Taking place on September 17th at 30 Euston Square, the Gamesforum London Ad Monetization Summit welcomed over 120+ attendees, 50+ companies, and 30+ speakers. Industry leaders from companies such as Activision Blizzard, Audiomob, iion, and many others gathered to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in ad monetization. 

Check out all the takeaways from our event recap below, which includes a highlight reel of attendee reactions and a preview of what's in store for next month's Gamesforum San Francisco!

Gamesforum Unfiltered: Ad Monetization

The summit kicked off with the much-anticipated Gamesforum Unfiltered: Ad Monetization panel, an exclusive session that was not recorded, allowing for a candid and raw discussion akin to a "2am bar chat" — but at 9am. The panelists dove into a wide range of pressing topics that are shaping the ad monetization landscape. From the challenges of decreasing eCPMs and the necessity of diversifying revenue sources to the growing influence of solution providers, the conversation was unfiltered and insightful. They also explored the role of alternative app stores and the impact that bad actors and ad quality have on the overall ecosystem.

The panel featured industry leaders including Adam Jaffe, CEO & Founder of Mega Studio, Sarah Ketir, an Ad Monetization Expert, Piyush Mishra, Director of Growth Marketing at Product Madness, Dean Day, CEO of Black Smoke Studio, Paul West, Founder of Fumb Games, and Michael Fortune, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Moloco. Their combined expertise offered attendees a deep dive into the complexities of ad monetization today.

User Segmentation as an Essential Part of Ad Monetization

Next up was Bojo Jankovic, Head of Ad Monetization at Gamebiz Consulting, who led a session on User Segmentation as an Essential Part of Effective Ad Monetization.

As the mobile ad monetization landscape continues to evolve, so do the challenges faced by Ad Monetization Managers. Jankovic highlighted the increasing complexity of their work and emphasized the importance of adapting strategies to meet these challenges. This session focused on how user segmentation can enhance ad monetization efforts and drive significant revenue growth. Key insights included:

• The role of user segmentation in optimizing ad placements
• Tailoring ad experiences to different audience groups
• Practical steps for implementing an effective segmentation strategy

Jankovic offered actionable advice for maximizing revenue through targeted ad strategies, making this an essential session for any ad monetization professional.

The Art of Profitability in Gaming 

Following Jankovic, Adam Jaffe, CEO & Founder of Mega Studio, took the stage to present The Art of Profitability in Gaming.

Jaffe emphasized the delicate balance between marketing and product teams, underscoring that the success of a game is an art form that requires continuous collaboration between these two critical areas. He stressed that profitability in gaming goes beyond just creating a good product — it hinges on how well marketing efforts align with product development and the monitoring of their relationship. Key points from the session included:

• Strategies for aligning marketing and product teams
• The importance of data-driven decisions in improving game profitability
• Insights into optimizing user acquisition while retaining engagement

This session offered a deep dive into the intricate relationship between marketing and product, providing attendees with actionable insights on how to drive game success and profitability.

Players, Profits, and Payouts - Insights from Industry Leaders

Next up was a sponsored talk by Tipalti titled Players, Profits, and Payouts – Insights from Industry Leaders. The session, led by Travis Hughson (Sales Manager - EU Digital, Tipalti), Patrik Jackiewicz (Head of Partnerships, Challengermode), and Jacki Vause (CEO, Dimoso), explored how to strike the balance between maximizing revenue and maintaining player satisfaction. The discussion focused on the latest monetization strategies and trends, as well as the common challenges. A particular emphasis was placed on the role of payouts in creating player-friendly experiences, underscoring the need to maintain a seamless and transparent financial ecosystem to foster player loyalty.

Fireside Chat: Ad Mon x Product 

As publishers continue to diversify their monetization strategies, ad monetization is increasingly shifting from growth and marketing teams toward product teams. This fireside chat explored how ad monetization managers can navigate this shift and the challenges that come with it. The conversation centered on how teams are reorganizing to foster greater collaboration between ad monetization and product development, offering insights into the processes of reworking game economies and refining ad placements to provide an improved and segmented user experience.

The panel featured key voices from the industry, including Gonçalo Alemão Martins, VP of Marketing at Boombit, David Cantero, Ad Monetization Lead at Tilting Point, Iris Brito Fernández, Ad Monetization Manager at WeeWoo, and Maxence Laurencin, Senior Product Manager for Growth at Voodoo. Their discussion provided practical examples of how their teams are navigating this evolving relationship between ad monetization and product, helping to shape more seamless and effective user experiences.

Hybrid Monetization - Is it Here or is it Coming? 

