Posted in: Games, GDC, Video Games | Tagged: coronavirus, Game Developers Conference, GDC 2020
Game Developers Conference Announces "GDC Summer" For August
The organizers behind the Game Developers Conference will be giving it another shot in August with an in-person event called GDC Summer. After the coronavirus nixed plans in March, which should be happening as of when we're writing this article, the convention said they'd look ahead to see what they could do. Now we know the plan is to hold it from August 4th-6th at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Whether or not planning a brand new convention to run in August when we're still dealing with an epidemic is going to work is still unknown. Many late-Summer and Fall cons are still being set up since we're too far out to tell. If you'd like to learn more you can read about it on the official GDC website. But we have some added details below.
GDC Summer's conference program will consist of high-quality technical content, mixed with valuable roundtable discussions to foster conversation and connection. The event will host a new series of microtalks and fireside chats, as well as a dedicated space for comprehensive career development sessions covering topics such as how to pitch your game, effective communication strategies, how to land an investor/publisher and business development strategies.
As a celebration of the game development industry, GDC Summer 2020 will roll-out a new community partnership program. Organizations will have the opportunity to apply for space onsite to host meetings and gatherings alongside the main event. Qualifying organizations could include SIG meetings, non-profit board meetings, local meet-ups, hosted "office hours" by community professionals, portfolio review rooms, podcast recording and more. This program enables GDC as an organization to reach areas of the industry previously untapped due to space restrictions. Meanwhile, sponsorship packages are designed to be easy to execute, with a shorter-than-average runway compared to other industry events.
GDC Summer will give the game development community a chance to come together in a way that hasn't currently been possible due to COVID-19. Safety remains the GDC organizers' paramount concern and the GDC team will continue to monitor the latest information from health officials to ensure a safe and compelling event for everyone at GDC Summer, GDC 2021 and beyond.