What does the committee do?

Fengol

With the AGM due to happen soon ( date to be confirmed) I thought I'd share some of the things the committee does. If these jobs seem appealing please nominate yourself to join the committee for the 2015/2016 period.

• Arrange a venue & volunteer to host Global Game Jam in CT & JHB.
  
• Create & run the annual industry survey. Compile a report for media distribution.
  
• Arrange venues for the Annual General Meeting. Mediate voting for new committee.
  
• Promote recent local games to the organizers for AMaze JHB.
  
• Volunteer manpower & equipment to rAge organizers to show recent local games.
  
• Oraganise a community night once a month in CT & JHB, announce it on the forums and social media.
  
• Pay for & maintain the MGSA website
  

There are bits that popup randomly like Request For Info emails, invitations to speak at a round table and/or represent the industry for government or academia. Which are handled on a case-by-case basis.

I'm probably forgetting some things but those are the main jobs.

Please comment.

LexAquillia

I'd add that a lot of what I do (on the committee) is engage with "stakeholders". This includes meeting with various organisations (Google, Microsoft, Humble) and Local and National Government (The DTI, FPB, DoA) to lobby them to change policy. I also do policy development work with the above people to try and improve the industry for us.

dammit

@bensonance also runs all the social media - I'm not sure if that's related to committee roles though.

dislekcia

In my MGSA capacity I regularly have meetings with stakeholders and local govt/business initiatives (like @LexAquillia does, we often tag-team on particular things) but my major focus is service providers: Meetings with Steam, Humble, Apple and Google to try and address the issues that local companies are facing. Meetings like that drove Apple's changes to their DUNS number system to help make it less onerous for SA companies to register as developers, for instance. I'm still working on Google, it's slower.

I guess I also do competition stuff.

Bensonance

I would like to point out, broadly, that in my perspective, the committee and MGSA's focus at a high level is currently largely Industry focused.

This means (as the trends above suggest) much of the work and time the committee dedicates is orientated around growing the South African games Industry, rather than specifically around growing a community. Of course developing and industry will develop the community and vice-versa, but often the effect is a trickle-down rather than targeted impact.

I just thought this was an important distinction to make :).

Dipso

Thanks for sharing.
And a big thanks to the committee for what they do and have achieved :)