The longest-running gaming conference in the Midwest has been rescheduled to March 10-11, 2023, to align with the grand opening of the newly renovated Kricker Innovation Hub.

The annual Shawnee Game Conference was originally scheduled for Nov. 3-5, 2022. The Chronicle contacted the director  Shawnee State University’s (SSU) Kricker Innovation Hub, David Kilroy, to get more information about why the conference was rescheduled and what participants can expect.

“The Kricker Innovation Hub will act as a bridge between campus and community that brings the game development industry with Shawnee State students and faculty to showcase our programs,” Kilroy said.

Located at 221 Chillicothe Street in Portsmouth, the Kricker Innovation Hub is a flagship facility used as a resource for SSU students to explore interests in entrepreneurship. Kilroy said the site will be a great place to present new ideas and even launch new video games.

While the space is currently open by appointment only, the formal grand opening of the Kricker Innovation Hub is scheduled March 9 and will include an opening reception to the Shawnee Game Conference. An SSU alum, Dane Simpkins, who recently completed an AmeriCorps year of service with the Kricker Innovation Hub, will be working as a part-time coordinator for the conference. Simpkins has worked on previous Shawnee Game Conferences and has experience coaching for SSU Esports.

The partnership between the conference and the Kricker Innovation Hub is not expected to be a one-time event, according to Kilroy.

“In the fall of 2023, we will again organize the conference the first weekend of November and continue to have it that weekend from here on out,” said Kilroy, indicating a long-term partnership for the SSU community.