Tag Archives: Conferences

Boston Hosting Indie Games Conference East

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I put together a list of upcoming video game conferences last month, and it looks like I left one off the list.  The Independent Game Conference East is actually starting today and lasts 2 days.  It looks like they’ve got a nice list of speakers and sessions set up, from leading names in the indie scene to exectuives at AAA developers.

I’ve been out to a few of the Indie Games Conferences that Garage Games used to host – I don’t think they’re in any way related, but I’m guessing the vibe is similar.  I saw a lot of innovation and passion at the two shows I attended.  There’s a lot of interesting development going on that’s being done under the radar by people who simply love games.  If you’re in the Boston area, I’m sure it’s worth trying to take in the show.

GDC 2009 – Job Hunting

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GDC is just around the corner (March 23-27), and as I’ve written before, video game conferences are a great place to look for job opportunities.  GDC has an entire area of the show dedicated to job hunters – the Career Pavilion.  If you haven’t been before, it’s a large conference hall filled with recruiters from all of the major video game companies.  They’ve each got their own booth set up, and are looking to talk with potential candidates.  It’s an incredible opportunity to sit down and talk with them face to face, and should not be missed if you’re in the area.  An expo pass runs around $200, and there’s obviously travel expenses involved if you’re not in the San Francisco Bay Area.  If you’re balling on a budget (as a lot of job hunters are), it can be a little spendy, but it really is something that shouldn’t be missed if you can swing it.

It’s not going to include EVERY company that’s looking for employees, obviously.  The booths (both the space and the buildouts) aren’t cheap, so some smaller companies just aren’t going to be able to afford to exhibit.  Keep your eyes peeled, though – I was at the show last year, and I saw more than one sign being carried around at a party that read something like, “Are you a programmer?  Let’s talk!”

The show is packed, so make sure any materials that you have (resume, cover letter, business cards, etc.) are top notch!

Video Game Conferences

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If you’re on a job hunt, conferences are a great place to meet potential employers face-to-face.  And if you’re only thinking GDC, PAX and maybe E3 when you’re thinking conferences, you need to think again.  While some conferences have dedicated job booth areas (the room at GDC is massive), others simply offer you a little informal time meeting with a wide range of industry people who have no choice but to sit and talk with you.  ;)

Here’s just a few that we’ve already had this year that come to mind:

  • Virtual World show – there’s actually been two of these already, and there’s another one coming up in London
  • Casual Connect – show focusing on, you guessed it, casual games
  • Games & Mobile Forum @ LA Games Conference
  • NY Games Conference – this one is coming up on Sept. 25-26th
  • Austin GDC – Sept. 15-17th

This is just a small sampling, I’m sure there’s many more worth adding to the list.  Just another element that’s worth adding to your job hunting arsenal.