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For an in-person game preview, pack for a full day on your feet and make sure you can access your ticket, schedule, and contacts without a signal. Bring valid ID, your badge or ticket, broken-in shoes, a compact backpack, water, snacks, a tested power bank with the right cable, basic hygiene and blister-care supplies, and offline copies of your plans. Then tailor the rest to your role: fans need room for merch, press and creators need credentials and capture gear, and developers need a reliable demo setup and press materials. Before you go, check the event’s bag, photo, and conduct rules—and follow the exact NDA or embargo terms on any private preview invite.
What should I bring to a gaming convention or game preview?
Start with a small, reliable day bag rather than trying to carry everything you might conceivably need. Expo halls can mean long distances on hard floors, crowded queues, poor reception, and few convenient charging opportunities. Comfort, access to essentials, and a plan for a dead phone matter more than carrying a full office or studio.
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Universal convention survival kit
- Entry and identification: your ticket or badge QR saved offline, any required government ID, and a backup badge holder or lanyard. Keep a screenshot or paper copy of the entry details in case the event app or mobile network is unavailable.
- Power: a high-capacity power bank and the correct charging cable for your phone. Sources commonly recommend at least 10,000 mAh, with 20,000 mAh a practical full-day size; those are recommendations, not guaranteed charge counts, which vary by device and use. Test the bank and cable the night before.
- Comfort: a compact, supportive backpack, a refillable water bottle, snacks that will not melt or burst, and a light jacket or hoodie for cold halls or changing weather outside.
- Feet and health: comfortable shoes already broken in, blister plasters, any daily medication, pain relievers, deodorant, tissues, hand sanitizer, mints, and throat lozenges. For a multi-day event, bring a second pair of shoes if you can.
- Analog backup: a small notebook and pen, plus a printed or offline schedule, map, meeting list, and key contacts. A notes app is useful until your phone battery runs down.
- Payment: wallet and cards, with a modest amount of cash. DezDoes (2025) notes that some stalls or tabletop areas may switch to cash when card machines fail; this is a contingency, not a promise that cash will be required.
Las Vegas Trade (2026) recommends 10,000 mAh or more for a portable charger and cites 20,000 mAh as a practical full-day size. It also reports that trade-show attendees can walk 8–15 km in a day on concrete. Those figures describe broad trade-show guidance, not a prediction for every event or visitor. A 2025 Gamescom survival account separately described 15 km of walking in one day, illustrating why shoes and a manageable bag deserve priority.
How should I prepare before the event?
Preparation begins with confirming access and rules, not with packing. A few checks before travel can prevent a missed appointment, a refused bag, or an accidental breach of a private preview’s terms.
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1. Confirm your ticket, badge, and travel
- Buy tickets through the organiser or a seller the organiser identifies as verified. Save the confirmation and entry QR code offline.
- If you have press or trade access, confirm your credential status, badge pickup location, photo ID requirements, and the hours your credential covers. A public ticket does not automatically grant access to business meetings or closed previews.
- Book transport and accommodation once your attendance is confirmed. Major conventions can put pressure on nearby hotels, as event guides from Game Developer and Nerd Culture have noted.
- For international travel, keep your passport with you rather than in a parked or rental car. Pack a suitable universal adapter if your devices need one.
2. Read the rules that apply to your ticket and invitation
Check the organiser’s current bag policy, prohibited-item list, re-entry rules, code of conduct, harassment policy, cosplay and prop rules, photo and video guidance, and health information. Metal props, fake weapons, lasers, drones, and pyrotechnics are commonly restricted, but the live event rules—not a general list—determine what is allowed.
A closed publisher preview may have stricter conditions than the public show floor. The invite or signed agreement controls whether you may record, photograph, discuss, or publish what you see, and when. There is no single industry-wide embargo hour that applies to every game preview. If a term is unclear, ask the organiser or contact before the session; do not assume that a public-floor photo rule applies in a private room.
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3. Build an itinerary with room to move
Download the official app and map, then save a screenshot or printout. Mark a small number of priorities—perhaps two or three must-dos a day—rather than planning to visit every booth. Cluster meetings and demos by hall or area. Crossing a large venue repeatedly is an easy way to lose time, and crowded aisles can make a short map distance take much longer than expected.
