I spent most of last year showcasing Akuto: Mad World at many different gaming events, and during that time I learnt many things. Below is a little guide that can help your game stand out from the crowd. Note, these tips worked for me, and they might work for you or they might not.
Location
If you are showing a multiplayer game, try to get a corner booth. This could be as simple as asking the organizers at smaller events to actually having to pay for it. A corner booth gives you more space for a crowd to gather around your game while the game still being visible for most of them. I haven’t had any experience showcasing a singleplayer game, so I am not sure how beneficial a corner booth will be for those games.
Screen
Have a big screen to showcase your game. The bigger, the better. Your screen should be minimum 50″, but I would recommend having a 60″+ screen. A bigger screen means it is easier for people to see without having to stand right up to your booth.
Also, hang the screen at least 6 feet above the ground. If a crowd does build around your game, you want the people at the back to see what is happening in the game. You also want your screen to be high enough so that it is visible from the other side of the event hall, so that people from afar can see your game and come to play it.
If you have a singleplayer game, I would recommend having minimum 2 screens/computers available for people to play the game on. Having just 1 device that people can play on can lead to long waiting times for people, and increase the chances of them walking away from your booth without playing your game.
Sound
I would recommend headphones if you are showcasing a singleplayer game so that players can fully emerge themselves in your game. If you are showcasing a multiplayer game, I would recommend bringing the biggest speaker possible and turn it up as loud as possible so that everyone can hear your game. Will this annoy your neighboring booths? Most likely. Will this get your game attention by the public and press? Definitely.
Game
Your build for a gaming event should be stable with no game-crashing bugs. You should also disable certain features in your game, such as exiting a game, using the level editor (unless that is the main feature of the game), or changing the options/settings of the game.
If no one plays your game or moves in the main menu after 30 seconds, start looping a trailer on the screen so that gamers passing by can see what the game is about in action.
Controls
Print out the controls and put them on a stand next to the game so that players can refer to them at any time whilst playing the game. Nobody wants somebody whispering the controls to them while they are playing a game.
Newsletters
Have something (preferably a tablet since people’s handwriting is terrible) where people can sign up to your newsletter for the game/company. Make sure to send out a newsletter after the event thanking them for playing the game and telling your new subscribers where they can find more information about the game and purchase it (if applicable).
Competitions
Run a competition every day of the event where players can win prizes will always gather a big crowd around your game. You can give away Steam keys, t-shirts, hats, stickers as prizes.
Flyers / Business Cards
Make sure there is something players can take away with them after playing the game. It can be a small business card with the game name and website, or a flyer with some more information about the game. You want players to have something to remind them to check out the game when they get back home.
Merchandise
Unless your game/company is already well known, don’t expect to sell a large amount of merchandise. You can give them away, but remember that it will cost you money and you will not see any return investment on them, apart from happy players.
I sell Steam keys of my game whilst at events, and only tend to sell a handful.
Why
Remember why you are showcasing your game. If you want to see how players play your game, then stand back and watch them play. Nobody likes hovering behind them while they are trying to play a game.
Take notes where players struggle to understand the game or where they can’t get to the next menu. If you see them keep struggling, jump in and tell them what to do. Otherwise, you should not bother the player at all unless they have a question for you.
And these are all the tips I can remember. I hope they help you. If they don’t, well I can’t do much about that now.