
Dates TBD Winter 2025/2026
University of Utah Campus, Salt Lake City, UT
The Utah Winter Summit on Games, now in its second incarnation, is a three-day initiative nestled in the breathtaking heart of the American Intermountain West. the summit will be held during the winter of 2025/2026 (dates TBD) at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The summit's two and a half day working session will bring together leading game scholars from around the world to collaborate with Division of Games faculty to define a new model for an academic unit intrinsically for and about the discipline of Games.
On September 27th of 2023, University of Utah President Taylor Randall announced a significant commitment to the growth of the Games discipline at Utah—an investment of $25 million to support our expansion from the teaching-focused Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) program to the newly created the Division of Games. This transition is intended to greatly expand Utah Games' mission by building new capacity for intrinsic Games research and scholarship in addition to EAE's historic record of success as games educators. In the words of University of Utah Provost Mitzi Montoya:
Its new mission includes its old mission – to be a world leader in games education in higher education. But it also includes a new charge – to lead the progress in research and scholarship around games, to create a deeper understanding of games, and to apply that knowledge in teaching and research to change the lives of players for the better.
This institutional commitment is unprecedented in both character and magnitude. The investment holds the potential to catalyze groundbreaking creative work and scholarship at Utah that pushes the boundaries of what is possible in our Games discipline. The summit will bring together leading scholars in the field to share expertise and insights so that Utah Games may chart this course in a transformative and responsible manner.

The Summit will be held on the University of Utah campus, nestled in the shadow of the majestic Wasatch Mountains. As attendees engage in collaborative discussions in the warm confines of our conference centers set against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks and expansive canyons, they will experience the unique synergy that occurs when scholarly pursuits are paired with unparalleled landscapes. During their time here, attendees can also immerse themselves in a number of planned events and social activities that will be held across campus, throughout the picturesque Salt Lake Valley, and the nearby historic mountain town of Park City, which hosts the Sundance Film Festival every January.
The primary objective of the summit is to formulate direct judgements of quality, effectiveness, and potential impact over the planned direction of Utah Games, and its potential reverberations to the broader Games discipline. This includes assessing (1) what Games scholarship will look like at the University of Utah and beyond; (2) current and future curricular designs for the discipline, both within and outside Utah Games; (3) infrastructure needs to support planned initiatives; and (4) our responsibility to the State of Utah, the Nation, and the World via community, institutional, industrial, and governmental partnerships.
The Summit will provide an excellent opportunity for collaboration and knowledge exchange among Games scholars of national and international reputation. All confirmed attendees are welcome to submit optional position papers, panel proposals, and presentations that speak to diverse aspects of our disciplinary identity, including but not limited to our diverse knowledges, ways of knowing, goals, identities, relationships to stakeholders, responsibilities to our constituents, and more. Contributions will be edited into a proceedings document to be published collectively as a Utah Games Technical Report. We envision a highly creative and stimulating environment. Our hope is that new ideas and innovative perspectives can flourish in a way that scholars can continue to refine beyond the summit.
The schedule during the three days of the summit is still being set. Please check back on this page as the winter of 2025/2026 approaches.
Venues and Travel

The 2026 Utah Games Summit will be held at the University of Utah, at the Cleone Peterson Eccles Alumni House and the Ken Garff University Club.
Nestled in the shadow of the majestic Wasatch Mountains, the summit participants will enjoy the warmth of our campus hospitality and the beautiful vistas of the nearby snow-covered peaks and fun-filled canyons. Maps of the University of Utah campus can be found here. Attendees who arrive in Salt Lake the weekend before the start of the summit may enjoy a range of activities in and around the city and nearby mountain resorts (see visitsaltlake.com for more ideas -- summit organizers well also be happy to make recommendations).

The Summit's Hotel: The Asher Adams
Inspired by Salt Lake City's most iconic architectural structure, The Union Pacific Depot, Asher Adams is an all-new hotel with striking views of downtown and the Wasatch mountains. Generations have passed through these doors on their great American rail journeys. Today, this precise spot ties the faraway with a sense of home.

