Babette Norton
Hey gang! Long time no chat!
This week, I had the pleasure of visiting the XP Summit Toronto again for 2026, located once more at the Hyatt in Toronto. The venue is a great size, and although it can be a bit tough at times to navigate to the corners to find some hidden treasures, the indies that made their way out again continues to showcase the heart in Toronto. Or maybe I’m just biased (go Ontario!).
I arrived at the venue a little bit later than last time (running last minute errands wahoo), grabbed a coffee, and immediately hopped into some meetings. Although it’s not the most organic way of networking and I definitely recommend just walking around, it’s great to do 1 on 1 meetings for specific stuff or busy people.
As usual, everyone was an ABSOLUTE delight. It’s always a pleasure to just geek out about the industry, and the passion behind the games being made always sparks hope in such a tumultuous environment. Some of my favourites will be posted soon, but I’d be a fool not to give an immediate shoutout to Once there were cats and Wheat & Wrath. Both have such incredible direction and gameplay, you’ve got to wishlist em!
We also got to attend the Game Awards for 2026! I was with the crew at Noodle Goose and some other delightful folks including cosplayers, actors, and influencers. From left to right: VibeyVee, Mark, Alex, Tagan Mani, RayGreyCosplay, Clement Goh, Kevy Oh, Karen Mak, LT kanada, Randy, Tech Goggles, and Babette Norton.
The whole gang at the Canadian Game Awards! Thanks to Giovanni McLeish for the photo!
The events being back to back almost knocked me dead, but I’d never say it’s a bad time. The event can be tiring if you’re an introvert or extrovert, so make sure to rest lots after a successful day/night!
My main advice for these events is to bring business cards. Sometimes meeting folks happens on a dime, and having a quick way to connect is so fundamental. Another general piece of advice is just have fun; starting every conversation with “Are you hiring?” just isn’t a fun way to talk.
I got my ticket through Amir Satvat’s Always Supporting The Game Community (ASGC.GG), so I highly encourage newbies or folks in financially rough times to always keep an eye out for the free ticket raffles. It’s how I’ve been able to attend the XP events I otherwise simply could not afford.
Another great way to enter these events is through volunteering! Volunteers don’t have access to MeetToMatch (the B2B meeting platform), but you can meet people in the industry very easily and then during breaks roam the event.
Our main dude Michael Wilson (Research Lead at ENTRY LVL) volunteered today!
Most importantly than anything else, take in the opportunity to see the indie space as it’s made to be: celebratory and creative. There are such unique and new ideas spawning from the Toronto game space, I really do hope folks make the trip out to see it in it’s glory.
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