Fisher to Host Serious Play Conference

This summer, St. John Fisher University will serve as host to a three-day conference to explore how the power of play, games, and gamification are transforming education, training, and knowledge mobilization. The Serious Play Conference, North America’s largest dedicated games and learning conference, will run from Wednesday, Aug. 13 through Friday, Aug. 15.

Online registration is now open; Fisher students, faculty, and staff will receive a 25% off discount (use the code FISHER25). 

With more than 80 sessions featuring 120+ speakers, the conference covers everything from game development to education technology across a variety of sectors. Attendees will experience hands-on workshops, panels, talks, networking opportunities, and the chance to play innovative games including XR, VR, and AR. The speaker line-up includes several Fisher professors, including Crystal Dobri and Karen Parker from the Wegmans School of Nursing and Dr. Ozge Kantas and Dr. Zachary Gold from the Psychology Department.

“This is one of the rare conferences that brings together a vast mix of people with a shared passion to trade ideas and present tactical experiences,” said Dr. Paul Darvasi, CEO and cofounder of Gold Bug Interactive and a lecturer at the University of Toronto, who also serves as executive director of the conference. “The event looks at diverse ways in which people across sectors are using play, games, and immersive technology to teach, learn, and mobilize knowledge.”

As part of the Serious Play 2025 experience, all registered participants will get VIP, after-hours access to the Strong National Museum of Play. New this year is the inaugural Serious Play Esports Summit, a post-conference experience that will gather key stakeholders from the esports ecosystem, including coaches, teams, organizations, educators, developers, researchers, and industry professionals. Hosted at MAGIC Spell Studios at the Rochester Institute of Technology, this one-day summit will explore the evolving landscape of esports in education and competitive gaming.

For more information, visit the Serious Play Conference website or email info@seriousplayconf.com.