Winter Meetup

SGA General 06.02.2025.
Time 6 PM - 9 PM
Language English
Location Startit Center, 5 Savska Street, Belgrade
Price free

Winter Meetup

Holidays are a time for socializing, but the fact that they are now behind us does not mean that the socializing should stop! It's time for the first meetup in 2025!

If you need something to shake you out of your New Year’s hibernation, we got you covered! From the year that is behind us we realized how important networking is for our community, so we didn’t wait long to organize another meetup for you. In the winter edition of our gathering, come to connect with colleagues, meet new people and maybe find an opportunity for cooperation. Since our community has grown and multiplied linguistically in recent years, the event is in English.

This time we prepared a mix from indies to the big leagues, from biz dev to fresh titles. Here’s what awaits you:

Nikola Adamović, Program Coordinator, SGA

One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Game Creators

Investigate innovative applications of Epic Games’ new creation and publishing tool, UEFN and learn how to successfully translate personal interests into compelling game concepts, rapidly prototyping them within UEFN. This process significantly accelerates learning across technical, creative and marketing aspects of independent UGC publishing.

Dragomir Leko, Game Producer, Three Swords Studio

Importance of Rapid Player Feedback

Getting feedback on gameplay directly from players is essential to game development at all stages, from early feedback from friends and family to public testing of the game before release. This topic is especially important for individuals or teams who are just starting to work on a game so that the playable version does not reach its first players too late in the development cycle.

Stefan Cekić, Technical Artist, Wargaming

The Zen of Tech Art

The deadline is creeping in, everything is on fire… How to remain calm like a zen monk, what are the limits within seemingly unlimited responsibilities in the role of a Technical Artist in an AAA game dev company?

Borislav Vesnić, Co-founder & Business Director, Tricoman Studios

Raising Funds for Indie Game Devs: Lessons from the Trenches

Discover a fun and insightful look at early-stage fundraising for indie game developers! Dive into Tricoman Studios experiences with local grants and accelerators like Raising Starts and Katapult, and learn how you can create your own network of business angels. Get familiar with key strategies for presenting your game project with confidence and impact, even in its earliest stages.

Ivona Pinjak, Ad Monetization Specialist, GameBiz Consulting

User Segmentation in Ad Monetization: Growing the Revenue without Breaking the Game

Let’s see why user segmentation should be an essential part of your ad monetization strategy. We’ll go through the basics, best practices and one example showing how GameBiz Consulting helped their client increase their ad monetization revenue significantly with proper user segmentation.

Aleksandar Jovanović, Creative Director, Alkonost Team

Code Alkonost: Building a Game from Scratch in Just Six Months

Get to know about Code Alkonost, a video game that combines Slavic mythology, innovative mechanics and a rich narrative. Before starting development from scratch, the team spent two years working on a prototype, which served as a learning platform. Although the prototype was ultimately discarded, the knowledge gained allowed the team to build the final product efficiently and with quality.

 

See you on February 6th!

Nikola Adamović,
Program Coordinator, Serbian Games Association
About the lecturer

Graduated from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, where he focused his research and passion on understanding the video game industry and the creation of video games. After several years of working at the inception of the Epic Games Community Center in Novi Sad, he developed a community around the Epic Games ecosystem as a Fortnite creator and an assistant instructor and lecturer in official programs. Through numerous programs and guest lectures, he launched his platform and community, exploring possibilities and pushing the boundaries of UGC platforms such as UEFN.

Dragomir Leko,
Game Producer, Three Swords Studio
About the lecturer

Has 40+ years of gaming experience and over 20 years of expertise in developing digital products as a Project Manager, Product Manager and Product Owner. For the past two years, focused on the Game Producer role, working on one mobile and one PC game.

Is the author and host of the Insert Coin Podcast about making video games and the Projektor Podcast, which provides in-depth analysis of popular movies.

Stefan Cekić,
Tech Artist, Wargaming
About the lecturer

A Software Engineer who, after several years of work in the field of programming, rediscovered his childhood passion for visual arts and found his golden mean in tech art. After a course at the Crater Training Center for Unreal Engine, his path led to the Playing Narratives program, which opened the door to a career at Wargaming as a Tech Artist for the AAA MMO World of Warships. But his life is not just digital. As an avid climber and adventurer, he finds balance, as well as inspiration, between the digital world of computers and analog nature.

Borislav Vesnić,
Co-founder & Business Director, Tricoman Studios
About the lecturer
With 11 years in the gaming industry, Borislav has worn many hats, from managing CrazyHubs Novi Sad to leading Thorium Games as CEO. A passionate Audio Designer with a sharp ear for immersive soundscapes, he thrives on crafting processes that transform bold ideas into reality. Driven by a love for storytelling and interactive experiences, he brings a blend of creativity and strategic thinking to every project.
Ivona Pinjak,
Ad Monetization Specialist, GameBiz Consulting
About the lecturer

Passionate about video games and fantasy worlds, Ivona managed to find her way into the gaming industry with GameBiz Consulting, where she’s been working as an Ad Monetization Specialist.

She’s worked on dozens of games of different scales and genres, including simulations, match-three, strategy, sports, idle, narrative-driven games and more, with the opportunity to work with great publishers like Goodgame Studios, Space Ape Games, Trailmix, Nanobit and many others.

Working with so many different clients allowed her to use different mediation solutions and collaborate with virtually all ad networks in the market. At the same time, consultancy has brought Ivona, from the very start of her career, a chance to encounter countless different and unique situations that have helped her gain a very wide perspective on the market dynamics and opportunities.

Her favorite projects include deep-diving into the games analyzing game mechanics, player behavior and metrics to uncover the opportunities for improving ad monetization revenue from both in-game and waterfall optimization sides.

She has been an ambassador of Women in Games since 2024.

Aleksandar Jovanovic,
Creative DIrector, Alkonost Team
About the lecturer

Aleksandar Jovanović is an experienced engineer and a pioneer in the development of virtual worlds for collaboration, holding a PhD on the innovative VoRtex platform. As the Game Director on the Code Alkonost project, he combines his technical expertise and creative vision to bring groundbreaking projects to life. With over 10 years of experience in the IT industry, Aleksandar has contributed to diverse projects and cutting-edge technologies, making a lasting impact with his innovative approach and professional contributions.

Game development is his passion and a means of creative expression. In addition to designing games, Aleksandar enjoys writing stories and creating concepts for comic books, showcasing his imagination and artistic spirit.

Fascinated by the rich culture and traditions of the Serbs and Old Slavs, Aleksandar is dedicated to showcasing Serbian heritage to the world through his projects in the best possible way. His vision merges technology and tradition, enabling the modern world to experience the depth and beauty of Serbian history and culture in innovative ways.