Seminars of the GAMA Trade Shows

GTS10 11: Rules of the Game: Patent Protection for Games

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Presenter: Gregory Silberman

The successes and failures of companies to properly protect their intellectual property is often a measure of the successes and failures of the companies themselves. While copyright and trademark law are well known tools for protecting the intellectual property of a game, patents are often misunderstood or overlooked entirely to the potential detriment of the developer or publisher. This session will discuss what you need to know NOW to use patents to protect your intellectual property, avoidliability for patent infringement, and will discuss proactive steps you can take. Regardless of the size of your company, you can always improve the IP protection of your assets, from game artwork, to game play methods, to components, and even software.

GTS10 10: Secrets of Effective Social Networking

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Mike Stackpole gives tips on how best to use social networking for your venture.

GTS10 09: Writing Better Copy

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:47:18 -0400

Presenter: Richard Martin Leep

Retailer or Manufacturer, at some point you need to write copy. Be it a Press Release, Ad, One Sheet, or Brochure, it’s all about providing the right information to the right readers. This extended workshop (2 hours with a break) reveals the guidelines and techniques for communicating effectively and proficiently the message you want to get across.

GTS10 08: Secrets of Creating Effective Marketing

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 02:00:00 -0400

Presented by Mike Webb

Your games are among 100’s that retailers have in their store. What can you do—what can you provide for them— that can help them to sell your games, and that they will be likely to use? Marketing and retailing experts share methods that have worked in the past and will in the future.

GTS10 07: Brand Management

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:00:00 -0400

Presenter Joseph Hauk
Do you own or manage a brand and would like to think about it in a new way? Are you designing a game that you hope to turn into a long term franchise? Have you ever wondered what all of the hub bub is about with the term “Brand Management”? This audience participation designed seminar will help you understand how customers think when they need to choose a product, service or retail location to fulfill their needs and show you how a little planning can go a long way to becoming a customer’s first and perhaps only choice.

GTS10 06: Origins Awards

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0400

Presented by Paul Tevis
Interested in what’s happening with the Origins Awards? Have comments about how the new Chair is doing? Want to share suggestions for for improvement? Join us for an open discussion of the current state and future direction of the Awards process.

GTS10 05: Education Research

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 01:00:00 -0400

Presenters: Dr. Steven Cavazzi and John Ward

This session will cover information about two important data gathering strategies being formulated by GAMA for use within the industry. The first data gathering strategy is designed to answer the question: Are youth who play board games different from those youth who do not? The second data gathering strategy is designed to answer the question: What is the value of an after-school program that focuses on board game play? Discussion will center on the use of these efforts in order to generate evidence that supports the board game industry’s efforts to market their products as assets to school districts and other educational institutions.

GTS10 04: Education Panel

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:00:00 -0400

Panelists: Alex Yeager, Jeff Dohm, Pat Fuge, Dr. Steven Cavazzi, and John Ward

Each speaker will share from their knowledge and expertise in the industry from the perspective of manufacturers, retailers and educators.

GTS10 03: Consumer Producst Safety Improvement Act for Retailers

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:00:00 -0400

Presenter: Chip Bowles

There is really nothing Funny about this: This program addresses issues important to retailers, including a discussion of testing requirements, documentation and possible defenses for accidental violations of the Act.

GTS10 02: Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act for Publishers

Game Manufacturer's Association — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:00:00 -0400

Presenter: Chip Bowles

There is really nothing Funny about this: This program addresses issues important to Game publishers and Importers, including a discussion of testing requirements, documentation and possible defenses for accidental violations of the Act.

GTS10 01: Strategic Planning by John Ward

Game Manufacturer's Association — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:17:02 -0400

Presenter: John Ward, Executive Director

In Fall of 2009 the GAMA Board of Directors proposed a draft of strategic planning for the association. This seminar is a chance for our members to hear the results of our planning process and the progress GAMA has made thus far.

GTS09 32: Lessons Learned

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Speakers: John Ward, Kell Wallace, Trey Reilly
Members of the GAMA Board of Directors, the Retail Division Board, and the GAMA Staff are waiting to hear from you about what went well this year and where there is room for improvements.

GTS09 31: Retirement Planning Seminar

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

GTS09 30: Tips for Freelancers

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Speaker: Mike Stackpole
It's not easy to make a living as a freelance writer or game designer, but our panelists have been doing it for over 20 years. Come learn what it takes to become a freelancer - and to be successful at it.

GTS09 29: The Value of Organized Play

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:51:20 -0500

Speakers: Dan Yarrington, Myriad Games; Dave Wallace, Fantasy Shop Comics

An in depth discussion of the value of organized play. What precisely does organized play provide to a store in sales and marketing benefit? How does organized play affect the overall industry and what support is available from manufacturers? Variables include cost of space, cost of prizes and support, immediate benefits from sales.

