Trade show advisory committees, which consist of senior game industry veterans in the various technical and business disciplines, have several tips for submitters that may increase their chances of being approved for panels. These include:
– How well did you get to the meat of what is being discussed? If you can be very specific on the kind of practical, real-world facts and takeaways that attendees will get from your talk, the advisory board will appreciate your submission all the more.
– The advisors are keen to get talks that are focused, but it’s worth considering how many members of the summit audience will get direct takeaways from your talk. For example, if your presentation on glider aerodynamic simulators only has concrete lessons for people working on hardcore glider sims, then advisors may feel that not enough attendees will benefit from it, technically excellent though it may be.
– It is best if you submit something based around a topic for which you are a proven practitioner or success, with relevant industry history. Say you’ve been making acclaimed RPG titles but you’re very excited about your new FPS that hasn’t yet launched. Although you may be excited about your FPS, a talk about lessons from those successful RPGs may be more to the advisors liking.
– If you’ve previously spoken, be aware of what your evaluation score(s) were, the comments from attendees, and try to address those in your new submission. The board will look at previous ratings and comments and consider whether your submission might address those.
– If you’re submitting a panel session, the full list of participants and their background/suitability will greatly increase the chances of the advisory board being interested in hearing more about it.
– Finally, submissions that are commercial in nature and/or are detailing the use of a paid product, a technology or a service for game creators often do not pass advisor scrutiny. However, these proposals are a fit in the sponsored session category.
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