PAX Exhibitor Tips Pt2

On the floor

When the big day rolls around, I'm sure there is a lot on your mind. These are a few things we suggest to make the most of the event.

Be inviting

Wolfenhex of Pixel R U ^2 asked me over on Reddit if I had a problem with Exhibitors greeting me as I walked by and inviting me to check out their game. The answer is absolutely not. I'd suggest that it is a good practice to have someone from your team constantly recruiting more folks to play your game. If your booth is slow and you have more people to spare, even more recruiters is even better. Keep an eye out for media badges, and if you've planned ahead like I mentioned above make sure to draw media in to your dedicated setup.

Polish your Pitch

Giving a good sales pitch takes a lot of practice - and PAX is a great place to practice. I recommend structuring an elevator pitch for your game that you practice before, during, and after the conference until you can just rattle it off in your sleep. Ideally everyone on your team should be able to give the pitch, so that they can pinch hit if your booth gets busy. Some key components of a good pitch to consider:

When you get the pitch right, it will stay with media (and other) attendees long after the conference is over and the smoke has cleared. I can still remember the helpful guidance and encouragement we received from the Graphite Lab team as we took down a big bad alien-bug-queen in Hive Jump - and I can't help but smile when I think back to a post warp speed spaceport near-collision in Rebel Galaxy with Erich Shaefer explaining how in earlier builds such high speed impacts were commonplace. If time allows, you might even take a note or two about especially fun highlights to include in a personalized follow up or in "shout-outs" on social media.

After the show

When the show is over its likely you'll be exhausted. There is no harm in taking a little time off to get some sleep and relax, but after a short breather be sure to make the most of the connections you made and follow up.

Follow up

As silly as this sounds, this may be the single most important thing you can do before, during, or after the conference. After the flood of introductions and the exposure to dozens and dozens of sweet sweet games - everyone feels a little exhausted. agent86ix and I did our best to take good notes throughout PAX South, but there were still names we forgot, or in some cases game names that jumbled in our minds. By reaching out to media contacts you made at the conference you can remind them of the details of your interaction and even include additional information. One developer reached out to us to thank us for an award, let us know they were featuring our site on their blog, but also point out that we'd confused the name of their game. Several others have reached out to us with demos of games we saw at the show, which is also an excellent idea. This normally has the effect of moving coverage of that game up in our queue, and also gives us the chance to provide deeper more accurate coverage.

Summing up

Attending an event like PAX is a big opportunity. Win, lose, or draw your likely to get some good exposure - but if you want to make the most of the experience you need to make a few preparations, have a good pitch, and follow up after the event. If you do these things it will go a long way toward getting the attention and recognition that your project deserves.