Based in Montpellier, the Push Start association unites video game professionals in the Occitanie region. It has an important role to play in this booming ecosystem.
The greater Montpellier area is a hotbed for video games, so it makes complete sense for a professional association to be present there. Push Start was established as an association in 2015, uniting industry professionals in a regional cluster dedicated to video games. With its president Gwendolyn Garan, Knowledge Manager at DON’T NOD Entertainment, the association is at the epicenter of a vibrant and fast-growing business sector. In Montpellier alone, over 700 people work in video games.
Push Start strives every day to unite and coordinate stakeholders in the sector, from students and independent groups to larger established groups. Activities include monthly meetings, practical training, workshops, game jams, and more. Since it was founded, Push Start’s main missions have been to share know-how and showcase and promote video games, while “highlighting local talent,” says François Cubaynes, Managing Director. The association notably created and published an online Art Book illustrating the diversity and creativity of the artists it represents.
At the same time, the association is working with Women in Games, which is well represented in Montpellier, with the stated aim of accelerating gender parity in its sector. Partnerships have also been established with two other associations based in Montpellier: Coodio, the national audio-radio-voice group, and Sud Piccel, an association of professionals in the emerging Cultural & Creative Games Industries. The Montpellier video game sector benefits from a particularly active and dynamic ecosystem.