Published on August 14, 2024. Last Updated on November 20, 2024.
So I’ve already talked a lot about researching for a con and how to pitch at a con… but I don’t think I’ve shared how I get organized for a con. Keep reading for what to do and a free template!
First, let’s start with some goals.
What is your goal at a convention?
Any of these are great places to start:
- I want to shop for specific games
- I want to pick up the latest and greatest games
- I want to try or demo a lot of games
- I want to volunteer with a publisher to demo their games (and make some money / get some swag)
- I want to support some self-publishers
- I want to pick up review copies of games to create content
- I want to network with publishers
- I want to pitch my game to publishers
There are lots of others, but these are the most common ones I’ve heard. You can definitely have more than one of these goals, but you’ll want to choose which one is the most important, the second most important, etc.
Why go in organized at all?
To be sure, some designers seem to be great at just blagging their way into a pitch meeting, and there’s always room for a random encounter. You never know exactly what will happen at a con.
That said, I know my odds are higher when I go in organized, and more importantly when I get home and start doing follow-ups.
So, what are your goals?
With the caveat that ‘your goals will vary’…
My goals are to network and pitch at a con. I’ll naturally see some cool games, maybe stop to see a demo or two, but those are not my priorities. Those aren’t the reasons I’m spending a significant chunk of change on a flight, a hotel, food and drink, etc.
My first priority is to get to the pitch appointments. Don’t let anything else get in the way of that. Make sure you’ve got the right place and right time handy, with bonus points for who you’re having the meeting with.
My second priority is to network. This might sound tricky, but it comes back to research. When looking through the list of publishers attending a con, I’ll have some publishers that are new to me, folks I haven’t connected with in awhile, friends that have released a new game, and so on. If I have some time between pitches, I’ll try to network.
Two priorities = two separate lists
I started doing this a few years ago – the exact format has been tweaked over time, but the concept has remained the same.
One list is my appointment list. It’s updated in a Google Sheet before the con, then printed off just before I pack. It’s sorted by day and time (and may have multiple sheets to focus on what’s happening on a given day).
The second list is my ‘stop-by’ list – the people or booths I want to stop by, network with, etc. This is organized by hall / booth number, and features who I want to try and connect with and why.
- Are they a new publisher I know nothing about? The goal there is to look at their offerings, find their website, get a business card or contact details, and understand what they’re trying to make. It may be obvious from looking at their booth, but it’s usually worth asking if they’re working with outside designers
- Are they a publisher I’ve pitched before but not this con? The goal there is to update my info on them, reconnect with the people, see what they’re making these days. If someone’s left or someone new has started, this is a good time to find that out.
- Are they a distributor, manufacturer, or other service provider? The goal is to learn. Manufacturers might have sample kits, which are great to understand the capabilities of modern game components. Distributors have a set of countries and services they work with – understanding how they work may or may not be particularly relevant to your journey if you’re pitching, but it helps to round out your knowledge of the industry.
- Is it an unfamiliar name? At some cons, exhibitor names all run together, whether they’re a publisher, RPG paint supplier, mystery box vendor, or ice cream store. Sometimes you can guess based on the name, but I’d rather research and confirm rather than guess. If my research is inconclusive, I’ll add it to the list.
Add other details
My primary place where everything is organized during a con is an A4 / Letter-sized presentation folder – basically a lay-flat ring binder with plastic pages in it. Most of the pages hold sell sheets, but the back section is where those two lists go. I don’t want to rely on my phone during a con since internet can be iffy and wi-fi is never a guarantee. I’ll usually tape the printed lists to the *outside* of the plastic sheets, which allow me to write on them without having to take them out of the plastic sheet.
Lugging around prototypes
Each year has been an experiment. On one level I don’t want to be carrying more than I have to, but I definitely want to be able to offer a publisher a prototype if they request one.
My current estimate is to pack one prototype for every two times I’m pitching a game. If I’m pitching a game four times, I’ll have two prototypes with me, for example. I’ll round up or down on a case-by-case basis, but it’s usually based on how much time and effort it takes to make another copy of that prototype. Small card game? Sure, print another one off. A bigger game that’ll take up a lot of luggage real estate? Maybe not.
This year, I’ll be making an inventory of those prototypes so I know what I brought with me. There will be space on it to show who I gave it to (as in publisher and person) and when – I’m expecting this will really help with the follow-ups.
Just because I bring a lot of prototypes with me to a con doesn’t mean I have to lug *all* of them around. I’ll usually look ahead to what I’m pitching and pack *just* the prototypes being pitched. The rest stay in the hotel room. If they see something in the sell sheets they want to try, I can talk it up from the sell sheet, then offer to bring by a prototype tomorrow (or mail it to them, if need be).
Introducing the template
Head here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bhxdU2I0eMHbf-B_u9tR39Kmb9glDYFs7j9DAAexz9k/copy?usp=sharing
It will prompt you to make a copy of the sheet – do that, then edit to your heart’s content. Start from the ‘START HERE =)’ tab, read through the instructions, and follow along.
At the end of the day…
It’s all about being professional – creating and sustaining relationships, having what a publisher needs to consider your game, and making the most of the moment.
