Policies

2009 Registration Policies

Choose a subject below to jump to that topic:

* Cancellations, Substitutions, Downgrades & Upgrade
* Payment by Check
* Program Changes
* Registration Hours
* Expo Hours
* Advance Badge Mailing
* Request for Taxpayer ID Number
* Hotel Reservations
* Mailing Lists
* Children At The Show
* Americans with Disabilities Act
* Combining Discounts
* Questions & Changes

Cancellations, Substitutions, Downgrades & Upgrades

If you need to cancel your conference registration, you may do so for a full refund, less a $150.00 service charge until Monday, March 9, 2009. Attendees who register prior to or after the deadline date, who do not cancel in writing by the deadline date are liable for the pass cost and will be charged for the full registration fee. Sorry, no refunds are available for no-shows. If you are unable to attend the event, we recommend that you send a substitution in your place. Changes to registrations must be presented in written form. Please download the Registration Change Form and fax your cancellation, changes or substitution request to (415) 947-6011, or mail your request to:

UBM Events Registration Department
GDC 2009
600 Harrison Street, 6th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107

Written requests for a downgraded pass must be received no later than Monday, March 9, 2009 for a full refund on the difference of registration fees between the value of the original and downgraded pass. Sorry, requests received after Monday, March 9, 2009 cannot be accommodated. Upgrade pass requests must be submitted in writing and faxed to (415) 947-6011 along with payment information for the difference in value.
[back to top]

Important Payment By Check Information

If you selected payment by check, please be aware that all check payments must be received by the Registration Department no later than Friday, March 13, 2009 in order to apply the payment to your registration. If you are unable to meet this deadline, please pay by credit card by accessing your registration as a returning user and follow the prompts to pay with a credit card. Thank you.
[back to top]

Program Changes

The Think Services Game Group, producers of the GDC 2009, reserve the right to make changes in the programs and speakers, or to cancel sessions if enrollment criteria are not met, or when conditions beyond its control prevail. All sessions, excluding Tutorials, and Summits are filled on a first-come, first-seated basis. Arrive early to ensure a seat! Recording devices and cameras, still or video, are prohibited.
[back to top]

Registration Hours - Moscone Center West Lobby:

Sunday, March 22: 5–7pm: Early Registration for all pass holders
Monday, March 23: 8am–4:30pm: Early Registration for Upgrades, All Access and Summits & Tutorials Holders only please.
Monday, March 23: 12–4:30pm: All Conference Pass Holders Welcome
Tuesday, March 24: 8am–7pm
Wednesday, March 25: 8am–6:30pm
Thursday, March 26: 8:30am–6:30pm
Friday, March 27: 8:30am–3pm

[back to top]

Expo Hours

Wednesday, March 25: 10am–6pm
Thursday, March 26: 10am–6pm
Friday, March 27: 10am–6pm

Event Badges - Fast Track Check-In:

Four days prior to the event, on March 19, 2009, pre-registered registrants will receive an email with a confirmation letter and FastTrack barcode which should be printed and presented on-site for your event badge and materials. Present your FastTrack barcode at either Moscone West or Moscone North to check in.

Please care for your badge. A non refundable replacement fee will apply to all lost, misplaced, stolen, forgotten and duplicate badge requests.
[back to top]

Request for Taxpayer ID Number

Please fax your W-9 requests to Registration Customer Service at (415) 947-6011. The Federal Tax ID number for the Game Developers Conference 2009 is 11-2240940.
[back to top]

Hotel Reservations

If you have not yet made hotel arrangements, we urge you to do so immediately. For hotel reservations, please refer to the Travel page.
[back to top]

Mailing Lists

Please notify us if either of the following occur:

Catalog change of address: If you’re moving, or if your conference brochure is addressed incorrectly, please fax your corrections to (415) 947-6090, Attn: GDC List Correction or call (415) 947-6219, or make corrections on your mailing address and mail it to us at:

GDC Marketing Dept – List Correction, Attn Tara Gibb, Ben Veechai
600 Harrison Street, 5th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107

Duplicate Catalogs & Removal from Mailing List: If you’re receiving duplicate copies of our conference brochure, please enclose the address area from each duplicate conference catalog you would like to be removed from, and mail or fax to the above address. To be removed from the mailing list, please fax or mail your address area from your catalog with instructions to be removed from the mailing list.

[back to top]

Children At The Show

Due to safety concerns, no one under the age of 18 (including infants in strollers) will be permitted on the show floor at any time during the Game Developers Conference.
[back to top]

Americans with Disabilities Act:

If you require special assistance, auxiliary aids, interpreters or other reasonable accommodations while at the conference, please email Laurie Fellezs or call (415) 947-6681 at least two weeks prior to the event date.

Combining Discounts

Question: Can I combine other additional discounts along with my Alumni Discount? Who qualifies for a GDC alumni pass?
Answer: No, Alumni discounts cannot be a combined with other discounts including group discounts or IGDA discounts. Persons who purchased a GDC08 Main Conference or All Access Pass in 2008 are eligible for GDC09 Alumni discounts.
[back to top]

Questions & Changes

If you have any questions please access the Contact Us area at with questions related to the event and the conference program.

For registration related inquiries only, please contact our Registration Department at (415) 947-6926 or (866) 535-8997 Monday – Friday, 9am–4pm PT. We will make every attempt to answer your questions or forward your request to the appropriate group. All requests for changes to a registration must be faxed in to (415) 947-6011, or you may mail your request to the above address.
[back to top]