Taking a tour through the Three Rings Studio

Tuesday night was a series of overlapping and wild networking events. I must be honest and say that my goal at the GDC was to network above all else. At this time I am starting a business and my partners and I are building up our Rolodex. One of my partners was at GDC as a speaker so we were able to tag-team through the events and meet lots of like-minded entrepreneurial people. I found it valuable to attend these events with a wingman that has your back and can recommend you or extract you from awkward situations. Tuesday was by far the busiest day and night of the week.

Steve Danic and Michelle Parent at the GDC Canada party

Wednesday went by a little smoother and after a full day of lectures we attended the Women In Games International party where I bumped into fellow members from the Vancouver chapter. The event was full of oddball people and few actual women in games so we packed it in early.

Another full day of lectures Thursday, including a keynote by Metal Gear designer Hideo Kojima, followed by the World mixer, and after that the secretive speakers’ party. Both my mentor and my business partner insisted that I get in by whatever means possible, as many of the big names would be there. Brian introduced me around, I shook hands with some fantastic people, and I was walking on air.

The conference wound down to a close Friday, with the Expo halls shutting down early and little to no networking events scheduled as attendees dispersed. My business partner and I enjoyed a lovely patio dinner at the Cheesecake Factory on the top of Macys by Union square, went clubbing until 4 am, and caught our flight out at 7am. I can say that I lived my experience as an IGDA scholar and GDC attendee to the fullest!

Favorite Sessions:
•    GDC Microtalks - One Hour, Ten Speakers, Unlimited Ideas. Robin Hunicke, Clint Hocking, Frank Lantz, Jane McGonigal, Eric Zimmerman, N'Gai Croal, Richard Lemarchand, Tracy Fullerton, Jenova Chen, and John Sharp. It was amazing! Need I say more?

•    Experimental Gameplay Sessions. Mind-blowing experiments that showcase what is fresh and hot in the gaming industry. I found this session to be the most inspirational.

•    The Game Design Challenge: My First Time. Three designers compete to see who came up with the best game concept around the challenge theme. Attending a Game Design Challenge session was one of my life goals. Done!

•    From Bungie to Bootstrapping — Starting an Independent Developer Studio. Max Hoberman gave a solid talk about the challenges that small studios come across and how to overcome them. I scribbled notes furiously the whole session.

Practical Advice for Next Year’s Attendees:
•    The ribbons on your name badge are worth gold. Make sure you get your ribbons at time of registration and do what you can to get more. Print your own if you have to. I brought in extras from another conference that allowed you to customize your badge to your tastes, added them to my badge, and presto I had more than anyone else (besides my business partner Steve who got one as well) at the conference. The ribbons are an easy entry point in conversation and are often the first thing your partner will notice. (See the photo of Brian and myself for reference.)

•    Come prepared. I Googled and printed off anything that might be handy for the conference. I had maps, my schedule, and my fellow scholar’s information at hand. I would RSVP for events and had them marked them on my map, so then when someone would ask, “do you know where x party is?” I could say “yes! Follow me, I’m heading that way myself” or give accurate directions. This scenario repeated many times over the course of the week to my advantage.

•    Bring lots of business cards! Duh! Never leave your hotel/couch space without a full supply of cards. Stuff them down your boots in you need to, just make sure you have plenty of cards on hand.

•    Include your cell number on your card so you can be reached by text message. I was constantly texting while at the conference to meet up with my business partner, mentor, and collogues. Texting minimizes distractions while you’re in lectures.

•    Downplay the fact that you are a student on your cards. No one really cares that you are a student; it means that you lack industry experience and are unavailable for employment. Highlight your focus at school, or another valuable feature about yourself on your card. I carried both my student and business cards and handed either or both depending upon whom I was talking with.

•    Keep an open mind (and time limit) when in conversations and approach everyone. You never know whom you might run into so just find a common interest to chat about for a bit, and then move on. Do not sequester people for longer than 5 minuets, even if they want to talk longer.

•    My last piece of advice is to take care of your health. It’s quite easy with all the long days, parties, and germs floating around to burn out early. I found it necessary on Friday to skip some lectures and crash for a nap at my hotel and I’ve since then heard of others doing this on Wednesday as a midpoint break. Take care to eat right and drink lots of water, especially before attending one of the parties where the booze flows freely. And of course after meeting people all day, wash your hands!

Listen to a radio interview of Steve and myself chatting about the GDC experience, women in games, and what’s current in the industry at our website: http://www.bighadrongames.com

Remember to have fun! Michelle and N-Gage booth babes