Top Game Development Events Where You Can Meet Investors

In an increasingly saturated game market, it can be hard to outperform competitors on just hard work and dashing looks. Oftentimes, a company’s bottom line determines if their game will boom or bust. Ben Franklin famously preached to young workers in Colonial America that “time is money.” If time is money, then money equals time: time for your team to smooth out that never-ending line of code, time for your artists to perfect in-game assets, and time that your game is viewed in ad spaces. Financial backing is essential to success, but you don’t need to take on the risk on your own, as there are plenty of businesspeople looking to invest in the right project. Below, we will outline some of the best gamedev events where you can pitch your ideas and projects to investors.

Before signing up to attend any conferences, it is first important to have a gameplan in place. There are two broad prevailing strategies to attract investors: you can either pitch your product directly to other businesses, or try to drum up so much excitement from potential consumers that the investors start calling you! Well, that might be a bit of a stretch, but most teams use a hybrid approach to maximize interest in their project.

If you are looking to get in direct touch with investors or partners, it is best to attend B2B, or business-to-business, events. These events are the perfect place to network with other industry professionals, and hopefully track down some spare change for your work-in-progress.

If you want to connect more directly with your fanbase, then a B2C, or business-to-consumer event is the place to be. These events are great if you have an exciting trailer or even a demo ready to play. If attendees and the press speak highly of your project, then it gives you leverage when asking for funds down the line. This strategy comes with a bit of risk though, as you will quickly earn a bad reputation if you can’t deliver on your promise.

To be frank, the indie market is flooded with great game ideas and artwork right now. In order to beat out the competition, you need to strategize as though you’re playing a game of Civilization on Deity difficulty. This means knowing which type of conference to attend, knowing who to look for once there, and having your elevator pitch ready. Things like concept art, trailers, or a website are a great way to show your commitment level to investors. If you need help with any of these, don’t hesitate to reach out to Argentics as we have experts in every field who can help you turn your idea into something more tangible.

Just like a sporting event, your success at any conference hinges heavily on your pre-game preparations. Most major brands have time set aside for meetings and interviews during conferences, so research ahead of time and try to schedule a meeting if possible. Look for networking pages on the event site, and never sleep on the almighty LinkedIn. Furthermore, sites like Signal sort tens of thousands of investors by their area of interest. This is a powerful tool that lets you pitch ideas to a wider audience. A fun example of this is how spinal cord rehabilitation programs have been investing in Esports and augmented reality games, as these serve as proving grounds for the medical technology of the future. It never hurts to think outside the box, especially if you come prepared.

Events today can take place in-person, online, or in a hybrid format. These each come with their perks and setbacks, and it is best to recognize your studio’s strengths before choosing which to attend. If an in-person event is nearby and you have a suave talker on your team, this will be your best chance at getting a foot in the door with a financial backer. That said, it doesn’t make sense to fly from Prague to Menomonie, Wisconsin to pitch a trailer when we live in the golden age of digital communication. Videoconferences have become a viable and effective place to share content and make online connections with potential investors. So without further adieu, here are some of Argentics’ top game conferences where you can score some capital to back up your project!

The Penny Arcade Expos, or PAX, are some of the largest annual events in the United States and Australia. These are textbook B2C events meant to showcase games and new tech while bringing the community together. The best part about PAX events is that they are absolutely massive, with over 100,000 people interacting with them each year. Because of their sheer size, these events are always plumb-full of investors and celebrity gamers walking through the expo area to make sure they aren’t missing out on the next big thing. With hundreds of AAA and Indie studios manning booths in Seattle, Boston, and Melbourne each year, it’s nearly impossible not to meet someone.

Due to their immense scale, PAX events are expensive to run a table at. That is, thousands of dollars expensive. This cost-of-entry is restrictive for smaller studios that need to factor in travel and lodging on top of event fees, but is a worthwhile investment for mid-size studios phishing for some serious financial backers in order to take that next step up. If you’re to the point of renting a booth here, then you already know the preparation needed to make it worthwhile. For those working independently or with a small studio, though, it doesn’t cost much to buy a ticket, walk around, and brush shoulders with potential clientele and investors. If you show up with a strong 30 second pitch about your project, there’s a chance you can impress the right people and get some financial backing to help your studio grow.

Not interested in large, crowded events in coastal cities? Then you may want to look into GDEX, the midwest’s largest gaming convention which takes place in Columbus each year. This event is more business-oriented than the PAX gatherings, and despite the immense lore built up by millennial memers over the years, Ohio is a fun place to visit (and relatively void of skinwalkers).

