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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!!