Put appointments in a digital calendar and keep a printed backup. Add the meeting location to the event reminder and set an alarm early enough to reach it; DezDoes (2025) recommends setting it 30 minutes ahead because crowds and weak reception can disrupt travel between halls. Leave buffers for queues, food, restrooms, and a delayed meeting. Choose a recognizable meetup landmark with companions in case mobile reception fails.
4. Set a goal for each day
Choose outcomes that fit your reason for attending: playing a handful of demos, gathering player feedback, filing coverage, recording interviews, meeting collaborators, or showing a build. EZE Training (2025) suggests setting a small number of goals rather than trying to do everything. A realistic plan makes it easier to skip a long queue or an interesting-but-low-priority stop without feeling that the day has gone off track.
What should fans and public attendees pack?
For a public day, keep the core kit light and add only items that support a specific plan. A second bag for merchandise can help, but leave it folded or compact until needed.
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- A foldable tote or extra bag for merchandise, flyers, and purchases.
- Headphones or earplugs if you need a way to manage noise or overstimulation.
- A poster tube or protective sleeves, plus a marker if you have a signing planned.
- Gaming-con items such as dice, decks, character sheets, or a handheld only if you expect to use them.
Skip rare collectibles and expensive personal hardware that you do not need. They add weight and create another thing to protect in crowded areas. If you plan to buy merchandise, leave space in your bag rather than filling it with books, brochures, and spare equipment before you arrive.
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What belongs in a press or creator bag?
Press and creator kits should support the work you actually plan to do on-site. The trade-off is straightforward: more capture gear can improve your options, but it also adds weight, charging needs, and security risk.
Credentials, contacts, and notes
- Press or business badge, government ID, and an appointment list in both digital and printed form.
- Business cards or a shareable QR code. Keep the QR code easy to reach—for example, in a phone favourite or as a lock-screen image—and carry a paper option in case the phone is unavailable.
- A notebook and pen for names, follow-up promises, quotes, and details that are easy to confuse after a full day.
- A brief talking-points sheet with your introduction, the questions you need to ask, and the key details you must capture.
Las Vegas Trade (2026) suggests 50–100 business cards for attendees and also advises bringing more than you think you will need. Those recommendations are not a universal requirement. Use a digital QR as overflow, carry a reasonable working supply, and avoid hauling stacks of paper you are unlikely to distribute.
Capture gear and computing
Bring a camera only if you have permission to use it and a clear purpose for the footage or stills. A small setup is easier to carry through a dense hall than a full cinema rig. Pack spare batteries and more SD-card capacity than you expect to use; label cards and rotate them deliberately. DezDoes (2025) recounts losing an interview because a card silently filled up, a reminder to check remaining capacity before recording.
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A lavalier microphone can be more practical for interviews in a noisy hall than a shotgun microphone. A voice recorder, external drive, or USB stick may also suit your workflow. Keep equipment secured and do not leave a camera, phone, or tablet unattended.
A laptop or tablet is role-dependent, not a default. If you need to file on-site or present, carry the device you need. Otherwise, consider leaving it at the hotel and using a phone on the floor; the extra computer adds weight and another battery to manage. A roaming creator who will not edit or write at the venue may be better served by a light capture kit and a secure place to back up files later.
What should developers and exhibitors bring?
For a booth or showcase, the kit has two jobs: keep the demo working and make it easy for the right people to understand and follow up on the game. Prepare for equipment failure and for short, interrupted conversations.
Demo hardware and software
- A demo-ready device that you have checked before travel, plus spare controllers and the required HDMI, USB, power, and audio cables.
- Wired controllers where practical. Home of Indies (2024) warns that unsecured wireless controllers, Bluetooth mice, and handheld gaming devices can go missing; keep valuable hardware supervised and secured.
- A power strip, USB hub, or extension cable if the venue rules and booth setup permit them. Game Developer has noted that outlets can be scarce at events.
- A short trailer available on the demo device, a simple attract mode, and a quick way to restart or recover after a crash.
- A demo flow that reaches the important moment quickly. Home of Indies (2024) recommends keeping a demo to 15–20 minutes at most; Kevin Giguere (2019) advises that gameplay should take no more than 10 minutes. A useful compromise is to make the core public experience about 10 minutes, with no visitor left waiting through more than 15–20 minutes.
