The Game Developers Conference (GDC) Game Career Seminar (GCS) Call for Submissions will be open August 24 through September 28, 2023 at 11:59pm PT.
The GDC Core Concepts call for submissions will be open July 11 through August 10, 2023 at 11:59pm PT.
Review the Submissions FAQ for helpful tips and suggestions on how to make a submission stand out.
If you have any questions about GDC 2024 programs (Core Concepts, Summits, GCS), please contact one of the following producers:
Summits: Sam Warnke
Core Concepts & Game Career Seminar: Kysa (Ludviksen) Korosi
The Game Career Seminar is a one-day program that takes place on Friday, March 22, 2024. It's designed for people who are new to the video game industry, whether they're a student, someone breaking in from another industry, a hobbyist looking to make the leap to full time, or simply anyone who's interested to learn. Attendees will experience sessions about specific disciplines, tips for how to get hired, and learn best practices for game development in general along the way.
Game Career Seminar Advisors are welcoming submissions from game developers and industry experts who can share their perspectives and insights on getting into and succeeding in the game industry. Consider what you would've liked to know before working on your second game, and that's about the level we're looking for. We are looking for sessions that will inspire the next generation from a diverse set of speakers, so please submit with that in mind!
Submission Guidelines
If you would like to submit, please take note of the following:
Diversity and Representation
GDC aims to achieve diversity of voice, experience, and perspective. Please take this goal into consideration when considering who would be best to speak on behalf of your company or department and/or when submitting panelists.
Vendor-Specific Proposals
GDC does not accept product or vendor-related submissions. If your talk is a thinly veiled advertisement for a new product, technology or service your company is offering, please do not submit. If you would like to publicize a product, please visit the become a sponsor page for more information on sponsored sessions.
Original Authors
GDC only accepts submissions by original authors of the presentations. PR firms, speaking relation firms, and all other parties who are not direct authors of submitted presentations are discouraged from submitting a proposal on behalf of their clients/speakers. GDC requires direct contact with presenters to expedite questions during the submission review process.
Phase I: Prepare & Submit Session Proposal
- Speaker Contact Information
- Session Title: Provide a session title in fewer than 10 words. Please try to include keywords, topics, and game titles covered by your talk.
- Track, Format, and Delivery Format
- Presentation Outline Details (This will NOT be published on GDC website. For Advisor review only): You have approximately 500 words to outline and thoroughly describe to the GDC Summit and GCS Advisors what your talk will be about, and why it will be interesting to GDC attendees. This is NOT the abstract for your talk on the GDC website or published event agenda. This section will NOT be published. It is for you to describe concretely and succinctly what is compelling about your talk, provide supporting data, and outline your presentation in detail to the Advisors. Submissions with thin presentation outline details (e.g. less than 400 words) will most likely be declined by advisors due to lack of information required to evaluate the presentation and its impact. Do not tease with something like, "My lecture will reveal amazing findings about how people play puzzle platformers," instead say, "We have found 90% of people only play puzzle platformers while eating pepperoni pizza," or whatever your amazing finding actually is. If you need more than 500 words to describe your lecture in this way, you can upload a full outline and supplemental materials (.doc, .pdf, .txt) to your submission.
- Speaker Biography, Game Credits, Speaker History and Twitter username (Biography and Twitter will be posted on website)
- Session Description (This will be published on GDC website): In 100-150-words, provide a concise description of your session. This is the abstract of your talk that will be published on the GDC website. If your company requires PR approval prior to publishing, please note that this section will be made public upon official acceptance. Write in 3rd person, present tense.
- Attendee Takeaway (This will be published on GDC website): In 50-words or less, tell us what attendees will gain from this presentation. Be specific by giving concrete examples and remember that GDC attendees are experts in their field. This will be published on the GDC website. If your company requires PR approval prior to publishing, please note that this section will be made public upon official acceptance. Do not use bullet points, write in 3rd person present tense.
