We continue summarizing the results of 2024 with gaming (or game industry-related) teams and experts. Next up is a column reviewing the year from Pavel Ryaykkonen, CEO and founder of WN Media Group.
Events (WN Events)
In the past year, WN Media Group held 23 events worldwide. This number is a record for us, offering the widest geographical reach—we covered 16 countries.
It’s noteworthy that in each region we operate, we organize professional conferences and events for the gaming business community, combining a global approach with attention to local market development.
Our focus on the Asian region was especially productive in 2024. Out of more than two dozen events, we conducted seven in key Asian locations—Hanoi, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Busan, Ho Chi Minh City, Xiamen, and Bangkok.
Of course, we also had familiar venues. For instance, Abu Dhabi, Limassol, and Istanbul. Among the more exotic places where we held events in 2024, I would like to highlight Lahore in Pakistan.
Importantly, we are not only opening new locations with new opportunities but also continue to actively operate in regions where we are already known and awaited.
Recruitment and Staffing Solutions (WN Talents)
We actively developed our talent search direction for companies. The market is gradually recovering, and thanks to our global presence, we have been able to address cross-border specialist search requests. For example, companies from Asia entering the European market (or vice versa) turn to us for recruiting specialists—and we find suitable candidates. More and more, old clients are returning, who took a pause for a couple of years and are now resuming active hiring.
Education and Corporate Solutions (WN Academy)
In the educational area, we continue to seek sustainable growth models and test various hypotheses. Corporate educational events have proven particularly effective. Companies turn to us to strengthen their teams, and we work with them to identify growth points, create personalized programs, and design professional events tailored to specific needs. We’ve had several strong cases, which we plan to scale.
Press and Information Support (WN Media)
Collectively, our media platforms (which have grown to six by the end of the year), where we publish gaming industry news, generated about 7.4 million views. As for unique readers, over 2024 we reached around 1.7 million people and published approximately 2,600 materials.
Current Market State
The gaming industry still faces challenges. The crisis phenomena are noticeable, and this is reflected in client activity. Some temporarily "drop out" of the community, focusing on internal tasks, and then return—or not at all. This is also part of market cycles to which we adapt.
We aim to react quickly to changes, find new event formats, and promising locations.
Entering the iGaming Market
In December 2024, we successfully debuted in the iGaming market by hosting our first themed conference. This direction is promising for us, and we plan further development in this area. iGaming is a part of the gaming industry but with its unique characteristics. Interest in interaction between traditional gaming and iGaming is growing, and we see our role in building cross-industry bridges between these segments.