Survival kit - Going to Game Developers Conference / Game Connection

GDC/GC Survival Tips

FULL CONTROL

- Full Control since 2004

- 10 own games released

- survived 5 GDC/GC trips

- 20+ other conferences

- 100s of interviews

- 100s of pitches

DISCLAIMER

WHY GO TO A GDC/GC

WHY GO TO A GDC/GC

Pick ONE!!!

GDC IS MORE THAN ONE THING

@GDC Sessions

Expo

Play

Career

IGF

Indie Mega Booth

@Not-GDC Game Connection

Misc indie meetups

Hotel suite meetings

Bar meetups

Parties

NOT WHY YOU ARE THERE

Its Work - Not Fun

HINTS - FLIGHT

Try to get some hours of sleep

DIRECT with SAS!!!

Avoid US connections

Immigration on connect flights in USA (2-3+ hours)

ESTA, “secure flight”, APIS, passport expiration

HINTS - JETLAG

+9 hours timezone - major jetlag warning!

Arrive Fri/Sat and not Sunday (jetlag)

Melatonin pills!

Get into the day rhythm

HINTS - HOTEL

Downtown around Union Square and towards Moscone

Either ultra cheap or very expensive next to Moscone

SF very noisy - highest up floor + earplugs

HINTS - USA

DONT EXPECT ANY WIFI/PHONE SERVICE

Buy 1 month AT&T card or similar

110 volt, US cables

HINTS - USA

Cash is king!

Multiple credit cards

Tips (+15-20%)

HINTS - CONF SURVIVAL

No meetings before 10

No important meetings Monday morning or Friday afternoon

Leave room for lunch - 1 hour

HINTS - CONF SURVIVAL

Good quality business cards (moo.com)

Good shoes a must

Spare deodorant, Tic-tacs or gum

Water!

Travel light - iPad-only perfect!

PREPARATION

20 second pitch

20 min powerpoint pitch

Demo build/video/screenshots

PREPARATION

Follow-up material

Pitch training!!!!!!

Company t-shirts, handouts, …?

PREPARATION

Book meetings MIN!!!! 3-4 weeks before

Game Connection bookings

PR agency

Old-school phone calls

PARTIES

Book parties 3-4 weeks before

Parties are networking events - pick the right ones

Go home when people get drunk

Nordic party is the best (usually Thursday)

HOTEL LOBBIES

Even better than parties

From 17-20’ish

W, St. Regis and similar high end hotels around Moscone and Union Square

MEETINGS

Print meeting schedules and contact info

Be polite, but direct on your intentions

Dont take meetings that do not fit your intentions

Dont linger, dont oversell

MEETINGS

BE ON TIME! (Remember travel distances in planning)

Be a social human as well as professional

STOP if you feel there is no interest

MEETINGS

TAKE NOTES! Bring pen

Writing on biz cards perfect! (Your brain will be fried and you will not remember)

FOLLOWUP

Minimum 2-3 weeks followup

VERY hard work

Prepare budgets, docs, videos, builds before going

CHANCE MEETINGS

TALK TO STRANGERS!!

Prepare ice-breakers

Always have biz cards

Put on the badge!!

QUESTIONS? Thomas Hentschel Lund

thomas@fullcontrol.dk