GDC Takeaways From a First-Time Game Audio Nerd Attendee
March 18, 2023
Last year I attended GDC for the first time, and with it around this corner this year, I thought I'd reshare some of my learnings from the event!
1.GDC is super pricey - Food, lodging, and the actual pass can add up to a scary number. Apply to be a Conference Associate, check out scholarships like the Game Audio Network Guild, IGDA Foundation, and Game Audio Diversity Alliance scholar programs, and see what opportunities your school has to bring that cost down. If you feel like you could swing the trip, but only would be able to afford an expo pass, it’s still worth it! While the talks are great, most of my enjoyment this week was from socialising with folks outside of the main talks.
2. Stay close – I looked at cheaper hotels and tried to find something within a 20min walk from the Moscone Center. I didn’t spend any money commuting to the venue, got to sleep in while still making it to talks on time, and could easily drop stuff off and head back out.
My hotel room (Whether this was tragic or serendipitous is up to taste)
3. Use the app! - The Swapcard app has details on all the events and makes it easy to quickly put together a list of talks you want to go to, so you won’t have to stress about missing something you wanted to catch. It also has a master list of attendees. Before I got to SF, I looked up who was going to be there and made note of everyone I wanted to meet.
So many great talks!
4. Know the traditions - Typically game audio folks will get morning coffee, eat lunch behind the carousel, and have an annual dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. You don’t have to attend these things, but it’s a good way to meet folks and it can be a nice daily routine.
Lunch with other game audio folks behind the carousel
5. Do your research - Besides the main talks, what other events are happening? If there are parties or mixers going on that you want to attend, make sure you know if you need a ticket and get on that early. Don’t be like me and just show up on the day HOPING you can get in.
Not pictured: Me about to throw down on the dance floor
I just wanna be CUTE
7. Make FRIENDS - I hate how clinical-sounding networking seems when people talk about it. It’s all about making friends. Be genuine and you’ll be able to connect with so many cool people. Just be real, and don’t feel like you need to talk shop the whole time. You may be a composition student talking to some audio director at a AAA studio but you’re bonding over how foolish people are who don’t fry both sides of the bread when making a grilled cheese sandwich. (Extremely foolish)
8. Eye contact - It absolutely baffled me how many people I saw shaking hands while staring at each other’s passes. I think it can unintentionally come across like, “Let me see what they do and who they work for so I can decide if they’re worth talking to.” Of course, exceptions can be made for when things are super loud and you can’t even hear their name, but it always felt better to pretend the pass isn’t even there and just have a conversation.
9. Business cards - I was surprised by how many cards were still being passed around. I tend to feel icky offering up my card, and the smoothest way to exchange them seems to be to ask someone for THEIRS. It shows you’re interested, and they often will ask for yours too.
10. A great tip from Kina Grace — You get do-overs when trying to make friends — If you sit down next to someone and don’t really get a conversation started, it’s ok to get up and try again with a new person. Making friends can be hard & you may not click with everyone.
(We clicked immediately tho)
11. Keep in touch - You don’t want to forget all the cool people you met! Follow people on Twitter, connect on LinkedIn, etc. You’ll be able to keep in touch, see each other’s work, and just stay in each other’s lives. Besides, ‘it was great meeting you’ messages are nice!
12. Go to bed - GDC IS EXHAUSTING, and if you’re feeling sleepy it’s totally fine to just head home and get some sleep. There definitely was a day when I was nodding off during talks so I went back and slept that night instead of going to one of the many parties around. FOMO is real but it’s worse to be falling asleep for the entire day.
13. Don’t underestimate the power of the most popular game out there – If Elden Ring comes out the year you go to GDC, that’s your in with ANYBODY.
Truly something almost anyone wanted to talk about
14. Finally, don’t neglect San Francisco! – It’s a busy week, but if you just go to talk and GDC related events, you’ll miss out on all the cool events and neighbourhoods around SF. Grab a new friend and take some time to explore the city!
The city is really walkable and I explored a lot!
Whether it’s also your first time at GDC, or you’ve been going for years, I’d love to hear any more tips or advice you have for future conference goers!