- Intended Audience (This will be published on GDC website): 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? This will be published on the GDC website. If your company requires PR approval prior to publishing, please note that this section will be made public upon official acceptance. Do not use bullet points, write in 3rd person present tense.
- Supporting material (This will NOT be published on GDC website. For Advisor review only): It is optional to submit supplemental information that supports your session proposal. Additional materials may include white papers, code, demos, videos, images, proof of concept, etc. Supporting materials will NOT be published on the GDC website and are solely for the Advisors during submission review.
Phase II: Session Proposal Review, Selection & Notification
- Game Career Seminar Advisors review submissions in October.
- Submitters are notified of their status late November: Phase 2 Conditionally Accepted, Declined, or Accepted
- Phase 2 submitters will be required to prepare the complete presentation for review by the Game Career Seminar Advisors*
- Phase 2 submissions are due mid-December.
*Note: You are not a confirmed speaker until your Phase 2 presentation is reviewed and approved by the Summit and GCS Advisors. Most GDC talks are Phase 2 conditionally accepted prior to official acceptance. In Phase 2, submitters will receive feedback from an Advisor, whose aim is to maximize takeaway for the audience, align content with the editorial goals of the topic they advise (see track descriptions and topics of interest below), and ultimately help prepare you for a successful talk. All GDC Advisors are game industry and GDC veterans with extensive expertise in their respective fields.
Phase III: Final Review & Confirmations
- Game Career Seminar Advisors review Phase 2 presentation revisions in November and December
- Phase 2 submitters are notified of their status at mid-December through early January: Declined or Accepted
- Submitters who miss the deadline to submit their presentation plans for review will be automatically declined; exceptions will not be made.
Submitters who sent in their presentation by the deadline but were not accepted to speak can receive a discount on a conference pass. To request, please contact Kysa (Ludviksen) Korosi
Selection Criteria
The Game Career Seminar Advisors will review and rate submissions based on the following criteria:
- 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 Advisors 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 know when they walked in? Are they learning or being inspired? This is the most important aspect of every GDC session. The submissions will be rated on a one to five scale by each of the reviewers and the resulting scores are averaged. Submissions in each category with the highest scores are considered first. If there is too much topic overlap, a lesser scoring submission may be selected to keep variety in the program.
Speaker Expectations
GDC attendees are very intelligent. They are looking for material that is not obvious and expect excellence from GDC speakers. After your presentation, they will evaluate it based on delivery, knowledge of the topic and the visuals presented.
Preparation is one of the most important factors in delivering a successful talk at GDC. Please keep the following in mind when you propose to speak:
- The proposed outline you submit now must match the talk you actually present at the Game Career Seminar. Consider the talk's duration and submit content accordingly.
- Plan to commit AT LEAST 25 hours to prepare for your session
- Rehearse the delivery of your session to be more effective; preferably in front of your peers and/or record yourself speaking and then review it. Both are great ways to practice pacing and timing.
- Your presentation materials must be completed and reviewed by the Game Career Seminar Advisors prior to GDC.
- GDC does NOT supply any hardware (e.g. laptops) for attendees. If you need attendees to bring anything, this must be CLEARLY stated in your proposal.
Please note the Game Career Seminar Advisors and content team are here to help. If you have ANY additional speaking questions you’d like GDC to cover, please email Kysa (Ludviksen) Korosi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the submission deadline?
The Game Career Seminar call for submissions deadline is Friday, October 7, 2022 at 11:59 pm PT.
What makes a good submission?
- Review all submission guidelines above on this page and follow all instructions.
- Incomplete proposals or proposals commercial or marketing in nature will not be considered.
- Write your proposal so that it is easily understood. Concise, precise language and a discernible thesis will also help your chances in the review process. The advisors will read many submissions. Get to your point as quickly as possible. Consider what the proposal is about. Why is it interesting? How is it important to game development? What will game developers, students and individuals interested in learning how to build a career in the video game industry get out of the session?
- Review the Submissions FAQ for helpful tips and suggestions on how to make a submission stand out.