- A way to skip directly to a highlight for press, an easy reset, and a disabled path out to the desktop if accidental exits would interrupt the booth.
Press materials and conversations
Prepare a concise one-pager and a press kit hosted online without a permission wall. Include a trailer link, logo, key art, platforms, contact details, and the essential game information. Bring printed copies as backup, not as the only way to access the materials. A promo card with a short, readable pitch is more useful in a noisy hall than a dense block of text.
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Have business cards on you, not only at the booth. Keep an interview FAQ, a universal demo script, and a short talking-points card within reach. Big Games Machine (2026) recommends beginning personalised journalist outreach three to four weeks before a trade show, using shared calendars that account for time zones, and keeping meetings to 30 minutes. These are planning recommendations, not a guaranteed booking window or a rule for every event.
Draft a follow-up email before the show so it is easy to personalise after a conversation. If you are preparing a showcase submission, GamineAI (2026) describes a package that can include a 60-second trailer, five to seven screenshots, capsule art, a 100-word pitch, and a playable build. Submission requirements vary, so check the specific showcase’s current instructions.
How do I keep my phone and equipment working all day?
Assume your phone, headphones, or camera may run out of power or storage at an inconvenient moment. A dead phone can mean losing access to a badge, a schedule, or a contact, so build redundancy into the essentials rather than relying on venue Wi-Fi or charging points.
Before leaving home or the hotel
- Charge your phone, power bank, camera batteries, and any audio gear.
- Check that the cable matches your device—Lightning and USB-C are not interchangeable—and test that the power bank actually charges the device.
- Save tickets, badge QR codes, maps, meeting lists, and key contact details offline. Print the critical items if losing phone access would block entry or a scheduled meeting.
- Label cables and cards so they are easy to identify in a crowded bag.
- Carry the wall charger for overnight charging. If you are sharing booth power or travelling internationally, a compact multi-port charger or mini power strip may help, subject to venue rules.
Las Vegas Trade (2026) recommends carrying a 10,000 mAh or larger charger in carry-on luggage. DezDoes (2025) describes moving from a 5,000 mAh bank to a 20,000 mAh model, along with a separate 5,000 mAh magnetic pack, as personal gear choices—not controlled product comparisons. The same creator cautions against cheap kiosk banks that may overheat. This is not a performance test of any particular model; choose a reputable, undamaged battery and follow its transport and charging instructions.
Protect files and equipment during the day
Check camera storage before each interview or session, and keep spare batteries accessible rather than buried at the bottom of the bag. Back up important footage when you have a secure opportunity. Do not leave small, valuable gear unattended on a booth counter or under a chair; items that fit in a backpack are easy to carry off.
How can I make the floor day less exhausting?
Plan the day as a long walk with scheduled pauses, not as an uninterrupted sprint between attractions. Comfortable shoes, food, water, and a few deliberate breaks help protect both your stamina and your ability to listen, play, and conduct interviews.
Move efficiently
- Group appointments and priority booths by hall or area; check the map before setting out.
- Allow extra travel time and keep your next meeting location in its reminder.
- Queue for hands-on experiences or activities you cannot easily watch later; bring something quiet to do while waiting.
- Pick a meetup landmark with friends or colleagues in advance, rather than relying on a call or message to find one another.
A 2025 Gamescom trade-visitor guide advised using the south entrance, carrying the printed badge, and noted that its trade badge allowed a limited number of re-entries—three across Wednesday to Friday, according to that guide. Treat those details as event- and credential-specific, not as a general Gamescom rule. Check the current organiser information for your badge and entrance before relying on re-entry.
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Protect your health and voice
Eat real food, not only caffeine, and schedule breaks before you are exhausted. Bring sanitizer for shared controllers and crowded touchpoints, and use cough drops or throat lozenges if you have a day of interviews. EZE Training (2025) recommends setting aside breaks; Home of Indies also suggests buying food before entering when venue queues or prices are a concern. If the event has a quiet or access room, confirm its location on the current map rather than assuming one is available or in the same place as at a past show.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should I avoid bringing?
Anything heavy, restricted, fragile, or expensive enough to worry about can make the day harder. Keep the bag to items that serve your plan, and check the event rules before carrying props or recording equipment through security.
- Oversized suitcases, heavy books, stacks of brochures, or a laptop bag when a phone will do.
