GDC 2009 voted most important event of the year

11:20 AM on 03.06.2009   |   Colette Bennett

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What's the most essential event to attend this year if you're a part of the gaming biz? According to a recent poll taken by GamesIndustry.biz, looks like GDC comes out on top. Here's the results by percent:

• Game Developers Conference: 40.6%
• E3: 34%
• GamesCom: 5.7%
• Develop in Brighton: 3.8%
• Nordic Game: 2.8%
• DICE Summit: 2.8%
• Games Convention Asia: 1.9%
• Game Connection: 1.9%
• GameHorizon: 0.9%
• Other: 5.7%

Not a surprise to see E3 at number 2, considering the identity crisis its gone through in the past few years. GDC's conference director, Meggan Scavvio, offered some words in regards to the event: "I feel pretty honoured to act as host to what many consider a focal point of their year ... it's been a rough road for the games industry over the past year, and it's not a surprise to find that travel and training budgets are the first to go. The interesting thing to me is how many people reach into their own pockets so as not to miss what is sure to be another stellar GDC. The camaraderie and celebration of this industry floods the convention center over the course of five days. It's inspirational and hard to pass up," she added.

She's right. There's a lot of creativity and excitement in the air at GDC, which certainly draws a sharp contrast to the accounting conference vibe of last year's E3. Of course, I spent most of the afterhours drinking heavily anyway, so it's all kind of a blur.