Author: by David Jenkins, Simon Carless

Representatives from conference organizers The Game Initiative have announced Suzanne Freyjadis-Chuberka as the new conference director for the Women's Game Conference (WGC), due to take place on October 26th and 27th, in Austin, Texas. Freyjadis-Chuberka holds a Master's Degree in Women's and Gender Studies, with a focus on women and video games, from the University of Texas. She is a well known researcher and presenter in the fields of gender issues and gaming and in girls' youth culture; and has been researching various aspects of women as a video game market for the past three years. "With Suzanne's background in marketing and event planning, as well as her knowledge of the subject matter, we are looking forward to a fantastic 2005 Women's Game Conference," said Christopher Sherman, executive director of The Game Initiative. Women's Game Conference representatives confirmed to Gamasutra that the Women's Game Conference Steering Committee, which included Microsoft's Laura Fryer, Ageia's Kathy Schoback, and Sony Online's Sheri Graner Ray, and which helped organize the conference content for 2004, will be replaced by the in-house conference director, although further advisors may be brought on at a later date. In addition to Freyjadis-Chuberka's appointment, a deadline of July 15th has been set in order to receive proposals and considerations for speaker panels at the WGC. Qualified industry professionals interested in speaking on a panel should visit the Women's Game Conference web site.