When is the submission deadline?

Friday, April 8 at 11:59 PM (PST).

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Tracks and Summits

Below are the tracks and summits that will be presented at GDC Europe 2011.

Tracks

• Business & Marketing
• Game Design
• Production
• Programming
• Visual Arts

Summits

• Independent Games Summit
• Social Games Summit
• Smartphone & Tablet Games Summit

• Community Management Summit

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Session Formats

Lecture
50-minute lectures are issue-oriented, provide concrete examples, and contain both practical and theoretical information. They are normally 50-minutes long (including answering questions from the audience). We generally prefer only one speaker but we may accept two if you can demonstrate the second person is necessary.

Panel
50-minute panels take many different viewpoints on a topic or issue and combine them in one venue. Debate among panelists (with very different opinions) is most welcome and audience participation time should be accounted for. We prefer 50-minute time slots and panels of no more than 3-5 participants, including the moderator.

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What do I need to provide in my submission?

1. Contact information
   Please provide full contact information. The email address* for the speaker is mandatory.
   
   *If you are a PR representative submitting on behalf of a client, you will need to provide the speaker's full contact information. You will also have the chance to provide your contact information in the PR representative field.
    
2. Speaker Biography
   Tell us about your professional experience in the game industry, including game credits.
    
3. Session Title
   Provide a session title in fewer than 16 words.
    
4. Track
   Select one track; a secondary track is optional if your session topic overlaps in discipline.
    
5. Audience Level
   Select one:
   All: Open to all experience levels.
   Intermediate: Targeting 4+ years of experience in the field.
   Advanced: Targeting 8+ years experience in the field.
   
   
6. Theme
   Select one:
   Inspirational
   Technical
   Experimental
    
7. Session Description
   In 100-words or less, provide a concise description of your session as you would have it appear on the GDC website and in the show program.
   
   
8. Attendee Takeaway
   In 50-words or less, tell us what new knowledge attendees will gain from this presentation. Be specific by giving concrete examples and remember that GDC attendees are experts in their field.
    
9. Intended Audience
   In 50-words or less, describe your target audience and who will benefit from your presentation. Is prerequisite knowledge necessary for understanding the content of the session? If so, what are the prerequisites?
   
   
10. Session Focus/Extended Abstract
    In 500-words or less, tell us what topic will be the main focus of your talk. Be specific. Do not tell us in vague terms what the presentation will be about; instead, detail exactly what it will cover and provide concrete examples, data, research, graphs, conclusions, etc. If this exceeds 500-words, you can prepare this information in a separate file (Word, .PDF, .TXT) and upload it to your submission.
    
    
11. Public Speaking History & Web Link(s)
    Tell us about previous speaking engagements and the ratings you may have received. Also provide links to your company's website(s), personal blog(s), projects you're working on, etc., to support your proposal. Please do not offer links to news articles. Mark N/A if this is not applicable to you.
    
    
12. Uploading Supporting Materials
    If you have supplemental materials to provide (such as a slide deck, images, demos, videos, audio samples, research papers, etc.), please tell us what these are in the textbox and upload to the submission form.

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What makes a "good" submission?

Prepare a session proposal that describes the main focus of the presentation thoroughly and what the attendee takeaway is. The Submissions that are commercial or marketing in nature (i.e. about a company's proprietary product, technology, tools, etc.,) will not be considered. These type of proposals are a best fit in the sponsored session category.

Write your submission so that it is easily understood. The Advisory Board has to read several hundred submissions. Get to your point as quickly as possible. Consider what the proposal is about and why it's interesting. Consider why it's important to game development and what developers will get out of the session.

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Speaker Expectations

Conference attendees are generally very intelligent. They are looking for material that is not obvious and expect excellence from our speakers. After your presentation, they will evaluate it based on the delivery, knowledge of the topic, and visuals presented.

Preparation is one of the most important factors in delivering a successful talk at the GDC Europe. Please keep the following points in mind when you propose to speak:

• The proposed outline you submit now must match the talk you actually present at the conference
• We suggest that you commit AT LEAST 20-hours to prepare for your presentation
• We strongly encourage that you rehearse the delivery of your presentation, preferably in front of your peers (one tip is to video tape yourself speaking then review it., this is also a great way to practice pacing and timing)
• Your presentation materials must be completed and submitted to us for review and approval before the conference

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What are the benefits of speaking?

The benefits of being a speaker include:

• Complimentary registration
• Your name and presentation featured in our conference program and web site
• Access to the GDC Vault

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What criteria does the Advisory Board use when reviewing submissions?

The Advisory Board will review and rate submissions based on the criteria below:

• Concept: This is the basic idea of your submission. Is it interesting? Is it relevant? Will it be beneficial for game developers to hear? There is plenty of room for innovative ideas and also the tried and true. Depth: Is the basic idea well considered and thought out? To what extent will the audience gain insight? The more in-depth, the better.
• Organization: Are your ideas conducive to present in front of an audience? Will the Advisory Board understand what you are trying to say? Organization helps.
• Credentials: How do your credentials qualify you to speak on the topic you have proposed?
• Takeaway: Is the attendee going to leave this session knowing something they didn't already know? Are they learning or being inspired? This is the most important aspect of every GDC session.

The speaker selection process is made based on a composite rating drawn from the above criteria.

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Who are the members of the advisory board?

Click here to learn about the GDC Europe Advisory Board.

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How do I propose a vendor-specific session?

We want our talks to be opportunities for professional game developers to share their ideas and experiences. Proposals that are commercial or marketing in nature will not be considered. In general, content specific to proprietary products and technologies is considered sponsored material. The Advisory Board and conference management reserve the right to exercise their editorial discretion. If you would like to publicize a product, please contact our sales team for information on exhibiting and other vendor opportunities, including sponsored sessions.

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When will I be notified of the status of my submission?

You will receive an automated email response once your submission is received. We will notify you of the status of your submission in May. If you do not hear from us, please contact Evelyn Donis.

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