When I first attended GAMA Expo, I had no idea what I was getting into. I looked at schedules, and read posts in all the Facebook Groups to glean any information I might be able to squirrel away to make the most of my trip.
One of the very best things I read was a blog Post from Gary Ray about how to get the most out of Expo.

So I thought I would try and come up with my own “noobs guide to Expo”. This is not an exhaustive list, but I’ve done enough of these shows now, and feel like I have managed to make the most of them. If anyone has other advice please feel free to add it. (I’m probably forgetting things!) And if you have questions, then shoot away! If I can't answer them it’s likely someone else here can. There’s also a webinar planned in early February (exact date and time TBA) to answer questions and share tips. So watch for that on the GAMA Member’s Page!

Dee’s unabridged list of Expo advice:
Meet as many people as you can! The very best thing I did, starting my very first year, was talk to other retailers, publishers, creators, media people. They are all there out in the open to chat with! Talk to people at meals, in the trade hall, in the game nights, and even when walking to and from the Convention Centre! Every connection is a wealth of experience and knowledge.
Bring business cards! And have a system to collect the information from all of the people you are going to talk to! I gave up on physical cards and now take a picture of their info next to a game I am interested in, or even the person holding their card, so I can remember the conversation when I get home. You will be flooded with information. Don’t trust your brain to hold it all.
Peer to Peer Retail Seminars are the very best part of GAMA Expo (at least to me they are!)! Learning from experienced retailers who have new and different perspectives helped me grow and revitalize my business for the last 5 years. Take notes, ask questions, talk to the presenters outside of the seminars. They are all there to share their knowledge, and if they have done a seminar on a topic, you can bet that they are passionate about it and will be happy to talk in more depth.
Peers learning from peers! You will never have enough time to visit every booth in the trade hall. You know your business best and you know what products will work for you, and what products are not the right fit for your stores. Don’t waste precious time (yours and theirs) getting pitches from publishers who just won’t work in your store. This will be different for everyone. Last year I went to GAMA with the goal of finding new RPGs. I had never looked at them any other year. KNOW YOUR GOALS!
I recommend starting at the back of the hall. There is gold in those little small publisher booths! Some of my store’s biggest sellers were found in those tiny new publisher booths. And those small publishers and creators are fantastic to work with.
Don’t play full games in the trade hall. Save that for Game Nights! I never want a pitch longer than two minutes! If I am not interested after two minutes, I move on. There’s just not enough time to spend 15-30 minutes at a single booth. (Publishers, be prepared for this! Be ready with your pitches!)
Go to game nights if you can! Game nights have been a sensory nightmare the past few years and I’m really hoping they have worked out the kinks and it won’t be so loud you can’t hear yourself or the other players sitting beside you. I love seeing the games in action and watching all the excitement for new games. But I can’t even breathe after about 20 minutes because I’m totally overstimulated. Crossing my fingers this is not the case this year.
EAT ALL THE GOOD FOOD! Oh my goodness, did we find some amazing restaurants last year! Just the walk between the KICC (Convention Centre) and the Gault House was a culinary delight! If you find the Troll Under the Bridge, make sure you take a picture! I have been looking forward to revisiting and finding new delicious places to eat for months!
Bring an extra bag to pack all the loot! There are catalogues, demos, promotions, brochures, show specials and piles of other things you did not come with, that you are going to need a place for when you go home!
Practical things: Bring extra socks. You walk about 7 million miles a day during Expo! It’s amazing how much better your feet feel if you change your socks mid day. Bring a refillable water bottle. I was happily surprised at the number of refillable water stations in the KICC! Bring chapstick! You talk a lot, and it’s dry in the halls.
And above all…KNOW WHERE YOUR CAR KEYS ARE AT ALL TIMES!! IYKYK!
Comments