GTS09 28: PR for the Hobby Industry

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

GTS09 27: How to Make Money without Spending Any

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:12:32 -0500

GTS09 26: Publishing Your Game Yourself

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

GTS09 25: Roleplaying Games

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

GTS09 24: Inventory Management

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

GTS09 23: Point of Sale Systems

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speakers: Jim Crocker, Modern Myths; Steve Olsen, A Little Shop of Comics; Aaron Witten, Gamestation.net, and Joann Gain
From an old cigar box to a modern computer-driven integrated accounting package, everyone needs to keep track of their cash as well as the product moving through their store. In this seminar, we'll cover different methods of inventory control and cash management, from old fashioned manual systems to electronic cash registers to state-of-the-art computerized Inventory Management. We strongly encourage participants to bring along your paperwork and system write-ups for manual systems, and reports, files, or even working examples of computerized systems. We hope to have several working computerized POS systems on display with a breakdown of typical costs and time commitments to get them up and running, so please bring your specific questions about various systems and we'll do our best to address them.

GTS09 22: The Daily Grind/Manager's Toolkit

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:54:12 -0400

GTS09 21: Macro-Managing

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:24:29 -0400

GTS09 20: Human Resources: Never Having to Say "You're Fired"

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speaker: Cheryl Stern, Worldwise Imports

Retailing expert Cheryl Stern talks about Employee Performance and Retention and getting the work done right! How to hold yourself and others accountable. How to take corrective action. How to get the employees you want and need.

GTS09 19: Human Resources Part I: Hiring and Beyond

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:22:00 -0400

Speaker: Dean Kao

In the first hour of our 2-part series on Human Resources concerns, we'll discuss the things you'll need to think about before bringing on staff, and how to make sure the staff you already have makes sense for your level of sales and available budget.

We'll cover the basics of how to advertise you're looking for staff, what to look for, and the pros and cons of various solutions including hiring family, part- and full-time staff, and (not) hiring friends. We'll have sample interview questions and hopefully even a few of our members' employee handbooks and other HR paperwork for you to look over. Feel free to bring your own HR paperwork, employee handbooks, and anecdotes about your best and worst hires, as well as any specific questions about areas you'd like help with.

GTS09 18: Getting the Most out of Your Chinese Manufacturing

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

GTS09 17: Surviving Your First Year

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 14:34:02 -0400

GTS09 16: New to Used

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 14:54:35 -0400

Speakers: Jim Crocker, Modern Myths; Laura Witten, Gamestation.net
Many hobby game stores do good, high-margin business buying, selling, and trading in used and secondary market product. Whether it's RPGs, Magic or D&D mini singles, or even video games, there's lots of ways to turn old games into new profits.
In this seminar, we'll cover some basic systems to get you started in buying and selling used merchandise. We'll talk about systems for Magic singles, used RPGs, video games, and even back issue comics and used graphic novels. We'll share systems for organizing and cataloguing your stock of second-hand merchandise, legal and ethical guidelines you'll need to be aware of, and some basic, general pricing and payment guidelines. Feel free to bring along your own systems and buy-sell lists to add to the resources available, as well as specific questions about getting or dealing with specific problems in your existing system.

GTS09 15: Selling Your Store - Store Design

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

GTS09 14: Selling Your Store - Creating an Identity

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speakers: John Riley, Grasshopper's Comics; Dave Wallace, Fantasy Shop Comics & Games
In an effort to reach out to new customers and not just sell to the same old regulars, you need a store that encourages new fans and doesn't just stock the product. We will examine displays, advertising, marketing, and customer interaction methods to make your store more interesting to everyone that comes in.

GTS09 13: Producing In-Store Marketing Materials for Retailers

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

GTS09 12: The Customer Service Revolution

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Hosted by Marcelo A. Figueroa
Guestology, Buy-ology, environment & neuromarketing - do you know what these elements add up to? The answer is a revolution in customer service that can improve, and expand your customer base & their buying power.

GTS09 11: Game Publishing and Retail for the New Media

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speakers: Gareth-Michael Skarka, Adamant Entertainment; Sean Patrick Fannon, OneBookShelf.com
PDF delivery, Kindle, Print on Demand -- the future of publishing is evolving, and game publishing will evolve with it. A discussion of new media options for publishing games, and how those options can benefit publishers and retailers alike.

GTS09 10: Buyer's Training, Part 2

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

GTS09 09: Buyer's Training, Part 1

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

GTS09 08: Making Board Games Work for You

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

GTS09 07: The 2-2-2 Demo Plan

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speaker: Alex Yeager, Mayfair Games
Alex shares a process to create demos and how to work with staff and demo people to demo games efficiently and correctly to your customers.

GTS09 06: Community Partnerships and the Games Industry

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speaker: John Ward, Executive Director, GAMA

Join John Ward as he discusses ideas on how members can partner up with school systems, afterschool programs and other non-traditional community partners. Meet our new Executive Director, and talk to him about the future of GAMA.

