Beyond the booth: The strategic power of events in mobile games industry communications

Rana Rahman is CEO and Founder at Raptor PR.

Your communications strategy is one of the most powerful growth tools for your mobile games business.

Done right, it connects you with the right people, investors, publishers, developers, or end users at the right time with a message that actually sticks. That doesn’t happen by accident. It takes a fully integrated, multi-channel approach with event planning baked in from day one.

Most companies think of media coverage, social posts, blogs, and videos as comms staples, and they’re right. But too many treat events as a separate entity when, in reality, they’re some of the highest-impact brand touchpoints that you have.

Any seasoned marketer will tell you that your audience needs to engage with seven or more brand touchpoints before making a deal. Events aren’t just boxes to tick, they’re potential pipeline powerhouses. But only if you treat them as part of your overarching go-to-market strategy.

As we prepare Raptor PR’s inaugural international booth at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona (yes – we’re a little overexcited!) Here’s how we think about integrating events into our comms engine.

Start with communications strategy, not just stands

First things first: know your goals, your offer, and your audience. Sounds basic, but you’d be surprised how many companies rock up to events with vague objectives and even vaguer messaging.

You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be where your audience is when they’re most receptive. That could mean GDC, Gamescom, or a focused event that aligns better with your commercial cycles. A well-timed mid-sized event or a side event might land better ROI than the main show, where you can barely cut through.

It’s the same principle as targeted comms. Sure, landing a story in a global outlet feels good, but if a niche B2B podcast delivers 10x engagement from your ideal buyer, that’s where your efforts should go.

Bigger isn’t always better

Let’s talk about the big fish. The likes of GDC and Gamescom are amazing for reach but can be brutal for cut-through. Everyone’s shouting, media are swamped (GDC press rooms get 200+ pitches a day), and getting noticed is like catching pokemon blindfolded.

You should absolutely include some big hitters in your calendar. But a strategic approach is required. What’s your angle? Who are you targeting? How does this fit into your overarching campaign?

Often, mid-sized events like Develop: Brighton, PGC, or Nordic Game give you a better bang for your buck – which is essential in today’s market. They are both big enough to attract decision-makers whilst small enough to stand out.

On the show floor

This is where you actually deliver your message to your audience. If you’ve got the budget, a booth can be a brilliant base. Somewhere to showcase your proposition, hold meetings, and let your brand live in real time.

You are more likely to get noticed and benefit from a steady flow of passing trade, and it’s much easier to network and establish relationships that can turn into deals.

However, if you do take the booth route, make sure you stand out. Sure, those promo pens and branded sweets might open a handful of conversations, but we really like to have fun with ours. In a B2B world full of safe and samey, personality wins, especially in games, where play is the product.

When our Raptor staff don our inflatable velociraptor outfit and prowl the show, we see much more impact.

Booth activations should be built into your comms plan. What content are you capturing? Who’s filming the walk-ups, the demos, the reactions? That material can live way beyond the show, fuelling weeks of post-event engagement.

Is sponsorship part of your strategy?

Sponsorship can elevate your visibility significantly, but only if it aligns with your comms and business goals. A logo on a lanyard doesn’t mean much if no one at the event is in your target audience.

Done right, sponsorship adds credibility and drives traffic. Done wrong, it’s just another invoice. Before you sign off, ask: Will this get us noticed by the right people at the right time in the right way?

Getting on the stage is powerful, too, putting you in front of a literal audience (and a vast digital one that watches live or later on YouTube).

Speaking lets you demonstrate thought leadership expertise and frames you as a contributor in a collaborative industry while serving up your message from the stage. Not got a talk in you? Offer yourself up to host or join panels, and you’ll likely have event organisers leap at the chance to fill a stage seat.

Community is a comms channel

Event ROI isn’t just what happens on the show floor, it’s what happens around it. Satellite events, mixers, invite-only dinners. These are golden opportunities to create your own brand moment, build community, and deepen relationships.

Raptor recently co-hosted the Nordic Leadership Mixer during Nordic Game. It was pulled together in under a week, cost less than £3k split four ways, and became one of the most talked-about moments of the conference. Why? It felt authentic, it filled a gap, and it brought the right people together.

That’s the essence of modern comms: build experiences people want to be part of, and the message will take care of itself. 

Make events work for your business

Treat events like any other comms channel – strategically. Align them with your goals. Plan the pre, during, and post-show content. Know your audience and give them a reason to remember you. Don’t blend in. And most of all, be sure to track the impact.

Events are expensive. They take time, budget, and focus. But when integrated properly into your communications strategy, they deliver visibility, credibility, and pipeline in a way few other channels can.

If you’re at Pocket Gamer Connects Barcelona, come find us at booth G02. You might even get a selfie with the Raptor.