Announcing the NASAGA 2026 Theme!
Hello and Happy New Year!
I’m Alex Suchman, a member of the NASAGA Board and Co-chair - along with JS Bragg - of the 2026 conference, with some big news.
Now that we have the dates and location set (October 14-17, 2026 in Rochester, NY), we are thrilled to be able to share the year’s theme. We hope it excites you as much as it does us:
Sustaining Human Connection through Play in the Digital Age
The NASAGA board and conference planning committee chose this theme because it ties into one of the most urgent and prevalent conversations of our time: What does human connection look like in a digital world?
As our lives rely more and more on digital tools, we end up spending a lot more time interacting with our phones, tablets, smartwatches, and computers on our own. Most of our time with technology is individual and asynchronous, meaning we are spending less time having meaningful interactions with other people.
This is where play comes in.
Play is not frivolous. Games have been an integral part of the human experience for thousands of years for educational, entertainment, and cultural purposes. They help us think through hard questions together. They provide moments of shared joy and alignment. They allow us to build new skills and learn crucial information in memorable ways.
Play can be a major ingredient in ensuring that we can still have rich social lives in our digital world. We envision this year’s conference as a way to explore:
How can digital tools enhance opportunities for human connection?
What threats does a digital world pose for human connection?
Which kinds of games and mediums for play have the biggest effect on human connection?
How can play be used to bridge differences and restore trust?
Where are there different opportunities to incorporate play to bring people together?
If these questions resonate with you, start thinking about topics you’d like to submit as workshop sessions or posters. We’ll be opening up the call for speakers in March. Stay tuned for more details.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or ideas for the conference, I’d love to hear them! Feel free to contact me at alex@barometerxp.com.
See you in October!