21st May 2026, Guildhall, London

On May 21, 2026, another edition of the Brand Finance conference took place at London’s Guildhall, this time dedicated to the topic of place branding, i.e., building place brands for both countries and cities.

The conference was attended by representatives of foreign ministries and institutions responsible for public diplomacy, national promotion, and building national and private brands.

The conference programme included a session devoted to the Polish gaming industry as a significant component of Poland’s soft power. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Cultural Diplomacy presented Polish game development as an example of a sector that combines technological competence, creativity, global reach, and measurable economic impact.

Anna Godlewska, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Cultural Diplomacy and Promotion of Poland, introduced the session, highlighting the importance of creative and technological industries for Poland’s contemporary image.

Damian Jaśkowski and Paweł Miechowski from 11 bit studios and the Indie Games Foundation participated in the session. They presented data on the development of the gaming sector in Poland, its international position, and its promotional potential. They emphasized that there are currently approximately 800 game studios operating in Poland, and that Warsaw is the largest hub in Europe in terms of the number of people working on new product development. They also noted that the Polish gaming industry is an export-oriented, high-profit sector, and a significant contributor to the economy and GDP. They noted that 97% of Polish games are exported, with major markets including the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Poland was also listed in the Top 10, in 7th place, in a ranking of countries with the most anticipated games by Steam users in 2025.

Game development was presented not only as an area of ​​economic success but also as a tool for building a positive perception of Poland abroad, particularly among younger, digital, and global culture audiences.

The webpage of this year’s forum can be found here:

Brand Finance Place Brand Forum 2026 | Event | Brand Finance