How to rate events equally for everyone
Game Conference Guide Insights - September 2025
In this month’s issue:
How to rate events equally for everyone
GCG join forces with GiN
Updated September’s showcases & deadlines for awards, funding, etc.
For the first time ever, I had to skip gamescom. I missed all the fun, high fives, hang outs, chasing the next big thing and all the amazing games. Life sometimes happens and plans change. And you know what? Gamescom is going to return next year.
But there were a couple of things that happened during the month of August worth covering in more detail.
So what happened?
Before that, take a look at one of my favourite events of all time, Game Days. I am biased, as I helped to create it, but now it is in more capable hands and it is growing steadily each year. There is no better way go experience what Slovakia has to offer.
PARTNER OF THE MONTH
Join the Game Days conference, taking place October 23-25 in the beautiful city of Košice, Slovakia - three days filled with gaming insights, inspiration, and innovation.
Here’s what you can look forward to:
Talks & Workshops
Learn from a world-class lineup of speakers - game designers, developers, artists, and business experts, sharing best practices, new technologies, and the latest innovations driving the industry forward.
Networking Opportunities
Connect with developers, publishers, indie studios, and professionals from across the globe. Whether you’re looking for partnerships, investment, or new talent, Game Days is where it all comes together.
Showcase & Expo
Explore upcoming games, services, and projects. Our expo hall will feature innovative studios and developers presenting their newest creations to an international audience.
Don’t miss your chance to be part of one of the region’s premier gaming events. Secure your ticket today and join us this October in Košice!
Do you know what GiN is?
Game Conference Guide has been here for five years (and the anniversary is coming up next month).
Each month, I am blown away, as I am learning about how you are finding your next event, how it helps you navigate in the sea of conferences, summits and festivals and keep you up to date. The goal is not going to change, but the reach will.
You might have come across an announcement saying the Game Conference Guide is joining forces with the Games Industry Network (GiN) and will power their database of events. What does it mean?
It is very simple.
The Games Industry Network or GiN for short (who doesn't like gin?) is a curated professional social network, a small microcosm cutting through the noise of algorithms and focusing on one thing, connecting relevant people and companies and giving you a few tools on top to orient better, like a massive database of companies, BD service and full events support. And this is where the collaboration comes in.
Game Conference Guide will be providing all the data I am gathering and curating and will power GiN’s database. As a return, GiN will provide me with resources to properly manage the database and keep it even fresher for you.
There won't be no sharing emails, contacts, nor they won't have any say in which events to track. Game Conference Guide remains independent, and is going to continue operating as it was. This collaboration won't affect how you access, or use the website.
And if you are looking for a meeting solution enhancing your event or want to manage the community in a very nice environment, feel free to drop a message to my buddy Mehdi Benkirane.
Game Conference Guide covers more than 1450 events in the database including archived 2020 – 2024 season. Massive thanks to everyone who is using the website every day and recommending it to colleagues and peers.
I want to give a special shout out to my patrons (Jeanette, Kate, Jason, Takaaki, Masatoshi, Erik, Robin, Justin, Tobi & Jay) supporting the website with fresh supply of coffee each month!
You are more than welcome to buy me a cup at Patreon (I drink decaf nowadays) or consider switching to paid subscription directly here on Substack.
As a patron you are receiving the insights ahead of everyone else and are helping to keep the website available free-of-charge without paywall or registration to everyone. Thank you.
How to rate events equally for everyone
A few weeks ago, Mikolas Tucek asked me the impossible question I had on my mind ever since the launch of the Game Conference Guide. During the beta I sent the invites to test drive the website to a few of my friends. The feedback helped to form the final version, although there were suggestions I am trying to find a workaround till this day.
And one of them was, having an easy rating system for events so others can decide quicker and be helpful to join next time. If you can pick a restaurant, bar or a shop based on Google reviews, why not events?
Well, it is not that easy.
You see, we go to events with different sets of goals, expectations and looking to bring home different results. The programme is changing every year, you might see similar faces giving lectures, but they are covering different topics. The showcase is filled with new games, and the event attracts new faces as well. Events are reflecting the current state of the industry, influencing the topics and driving the conversations.
If you are shopping for small games, you are not going to be interested in companies looking for engineering support. If you are there to network, you won't be spending that much time listening to sessions. Your preferences define how you are going to attend the event.
Location and venue are another factor that could affect the rating. Size of the crowd? Definitely. Weather? You can bet. Events have a different dynamic when you combine out-door and in-door activities, conversations then flow differently.
You could say, but how about rating the different components? If a conference is famous for meeting with publishers, are you going to be able to meet with each of them every year?
I said it before, the quality of the event is defined by the people you meet. And your best event is not going to be my favourite one and vice versa. Our preferences differ, and are defined by goals we are trying to achieve. Some go to events each year without blinking an eye, others fluctuate and listen to recommendations.
Having a number of stars encapsulating the event poses more questions the more you think about it. Who would curate it? Can you guarantee the people rating it? Were they actually participating? Can the rating be equally fair to small local events compared to highly focused executive off-site?
Years ago Thomas Bidaux tried to solve it with Event ID cards (check the picture above) described in a great blog post breaking down who events are for, what you can find there, and how to choose one. It could be a solution, but it won’t cover all events at once.
Now, imagine, you have 300+ events each year, it is impossible to cover each of them honestly, fairly and bring back a review / report. This is not the way.
So, how do you rate the events? For now, it is an open question.
I am still thinking about it here and there. I have reached out to Bidaux as well, and we are talking about going back to the Events ID cards together, as they were and could be very helpful for newcomers or returning attendees. Not sure if we can come up with a permanent solution.
Stay tuned.
☀️August’s games industry showcases
📺Game Devs of Color Expo Direct
September 16 @ 1PM PT / 4PM ET / 10PM CEST
September 18 @ 9AM PT / 12PM ET / 6PM CEST
September 18 @ 12PM PT / 3PM ET / 9PM CEST
September 23 @ 9PM PT (Sep 22) / 12AM ET / 6AM CEST
September 23 @ 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 7PM CEST
September 24 @ 8PM PT / 11PM ET (Sep 23) / 5AM CEST
September 24 @ 9AM PT / 12PM ET / 6PM CET
📺Xbox Tokyo Game Show 2025 Broadcast
September 25 @ 3AM PT / 6AM ET / 12PM CEST
September 28 @ 9AM PT / 12PM ET / 6PM CET
Get all details, dates, times & direct links to broadcast here.
🏆New Deadlines on the horizon
🎮Wholesome Snack
Deadline: September 23, Showcase + Steam event, entry: Free
💶Draknek New Voices Puzzle Grant
Deadline: September 28, Funding, entry: Free
🏆Indie Game Awards
Deadline: September 30, Awards, entry: free🏆Indie Live Expo Winter Showcase + Awards
Deadline: September 30, Showcase + Awards + Steam event, entry: free📢PlayCon Indie Initiative
Deadline: October 1, Pitching, entry: free🏆IGF Festival
Deadline: October 8, Awards, entry: $75
Get all deadlines here.
[Game Conference Guide is helping you find your next games industry events & showcase.]
Thank you for reading and supporting Game Conference Guide. Consider sharing it with your peers, colleagues, and community.
Pavol Buday, curator @ GCG