I had the privilege to attend the Montréal International Game Summit or MIGS25 again for the first time in many years and it was great to see what the conference has become. The longest running game summit in Canada is an industry focused event and caters mostly to a business to business audience.

What is the Event Like

MIGS25 is held in Montréal’s historic old port in the gorgeous Grand Guay complex. It features multiple levels segmenting the Business Dev sections, an Audio Summit and a small expo hall with a variety of Indie games.

While the conference itself has a smaller footprint compared to large events it has a major focus on business tools, industry training sessions and meeting systems designed to connect all levels of gaming system.

There are many different aspects of MIGS to check out, but the biggest is the meeting spaces and the Industry contacts from all avenues of the gaming Industry. As I wandered around I stopped to chat with people from outsourcing groups, Indie Game Incubators, legal assistance groups and more.

The Expo Hall was in the top level of the facility and was a collection of smaller Indie titles and some adjacent production companies and outsourcing partners. What I enjoyed about the space was the intimacy of it, the small selection of games was heavily curated and gathered some very interested crowds.

Who is MIGS for?

MIGS25 was definitely not a PAX or Gamescom, it is a more focused conference devoted to connecting businesses and people in the Games industry. They have however said they want to expand the consumer side of the show (and it was a bigger focus pre-pandemic), but the core B2B values will always be there.

The great thing about MIGS is that it is a very accessible to all levels of attendees. There is student passes, business passes and VIP badges that give different access to the event, but afford great opportunities across the board.

I saw a ton of students in the game design world that were eagerly attending talks, the audio summit and checking out the resources available and teams to talk to. The Business and VIP attendees have full access to the conference and are attending meetings, talks and collaborative events.

At this point it is not a ‘fan’ conference, there are not many games to check out and if you don’t have meetings or key talks you must see the summit can be experienced in a short while. But if you are in the games industry or looking to enter the field this is a must attend summit.

The contacts available are priceless, I met a woman who runs an indie focused trademark office, helping small orgs protect their IP and sharing crucial advice. This is something vastly overlooked but just one of the many key benefits to attending something like the Montréal International Games Summit

Why MIGS25 is an Important Event

As mentioned the access to contacts, studios, publishers, legal advice and outsourcing partners are all key reasons to attend the summit. The networking potential is huge and just stopping to chatting with students, publishers and strategic tools providers I see the hunger for collaboration and the Game Industry to thrive.

If you are in the Industry this is a key event and is also held in one of the best cities in North America, Montréal. The city is a hotbed of creativity, culture and great food and is a natural compliment to this melting pot of talent that is taken part in MIGS25. MIGS will return to Montréal next November again and is well worth attending.