All about Summit On Tour II, and other community news

Good morning, amici miei!

In this issue:

• What makes conferences useful?
• Who won Legal Challenge VII?
• All about Summit On Tour II (starts next week!)

Let's begin with a bit of reflection –>

What makes conferences useful?

This question haunts me before every Summit: just how useful is it going to turn out for the attendees, and what can we do to improve on that front.

There's three things about conferences like ours, that really matter:

• Program
• Attendees
• Ambiance

Even though we regularly get our knickers in a twist about the food, the drinks, and the printed material, those issues are just a bonus. It's nice when the conference food doesn't suck and there's free champagne on offer, but it's not going to move anybody's needle on whether the event was worth the trip.

Program

When we talk about the program, it is a function of topics (relevance) and speakers (experts in the matter + good communicators).

Let's say that relevance is 50, expertise and communication is another 50. Having an irrelevant topic (20) with a great speaker (50) is still somewhat entertaining. Having a great topic (50) with sub-optimal delivery (20) is also manageable.

Disaster strikes when the topic is lukewarm, and the delivery is struggling (say, I insist on introducing a market that the community doesn't care about, and to add insult to injury I also burden you with 40 boring slides).

Legendary panels happen when we have a hot topic (AI, consumer protection, litigation) matched by star presenters (Karin, Marc and Dan; Konni and Leonie; Thomas and Greg; et cetera).

But this is not all that there is.

In this community, the default bar on experience is already pretty high. So the audience is not so much looking for information ("how to file a patent in Hong Kong"), but rather, is here for a mental model ("what role can a trade association play in the industry?").

It doesn't matter, what the speakers say specifically. What matters is what impact their presentation has on our thinking – the ideas that we get, the way of looking at things that we learn, the attitude that they share.

Who among the studio counsels can hope to become as good on China as Tracey or Jack? Nessuno. But what we get, after hearing Thomas, Jack, Greg and others talk about the region, is a mental map of "what's it like" – which helps to understand our Chinese partners better. And it's this sort of impact, that's priceless.

Attendees

220 counsels, lawyers and executives will gather for Summit On Tour II in Limassol (the list is here). If you spend 5 minutes per person, just to shake hands and introduce yourself, that's 18 hours – an impossible feat.

The good news is that everyone at the event already has relevance to the industry. What's left to determine: who is more likely to have things in common with you – similar projects, and similar expertise, in the regions and areas where your own interests are?

With very few exceptions, attendees of the Summit already know someone in the community. And if you like working with that someone – the chances are high, that you'll like working with their friends just as well.

But how do you get to know better, someone whom you've just met?

First, you will hear people talk on stage. This year we have 58 speakers contributing to the program – a massive showcase of experience.

Second, we've added 15-minute breaks after each of the panels, so that there's more opportunities for catching up. That's in addition to breakfasts, lunches, receptions and the Industry Dinner – in the overall picture, these occasions are as important as the presentations, this is how you will meet new like-minded people.

Ambiance

In games development, we have a bias towards content: while people who produce content consider themselves to be mission-critical, many game designers look at the content teams as replaceable – because creating linear things is a walk in the park, compared to designing and balancing systems.

In the conference space, our efforts to secure bananas from Paphos and wild rose ice cream from Agros are similarly more important to us than they are to most attendees: at the last industry conference which I attended, I don't even remember what I had for lunch, because the conversation around the table was so good that it didn't really matter.

Still, this creates an overall look and feel, a layer of comfort (here's your coffee, here's your beer, and here's freshly made avocado rolls) – and coupled with the free-flow movement in the venue, its allows each attendee to properly balance their energy level.

Functionally, the most important aspect of the venue is having everyone close by, so that your hotel is just 5 minutes away, and you don't spend time in the traffic – this is the difference between attending an event in, say, Florence or Limassol, and in LA or London. What works best, are the locations where you will spend 100% of conference with your peers, and – crucially – maximize your 'chance encounters'.

Now, onwards to the second topic: this year's moot court competition -->

Who won Legal Challenge VII?

For the first time ever, the winning team comes the USA. Incroyable!!

