About Boston Post Mortem

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What is Boston Post Mortem?

For as long as the video game industry has been in Boston, game developers in New England have gathered periodically in the Boston area to discuss the business of making and playing video games, meet old friends, and make new friends in the industry. Boston Post Mortem is here to facilitate that.

Boston Post Mortem is Boston’s official chapter of the International Game Developer’s Association. We’ve been doing game development meetups in the greater Boston area since the turn of the century, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon! We’ve historically billed ourselves as Games and Grog, once a month, but don’t worry—the grog is optional.

When are your meetups?

We normally meet during the second week of each month. Like the New England weather, we’re prone to changing when it suits us or our speakers, but you can generally expect a BPM meeting at least once a month.

Gatherings formally begin at 7:00pm, though some attendees arrive as early as 6:00pm. We generally have a social hour for attendees to chat until about 8:00pm until our speakers take the stage, and our speaker(s) typically talk until 9:00pm.

In case you were wondering, yes, we’re still meeting during the pandemic! For the safety of our speakers and attendees, we’ve been hosting our events on the Boston Post Mortem Discord. We’ll be sure to let you know when we resume our in-person meetups!

What are your events like?

Despite our name, Boston Post Mortem doesn’t just do post mortems. We do all sorts of events, though our main fare is speakers and the occasional demo night. Our speakers span a wide variety of disciplines and topics, and we aspire to offer talks that everyone can learn from and enjoy!

All game development professionals are welcome to attend our events! We hope that everyone gets something out of our meetups, whether you’re an industry veteran, student, academic, or hobbyist. We’re always open to suggestions for speakers and events, so if there’s something in particular you want from our meetups, get in touch!

Who runs Boston Post Mortem?

Our current board members are:

Les Nelken
Alex Engel
Alyssa McCallion
PJ Cignarella
Loren Heubert-Aubry
Manny Mallea
Jon Bellini
Kate Olguin

Our Attendee Policy

We expect participants to follow these rules at all Boston Post Mortem events and related social events.

Boston Post Mortem is dedicated to a harassment-free meeting experience for everyone. We do not tolerate harassment of one another in any form.

Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any venue, including talks. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from future meetings at the discretion of the Boston Post Mortem organizers.

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments [related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, or aggressive language which demeans or disrespects ], sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Speakers, sponsors, and special guests are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, speakers should not use sexualized or derogatory images or activities.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the meeting organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a Boston Post Mortem board member immediately.

Any member of the board will be happy to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.

Emergency Contact Information

Boston Post Mortem email: board [at] bostonpostmortem [dot] org

Waltham Police Department, 155 Lexington Street: (781) 642-6166

Cambridge PD Sexual Assault Unit: (617) 349-3393

Emergency medical: Dial (911)

The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center 24/7: (800) 841-8371

Mass General Hospital non-emergency: (617) 726-2000

Green & Yellow Cab: (617) 628-0600