First Time For Everything: Taking GDC as an AAE

My first time at the Game Developers Conference, better known as “GDC”, started with my arrival in beautiful San Francisco to support Wargaming.net, a free-to-play gaming company, and Zeno client of three years. Wargaming – whose slogan is “Let’s Battle”, by the way – is and has always been notorious for being two things: knowing how to entertain and how to have fun. In other words, they are my kind of people, and in more words, this should give a bit of insight into how the rest of GDC panned out.

 This week would be a lot of work, but even more fun.

I arrived on March 10 and immediately reported for duty inside the massive Moscone Conference Center – only to find it semi-filled with half-built booths and the sounds of drills and hammers. You’d be surprised how little is actually ready for show the day before a conference…

 However, by the time Wednesday morning rolled around, I was ready to rock and roll with Wargaming, and (fingers crossed) so was the Moscone Center!  

 Half-built booths from the day before were transformed into full-fledged cities overnight. Flashing LCD screens, giant poster boards, leather couches, multiple gaming consoles – everything needed to draw in game developers, talent, and of course, media. And what are flashing lights without big names to support it?

 PlayStation, Capcom, Facebook Games, Microsoft – all the big players were there – and in the middle of it all, Wargaming.net, holding their own with sleek black couches, multiple battle-fitted media rooms, and signs:

Eyes wide in a tech/gaming candy shop, my own energy was bouncing off the walls, thrilled to be in the middle of it all; and as GDC officially opened their floors to the public at 10 a.m., I jumped into battle mode and the day flew by.

 The day consisted of checking in media appointments, assisting booth meetings, meeting and greeting, and keeping the booth flow moving with flawless precision. It was a constant battlefield – as most conventions are – but there is nothing more thrilling than standing at the front lines, being yourself, and doing what you love most.