Sponsor prospectus open · 9th edition
The home for the people who build and run player communities
Community managers, player support, trust & safety, live ops and the leaders backing them. In 2027 the Clubhouse returns to San Francisco as a dedicated track inside GDC Festival of Gaming.
A track within
Proven demand
GDC 2026 by the numbers
1,245
unique attendees
Up from 995 at GDC 2025, +25.1%
1,564
total session scans
Up from 1,375 in 2025, +13.7%
305
at the top session
Multiple sessions passed 200 attendees
9
focused sessions
Earlier slots, higher average attendance per session
3,500+ registrations across our 2023 and 2024 events alone. Unique reach is growing faster than total engagement: we are reaching new people, not just repeat traffic.
Cocktail hour attendance not included in 2025 or 2026 figures.
The day at GDC 2027
Built into GDC Festival of Gaming
One full day, two rooms, embedded in the official GDC programme: keynotes, panels, fireside chats and presentations across the five pillars, followed by a cocktail hour right outside our rooms.
Community Clubhouse day
Tuesday, March 2, 2027
Venue
Moscone Center, Esplanade South Hall Mezzanine
San Francisco
Rooms
158 & 160
Approx. 524+ capacity across both rooms, theatre seating
After the sessions
Cocktail hour in the Rotunda
Just outside the track rooms
What the GDC partnership adds
✓ Sessions listed in the official GDC program, with track, speakers, description, time and location
✓ Sponsor speakers registered by GDC with a Community Sponsor Presenter pass
✓ Listed in the GDC Mobile App, with a digital meter board outside the rooms
✓ Attendance captured with GDC’s Lead Insights tool
✓ Cross-promotion between GDC and Community Clubhouse before the event
The track
Five pillars of player engagement
Best practice and thought leadership across the five pillars of video game communities, and the technology that supports them.
01
Trust & Safety, Moderation
02
Player (Customer) Support
03
Community Management
04
Compliance & Regulation
05
Live Ops & Monetization
Who we are
From side event to dedicated GDC track
Founded in early 2023 by industry veterans from Keywords Studios, Xbox, Two Hat and Helpshift, Community Clubhouse began as a separate event alongside GDC in San Francisco.
Today it is a dedicated, specialised track inside GDC Festival of Gaming: best practice and thought leadership for the people who build and run player communities.
Our mission
To empower game industry professionals in creating thriving communities and delivering exceptional player experiences.
Founding team: Ben Williams, Ed Hartman, Josh Loveridge and Peter Gerson.
Our journey
Nine editions since 2023
2023
GDC, San Francisco
The pilot, at Microsoft Reactor. 500 registrations; sessions live-streamed.
2023
gamescom, Cologne
First European edition. 962 registrations.
2026
GDC Festival of Gaming
7th edition at Moscone Center, as an official festival partner.
2026
gamescom dev, Cologne
8th edition, as an officially affiliated event of gamescom dev.
2027
GDC Festival of Gaming
9th edition: a dedicated track inside the festival. Tuesday, March 2.
In between, Community Clubhouse ran editions at both GDC and devcom in 2024 and 2025.
Last time on stage
The GDC 2026 speakers
Studio leaders, platform experts and technology partners, side by side on one stage. The 2026 theme: Cutting Through the Noise, Winning Playtime in a Crowded Field.
Chris Zimmerman
Sucker Punch Productions
Amir Satvat
Tencent Games
Christina Camilleri
Netflix Games
Chris Melissinos
AWS
Jen MacLean
Dragon Snack Games
Karin Johnson
Magic Potion Games
Liam Deane
Omdia
Chip Thurston
FastSpring
Hege Tokerud
Aiba
Andrew Hogan
Intorqa
Kalie
Keywords Studios
Heidi Christine
Pixels
Oscar Clark
Arcanix.AI
Josh Loveridge
Playful AI
Past speaker companies include Sucker Punch, Netflix Games, Tencent, AWS, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Roblox, Take-Two, SEGA, Keywords Studios, Omdia, Dragon Snack Games, Pixels, Playful AI, Magic Potion Games, Supercell, Rovio, Niantic, Jagex and Behaviour Interactive.
The audience
Who is in the room
Studio founders and C-suite executives · CTOs and directors of technology · Community leads and managers · Player support, CS, CX and PX leaders · Moderation and trust & safety teams · Player analytics and insights · Producers, product leads and game developers.
Indie · AA · AAA · AAAA
What resonated most in 2026
Community strategy · Growth and audience acquisition · Publishing and distribution
Attendees have come from
Guiding the Clubhouse
2026/27 Advisory Board
Jen MacLean
Karin Johnson
Damien Mauric
Martine Spaans
Maxim Matveyko
Our supporters
In good company
Sponsors and partners of Community Clubhouse at GDC 2025 and GDC 2026.
In their words
“The Community Clubhouse turned out to be everything I expected and so much more! It was wonderful to see the energy in the room and a pleasure to see the collaborative approach that this community takes to help each other out.”
Dhruv Chandhok · Founder, community management software for gaming
“I had the chance to listen to some great lectures and spend time with people from the industry.”
Matteo Manicone · CEO, Porting Programmer
“What a fun crowd and great questions!”
Tony Adams · Product Manager, AMA speaker
“Community management is only going to become more important in coming years. Excited to see this event grow!”
Attendee · post-event feedback
Sponsorship
Choose your level
Put your brand in front of the people who run player communities, on the day they are there to learn and connect. Packages and add-ons for GDC 2027 are open now.
Gold
Community Trailblazer · $30,000
Guaranteed curated panel, session or attendee experience · Speaker nomination rights · Post-event attendee list · Approve or decline rights on registrations · Branded meeting table · Logo on programme, signage and digital · 5 team tickets
Silver
Community Catalyst · $15,000
Option to curate a session · Speaker nomination rights · Post-event attendee list · Logo on programme, signage and digital · 3 team tickets
Bronze
Community Advocate · $10,000
Option to curate a session · Opt-in attendee list · Logo on signage and the registration site · Social media recognition · 2 team tickets
Happy Hour · $18,000
Presenting sponsor of the end-of-day happy hour at Moscone, with the option to speak in the closing remarks, custom signage and branded napkins, logo on the programme and 3 team tickets.
Lunch · $15,000
“Provided by” credit on event-floor signage and printed agendas, a roll-up banner in the event space, logo on the programme and 3 team tickets.
Peter Gerson, Co-founder · peter@googo.games
Digital program · Player Driven × Community Clubhouse
Beyond the event
Podcasts, interviews and shared stories before, during and after GDC, produced with our partners at Player Driven. Tell the story behind your work, share useful expertise and stay visible beyond event day.
Before GDC
Build the conversation
Speaker and sponsor conversations introduce the themes, people and practical challenges behind the event.
During GDC
Capture the stories
Interviews and event highlights bring the expertise and energy of Community Clubhouse beyond the room.
After GDC
Keep the ideas moving
Podcast releases, short clips and takeaways give event conversations a longer life across Player Driven and Community Clubhouse channels.
Digital benefits by level
| Digital benefit | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital recognition | Prominent recognition on the digital event page and in the recap | Recognition on the digital event page and in the recap | Logo and link on the digital event page, recap acknowledgment |
| Recorded content | 1 dedicated sponsor interview, 8 to 12 minutes | 1 contribution to a shared event conversation | Not included |
| Edited social clips | 2 short clips | 1 short clip | Not included |
Full podcast episodes are a separately scoped, separately priced add-on.
Be there
Let’s build the 9th edition together
Register your interest and we will share the programme, pass and venue details as soon as they are confirmed. Speakers and sponsors can use the same form.