An indie developer's guide to industry events, trade shows, and exhibitions

B2B Events: Connect and collaborate with key players in the gaming industry, including developers, publishers, and investors. These events provide partnership-building opportunities, making them ideal if you're trying to build your industry network rather than acquire more sales or funding.

B2C Events: Engage directly with your audience. These events offer a platform to showcase your product to the press and the vibrant gaming community. If you have a game demo, trailer, or just a significant development update to share, B2C events are the perfect place to generate excitement and gain valuable feedback.

GDEX is a major B2B event held in the US. It’s a great place for game developers to network with publishers, investors, and other industry professionals.

On the other hand, PAX East, is a major B2C event – also held in the US. It’s a great event for indie developers who want to showcase their games to the public.

Gamescom is a major hybrid event in Germany with B2B and B2C elements. It is a great place for game developers to showcase their games to the public and network with publishers, investors, and other industry professionals.

Find publishers and investors. The representatives of huge publishers often attend indie events looking for hidden gems and promising talents, and even if you want to stay independent from any publisher, you can visit a game development event and announce a fundraising campaign.

Networking. Building a stronger network is one of the most valuable things you can get from an industry event. From meeting potential partners to finding new team members or personnel candidates, networking can bolster your list with useful contacts across a wide range of categories, like people from the press, popular influencers or streamers, or even software experts. Events like DevGAMM are known for attracting attendees from a wide range of specialties.

Showcase your game. Events can be the stage for the most important product in your business: your games. With a wide range of attendees, it can be a great place to introduce, promote, or highlight materials like playable demos, trailers, or visual materials and concepts. However, presenting a fully playable build for the press, potential investors, and publishers, the best way to showcase your game.

Think about your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your game? If you're targeting casual gamers, you might want to choose an event that is more focused on the public, such as PAX East. If you're targeting hardcore gamers, you might want to choose an event that is more focused on the industry, such as GDC.

Consider the timing. When is your game scheduled to be released? If you're close to release, you might want to choose an event that is happening soon. This will give you a chance to get feedback on your game and make any necessary changes before it's released.

Read reviews. There are many websites that review game industry events. Reading reviews can help you get a feel for the atmosphere of the event, the quality of the speakers, and the overall value of the experience.

Your budget. Games industry events can be expensive, so it's important to factor in the cost of travel, accommodation, and registration.

Your schedule. The amount of time spent preparing, promoting, and traveling for events can add up and coincide with your day-to-day business operations, so it’s important to make sure you have enough time and personnel to get the most from attending an event.

Make sure your game is ready. Save your time and money if you're not ready to show it off.

Figure out what you want to get out of the event. Are you looking for a publisher? Networking opportunities? Just to learn more about the industry?

Set a budget and stick to it. There are a lot of costs associated with attending an event, so make sure you're prepared. • Consider the planning. Events can fill up quickly and be time-consuming, especially with a booth at which you showcase your brand, game, and business.

Discover learning opportunities. There are often talks and workshops at industry events. These can be a great way to learn new skills and improve your game.

Make a list of potential events. With so many types of game industry events all over the world, your list of goals will help you determine the events that are most relevant and beneficial to you. Are you showcasing your game? Interested in showcasing your game demo or vertical slice? If you know what you’re looking for, you can find the conference that is the best fit for you.

Plan your trip. Once you've made a list of conferences you want to attend, it's time to start planning your travel, accommodations, and conference schedule. Make sure to factor in time for networking, attending speaking sessions, and, of course, presenting your game.

Refine your pitch deck. Make sure your presentation effectively demonstrates the concept, visuals, gameplay, marketing strategy, the overall experience of your game, and the vision and goals of your business. To learn more, check out our guide on how to make a perfect pitch.

Prepare your marketing materials. Big or small, your booth is the hub and gathering place for attendees at the event to meet you, learn about your game and your business, and understand the look and feel of your game.

Network with others. Trade shows and conferences are great opportunities to network with other developers, publishers, and investors. This can help you learn new things, get feedback on your game, and even find collaborators.

Do your research. Before you attend any industry trade show, convention, or event, it's important to understand what you want to get out of it, whether connecting with publishers or investors, promoting your upcoming game, or learning more about the industry and networking.

Get prepped. Your game, marketing approach, and brand are your calling card, so make sure all your materials are polished and ready to show off. This includes having a playable demo, a trailer, information about your studio, brochures and giveaways, and more.

Establish connections. Meeting other developers, publishers, and professionals can teach you new things, provide feedback on your game, and even help you find new collaborators.