The annual Spiel convention in Essen took place last week. As usual I attended with my son, Alfie, who is also a game designer. Big conventions like Spiel can be a valuable and exciting experience for a designer, but they can also be stressful and overwhelming.
The difference between conventions and trade shows
Board game events that are open to the general public are usually described as game conventions. Some are massive, like Spiel in Essen or GenCon in Indianapolis and some are very much smaller. Some conventions focus on publisher stands, where they demo and sell their latest games. Others put more emphasis on open gaming, with lots of empty tables and a library of board games. Many are combinations of the two. It’s all about playing and shopping. Conventions usually have a good mix of mass market and hobby publishers in attendance.
10 minutes before doors opened at Spiel
A whole hall of closed showrooms at Spielwarenmesse 2024
Trade shows like the London Toy Fair and the (giant) Spielwarenmesse in Nuremberg are only open for people in some way connected to the industry. At these events publishers, instead of trying to sell their games direct to consumers, are taking meetings with retailers and distributors. There are far fewer people in the halls – in fact it’s delightfully empty – and there’s no shopping. Trade shows are far more likely to attract mass market publishers, though some hobby publishers may also attend.
Buy a ticket!
This year, Spiel was sold out for the first time ever, which left many unsuspecting punters stuck outside, unable to buy a ticket at the door. So my first tip is to get your ticket early! But assuming you’ve made it through the door, how can you make sure you have a great convention?
Tips for making the most of conventions and trade shows
1. Book meetings in advance
Most publishers that accept submissions will have full diaries, so if you leave it too late, you’ll struggle to get a meeting. I suggest contacting publishers 6-8 weeks ahead of the event, which is when they’re likely to open up their diaries. It’s not always easy to get hold of publishers in advance of conventions (or sometimes at all). For publishers you don’t have relationships with, try emailing the company, contacting them on social media or asking other designers if they have contact information. If you’re attending a trade show, bear in mind that some publishers have closed showrooms. They literally have a closed space with a door and walls within the exhibition space (some of which are absolutely enormous). You cannot access closed showrooms without a confirmed, pre-booked meeting.
Meeting up with Benji, Lewis and Louisa from Ginger Fox. Pictured here with designer Matt Hoather and both of our newly released Ginger Fox games.
A meeting with Kate Goss from Golden Bear – sitting on the hall of floor 7 because I couldn’t access the business centre with my standard ticket. Next time I’m upgrading.
2. Don’t try to do too much.
It’s very tempting to book back-to-back meetings with publishers, but you’ll probably regret doing this. Conventions are often big and busy places. It may take 20 minutes to walk from one end of the event to the other. Time with publishers is precious – you don’t want to be arriving late and leaving early. Energy levels also need to be managed: plan in time to eat and rest. At trade shows you’ll need to factor in time to access closed showrooms. Sometimes there’s a complex sign in procedure and you could find yourself in a queue. Alexander Zacherl says: “Pitching is fun, but not if you are sweating and out of breath. Keep ample buffer time in between meetings, 30 minutes if you can. Plan your routes in advance, especially at consumer conferences with lots of people.”
3. Tell people you’re going.
It’s a good opportunity to spend time with other designers, not just to pitch.
Spending time with other game designers has, in my opinion, a disproportionately positive effect. For example, ideas can spark and take shape; you find out about new games, publishers and events; and you develop your wider network.
I wrote in detail about this for Mojo Nation.
You can read the full article here.
With fellow designers: Alfie Dix, Fabio Lopiano, Fagner Silva, Mandela F-G & Denholm Spurr
With Daryl Andrews, Eric Lang, Danielle Reynolds, Matt Dunstan, Rory Muldoon, Martin Wallace and lots of other designers at dinner.
With Rikki Tahta, designer of Coup and Chameleon
4. Build relationships.
Make a point of seeing the same companies each year at an event. It’s important that publishers know that when you have new games to show them. And if you haven’t, just drop by to see them. It’s about staying ‘front of mind’. They see lots of designers and you want to make sure they remember you. If a publisher likes what you do, and feels they could work with you, they might reach out with an exciting project one day… it does happen.
Playing Spotlight with Mandela F-G. This is the game I most wish I had invented from this year’s show.
5. Investigate and play games.
This may sound a bit obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many designers get to the end of a convention having played practically nothing. It’s research! Find out what’s out there. See what things people are pushing. Spot trends. Notice if publishers have anything radically different from normal as it may signify a strategic shift. Discover where the buzz is. What has sold out and why? If you’ve got limited time for playing, ask people for recommendations of the best games they’ve played and seek these out. Denholm Spurr says: “Jot down patterns you notice in the way mechanics are implemented. I often write a few lines after each demo about what was most interesting about the game mechanically or thematically and then at the end [of the convention] draw up a list of the common trends. This can help you ensure your designs are keeping up with current design movements and themes.”
6. Research publishers.
We know it’s hard to get hold of all the publishers you want to see in advance, so use the convention itself to get contact information from publishers that slipped through your pre-event net. Ask at the stand if they’re currently open for submissions and who you should contact. Ideally you’re after a name and email address. They might have time at the show for a meeting, but your Victory condition could/should be getting an email for a meeting later. Make sure you have a good look around the convention. If you could see your games being a good fit for a publisher, approach them and ask for details. Alan Wallat says: “The point is not to get a game signed there and then, but to open the door for future games. I also speak to publishers that probably wouldn’t publish my current portfolio for the same reason, to find out what they’re looking for and open the door.”
7. Make a pitch kit.
Pitch meetings are often short. Plan how you’re going to use your time most efficiently. You need to communicate the hook for your game(s) quickly. You don’t want to be spending 10 minutes setting up an entire board with lots of components. What is the bare minimum you need in order to communicate the idea effectively? I pitch several games in one 30 minute slot and I usually pitch different games to different publishers. So I’ve got a pitch kit full of baggies – each marked with the game name – containing a few essential components. I also have a folder of sell sheets to pull out if it’s important to see the whole game on the table. Other things in my pitch kit are: business cards, a record card for each publisher showing the games I want to pitch to them (in order), water and throat sweets!
Parts of prototypes in baggies
8. Give freebies away.
I always take a stack of coaster games to any game event. I give them away to people I know or people I’ve just met. The coaster game is better than a business card, because it’s a game and it’s much less likely to end up in the bin. In fact, I know that I have coaster games sitting on multiple publishers desks, being used as a coaster and subtly reminding them of me 🙂 What groovy freebie could you give away that will help to make you memorable?
9. Take selfies.
It’s hard to remember when you’re at a convention as they can be so busy, but taking selfies with people in your network gives you a record of the event. But more than that… this is a record you can share on social media.
With Ammon Anderson, designer of Gnome Hollow
With Danielle Reynolds, designer of Caution Signs