Students make valuable industry connections at national Game Developers Conference

Ringling College’s booth is displayed at a large conference hall with several people in attendance
Ringling College had a prime location on the GDC exhibition floor. Students and faculty worked the booth and spoke with industry professionals about the Game Art and Virtual Reality Development programs.

Students make valuable industry connections at national Game Developers Conference

Ringling College’s booth is displayed at a large conference hall with several people in attendance
Ringling College had a prime location on the GDC exhibition floor. Students and faculty worked the booth and spoke with industry professionals about the Game Art and Virtual Reality Development programs.

A group of Ringling College students and faculty members traveled to San Francisco in March to attend the 2023 Game Developers Conference (GDC) Showcase.

Thirty-seven students and five faculty from the Game Art, Virtual Reality Development, and Visual Studies departments attended the annual conference for game developers. 

The conference hosted lectures, panels, and roundtable discussions, with more than 1,000 speakers and 700 sessions, an expo showcasing the latest technologies from prominent companies, and two award ceremonies. 

Students attended seminars on how to build a great portfolio, with discussion panels and one-on-one portfolio reviews. They visited the expo to learn about the latest technologies on the market. Students practiced their networking skills, as they introduced themselves to recruiters from leading companies and organizations. 

“I got recommendations in addition to getting more experience talking about my work and advocating for myself in preparation for future interviews,” said Ezri Sullivan ’23, Game Art. 

Preparing for the conference gave students another chance to work on self-promotion and presentation. Eric Yang ’23, Virtual Reality Development, explained that in getting ready, “the conference was great motivation to put more time into our business cards, portfolio, and resume.”

The students were joined by Joel and Gail Morganroth Endowed Department Head for Virtual Reality Martin Murphy and Game Art Department Head Morgan Woolverton, as well as faculty members Rick Dakan, Joseph Lobst, and Ana Carolina Pereira. 

“Attending national conferences like GDC is an insightful and necessary touchstone for educators who need to connect with the industry,” said Woolverton. “It is also our opportunity to share with the industry at large, our own results as a leading institution as we prepare students for their career.” 

More than 28,000 people attended the Game Developers Conference which began in 1988 and has become the leading conference for the field. It takes place annually in San Francisco. It has also expanded to include additional conferences in Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Vancouver, Canada; Shanghai, China; and Cologne, Germany.

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