The Perfect E3 - Part 2

Continued from The Perfect E3 article that begins with What Doesn't Work at E3.

What does work at E3

-Being ready for media I walked up to a booth where the owner was blown away that CNN had just visited them. There are almost as many media professionals at E3 as there are publishers and developers. Do not get caught without a press kit or a web site that is fully launched. Out of my enormo stack of E3 business cards, there are at least a dozen that either didn’t have a web site listed or the one they did have listed was a one-page place-holder for a site.

-Planning your own publicity event. What first pulled me to E3 this year was an opp to co-host a tweet-up with CTA Digital, a company I did not know before I mentioned the idea one day in a tweet. They are a game accessory company out of NY that was up for letting me call in pro gamers Prodigy and Starslay3r for a Guitar Hero Face-off, add in gaming rap star, Mega Ran, and do a bit of on-site networking at their booth. Between the face-off and 8-year-old Ricky Springer (Kids Are Heroes) charity rep, whom I connected to CTA Digital to demo their wii race car, we had almost ten-deep around the booth during the tweet up.Media heaven. Collaboration may be necessary – so start looking now for next year.

-Training your booth staff. If you’ve put money into any size booth or room at E3, don’t assume that your marketing or sales staff know how to network in that kind of environment. Train them to understand that every single person that comes within 2 feet of their face is a potential customer/client/referral source…period!!! Put enough people in that booth for shifts – because the intensity wears one down. And, for the sake of media reps and legitimate biz professionals, put at least a quasi decision-maker in the booth.

-Preparing for the after parties. Plan in advance which parties you want to go to and don’t kick yourself when you don’t make all of them. Again, E3 = exhaustion x 3. For fun, you cannot beat Gamers Gone Wild hosted by SFX360 – laid back in the sexy darkness of the Suede Bar at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, we enjoyed watching those that thought they could dance and finally meeting some people in person whom we had been talking to via e-mail or Twitter forever. I also made it to Michael Pachter’s Networking Cocktail party this year. A by-invitation only event, it is heralded by many as the must-not-miss party for serious industry pros. Somehow, oddly appropriate, I was there as a guest of 2 Old 2 Play – and friend, Derek Nolan, whom I finally got to meet in person. I had also set up to meet a noted financial strategist at the event, which was great. But, other than the sublime sushi, meeting Hip Hop Gamer and hearing that Curt Schilling was somewhere in the room, the best business networking happened away from the crowd. The moment I sat down to survey the over-packed room, I made a new friend…Jon Gagnon of Arsenal Industries. He turned out to be an appropriate contact for me to introduce to about a half-dozen people when I returned home. Tip here – find the people you know – get your glad-handing done, and then go take a seat near others. As soon as they drop their eyes to your nametag, that’s your que to introduce yourself.

- Arriving at E3 each day at least 45 minutes in advance of gates opening. If you have the kind of pass that lets you in, this is great. You can wander around and actually get to meet decision-makers while they are fresh and not distracted by throngs. Each morning, I walked around shaking hands – strolled through the private room areas and stuck my card in doors. In retrospect, a roll of tape would have been nice. I re-visited people I had met the day before (good to instill recognition). I wore a bright solid color (stands out amongst all those black tee-shirts), which worked to my favor. If you can’t arrive early, build into your schedule some spontaneous networking time.

-Leave yourself some “get out of E3 time.” The last day of E3, I jumped into a cab after my last appointment and headed off to Sunset Junction (where Sunset Blvd. meets Santa Monica Blvd.). I did my homework before the trip, locating the vegan café called Flore, Ragg Mopp vintage shop, Pull My Daisy, and Dean Leather Boutique. All wonderful small shops with amazing personal service that can legitimately claim star customers. After shopping – then lunching al fresco beside freelance photographer Stefanos and enjoying the view of the Hollywood Hills, I walked down to Intelligensia café for what I had heard was where you can find the best coffee around. They weren’t kidding. At each shop, I swapped business cards and networked with the owners/managers, but in a much less frantic manner than the previous 3 days. After this much-needed break from biz – it was back to the convention center to finish off the day with renewed spirit and killer cookies as parting gifts for my cohorts, Lois Eiler (social media specialist) and Ryan Paul Thompson (media pro). What a difference a couple of hours to yourself can make when you’re pressed neck deep in business for days on end.

So, at the very end of E3 – here we are let out in Laker pandemonium. This particular year, as I discovered, the "gangs" who love the Lakers were out in full force after the win, making for a hairy experience for those of us having dinner nearby. (Just so you know, I actually put my hand on the Staples Center that morning – blessed the building and called my husband to tell him so.) You can blame me if you are a Celtic fan. Had a semi-celeb witness my blessing, as well.

As a conclusion to what now feels more like a book or a diary than a blog entry, I’ve decided that really what is needed at E3 to make it perfect for all of you…is me. I’m almost serious. Basically, what I mean, is that I think I should work a deal with E3 planners to have some space there and help you guys make amazing connections and network for extreme results. I know that the big dogs are mostly there for the viz, but the rest of you are there to create value that translates into income for your company. I get it.

There's a new project...let's make it happen. See you next year...or whenever you'd like to connect.