Exploring GAMA Expo 2025

I just got back from GAMA Expo 2025. This was the 2nd time I have been to this event, and I must say it's so much better the second time around. 

What exactly is GAMA? GAMA is an acronym for Game Manufacturers Association. 

Attending as a publisher means that we not only get to network with Industry peers and colleagues, but also with retailers who are existing and potential customers. It's a great time to interact with these folks, and also learn from Industry professionals who conduct different panels. 

I was honored to be included to one of the panels in the show, entitled - A Question of Trust: The Role of Social Media in the Tabletop Space helmed by Mike Dunn from Gaming Trend, Ross Thompson, Chase from Rascal News and Jillian Schumacher. In the panel, I highlighted the importance of including diverse and marginalized voices in our industry, as inclusion is a huge part of what gaming is all about. Without our community, we would not be having games and these wonderful conventions that we enjoy with our friends and family. 

My focus on attending panels was learning and refining what I already knew - from Shopify classes conducted by Andrew Zorowitz of Foam Brain Games, tips on Amazon listing and profiles by Seller Slice, working with content creators, increasing traffic by boosting your Google profile by Gig Time Media, numerous panels by Unboxed (an industry podcast by Danni Loe and Jen Graham- Macht), and many more. My favorite one was in Sell sheets and Pitch Decks by Pat Marino, Danielle Reynolds and Jay Bell. 

Mentions of these panels are not sponsored by any means, but simply endorsing qualified folks who did an amazing job presenting facts about the topics they have discussed. Sure, some of these folks are my friends. And for that, I am honored to be a part of a group of professionals.

I will say, traveling solo for work felt kind of weird. I usually have my husband, Bill, in tow. As he doubles as on of our demo staff for Cephalofair, he also makes sure I'm taking breaks and not over doing it. I do have a habit of burning myself out when I'm laser focused on my task at hand. 

But speaking of task at hand - another big goal for me this year was to align with my Media and press list to keep them up to date with our plans. So this also meant scheduling them between the 20 panels I was attending this week. 

I do enjoy the food scene at Louisville, KY. I am a huge foodie and food is my love language, so I love catching up with folks while sharing a meal. Some favorites from this year were: La Boguedita De Mima is my absolute favorite! If you ever find yourself there, try the Ropa Vieja en Lata - which had a great history behind it. And the Barista Parlor for the amazing caramel macchiato, that I clumsily knocked from my own hand while networking during the Women In Toys event. CM Chicken was great as well - you can't go wrong with Korean Fried Chicken. Indian food at Kashmir was a perfect for a huge group gathering. And the memorable Noche in Bardstown for the ambiance, delicious mocktail and food. 

For the show, I was also excited about these tri-fold flyers we handed out to retailers. We were giving retailer GAMA members great deals until the end of March. And I also got a chance to try out this tablet set up for the Buttons & Bugs Dized tutorial. Since we could not fit the Rulebook in the small box filled with game components, we decided to partner with Dized to bring a great experience to our game play while teaching our gamers how to play it. So since it became a hit, expect these in our booth at upcoming shows.

And I designed this play mat as well to add something eye catching for when we do our game nights at shows. We've been getting a lot of requests from our fans for this. Only time will tell. But I am designing something new and more compact, unofficially. 

So back to GAMA - How does one go to this event? You must be in the Tabletop gaming industry to join and become a member. It is entirely focused around publishing and sales of games, and is a valuable source of information for members of the GAMA organization. My hope is that next year, they add more intermediate and more advanced courses for people in the industry.

How did I get started in the industry? How does one join GAMA? That will be another question answered here in my blog soon. 

Until then.

Adventure awaits us!