Game Developers to ‘GATHR’ Again for Unconference in Green Bay

UW-Green Bay’s Center for Games and Interactive Media and local gaming leaders behind the annual Green Bay site of the Global Game Jam are excited to announce the second annual Green Bay GATHR, an “unconference” for the local game development community. This free event will take place on Saturday, July 12, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CDT at The Urban Hub, located at 340 North Broadway #200, Green Bay, WI 54303.

Green Bay GATHR will feature two notable keynote speakers: Pat Fuge (Gnome Games) and Patrick Jesseman (Alkemi). These talks will frame the day, providing insight and inspiration before participants take the lead. The schedule includes open pitching, participant-led workshop sessions, and a “BOOYAH!” lightning round for short, high-energy presentations of games, tools and creative techniques. The day will wrap up with an optional social gathering at Titletown Brewing. Throughout the event, attendees will have the chance to network with others from the Green Bay game development scene.

What is an Unconference?

Green Bay GATHR introduces the unconference format to local developers—a dynamic, participant-driven gathering where attendees determine the content and flow of the event. “The decentralized nature of an unconference is a cool thing for Green Bay,” says UW-Green Bay Lecturer and event organizer Ben Geisler, who also coordinates the Green Bay Global Game Jam site. “Too many times we sit through lectures at conferences and we don’t get a chance to participate.”

Although the day’s framework is outlined, participants will propose and vote on the topics for hands-on workshops, demonstrations and lightning round presentations. This model creates an open space for developers, students, hobbyists and anyone interested in games to share ideas, collaborate and learn from one another in real time.

Geisler sees this format as an extension of Green Bay’s creative culture. “I’ve noticed through the years doing Global Game Jam in Green Bay that we have a lot of the Do-It-Yourself/punk aesthetics and mentality in our hometown and the surrounding area. This is a great opportunity to participate in games as an art form, and it dovetails nicely into our January game jam.”

For more information and to register, visit the GATHR Eventbrite page.

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