Game design convention questions

tsq,

First, welcome to BGDF and hope you find useful answers to your inquiries which can run the gamut from design to artists to publishing and distribution. Second, great questions!

Over the past few years, I've met game designers at more than a dozen different events, from Origins and PAX Unplugged to a gathering of librarians in D.C. where I gave a talk on game design. If this is your first time in the environment, just be present (open and available). In your "helping" capacity during the event be mindful that you may be asked to playtest and to provide feedback. In these roles, have a dialogue with the designer. They may want you to play the whole game, but more experienced designers may want you to simply check out particular aspects or hooks which differentiate it from many other games

To let-off studios' excellent points above, having a schedule manages expectations for everyone. If you have the space and available tables, you may certainly avail them to drop-in designers. As to the question about what made a convention appealing requires far more nuance. For instance, many gamers do not go to GenCon exclusively to play games as the event doesn't promote it in the same way as say, Origins. Both large events have a place for unpublished designers, but the way conduct business may be very different (I've not ever attended GenCon, but can speak with greater familiarity regarding Origins). At Origins, the folks who manage the event provide a room situated far from the large halls.

Regarding "speed pitching to publishers" this is usually planned well in advance as their time (and that of content creators) have precious little time at these events to meet all of their demands. Short answer, they're great when planned well. Awards are always exciting for a subset of attendees.

As for me, back in 2015, I talked to a number of publishers and designers in the main halls and while they were fascinating and professionally educational, they didn't yield long-term work. In 2016 and thereafter, I would always spend a half-day (usually Friday for a multi-day convention) talking to designers in the Unpub (or similar) rooms and that has proven exceptionally helpful in terms of providing long-term relationships with fledgling designers.

Cheers,
Joe
Professor's Lab

I'll assume that the event is in Las Vegas, which should prove an exciting venue.

The way the main Unpub event has facilitated prizes in the past is that each feedback entry entitles a person to a ticket in the free game raffle. Feedback is recorded with a computer workstation that tracks the game played as well as the person entering feedback.

Every hour or so, they draw five names out of the hat. The tagline for participants is, "The more feedback you provide, the better your chances are to win!"

These kinds of strategies cater to a wide variety of people: those who want to win prizes, those who want to provide feedback, and those who are "completionists" who want a full bingo card. That's a familiar classic and a great idea.

There's nothing to prevent you from having certain things appear multiple times on the card, just be clear that the holder gets to pick ONE square to mark each time.

That way you can have as many attendance spaces as there are days in the convention, a few playtest spaces, a few visit-sponsor-booth spaces, a few event check-in spaces, etc. but I'd suggest nothing that was determined before they arrived (such as what kind of ticket they bought, if they're staying at a partner hotel, etc.).

Some kind of bonus for each row completed seems thematic. Fill the whole card and you get a free ticket to next year's convention :)