12 Lessons on Event + Gaming PR from GDC 2015 – Straight from the Reporter’s Tweet

March 5, 2015

The 2015 Game Developers Conference kicked off this week and in true industry event fashion, it’s all anyone in the video game industry can talk about. GDC is massive. The event gathers more than 25,000 attendees, has a press list of nearly 550 media contacts, and is the platform for numerous major announcements from some of the biggest names in gaming. For PR pros trying to get their clients noticed at an event, it begs the question – how do you break through the clutter?

I took to Twitter to find out what some of our favorite gaming reporters had to say about PR and came up with a few tips based on their often witty and oh so very honest tweets.

(1) Schedules book fast, so reach out early

OK, all full on GDC appointments and embargoes. If you have a story to pitch, please wait. Unless it is about Obama starting a game company

— Dean Takahashi (@deantak) February 24, 2015

(2) Seriously folks, reporters have been booking meetings for weeks now

Man, PR contacting the final business day before GDC. Oh boy. It's like the last helicopter out of Saigon over here.

— Hayden Dingman (@haydencd) February 27, 2015

(3) And if the event has already started and they haven’t responded yet, they aren’t going to now

Hahaha, still getting GDC meeting requests, from people who must think their clients are super important.

— Chelsea Stark (@chelseabot) March 3, 2015

If you're PR and you're contacting me to set up GDC appointments today, I admire your tenacity. Also: No.

— Hayden Dingman (@haydencd) March 2, 2015

(4) Your pitch should be clear and concise, so put the ask/relevance up front

PR folks: I’m getting more than a dozen pitches a day for GDC. Want a meeting? Explain up front why your client is a good fit for coverage.

— Blair Hanley Frank (@belril) February 9, 2015

(5) While reporters want to meet everyone/see everything/take all the meetings, they’re just plain busy

"Hey, Megan, how's your GDC going so far?" "WELL I SAW THIS COOL THING AND THAT COOL PERSON AND I'M GONNA SEE THIS AND I JUST" *explodes*

— Megan Farokhmanesh (@Megan_Nicolett) March 3, 2015

(6) Like, super busy

Posted 10 stories today. #GDC2015

— Dean Takahashi (@deantak) March 3, 2015

(7) Even if you aren’t able to get on their radar before the event, there are opportunities to connect with reporters on the show floor and at sessions

If you're a dev and you see my sweaty face at GDC. Feel free to stop me n tell me about your game. @GamesBeat #gdc pic.twitter.com/lgVcodIVjx

— Stephen Kleckner (@sosadillatron) March 2, 2015

(8) Try and reserve press conferences for BIG+EXCITING news from BIG+EXCITING companies

If Resident Evil = The Exorcist, this press conference = Boyhood because it feels like we've been here for 12 years. #madetogame

— Eric Scott Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ) March 4, 2015

If Nvidia had announced this thing in a low-key press release, I think people would be more forgiving

— Kyle Orland (@KyleOrl) March 4, 2015

(9) PR ≠ marketing, so avoid marketing speak

First game streaming service? Are you off your fucking rocker Nvidia?

— Hayden Dingman (@haydencd) March 4, 2015

Marketing speak is one thing. But you can't just pretend OnLive didn't exist. I'm not a fucking moron.

— Hayden Dingman (@haydencd) March 4, 2015

(10) Your reputation as a PR pro does, in fact, matter

I haven't even seen any of my favorite PRofessional Friends yet this show.

— Hayden Dingman (@haydencd) March 4, 2015

(11) Because let’s be honest, they’re privy to our tricks

Officially, I was turned away from Sony #GDC15 because it came together at the last minute. Real reason probs this: https://t.co/T1SiQPXz6d

— Eric Scott Johnson (@HeyHeyESJ) March 3, 2015

(12) Use your resources – a quick Twitter search will turn up droves of info on how a reporter prefers to be pitched, so before sending any #GDC2016 emails next year, be sure to do your research first

To all the reporters included in this post ­– your #GDC2015 tweets have made this year’s event FAR more entertaining. Please know that some of us PR folks are actually listening, and hopefully next year you won’t have to repeat yourselves.

#UntilNextTime

@michelleisacson