What are the session formats?
The final length and format of accepted sessions will be determined by the advisors. Please select what you feel will be the most appropriate.
| Format | Duration | Description |
| Lectures | 30 or 60 Minutes | Lectures are issue-oriented, provide concrete examples, and contain both practical and theoretical information. GDC generally prefers only one speaker but we may accept two if you can demonstrate the second person is necessary. Postmortems and case studies are included in this category. |
| Panels | 60 Minutes | Panels take many different viewpoints on a topic or issue and combine them in one debate session with a moderator. Debate among panelists (with very different opinions) is welcome and audience Q&A time should be accounted for. We prefer 60 minutes for this format and no more than 5 people with diverse representation. Include all of the panelists you have confirmed in the proposal. A very limited number of panels will be accepted. |
How do I choose a session format?
60-minute lectures tend to be case studies or inspirational, high-level, detail-oriented talks. 30-minute lectures tend to cover a single, narrow topic in depth. Panels tend to examine a controversial or difficult topic with no easy answers and lots of interesting, diverse talking points; panels are always 60-minutes, which is enough time for about eight planned questions. In all cases, expect to leave a few minutes at the end for Q&A.
Also consider who is speaking. Most lectures are given by a single person, unless there is a compelling reason that requires multiple speakers. Panels generally have a moderator and three or four panelists with unique experience or viewpoints who are known experts on the topic.
How does the submission and selection process work?
- We will email you a confirmation when we receive your proposal. If you do not receive this confirmation, contact Zach Holback.
- Save the link to your proposal, you can revise your submission details until the deadline.
- The advisors will review all submissions in the coming months and determine the status.
- GDC conference managers will notify you of the status of your submission by early November
Who will review my proposal?
Game Career Seminar is programmed by GDC staff and the GameDeveloper.com editorial team, and GCS Advisor, Brandon Sheffield.
Can I submit to multiple programs (i.e. Summits, Game Career Seminar and/or Game Career Seminar)?
Yes. There is no penalty for submitting a proposal for the GDC Core Concepts, Summits, and/or GDC Masterclass, however, should you submit the same topic more than once, keep your audience in mind and adjust similar content as you deem appropriate. Each program has its own advisors and will be reviewed separately.
If your proposal is accepted into multiple programs, please let Kysa (Ludviksen) Korosi know ASAP upon acceptance. You may need to select one program to speak in.
What are the benefits of speaking?
The benefits of being a speaker include:
- Complimentary registration
- Access to all Core Concepts sessions, GDC Summits, the Game Career Seminar, and the Expo floor
- Speaker meal card for the Moscone Center
- Your name and presentation featured in our conference program and website
- A year subscription to the GDC Vault (recordings of all GDC events, past, and present)
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 are considered sponsored material. The Game Career Seminar Advisors and conference management reserve the right to exercise their editorial discretion. If you would like to publicize a product, please visit the become a sponsor page for more information on sponsored sessions.
What does GDC expect from speakers?
When you agree to speak at GDC, you are making a commitment to deliver a well-prepared talk and to speak on the topic you have proposed. We ask that you do not drastically change the submitted topic or content. You will be evaluated by attendees on how well you delivered your presentation, aim to be among the top 50 presenters. We ask speakers to submit the final version of their presentation to be made available on the GDC Vault, so we can make it available online.
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 by late November. If you do not hear from us, please contact Kysa (Ludviksen) Korosi
How should a PR Rep or Executive Assistant submit on behalf of a potential speaker?
First, it is ideal for the speakers themselves to submit as they can provide the most detail about the content. However, if you are a PR representative or someone submitting on behalf of a potential speaker, fill in the speaker's contact info in the first section and list the speaker's information in the speaker profile section, but be sure to add yourself as the 'PR contact' associated with the speaker profile(s). This will ensure that you receive all email correspondence relating to GDC in the same email as the speaker(s). Without complete speaker details, the submission will be considered incomplete and will not be able to advance until speaker contact info is received.