The winner:
DUNGEONS & DAMAGES
Valerie Yu | Riki Clement | Archibald Cruz

Second place:
QMUL AVATARS
Julian Jaggs | Sarah Van Hoeyweghen | Daniel Mousley

Best Oralist:
Daniel Mousley

Best Memorandum for Claimant:
QMUL AVATARS
Julian Jaggs | Sarah Van Hoeyweghen | Daniel Mousley

Best Memorandum for Respondent:
GENESIS GAMING
Stanislau Matsiulevich | Alexander Zvontsov

Massive congratulations to all the 4 teams that qualified to the semifinals, and the winners in the other nominations – we look forward to seeing you in Vilnius in September!

And now, let's talk about Summit On Tour II in Limassol ––>

Ready, steady, ΠΑΜΕ!

The conference starts on Wednesday, April 17, and wraps on Friday, April 19. This is the last time we do this from Wednesday through Friday. The Summit in Vilnius, as well as the conference in Rome in 2025, will all run from Tuesday to Thursday, to leave Friday for the return trip.

Agenda

The agenda of the event is now online, here. 14 panels – 7 per day – from 09:00 through 19:00. I tried my best to have less content, but to be honest, it's like sending a child into a frutteria: here, there and over there, it all looks too good not to give it a taste.

Registration

We open the registration at 17:00 on April 17, at the venue (Carob Mill). You'll get your badge and your attendee bag with all the goodies.

Speaker Directory

The printed Speaker Directory has the profiles of all the speakers (as well as the agenda, at the front). You will find this book in your attendee bags.

Attendee Bags

This time the bags are made in Poland and are designed to remain useful long after the event is over. Large enough to hold a laptop, a pair of running shoes – or both.

Notebooks

These notebooks are a staple of the Summit. Made at a small factory in Latvia, with the paper thick enough to accommodate the ink of the fountain pens (if you also like them, I highly recommend YSTUDIO).

Enamel pins

We have produced a limited run of enamel pins with On Tour's Dove of Cyprus, mosaic-style – offerte vobis pacem 🕊️. Grab one from the registration table (while supplies last).

Summit On Tour II + Kika's Garden

If you have a Pro Pass, we have a little surprise for you: we teamed up wth Kika's Garden to give you a taste of Cyprus – lavender honey, apricot and fig jams, and homemade peanut butter, coming in 4 containers that are just small enough to be allowed in hand luggage. You'll find the package inside of your attendee bags.

WiFi

Carob Mill will have WiFi available for those who need it –

Login: OnTour3
Password: Rome2025

(Because we want you to know that next year's Summit On Tour will happen in 🇮🇹 Rome, in April 2025 – registration opens immediately after we wrap Limassol).

Weather

Next week in Limassol, we expect +15C (60F) in the mornings and +25C (80F) in the afternoons. The venue has a roof, and there's the air that moves through the open gates and doors on both sides of the hall – but you may still want to pack your sunglasses, and a cap, for the outdoor area.

Dress Code

The dress code is "studio casual", i.e. whatever is comfortable for you. I'm going to wear jeans and t-shirts (too warm for hoodie) and some people are bound to be more fashionable, and wear shirts and dresses – whatever floats your boat! If you're attending for the first time, check this gallery from Warsaw 2023 as a reference (the weather was more or less the same, maybe a bit cooler).

Morning Runs

On April 18, almost ninety (90!) counsels signed up for the run along the sea. Full details here. We start 07:00 and meet at the sign that says OLD PORT. The diehard runners also plan to run on April 19, either at 07:00 or a 07:30 – Evelina Georgiades, Summit's Runner-in-Chief, knows all the details. There won't be any group email (because we're too many and we're bound to trigger some firewalls at the firms, if we do this).

Running Shirts

If you ordered a technical running shirt, please pick it up during the registration. Also, we have a few extras – if you would like to purchase, please email Alma (first emailed, first serve).

FFP2 + RAT

You can pick up free FFP2 masks, and free rapid tests for SARS2/Flu/RSV/ADV, at the registration table. If you feel under the weather, please protect the others. Keeping the community safe is a part of the solidarity approach, as well as a class issue (capitalism puts the service people at risk, but you can choose to treat everyone as equally deserving to remain healthy).

