In 2017, representatives from NAB Show reached out to see if I could put together an exhibit that would bridge e-sports and competitive gaming into the broadcast-technology world. I had no experience in convention exhibit design, nor esports, but I recognized something more interesting and proposed a counter idea: There was an untapped opportunity to connect independent game developers and the new technologies they were using that the exact broadcast-focused audience that attends NAB could and should be leveraging, if they only knew such technologies existed. So I reframed the entire concept and what resulted was The Game Developers' Gallery.

Strategic Reframe + Experience Engineering

I proposed a space that combined multiple game companies each with playable games representing the different primary platforms: VR, PC, and Mobile - that way there was something potentially useful for a majority of visitor types. I designed the layout of the exhibit itself in Unreal Engine, which was used to build and furnish the space and render a video promotional flythrough for their website. I worked closely with their team organizing branding, strategy, and design. Considering vibe and positioning, I made the following decisions:

• Leverage the VR experience as an attraction and spectacle

• Create an air of 'celebrity' around meeting game developers: Step & Repeat for taking photos red-carpet style + game posters available to sign in gold ink

The Successful Outcome

What resulted was a high trafficked exhibit that felt more like a unique reprieve from show and tell exhibits, a place for fun, business, and introduction of R&D concepts from one industry to another. It was a blue ocean approach both in form and content. Since then, I have negotiated free exhibition access at several conventions using a similar model to the one I developed here.