In the interests of business development and increasing the economic hub in Wales, the Welsh government has shown interest in sending game development companies to San Francisco. There, organisations will be able to attend the Games Development Conference (GDC) to sell their product, network and grow their business.
What is the GDC?
The Games Development Conference is one of the largest annual gatherings of video game professionals and professional game developers in the entire world. It brings the entire community together in a bid to help organisations solve problems, exchange ideas and be the foundation on which the future of game development is built. In 2022, 29,000 people attended and the numbers are expected to be similar in 2023.
The event will take place in March and offers its attendees a lot as there is an expo, numerous networking events, games festivals, tutorials, award shows, lectures and industry professionals roundtables on a number of game-related topics from development to marketing. Regardless of where your business currently stands and what your next steps forward are, there is always something to be gained from attending the GDC.
The Gaming Industry in Wales
The gaming industry in Wales thrives in certain sectors and then struggles in others. For example, on the positive side, Wales has close ties to the world of gambling thanks to the first casino that was set up in Port Talbot. As such, you tend to find the likes of online casinos and online gambling is popular across the country.
With such a saturated online casino market, the best way for brands to establish a profit-making USP that helps them stand out against the masses is to consider their rankings on online directories. There are enough online casinos now that comparison websites such as BonusFinder UK are necessary. This is where people who want to play on online casinos are able to compare different prices, games and offers so they can make an informed decision on the site that they would most like to use. Most importantly, average reviews and the quality of scoring affects the ranking of these respective brands and can make/break reputations.
On the other hand, other genres of game development in Wales do not thrive as much, which means that attending a conference such as the GDC could be a massive benefit. This is because the developers at such companies will have the chance to speak with experts and understand how they can grow more effectively.
What Else Does the GDC Offer?
A visit to the GDC will offer a number of different opportunities to gaming companies. These include:
- The ability to network
- Sharing knowledge with industry professionals (the importance of which is explored by EveryoneSocial)
- A chance to sell to others
- Organise meetings before even travelling
- Promote businesses to people who wouldn’t see them otherwise
How The Welsh Government is Supporting Companies
The Welsh government is very keen to support local game development businesses in their growth by sending them to San Francisco to attend the GDC. In doing so, businesses will be able to network, share knowledge and sell their product.
The cost to exhibit at the GDC is £3200 and the Welsh government is offering assistance with this. If a business wishes to attend then they will be able to benefit by claiming return flights, five nights’ accommodation, an exhibition pass and an exhibition stand. If you are a game development company interested in capitalising on this opportunity then it could certainly be something worth looking into.