- New shoes, formal dress shoes, or footwear that has not been broken in.
- Rare collectibles, expensive jewellery, fragile cosplay pieces, or high-value gaming hardware you do not need that day.
- Large camera rigs without a secure storage plan.
- Unattended phones, tablets, controllers, or other booth equipment.
- Prohibited props, including items such as fake weapons, metal props, lasers, drones, or pyrotechnics where the event bans them.
- Full-size toiletries that are easy to buy at your destination, if saving bag space matters.
What changes for Gamescom, PAX, or a business-focused show?
The core packing list stays similar, but the day plan changes with the event’s audience and access. A public festival day is built around demos, crowds, and merchandise; a business-focused day puts more weight on appointments, credentials, and concise conversations. A closed publisher preview may be quieter but has stricter recording and disclosure rules.
For example, GIFQ’s 2026 account describes Gamescom 2025 as drawing 357,000 visitors from 128 countries, with 1,568 exhibitors—70% from abroad—and about 233,000 square metres of exhibition space. Those figures show why navigating by hall, carrying offline information, and allowing travel buffers can matter at a large expo; they do not mean every event has the same scale.
GIFQ listed the 2026 Gamescom main fair for 26–30 August at Koelnmesse in Cologne, gamescom dev for 23–25 August, and Opening Night Live for 25 August at 8 PM CEST. It listed Wednesday, 26 August, as reserved for trade and media, Thursday and Friday hours as 10:00–20:00, and Saturday and Sunday as 9:00–20:00. The same account listed day tickets from EUR 31.50 for Thursday, Friday, and Sunday; EUR 41 for Saturday; and evening tickets from EUR 10.50, as of early August 2026. These are historical 2026 examples, not current ticket prices or a promise about future dates. Always use the live organiser schedule for the year you plan to attend.
For choosing the right kind of event, Big Games Machine (2026) characterises GDC as a fit for business-to-business and trade-media meetings, public Gamescom days as a venue for player feedback and audience interest, and Gamescom trade days as better suited to quieter business interviews. Match the event to your goal rather than assuming every show is equally useful for every role.
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What should I do after meeting someone?
Capture enough detail during the event to make a personal follow-up possible, then send it promptly. UberStrategist (2025) recommends a personalised thank-you within 48 hours; EZE Training (2025) gives a 48–72-hour window.
- Write down the person’s name, where you met, what you discussed, and anything you promised to send.
- Send a brief, specific thank-you that identifies the conversation and includes the promised press kit, link, or contact details.
- Sort notes into useful groups—such as press, publishers, or collaborators—while you still remember the context.
- If you are a developer, consider inviting interested people to an email list you control rather than relying only on a social platform to reach them later.
For creators and attendees, the same principle applies: a short, relevant follow-up is more useful than a generic message sent to everyone whose badge you scanned.
How did we choose these recommendations?
The advice prioritises items and actions that recur across guidance for attendees, press, creators, trade visitors, and developers: comfortable footwear, water, offline access to essential information, reliable charging, and a role-specific kit. Where sources differ, the article makes the distinction explicit—for example, laptop use depends on whether you must file or present, while demo length should be short enough for a public queue but long enough to show the game’s point. Event dates, access rules, prices, and invitation terms are treated as specific to the named year, credential, or event rather than universal conventions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Steam Next Fest demos covered by the same embargo rules as an in-person preview?
No. GamineAI describes Steam Next Fest demos as public and not NDA-gated, unlike some private in-person hands-on sessions. A publisher may still set separate terms for another preview, so use the terms attached to that specific invitation.
Can I assume a trade badge lets me re-enter the venue?
No. Re-entry depends on the event and credential. A 2025 Gamescom trade-visitor guide described a limit of three entries across Wednesday to Friday for the badge it covered; verify the current terms for your own badge before leaving the venue.
How early should a developer contact journalists about a trade show?
Big Games Machine (2026) recommends personalised outreach three to four weeks before a show and meetings around 30 minutes. That is a planning guideline, not a guarantee of availability; time zones and event-specific booking systems can affect scheduling.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsDo I need to bring a laptop to a gaming convention?
Only if you need it for work such as filing or presenting, or if you are responsible for a demo. For many people attending the floor, a phone and a light capture kit are more practical; a laptop can stay at the hotel when it has no essential on-site job.
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