Connections UK 2017 Programme

With just a week to go before Connections UK 2017 takes place, what looks like being the final draft of the programme is now available ... and it looks like this:

Day 1: Tuesday 5th September

• 9.00am – 09.30am: Arrivals and coffee.
• 9.30am – 09.40am: Welcome and introduction.
• 9.40am – 10.20am: Wargaming 101 for new-comers or Megagame 202: designing the Megagame.
• 10.20am – 5.10pm: Megagame – ‘Dire Straits'. (Breaks for drinks during the sessions, and for lunch from 1.00pm to 2.00pm.)
• 5.10pm – 6.00pm: Megagame After Action Review.
• 6.00pm – 6.30pm: Buffet supper.
• 6.30pm onwards: Informal games session.

Day 2: Wednesday 6th September

• 8.30am – 09.00am: Arrivals and coffee.
• 9.00am – 09.15am: Welcome and introduction.
• 9.15am – 10.30am: Plenary 1: UK Military Tri-Service wargaming.
• 110.3am – 11.00am: Drinks break.
• 11.10am – 12.20pm: Plenary 2: US and UK military and Foreign & Commonwealth Office wargaming initiatives.
• 12.20pm – 12.50pm: Keynote address.
• 12.50pm – 1.00pm: Games Fair Introduction.
• 1.00pm – 2.00pm: Lunch.
• 2.0pm – 5.00pm: Games Fair Session 1. (Break for drinks at 4.00pm).
• 5.00pm – 6.00pm: Plenary 3: Broader perspectives on wargaming.
• 6.00pm – 7.00pm: Supper.
• 7.00pm onwards: Games Fair Session 2.

Day 3: Thursday 7th September

• 8.45am – 09.00am: Arrivals and coffee.
• 9.00am – 10.15am: Plenary 4: Wargaming in education.
• 10.20am – 11.05am: Plenary 5: Simulating the intangible.
• 11.05am – 11.30am: Drinks break.
• 11.30am – 12.30pm: Plenary 6: Wargaming design and analysis.
• 12.30pm – 1.30pm: Lunch.
• 1.30pm – 1.45pm: Breakout introduction.
• 1.45pm – 3.00pm: Breakout.
• 3.00pm – 3.15pm: Drinks break.
• 3.15pm – 4.15pm: Breakout back briefs and discussion.
• 4.15pm – 4.30pm: Closing remarks.

I will be taking an active part in this year's conference, and I am looking forward to it. It is very much at the professional end of wargaming, and makes an interesting contrast to COW (the Conference of Wargamers) which tends to be aimed at the hobby end of the wargaming spectrum.