Like PAX, the conference has its share of fanfare over the weekend, but what makes it standout is its Dev Day. The day before the rest of the conference kicks off, developers are able to attend a series of classes and seminars taught by industry icons and are intended to turn journeymen devs into true masters of their trade. The best part about this day is that only the most dedicated developers attend, and there are no distractions from consumers buzzing around the convention center. It is a great chance to make connections before the main event kicks off, and hopefully convince potential partners or investors to come check out your table over the weekend.

In addition to Dev Day, GDEX also hosts a handful of VIP mixers and cocktail parties. These loose environments are a great place to pitch your project to an investor, and maybe even get them to watch a trailer. Access to mixers is available to vendors, speakers, and those willing to pay for a VIP pass, which are running $117 for the 2024 event – a lot cheaper than exclusive access to many competing conferences. Likewise, setting up a booth at GDEX can be done for under $500, a far more approachable price than at PAX.

Just across the pond in Europe, you can find Cologne’s Gamescom, the largest gaming convention in the world. The event regularly attracts over 250,000 people from over 100 nations, so the networking possibilities are endless! Although it is a giant affair, Gamescom uses a hybrid platform to keep events orderly and focused. This model is quickly becoming the standard for large events as it makes it easier to find professional meeting spaces, while retaining the excitement of thousands of people perusing the expo floor and participating in game tournaments.

With its massive audience, opportunities for business-to-consumer interactions are ample, but Gamescom also focuses heavily on helping businesspeople establish connections. They offer special access and events for “trade visitors” and are generous in their definition of the term. Anyone working in an industry that can benefit from the mass exchange of knowledge can apply. This attracts tons of investors and researchers from the gaming industry and far beyond (for example, the recent boom in AI technology has attracted medical doctors and lawyers to the convention to see how the technology is being used in other fields). Some of the sharpest minds and deepest pockets in the world convene in Cologne each year, so with the right proof-of-concept, you could be inking a new investment deal in no time.

The biggest benefit of a hybrid event like Gamescom is that you can use a hybrid approach to attract investors. Being able to meet someone at a trades meeting one night, and have them see the buzz around your expo booth the very next day is a perfect way to showcase firsthand the economic potential of your project. Investors rarely throw money at a mere idea, but if they see folks excited about your trailer, demo, or artwork, they just might make you an offer.

Gamescom is also host to the annual Gamescom Congress, a group of industry leaders who lead an agenda of seminars and speeches which influence the trajectory of the industry. Topics discussed include the ethics of using AI, challenges faced by the industry, and which new horizons might appear in the coming year. Paying attention to some of these speakers can help you refine how you are presenting your game to investors from outside the industry, especially when explaining that certain games have benefits far beyond user enjoyment.

Gamescom’s sister program, Devcom, is quite different from those previously discussed. Devcom is strictly a business-to-business event held online and in person in Cologne each summer. Here, a few thousand of the world’s best developers come together to network, share presentations, and discuss new technology. If your primary strategy is to pitch your project directly to someone with a lot of resources, then this is the place to be. Representatives from all major studios will be in attendance, as well as plenty of indie developers and advertising executives. This event is guaranteed to teach you something new, and lends great potential to meeting the right financial backer for your project.

A very similar event takes place each year in San Francisco called the Game Developers Conference. Though not as famous as Devcom, it is a great alternative that offers similar opportunities for making industry connections.

In addition to big weekend conventions and webinars, there are also networks similar to Linkedin that are specific to the gaming industry. These platforms allow users to connect year-round with other members of the industry. The largest of these is the Game Developers Network, which hosts members from over 400 companies spanning across 60 countries. Having constant access to contacts specializing in audio, art, coding and more is a great ace-in-the-sleeve for any studio. The quicker you can solve a problem, the quicker you can get your project back on track. In addition to its networking capabilities, the GDN is hosting its first weeklong virtual webinar this September and has plans to expand in the future. If you’re not already a member, you should consider signing up!

Our article focused on the most popular places to meet new investors in the gaming industry. That said, most of these conferences require a degree of capital or recognition to thrive at them. Many famous indie developers cut their teeth at local conventions, where they forged connections and built their empires from the ground up. A great resource for finding conventions in your area is Game Industry Biz, which lets you filter worldwide events by date and location. Resources like this will help you find events that best match your team’s strategy and will ensure you find success moving forward.

As we mentioned earlier, the most crucial key to success is coming prepared. Argentics can help you with this in many ways: our skilled artists can churn out a unique artbook, our programmers can help build a website or even a small demo, and our industry experience will help deliver the perfect trailer to attract attention from investors! Keep your nose to the grindstone and always remember Argentics is here to help.