The Rebranding Journey: From GDC to GDC Festival of Gaming with Informa's Will Wise
Release Date: 04/01/2026
The Rebranding Journey: From GDC to GDC Festival of Gaming with Informa's Will Wise
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In episode 73 of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen explores the transformative , highlighting innovative event strategies, sponsorship activations, and industry insights with Will Wise, Vice President of Sales/Partnerships for the Gaming Vertical at Informa Festivals. Discover how the rebranding, global community, and creative activations are shaping the future of gaming events. In this month’s advocacy segment, Tommy Goodwin, President and CEO of the provides an in-depth update on industry advocacy, government shutdown impacts, and upcoming legislative initiatives...
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info_outlineIn episode 73 of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen explores the transformative GDC Festival of Gaming 2026, highlighting innovative event strategies, sponsorship activations, and industry insights with Will Wise, Vice President of Sales/Partnerships for the Gaming Vertical at Informa Festivals. Discover how the rebranding, global community, and creative activations are shaping the future of gaming events.
In this month’s advocacy segment, Tommy Goodwin, President and CEO of the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance provides an in-depth update on industry advocacy, government shutdown impacts, and upcoming legislative initiatives affecting trade shows and events. Register for Legislative Action Day for free here.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Trade Show Talk Podcast
02:10 Overview of GDC Festival of Gaming 2026
04:35 Rebranding GDC: A New Era Begins
09:20 Building a Global Community in Gaming
10:16 Media and Digital Platforms Supporting Engagement
12:04 The Importance of a Strong Brand
14:19 Innovative Sponsorships and Activations
19:06 Utilizing Multiple Venues for a Festival Experience
22:44 Sponsored Sessions: A Key Component of GDC
24:50 Creating Memorable Experiences: Concerts and Awards
27:59 Expanding Audience Ecosystem for Success
29:26 Shifting from Exhibitors to Partners
30:49 Evolving Partnerships in the Event Industry
31:43 The Role of Customer Success Teams
32:35 Measuring Sponsorship Success
34:20 International Participation and Feedback
36:40 Innovating for Future Events
38:40 Success Stories from the Event
39:59 Lessons Learned for Future Events
42:17 Year-Round Engagement Strategies
43:49 Personal Insights and Hobbies
46:54 Looking Ahead to Future Events
47:18 Advocacy Update with Tommy Goodwin
50:00 Government Shutdown Impacts on the Industry
52:17 Legislative Action and Industry Advocacy
55:32 Preparing for Legislative Action Day
Context
This March, the GDC Festival of Gaming took over San Francisco, bringing together attendees from over 85 countries, featuring more than 20,000 attendees, 1100 speakers, 700+ cross-disciplinary sessions, and over 300 brand partners. The event wasn’t just a conference—it was a celebration of creativity, technology, and connection. From vibrant activations in the Festival Hall to city-wide celebrations like the Opening Night at Oracle Park and the Developer’s Concert, this year’s GDC truly redefined what a gaming event could be.
One of the standout moments was GDC Diamond Partner AWS' activation at CityView at Metreon, which buzzed with agentic AI demos, game streaming showcases, and the inspiring AWS Women in Games event, where industry leaders shared their perspectives on innovation and inclusion. The Festival also introduced new networking opportunities like GamePlan and GDC Encounters, fostering thousands of meaningful connections between attendees and sponsors.
And let’s not forget the major announcements that made headlines—Microsoft’s Project Helix, Google DeepMind’s Genie 3, and Valve’s Steam Machine Verified program, all of which positioned GDC as a platform for breaking industry news.
Key Takeaways
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The rebranding of GDC to the GDC Festival of Gaming reflects industry growth and a focus on community.
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Will Wise’s consultative approach has transformed partnerships into collaborative experiences.
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Innovative sponsorship activations have enriched attendee engagement and showcased the latest in gaming technology.
Resources
Connect with our guests on LinkedIn
Guest Bio: Will Wise
Will Wise is the head of event & media partnerships, business development, growth strategies, sponsorships & activations, content marketing programs, customer success, revenue operations, and delegate relations teams for Informa Festivals’ GDC Festival of Gaming, Game Developer (media) and GDC Vault (digital content library). Previously Will was Group VP for the Security, Gaming & Transportation events portfolio at RX Global, Managing Director of the IoT Group at Penton Media, and Senior VP of Sales at UBM Tech for Enterprise IT, Cloud Computing, and Engineering events.
Guest Bio: Tommy Goodwin
Tommy Goodwin is President & CEO for the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance (ECA), the advocacy association for the business events industry. In this role, he leads ECA’s work on behalf of the interconnected ecosystem of exhibitors, event and meeting organizers, suppliers, venues, and destinations that comprise the global business events landscape.
Prior to joining ECA, Tommy spent more than 20 years working for several globally recognized associations and corporations, including Oracle, AARP, and the Project Management Institute.
Podcast Host: Danica Tormohlen
An award-winning journalist who has covered the trade show industry since 1994, Danica Tormohlen is VP of Group Content, Meetings, Sports, Travel for Informa Connect. In her role, she oversees content for Trade Show News Network, BizBash and Connect's portfolio of in-person events. These leading media brands publish websites, newsletters, social media channels, video, podcasts and online and in-person programming for the trade show, corporate event, association meeting, experiential marketing and exhibition industries.
Tormohlen currently serves as immediate past president of the Women in Exhibitions Network North America chapter. She has been a speaker and moderator at major industry events, including the TSNN Awards, IMEX, IAEE, SISO, UFI, ESCA, DI and Large Show Roundtable — to name a few.