The Game Developers Conference (GDC), hosted by Informa, is the game industry’s premier event for championing developers and the advancement of their craft. GDC returned to San Francisco in March 2022 as the city’s largest in-person event in over two years.

Organizers partnered with Swapcard to deliver an immersive end-to-end experience for their 15,000+ in-person and virtual attendees.

15,000

attendees both in-person and online

7,500+

connections made via Swapcard’s app

300+

in-person networking rooms consistently at capacity

“We’re using Swapcard as our mobile app which has been great. I think we have more people downloading the mobile app than ever before so they can navigate this event.”

Stephenie Hawkins

Director, Event Production, Media & Entertainment, Informa Tech

The Challenges

Transition from Virtual to Dual Experience

After two years of virtual, an event tech partner was required to deliver an efficient and immersive event.

Modernized Registration Process

A touchless and seamless experience to follow COVID-19 protocols including reduced line-ups and session access control.

Improved Lead Gen for Sponsors

A dynamic tool for sponsors to capture onsite and online leads.

Hybrid Element for Speakers and Attendees

Cross-functional features to increase interactions and boost engagement between both audiences.

Complete Onsite Support

One centralized platform that reduced the need to hire multiple onsite providers.

Relevant Data Capture

Data capture synced with Informa’s internal tools to improve overall event experience and better understand the customer journey.

Tiered Ticketing

Custom ticketing options for virtual and onsite attendees.

“We’ve always excelled at in-person events. We’ve held virtual events for GDC and we’re learning that we definitely need strong partners because there’s no way - our team is just not big enough to support both on our own.”

Stephenie Hawkins

Director, Event Production Media & Entertainment, Informa Tech

The Results

Digital Registration

New touchless and mobile-first registration process for in-person attendees.

Interactive Mobile App

More people downloaded the event app than ever before to enjoy an enhanced event experience.

Peer-to-Peer Networking

Cross-functional networking, including onsite Speed Networking room constantly at capacity.

In-Person Sessions Broadcast Online

High-capacity sessions with international online speakers and attendees interacting simultaneously.

Advanced Lead Capture for Sponsors

Greater transparency for sponsors to see virtual booth visitors in real-time and quickly qualify leads onsite.

Comprehensive Onsite Services

A team of specialists available to provide real-time technical support.

End Results

Attendees were able to register seamlessly, download and utilize an intuitive event app, engage in unique networking opportunities, and join well-attended sessions while interacting with presenters.

The unique hybrid elements on display at GDC allowed virtual attendees to join at a discounted price, where they could participate in live-streamed sessions or watch them on-demand, make meaningful connections with like-minded colleagues, and explore the virtual booths on offer. In fact, sponsors of GDC were granted greater visibility with Swapcard since they could see in real-time when someone visited their virtual booth.

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