Nordic Game 2024: Example of Preparing for a Conference for Lead Generation and Business Development (Part 1)

Nordic Game Conference 2024, Europe’s leading game conference, celebrated its 20th anniversary from May 21 to 24 in Malmö, Sweden. The event gathered thousands of gaming industry professionals, providing unique opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and showcasing innovative projects. The conference became an important platform for meetings and discussions, drawing attention to innovations and developments in the gaming field.

The organization of the conference was carried out at a high level, allowing participants to use their time and resources most efficiently. From registration to the final events, everything was meticulously planned, creating favorable conditions for productive communication and work.

Personal Experience of Attending the Conference

The location of the conference was very convenient as it was located in the center of Malmö, which made it easy to reach restaurants and other amenities. This was a big plus for participants who could combine business meetings with leisure.

What particularly stood out was the high level of security at the event. There were many security guards, which raised questions about the necessity of such measures in such a peaceful country. However, this created a sense of safety among the participants.

The conference dining area also deserves a mention. It was possible to have a cheap lunch there, offering a variety of local dishes. The staff was very friendly, and the quality of the food was top-notch.

Key Highlights of the Conference

1. Meetings with Investors and Publishers: Participants had the opportunity to present their projects and receive valuable advice and investments from leading industry experts. Among the investors and publishers were representatives from companies such as Makers Fund and London Venture Partners.
2. Developer Exhibition: The presentation of the latest games and technologies allowed developers not only to share their achievements but also to find potential clients and partners. The exhibition featured companies such as Ghost Ship Games and Frictional Games, known for their successful projects.
3. Interactive Sessions and Master Classes: Deepening knowledge and skills through training sessions and master classes helped participants improve their projects and increase their market value. Speakers included industry leaders such as Paulina Törnqvist (Meta) and Lasse Brun Hansen (IO Interactive).
4. Nordic Game Awards Ceremony: Recognizing outstanding achievements in the gaming industry not only motivates developers but also enhances their reputation in the market. Winning such contests can significantly increase the visibility and sales of games, leading to revenue growth.

Nordic Game Awards 2024 Winners

• Game of the Year: Alan Wake 2 by Remedy Entertainment (Finland)
• Mobile Game of the Year: Rytmos by Floppy Club (Denmark)
• Best Art Direction: Alan Wake 2 by Remedy Entertainment (Finland)
• Best Game Design: COCOON by Geometric Interactive (Denmark)
• Best Technology: THE FINALS by Embark Studios (Sweden)
• Best Sound: Alan Wake 2 by Remedy Entertainment (Finland)
• Best Game for All Ages: Ikonei Island by Snowcastle Games (Norway)
• Best Debut: Bramble: The Mountain King by Maximum Entertainment (Sweden)

Effective Conference Preparation for Lead Generation and Business Development

Participating in conferences is an important element of the lead generation and business development strategy. Preparing for these events requires thorough and thoughtful work. In this article, we will look at the process of preparing for a conference, from researching participants to using networking applications and collecting data.

Using Networking Applications for Conference Preparation

Networking applications play an important role in preparing for conferences. We use them to pre-identify the participants we need and establish contact with them. The main functions we use are:

• Searching and filtering participants by positions and industries.
• The ability to send messages and schedule meetings.
• Access to participant profiles with detailed information.

Specifically, in this case, the Meettomatch application was used, which did not allow writing to participants but only booking meetings with them. From the perspective of networking, this is not very convenient, so to increase efficiency, we needed to extract all the contacts of interest from the system.

Researching Participants and Speakers for Effective Networking

The first step in preparing for the conference is researching participants and speakers. This process can be done both automatically and manually. We use both approaches to achieve the best results. But in this article, I will talk about the manual method.

We create a company page for the conference, filling it with information as much as possible: photos, address, phone number, LinkedIn link, and website. This allows conference participants to get a complete picture of our company right away. Describing our services, we emphasize the values we can offer: web development, app development, fintech expertise, etc.

To assess participants, we use several criteria. First, we identify key positions such as C-level. Next, depending on our clients' needs, we look for participants working in specific sectors, such as B2B or product companies. This helps us focus on those who may be most interested in our services.

Collecting and Verifying Contact Information

We compile a table where we enter the names of participants, their positions, company names, and other key data. We pay special attention to C-level positions, such as CEO, founder, co-founder, and head of departments.

For working with client data, we start by entering the information into a table, including the name, position, and company name. Then we identify these people through LinkedIn and add links to their LinkedIn pages, as well as the LinkedIn pages of the company and company websites in the table. This information will be needed for further mailing through LinkedIn.

Next, we upload the company's website address to ChatGPT and ask it specific questions based on our needs, such as:

• Is the company B2B?
• Is the company a product company?
• Will the company need further development and why?
• Give me a brief description of the company's activities in 3 sentences.

This information will help our managers navigate more easily. Based on the answers, we fill in the last column of the table, where we indicate the company's description and the reasons why they might need further development. We also additionally identified their emails and entered data on the company size (the number of employees can be found on LinkedIn), location, and the presence of recently closed investment rounds (through the Crunchbase platform and others), which tells us that they have money for further software development.

Intermediate Conclusion

Preparing for a conference is a complex process that includes researching participants, using networking applications, evaluating prospective contacts, and collecting data. Based on the previous steps, we have created a table where we can filter companies by the necessary parameters and group them for further mailing on LinkedIn. This approach allows us to efficiently generate leads and develop business for our clients.

To be continued…

If you have any additional questions or need help with B2B Lead Generation & Sales, you can contact me directly on LinkedIn here or book a call here.

During the conference, industry professionals discussed potential business collaborations in the fintech sector. Developing a robust development plan was identified as crucial for fintechs looking to expand their operations and capitalize on emerging market trends.

Ringing in the success of the conference, the organizers announced a special focus on fintechs in next year's event, further encouraging networking and knowledge sharing in this burgeoning business area.

Alex Bilyi,  Virtuwise.io