Game Developers Conference Austin: September 15-18, 2009

Independent Games Summit Call for Submissions Guidelines

The first ever Independent Games Summit (September 15-16) at GDC Austin will feature lectures, postmortems and roundtables from some of the most notable independent game creators in the heart of one of the most indie-minded towns--Austin! The Summit seeks to highlight the brightest and the best of indie development, with discussions surrounding business models and methods, promotion and marketing, deep game design techniques and inspirational case studies.

Submit your speaking proposal by June 3, 2009.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the submission deadline?
What makes a good submission?
What do I need to provide in my submission?
What topics we are looking for?
What are the session formats?
What does the GDC Austin expect from speakers?
What is the selection process for speaking proposals?
What are the benefits of speaking?
How do I propose a vendor-specific session?
How do I avoid “timing out” while I am submitting?
How should PR Reps submit for their clients?
When will I be notified of the status of my submission?

What is the submission deadline?
June 3, 2009-Midnight PST

What makes a good submission?

Incomplete submissions and submissions that are commercial or marketing in nature will not be considered.
To have your proposal reviewed by the Advisory Board, complete the form in its entirety.
Write your abstract so that it is easily understood. Concise, precise language and a discernable thesis will also help your chances in the review process.
The advisors will read many abstracts. 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 get out of the session?
Please write in third person present tense. For example, "This lecture focuses on 3D graphics." Not, "I want to talk about 3D graphics."

What do I need to provide in my submission?
The submission form will require these four key items:

Contact information
Please provide full contact information and include a short biography.
Concise presentation description
A description of your presentation as you would have it appear in the conference program in 100 words or less.
Session takeaway
In 40 words or less, describe what attendees will learn from your session.
Extended abstract/Outline
In 500 words or less, provide a description of your presentation in greater detail.

What topics are we looking for?
These topics are suggestions; please feel free to submit your original ideas!

Indie Business-how to make money, manage teams, and run a company without going insane
Promotion & Marketing-how to get noticed when the "Marketing Department" = you
Design and Philosophy-deep dive into design techniques, for example: constraints, rapid prototyping, tools
Case Studies and Postmortems-inspirational talks that demonstrate what worked, what didn’t, what surprised you and made you wiser

What are the session formats?

We are seeking 60 minute lectures for the two day program.
Lectures are issue-oriented, provide concrete examples, and contain both practical and theoretical information. They are normally 60-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.

What does the GDC Austin expect from speakers?
When you agree to speak at the conference, you're making a commitment to be well-prepared and to speak on the topic you've proposed. Conference attendees expect excellence from our speakers. They will evaluate your class based on delivery, knowledge on the topic addressed, and the visuals presented. We expect our speakers to:

The proposed outline must match the talk you present at the Summit.
We suggest that you commit at least 6 hours to prepare for your session.
Submit a paper or suitable contribution for the conference proceedings, by the prescribed deadline.
Have adequate visual accompaniment to your speech.
Allow Think Services to record and distribute copies of your presentation.
The submitter also agrees to be available to present his/her session during any day of the Summit.

What is the selection process for submissions?
We will email you a confirmation when we receive your proposal. If you do not receive this confirmation, contact Jennifer Steele. The advisory board will review submissions in the coming months and you will receive a notification by August as to the status of your proposal.

Concept: This is the basic idea of your proposal. Is it interesting? Is it relevant? Will it be beneficial for game development professionals to hear? There's plenty of room for innovative ideas and also the tried and true.
Depth: Has the idea in your proposal been well considered and fleshed out? To what extent will the audience gain insight? The more in-depth, the better.
Organization: Are your ideas organized in a fashion conducive to presentation in front of an audience? Will the Advisory Board "follow" what you are trying to say? Organization helps!
Credentials: How do your credentials qualify you to speak on the topic you've proposed?

A composite rating is then drawn from these four categories and then the decisions are made from them.

What are the benefits to speaking?
The benefits to being a speaker include:

Complimentary All Access Pass
Extensive exposure
Your name and presentation featured in our conference program and web site
The opportunity to influence your peers and community
Invitation to the GDC Austin Speaker Party

How do I avoid “timing out” while I am submitting?
The online submission page will “time out” if it remains idle for more than 10 minutes, causing an interruption in the process, and an incomplete submission that will not be reviewed. To avoid this, click on “Extend Current Session” (located at the top of this page next to your name) so that you have ample time to complete all the steps of the submission form.

How should PR Reps submit for their clients?
If you are a PR representative submitting on behalf of a client, please list the client as the speaker and provide all of their contact information in addition to yours. Without the speaker details, the submission will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

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.

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 August 2009. If you do not hear from us, please contact Jennifer Steele.