Sponsored by AdInMo, the next chat delved into Hybrid Monetization, with AdInMo’s co-founder and CEO, Kristan Rivers, exclusively previewing the results of their industry survey, conducted in partnership with Gamesforum. The survey examined the market shift towards hybrid monetization, revealing insights into the current and forecasted balance between in-app advertising (IAA) and in-app purchases (IAP).

Rivers was joined by John Wright from Kwalee and Kyln's Michael Hudson to discuss the findings in depth, exploring the challenges and solutions that publishers and developers face when transitioning to an integrated hybrid monetization strategy. Together, they examined which metrics, channels, and ad formats are likely to drive meaningful change in the free-to-play monetization landscape.

The Gamesforum Ad Monetization Panel 

The cornerstone of what Gamesforum represents, the Ad Monetization Panel took a deep dive into the day-to-day operations of mobile in-app advertising (IAA). Panelists shared insights on the evolving world of mediation in 2024, the rise of waterfall automation in the bidding era, and how these tools can be leveraged for more effective user segmentation. They also discussed innovative strategies to maximize revenue in an increasingly competitive market.

The panel featured leading industry voices, including Sarah Ketir, Ad Monetization Expert, Ravid Sela, Ad Monetization Lead at Playstudios, Chandresh Balasubramanyam, Director of Customer Success for Gaming at InMobi, and Božo Jankovic, Head of Ad Monetization at GameBiz Consulting. Their collective expertise provided a comprehensive overview of the current and future state of ad monetization.

Fireside Chat: Ad Quality x App Health 

Moderated by Gamesforum's Head of Content, Mariam Ahmad, the Fireside Chat: Ad Quality x App Health brought a critical issue to the forefront — the ongoing problem of misleading ads in mobile gaming. With 56% of mobile gamers reporting that they encounter ads that blatantly misrepresent gameplay, ad quality has become a central concern. This session highlighted the role of UA teams in addressing why problematic or poorly designed ads are still prevalent in 2024.

The panelists, including John Wright, VP of Mobile Publishing at Kwalee, Alex Yerukhimovich, General Manager at AppHarbr, and Vincent Tessier, Chief Marketing Officer at 52 Entertainment, discussed best practices for combating bad ad quality. They explored the latest technologies being used to improve ad standards and emphasized the need for stronger collaboration between UA teams and networks to hold all stakeholders accountable for ad quality.

Premium by Design: Understanding the Impact of Quality Gameplay Experiences

Activision Blizzard's Melinda Spence's session presented research exploring what defines a premium game and how player perception aligns with a high-quality gameplay experience. Part of this presentation took a look at the result of Activision Blizzard's "Many Ways We Play" study, which surveyed 10,202 gamers to explore their gaming habits, including frequency, experience, platforms, genres, motivations, and emotional responses to gaming.

The study identified six distinct audience segments, with two main groups: multiplatform players and mobile-centric players. Key findings showed that mobile gaming is common across all groups, and most gamers have extensive experience, regardless of age. Players' platform choice (multiplatform vs. mobile-centric) influences their self-identification as "gamers," the social aspects of gaming, and how they respond to in-game ads. 

Audio Ads 2024: Driving User with CPI

Sponsored by Audiomob, this session, presented by Hayden Killinger and Sahil Modi, explored the groundbreaking advancements of audio ads, with a particular focus on CPI as a powerful new user acquisition tool for advertisers and mobile apps. In 2024, audio ads have evolved into a key strategy for driving app installs, thanks to significant technological innovations and partnerships with major industry players. The discussion showcased how CPI is opening new doors for mobile advertisers, featuring success stories from the field and offering insights into the future of audio ads. For those who have yet to integrate audio ads and CPI into their user acquisition strategies, this session made it clear that now is the time to start listening.

Future of IAA

To round off the Gamesforum London Ad Monetization Summit, the focus shifted to the Future of In-App Advertising. This session invited attendees to explore what lies ahead for the industry, with panelists discussing how to navigate compliance with emerging privacy regulations and adapt to changes in app stores. Innovation took center stage as they examined the growing role of immersive ads, the rise of brand advertising in mobile, and the increasing adoption of offerwalls.

Moderated by Jacki Vause, CEO of Dimoso, the panel featured insights from Vincent Tessier, Chief Marketing Officer at 52 Entertainment, Or Zilberman, Ad Monetization Lead at Playtika, and Akshit Desaii, Chief Strategy Officer at iion. Attendees were encouraged to come armed with their questions as the discussion delved into the future of mobile game ad monetization and the evolving strategies required to thrive in this rapidly changing landscape.

Inside the Game: Exclusive Interviews at Gamesforum London 2024

We caught up with event attendees including John Wright from Kwalee, Melinda Spence from Activision Blizzard, and others, at Gamesforum London 2024. They shared their insights, favorite moments from the conference, and offered a glimpse into upcoming trends and innovations shaping the future of ad monetization.