Transportation
Air travel will also be booked through the Division of Games. Attendees arriving by plane will fly in to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), one of the most highly traveled and most efficient airports in the nation. It ranks first in the U.S. as far as on-time departures and arrivals – and fewest flight cancellations. It is also only minutes from the University of Utah.
Individual travel to and from the airport and the Hotel Monaco on day of arrival/departure is best conducted using a self-booked rideshare service. All other transportation between summit venues will be provided by the organizers.
Meals
Summit attendees will have meals provided, including dinner Sunday night, breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday, and breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday. Attendees should plan on making their own breakfast plans on Wednesday (day of departure). There are a number of breakfast restaurants within walking distance of the summit hotel, including the hotel's own, highly rated restaurant, Bombara. Please let the organizers know of any dietary requirements you may have.
Altitude, Humidity, and Temperature
Utah's license plate slogan reads "Life, Elevated," and this is no exaggeration. The Salt Lake valley is 4,265 feet above sea level. Nearby Park City, where some attendees may visit, is 6,936 feet above sea level. For visitors from lower climes, the change in altitude can come with potential altitude sickness caused by the moderate decrease in the oxygen level in the air. Although uncommon, symptoms may include headaches and tiredness, so please be mindful of these changes, especially your first day here. The best way to avoid these symptoms is to moderate your activity for a day, stay hydrated, and get a good night's sleep.
The average relative humidity in Salt Lake during February is 64%, which may also be a change for travelers used to more humid home environments. Your hotel can provide a humidifier at your request (if one is not already in your hotel room closet) that you can run overnight in your room. Please be sure to hydrate well during your visit.
The average daily high in Salt Lake City in February is 45 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average low is 31 degrees. For attendees planning a visit to Park City, the average high is 37 degrees and the average low is 15 degrees. Please be sure to pack accordingly.
ADA Accommodation
Individuals requesting ADA accommodation should communicate their needs with summit organizers, who will work with hotel and venue provides to provide support.
Summit Participants
Summit participants have yet to be determined.Organizers
Rogelio Cardona-Rivera | Rogelio is an Assistant Professor and Founding Faculty of the Division of Games, and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Kahlert School of Computing and the Department of Psychology at the University of Utah. He directs the Laboratory for Quantitative Experience Design. His research focuses on the design of games, systems where users direct an unfolding experience by taking on ludic/dramatic roles. Broadly speaking, he argues that the process of design requires computationally modeling our human intelligence: our unique capacity to interpret and understand the world around us. His work involves synthesizing, designing, developing, and experimentally evaluating intelligent artifacts that codify aspects of how we imagine ourselves acting within virtual environments. | ![]() |
Kurt Guner | Kurt Güner has worked or studied at the University of Utah since 2014, completing his Doctorate in History in 2019. He has experience training and supporting faculty with the Center for Teaching Excellence, helping stopped-out students finish their degrees with the Return to the U Program, and helped found and manage Salt Lake Community College’s Prison Education Program. Currently managing the staff of the Division of Games, Kurt is excited to help the Division grow and meet its potential. | ![]() |
Cami Sheridan | Cami Sheridan joined the University of Utah in 2019 and accepted the role of Office Manager for Utah Games in 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts from Southern Utah University and is pursuing her Master of Arts in Community and Organizational Leadership at Westminster University. Over the past four years at the U, she has played a crucial role in coordinating over a dozen of significant events on campus, including one that attracted over 5,000 prospective students to the university's campus. | ![]() |
Lisa Winter | Lisa Winter has been a part of the University of Utah community since 2006. Over the years, she has gained a wealth of experiences across campus, and achieved her PMP certification in 2021. As a senior IT project manager, she supports the Utah Division of Games and the Utah Data Coordinating Center to which she brings almost ten years of project management experience. She oversees the day-to-day progress, schedule, risks, and status for multiple projects for the Division concurrently. | ![]() |
R. Michael Young | Michael Young is Professor and Chair of the Division of Games at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT, where he is also an Adjunct Professor in the School of Computing and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Philosophy. At the U, he directs the Liquid Narrative research group, where he works to develop computational models of interactive narrative with applications to computer games, educational and training systems and virtual environments. | ![]() |
This page contains links and resources relevant to the central questions that will be addressed at the summit. Participants who would like to contribute to content on this page should email the details to the summit organizers.
- Code of Conduct
- Call for Participation (by invitation only)
Links to previous Utah Winter Summits
2026 Utah Game Summit Sponsors Include

