Despite the dramatic upgrade to a professional venue, registration prices will remain nearly the same as last year: Early Bird registration at $200 per person (until April 30th) and Regular registration at $250 per person (which for a conference is very reasonable). Slightly different this year, we are requiring attendees to sign up on our email list to obtain the Early Bird discount. To do so, you can signup on our Conference Registration page.
Also new this year: 1) we are offering discounted hotel rooms instead of the normal dorm rooms (see What are my options for lodging?), and 2) we are not including meals/food as part of conference registration, as catering costs at Devos Place are prohibitive (see What about food?). So, for those expenses, there will be an increase in costs from last year. And as with any conference, there are travel costs. Depending on your situation, figure costs will total between $1200 to $1600.
All that said, I can emphatically state that coming to the conference is worth it.
In terms of fellowship, networking, and edification, the conference is well suited for Christians interested in making games.
It is not uncommon for attendees to return year after year, which gives the conference a real community feel. If this is your first conference, expect that you will gain friends. You will not be another face in the crowd. The conference usually includes time at the beginning for everyone to introduce themselves and tell others briefly their involvement in Christian game development or ministry. There is plenty of time to socialize/interact with others.
There is no job matching program/service; all discussions of employment are informal and attendees reasonably expect that they will not be beleaguered with employment requests. If you are interested in employment, your best strategy is to show your skills and allow the right person to come to you. Also, do not underestimate the value of being mentored and/or the opportunity to network with like minded professionals.
