This is very interesting news. I wonder if some other shows will look to move from cancelled to a new format/date.
GDC SUMMER, A THREE-DAY CELEBRATION OF GAME DEVELOPMENT,
TO BE HELD AUGUST 4-6, 2020
SAN FRANCISCO – March 19, 2020 – Informa Tech, organizer of the Game Developers Conference® (GDC), has announced GDC Summer, a three-day celebration of the art, craft and business of game development, to be held from August 4-6 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. GDC Summer will be a unique Game Developers Conference experience but will retain the same high level of expert-led talks as the traditional GDC, along with a freestyle two-day expo show floor from August 5-6.
GDC Summer’s conference program will consist of high-quality technical content, mixed with valuable roundtable discussions to foster conversation and connection. The event will host a new series of microtalks and fireside chats, as well as a dedicated space for comprehensive career development sessions covering topics such as how to pitch your game, effective communication strategies, how to land an investor/publisher and business development strategies.
As a celebration of the game development industry, GDC Summer 2020 will roll-out a new community partnership program. Organizations will have the opportunity to apply for space onsite to host meetings and gatherings alongside the main event. Qualifying organizations could include SIG meetings, non-profit board meetings, local meet-ups, hosted “office hours” by community professionals, portfolio review rooms, podcast recording and more. This program enables GDC as an organization to reach areas of the industry previously untapped due to space restrictions. Meanwhile, sponsorship packages are designed to be easy to execute, with a shorter-than-average runway compared to other industry events.
GDC Summer will give the game development community a chance to come together in a way that hasn’t currently been possible due to COVID-19. Safety remains the GDC organizers’ paramount concern and the GDC team will continue to monitor the latest information from health officials to ensure a safe and compelling event for everyone at GDC Summer, GDC 2021 and beyond. Full details for GDC Summer can be viewed on the official GDC website.