Magic: The Gathering

Just before the Reception, at 16:00 on April 17, we will run an unofficial, non-sanctioned community tournament of Magic: The Gathering. All the decks provided for free (courtesy of Karamanolis & Karamanolis), instruction on-site – if you never tried the game, this is a great opportunity to learn it! Discussion on LinkedIn here, sign-up form here (we close the registration on Sunday, April 14th).

Industry Dinner

If you have a Pro Pass, your attendee bag will contain a dinner ticket. You may want to keep it, as security won't let you in otherwise. The dinner starts right after the last panel of the conference on April 18. Sorry, but no time to change. We will serve the food meze-style. The color of your ticket is your preference for the main course: please sit at the table with the corresponding color. All the plates, including mains, are shared – you need to be next to veggie people to get veggies.

Transportation from the airport

Some people land in Larnaca, some in Paphos, and some take the ferry (just kidding, though you can do this later in the year – Greece-to-Cyprus route starts at the end of May this year). Please make sure that you have arranged your transportation, as this is not Vilnius and we're not doing the pickups. Alma can link you with the transport company that offers special event rates.

Fast Track Passes

If you're a speaker and you fly out of Larnaca, we have a Fast Track Pass for you, which is called Express Lane Pass in Cyprus. Please find Alma to claim it, it will save you 10-15 minutes on departure (again, this is not Vilnius – there's more traffic at the airport!).

Voting in Audience Choice Awards

Finally, voting: this time around, we go back to the real thing – paper ballots. At the end of each day, we will distribute the ballots with the list of the 7 panels of that day. Please vote by affixing the stickers, and dropping the ballot into the box next to the registration table. During the Farewell Drinks on April 19, the leads of the top-3 panels will get cast-iron wolf statues – and the lead of the most upvoted panel, will get a 🤩 complimentary ticket 🤩 to Summit On Tour III in 🇮🇹 Rome in 2025, theirs to give to whomever they like.

Your checklist for Summit On Tour II

If you made it this far, I love you already. My advice on to those visiting Cyprus for the first time is: leave your expectations at home, and come with open eyes.

Cyprus is old. Cyprus is new. Cyprus is many things (for example, the home to a unique breed of elephants, who went extinct a few million years ago).

Now, the checklist:

1. Learn at least one phrase in Greek ("χρειάζομαι δικηγόρο!", "θέλω ένα παγωτό!", anything goes; the easiest would be "pagotó" for "ice cream") I can assure you, speaking (and writing!) Greek has a therapeutic effect – the language was already old when Latin was taking its baby steps.
2. Try everything on the breakfast and lunch menus – it comes from the farms in the area, prepared by Mario's team at Karatello specifically for our conference. Food and Cyprus, Cyprus and food, it's a match made in heaven.
3. Try bananas from Paphos, if any are left after the running team returns from the promenade. The taste is familiar – but also different. It's something that you won't find outside of the island.
4. If you have a bit of time in the city, try to find a fruit shop and get some μουσμουλιά. It's a fruit specific to the Mediterranean, difficult to transport. We'll be at the end of the season, at the peak of taste. For my kids and for myself, it's the no.1 fruit in the world.
5. Meet new people. Whether at the Reception, at breakfast, or during one of the coffee breaks, make an effort and say "Hi!" to a person that you haven't met before – it's a community thing!
6. Ask questions during the panels. Discussions are great for setting everyone's train of thought in motion! We're here to get ideas, and ideas come during conversations.
7. Brew your own Cyprus coffee at the hot stand booth. The crew is happy to instruct, and you will take one step closer to understanding the locals (basically, the coffee is very hot, so you need some time to cool it down – and this is when you turn to a neighbor, and ask them if Trump is going to get elected).
8. Finally, try to collect the whole set of the drinks coasters, which we produced for the event. Some of these will be available in Vilnius – but some are exclusive to Limassol!

With this, I wish you an excellent weekend, and I look forward to seeing you in Cyprus – a place unlike anything else, which I hope you will get to love as much as I do!

/ Sergei

PS: Cyprus Games Association

If you're Cyprus-based, or if you're considering opening something on the island: the local studios are currently in the process of forming the regional trade association – CGA. There's a basic page on LinkedIn (here), and there will be meetings and discussions throughout the Summit on its goals and committees. Evelina Georgiades and Roman Zanin are coordinating these.