Making meaningful connections (that lasts)
Game Conference Guide Insights - May 2024
Last month I was in Dubrovnik, Croatia for Reboot Develop. For the first time I was attending the conference I helped to organize and run for years. Two things stood out for me, and both of them are intertwined.
After a very long time I was giving a lecture, this one was about Making Meaningful Connections (That Lasts). I took the audience on a journey through time, showing some embarrassing pictures from the past when I organized my first event, pointing to various moments in my career that lead me here; to a new job at PixelAnt Games and a big opportunity I brought to my studio.
We are meeting new people all our life, privately and professionally. And we are meeting them at different time, location, during various circumstances, and in different environments where networking should happen.
When I was tracing back where and when I met the people who gave me the opportunities, it led me always to unusual places or circumstances, sometimes both. These were not transactional nor pre-planned meetings. I remembered the conversations, exact place and time. What they had in common were unique location and the activity we have been doing together. National Park, seaside resort and pirate ship. It sounds like a beginning of a joke, but this is a true story.
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The locations and activities were one of the reasons why the VIP side-events took off at Reboot. They promoted the region, helped to attract the audience not going to conferences anymore, and created a small capsule where conversations took a very open route during a nice meal. But it wasn’t just the food, participating in activity together was the key, like line dancing under the night sky with a massive open fire. These were very warm personal conversations not bound by a calendar or series of back to back meetings.
Speaking about making memories and organizing a meaningful activity, the other thing I did at Reboot was hosting a painting mini figures during one of the evenings with my good friend Artur. Our idea was to take the participants away from the crowds, decompress in a well-lit environment while doing something other than squeezing in at overbooked venue, while waiting for a drink and making sure you can hear your thoughts. We didn’t realize it at the beginning, painting mini figures are keeping your hands occupied and your mind safely away from the screen for full 2 or 3 hours:
As Ste Curran (now painting mini figure afficionado) describes it: “the gentle serendipity of quiet, curious, relaxed events that let you deepen relationships leads to much more useful connections than 15-minute speed-dating intensity. Ironically the three hours in that room flew by much faster than any 15-minute-meeting would because I was having a nice time, and that is what life is about.” And he is not saying it because we won a prize. Did I mentioned we had prizes? Just look at them:
You see, I am not a huge fan of loud spaces, mixers nor parties at events. I get the networking aspect, and the need to chase new contacts, but when you are there just collecting LinkedIn connections and business cards, you are not going to get far.
It was very clear when we started creating the painting session, that the event must be safe. A list of attendees was shared among all the participants, house rules were explained, and no one was forced to order nor drink alcohol. Small bite-sized food and water was offered at the start and if anyone wanted something else, there was a room service. And one important thing, the group had to be small, otherwise the magic would be ruined.
To make the event more memorable, we have thrown in some gifts. This is the point, where I am super grateful to Medieval Dynasty creators RenderCube, boardgame manufacturer Glass Cannon, Galaktus agency, creators of Witcher and Cyperpunk CD Projekt Red, home of Baldur’s Gate Larian Studios, engineering experts PixelAnt Games and Intel for supporting us with supplies and goodies.
And massive thanks goes to Spellcrow who provided mini figures to paint. If you like resin mini figures, you can use discount code REB24 on the checkout for 15% off.
Everything went as planned, except one thing. Saying goodbye. For me it is the saddest part, even though I am aware I will see all the friends at the next event, and they are just one message away. It is the magic of the activity that brought us together from different parts of the world to a single location and we had fun. You know you have created something special, and meaningful when you get a little bit emotional after the end. Something that will be remembered.
Now, why am I telling you this? Meaningful connections lead to opportunities and connections are turned into friends. I am aware not everyone has the luxury or resources to do this. And don’t get me wrong, having back-to-back meetings is something I do as well. Sometimes it is good to slow down a little bit and take time to listen and bond. And make friends, professionally. Be there for them.
Mini figures are just the tip of the iceberg. There are other activities bringing people together: running club, afternoon surfing session, biking club, walking tours or eating donuts in park for those less active like me. And I want to do something very similar during gamescom. And for this one I am banding together with another friend, and we will try to create something foolish to cut throuhg the noise of tons of party invites and mixers. I guess see you there and keep fingers crossed so we have a nice weather.
And next time when you will attend an event, try to think about where you would like to bond with your friends or people you just met. We had fun painting mini figures, what will you do at your next event?
[Game Conference Guide is tracking games industry & game developers events, trade shows, festivals, conferences and events around the world.]
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Pavol Buday, curator @ GCG