Serious Play Conference 2019 in Montreal and Orlando: dates and venues
Serious Play held two conferences on game and simulation based learning in 2019, one in Montreal in July and one in Orlando later that month. The conference is still running and its 2026 edition took place at Duke University.
Updated
The two 2019 conferences
Serious Play Events announced on January 22, 2019 that its conference would run twice that summer, with more than 80 sessions across both. The first took place July 10 to 12 at the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), 200 Sherbrooke West. The second ran July 24 to 26 at the new downtown campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando, 500 West Livingston Street, hosted by the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA).
The announcement described the audience as serious game developers and instructional designers, training directors in government, corporations and healthcare institutions, K12 administrators and faculty, and higher education faculty. It called the events three-day, practical, experiential learning conferences and promised draft programs by mid-March.
The announcement also cited a forecast from the analyst firm Metaari of global growth above 37% a year for five years, with revenues quadrupling to more than $17.1 billion by 2023. That figure is a 2019 projection stated in the announcement, not a measured result.
2019 dates and venues
| Edition | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Montreal | July 10-12, 2019 | University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM) |
| Orlando | July 24-26, 2019 | University of Central Florida downtown campus, hosted by FIEA |
What is true today
The conference is still held. Its site, seriousplayconf.com, describes the 2026 edition as running August 5 to 7, 2026 at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, billed as the 19th year of the event and as North America's largest dedicated games and learning conference. The listed figures are more than 80 sessions, 120 or more speakers and pass prices from US$250 to US$750. The tracks include game development, higher education, K12, healthcare, culture and society, corporate, and government and non-government.
The site also lists winners pages for the annual International Serious Play Awards for 2024, 2025 and 2026. Its home page additionally advertises an event on August 3 to 5 at the University of Washington in Seattle, without naming a year.
The about page gives the theme as how play, games and gamification are transforming education, training and knowledge mobilization. The event is in person, and its program includes hands-on workshops, panels, talks and networking, plus the chance to play games on XR, VR and AR hardware. The page also says the conference now works under a new leadership team. The annual International Serious Play Awards recognize outstanding games in various categories, including digital and analog games developed commercially and by students.
Questions about Serious Play 2019
Where was Serious Play held in 2019?
In two cities: Montreal at the University of Quebec at Montreal on July 10 to 12, and Orlando at the University of Central Florida's downtown campus on July 24 to 26.
Who attends the Serious Play Conference?
Game developers, instructional designers, training directors from government, corporations and healthcare, K12 and higher education faculty. The conference lists tracks for each of those groups.
Is the Serious Play Conference still held?
Yes. The conference's own site shows a 2026 edition on August 5 to 7 at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.