Present a new game to publishers

redbeardsrigadoon

This is our first Board Game Convention. We are bringing half a dozen copies of our new game. Is it ok to approach publishers and show them our game? Ok to bring a carry-on size suitcase of games into the convention, or should we bring one game box in at a time?
Getting excited:) (also posted in help forum, was not sure, looked like a lot of posts there were not PAX-related)

mod edit: removed URL

zerzhul

Hey there. In order to advertise or sell something at PAX, you need to be a registered Exhibitor.

Unless you see something in the official schedule that has things like "pitch your game" in it, I would advise against using the convention to specifically show and pitch your game to Exhibitors that paid to show off *their* stuff.

However, it's not bad to do relationship building/networking. Publishers that specialize in indie games may be open to having a chat and giving you a business card, but I wouldn't expect to be able to use PAX to show off your own game unless you are a registered Exhibitor.

The help forum is general help and advice, and is not PAX related. The official PAX forums live here, but they are part of the broader Penny Arcade forum community.

zerzhul

Also, you got a pretty good response back in September in your thread in the help forum. There *are* areas designed for unpublished games, but you need to make arrangements to be part of that.
https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/41683366/#Comment_41683366

nesbit37

As a publisher, you need to set up meetings and not just cold call us in exhibit halls unless we specifically ask for that. You should have a sell sheet, and do some research as to who your game may actually fit with instead of just talk to anybody and everybody.

redbeardsrigadoon

k

redbeardsrigadoon

thx

redbeardsrigadoon

Oh, I completely missed that response back in september thank you for pointing that out. Looking forward to the weekend. Understood, I will not approach any publishers that I haven't already contacted beforehand. We have been trying since August to set up appointments at PAX but mostly nobody responded (contacted 40+ publishers so far). We do have a sell sheet. I will keep trying to reach publishers tomorrow. Sounds like we can LFG this year and then try again next year. Thank you for taking the time to respond Zerzhul and Nesbit37, it helps a lot!