead?
Jason Kingsley, Rebellion
Garry Williams, Sold Out
Martin Mathers, Rising Star
David Clark, KISS
Colin McDonald, All 4 Games

Leading publishers and developers discuss the merits, and pitfalls, of using publishers when releasing a game

14:35
Made With Unity Masterclass

15:00
How to sell your game to an investor/publisher
Debbie Bestwick, Team17

Tips, advice and support for small developers in pitching and selling their games to potential partners.

15:25
Coffee, Networking & Exhibition Visit

16:00
The PR Power Panel
Caroline Miller, Indigo Pearl
Lauren Dillon, Premier PR
Stefano Petrullo, Renaissance PR
Tracey McGarrigan, Ansible Communications

Leading PR experts from Indigo Pearl, Premier PR, Renaissance PR and Ansible Communications will discuss working with the media, utilising video and how best to use social media. We will also discuss pitfalls for studios to avoid when trying to sell their game

16:35
Closing Keynote: 10 surefire ways to maybe do interesting stuff that could work, possibly
Mike Bithell

A leading games independent developers discusses his rise from the bedroom to an international gaming legend

17:00
Closing Comments & Take Aways

Developers in attendance last year included Digital Tales, Honey Tribe Studios, Input Mobile, RedBreast Studio, Fat Pebble, Chilled Mouse, Viewpoint Games, Sigtrap, Milky Tea, The Project Factory, Torque Studios, R Control, MoonJump, Pixlebomb, Universally Speaking, The Hero That Ran, Wish Studios, Pixel Spill, Giftgaming, Fat Fish Games, RedSix Games, Cupboard Games, Fourth State, UpDownLeftRight, RGBird Games, Sliding Pixel, Kurly Entertainment, LYTE, The Dangerous Kitchen, Gunkatana, Antstream, Large Visible Machine, Oxford Audio Post Production, FlySoftworks, Playback Interactive, Distinctive Developments. For more information, check out the Interface website here.