GTS09 05: The 12 Selling Steps

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speaker: Cheryl Stern, Worldwise Imports

In Specialty Retail, we are empowered to "sell" to our customers. This seminar covers: a review of the 12 selling steps, training employees to "sell", how to train the 12 steps, and how selling enhances your customers' experience in your store.

GTS09 04: Game Industry Accounting 201

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speaker: Aaron Witten, Gamestation.net

P/L? Gross Profit? Balance Sheet? What bearing does all of this have on MY business? Come and let CEO/CFO Aaron Witten of Gamestation.net demystify some of the myths in our industry regarding accounting and how using it properly can impact and improve your business. Discussion will be analysis-heavy, with topics to include but not limited to: P/L business management, how to budget, weekly cash flow analysis, cash versus accrual based accounting, and so on. So, break out your No. 2 pencils, bring your calculators, Excel spreadsheets, & company numbers and let Aaron help with bringing your business up to a whole new level of professionalism and profitability with this course. This course is suitable for ALL tiers of our industry, and Q&A time will also be available.

GTS09 03: Don't Worry, Make Money

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

GTS09 02: Overview of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Speaker: Chip Bowles, Greenebaum Doll & McDonald PLLC

What you don't know can hurt you! A basic overview of the Consumer Product Safety improvement Act (CPSIA) focusing on important issues concerning product testing, what constitutes a Children's Product, and an overview of how retailers and manufacturers can protect themselves from liability for lead, phthalates, or lawsuits.

GTS09 01: Legalese-Minor Issues

Game Manufacturer's Association — Sun, 31 May 2009 20:17:55 -0400

Speaker: Chip Bowles, Greenebaum Doll & McDonald PLLC

Many of us have stores specifically designed to appeal to families with children, and hold events meant to attract young gamers. Some of those younger gamers may play regularly at our stores, spending significant periods of time without their parent or guardian there to supervise them.
In this seminar, we'll talk about the potential problems that supervising younger customers can bring, and how to assure you're doing your best to comply with laws regarding their supervision during both events and regular store hours. We'll discuss the best ways to help parents understand your rules for use of your game space and events, and what you might need to do should any incidents occur. Please come prepared to discuss your local laws and ordinances and how you've dealt with them, as well as your rules and regs for handling kids at events as well as during regular store hours. We'll also be taking questions about specific circumstances and how to legally and safely take care of the kids in your store.

GTS08 21: Lessons Learned - GTS Wrap-up

Game Manufacturer's Association — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:06:41 -0400

Speakers: Anthony Gallela, Executive Director of GAMA; Kell Wallace, GRD Chair; Trey Reilly, Program Director, GAMA Members of the GAMA Board of Directors, the Retail Division Board, and the GAMA Staff are waiting to hear from you about what went well this year and where there is room for improvements.

GTS08 20: Comics in the Game Store

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:06:26 -0400

Speaker: Jim Crocker, Modern Myths
Many game stores sell comics, and many comic shops sell games. This seminar reviews everything you need to know about selling comics, whether you’re starting from scratch, or integrating them into your existing product line, with a special emphasis on graphic novels and the book trade. Stores that already carry comics are encouraged to attend to share their strategies, boost sales, and better integrate other products into a "hybrid" store.

GTS08 19: Manager Awareness

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:11:03 -0400

Speaker: Dave Wallace, Fantasy Shop Comics & Games
This session covers the 'big picture', how good managers integrate the various aspects of their jobs to make sure their stores run smoothly. Learn how to evaluate your performance and your staff's, and how to respond as necessary.

GTS08 18: Demographics

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:53:02 -0400

Speaker: Mel Thompson, Melchior Thompson & Associates
Analyzing demographics is a key part of finding a good location for your store. Learn the things you to look for before ever requesting a lease.

GTS08 17: Retailer Outreach

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Speaker: Alex Yeager, Mayfair Games
Alex will describe some of the successes that he has had in using games in an educational and Scouting setting, and how some of the lessons learned can be used to help retailers set up outreach opportunities.

GTS08 16: Pre-Release Discussion

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:35:22 -0400

Moderator: Mike Stackpole
In this discussion, we'll take on the contentious topic of pre-release tournaments and events. What effect do they have on the local game economy? How do Tournament Organizers affect local retail sales and game interest? What effect does it have on casual play? As this is a passionate topic for many, this discussion will be strictly moderated to keep it productive.

GTS08 15: Buyer's Training

Game Manufacturer's Association — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:52:06 -0400

Speakers: Dave Wallace, Fantasy Shop Comics & Games; Gordon Lugauer, The Board Game Barrister.

Good stocking is a lot more than just 'order 1 of each, 2 if it's D&D'. Industry veteran Dave Wallace will discuss specific strategies for building your expertise, tracking sales and order data to allow more efficient buying, and more. Learn how a dedicated buyer can free up time for managers to manage and owners to concentrate on long-term strategy, and the systems you'll need to put in place to let one buyer handle multiple product lines and/or stores and get the feedback needed to make smart purchasing decisions.