Speaker Lounge Phase II Resources

In addition to finalizing your presentation content, Phase II is also an opportunity to prepare your session and speaker information for acceptance, publication on the GDC website and in promotions leading up to the event.

While specific feedback and criteria for acceptance from the GDC Advisory Board vary from session to session, there are some best practices when preparing your presentation and session information for acceptance and the live presentation. Please see below for tips to consider:

Session Title

• Should clearly and concisely describe the content.
• If based on a game, should reference that game.
• Should be designed to draw an audience.
• If humor is used, should not make the content difficult to understand.

Descriptive Text (description, intended audience, and attendee Takeaway)

• Major points of the talk itself should be clear.
• Should reflect any revisions made in Phase II.
• If a specific game is the focus of the talk, it should be mentioned.
• Should either present a clear, actionable takeaway or make clear it’s mostly an inspirational talk.
• Overall set attendee expectations. 
• Make sure everything is in the 3rd Person—using “he/she/they instead of “I.”
• Avoid using “you,” instead use the term “attendees”.
• Write everything in present tense. Eg. “In this session, Simone teaches the basics of game design” instead of “In this session, Simone will teach the basics of game design.”

Session Duration

• During Phase II, you and your GDC Advisor will have determined the appropriate duration based on your presentation content. Double check that it’s listed as the correct duration.
• The quantity and content should match the pace of the speaker so it doesn’t feel like there are too many slides, or too few. 
• Slides shouldn’t be text heavy. Instead text should be moved to notes for the speaker to reference during the talk. 
• If the speaker isn’t using the GDC slide template, make sure the text/images don’t blend into the background color. 
• Slide content should be large enough to be seen from the back of a large room. 
• Double check that the images/videos used don’t violate the GDC code of conduct. 
• Videos should be embedded into the slides. There will not be a direct connection or reliable wifi on stage. 
• If the talk has multiple speakers, the presentation should be in one file. 

Speaker Information

• Confirm your name, job title, company and bio are accurate, as they will be published on the website.
• Make sure your email is accurate and belongs to you. If the session has multiple speakers, each speaker must have a unique email. GDC uses this email to register speakers for the conference and send important information related to speaker logistics, etc.
• You may add your headshot, pronouns, Twitter/X username, Facebook URL, and/or LinkedIn URL.
• Your contact information, such as email, address and phone number, will be transferred over to your profile/account for the GDC mobile app, however they will remain private unless you choose to share them with a connection.

Speaker Delivery 

• Practice, practice, practice! Rehearse in front of friends/family/colleagues, or record yourself presenting. Your GDC Advisor may ask you to share a recording of a rehearsal, or you can also ask your GDC Advisor to help you rehearse.
• Content should fit within the assigned duration naturally 
• Q&A at the end is optional, but there should be enough time left at the end to accommodate it. We suggest leaving 5-10 minutes for Q&A at the end.
• If you have a 30-min talk and need more time for the meat of the talk, Q&A can be taken in a nearby Wrap Up Area.
• If multiple speakers, the transition between speakers should be well rehearsed/planned out.