XDS is the only global summit built exclusively for external development in games, and for its core audience it is already a must-attend fixture. The challenge was not awareness but conversion and depth: drive developer ticket sales in a defined window, deepen engagement across owned channels, and lay groundwork to expand into new regions and languages ahead of 2026.
A coordinated push across email, organic social, paid media, and partnerships, sequenced to the event calendar so every channel peaked when it mattered. Attendee-segmented email did the conversion work, social built depth rather than just reach, and partnerships extended visibility beyond the existing network.
Newsletter program. 16 segmented sends timed to the funnel, separating confirmed attendees from the general list and tying CTAs to time-limited offers like developer tickets and orientation sign-up.
Four-channel social strategy. LinkedIn as the engagement and ticket-sales hub, Instagram as the reach and storytelling engine with live event-week coverage, Facebook as light distribution, and a newly launched Bluesky presence to build early.
Paid media test. A first-time hyper-targeted LinkedIn campaign driving developers to a custom landing page and discount unlock, roughly 200K impressions at a 1.5% CTR.
Partnership slate. Deconstructor of Fun podcast, MCV/Develop in-kind media, a Women in Gaming Awards sponsorship for UK reach, Tech Bomb for local Canadian voices, and Destination Vancouver for Bites & Banter.
Mid-cycle sales recovery. When developer sales dipped, a cross-team mix of dev-only newsletters, incentive offers, and high-touch outreach rebalanced the ratio and hit target.
Owned channels followed a clean curve: steady in pre-season, then a sharp lift once event-driven, time-sensitive content kicked in. Attendee-segmented emails ran two to three times more effective than general blasts, peaking at a 72.9% open rate and 29% click rate. Across social, 2025 delivered deeper engagement, not just wider reach, with LinkedIn comments up 28.6% and Instagram engagement up 141% year over year.
The momentum carried straight into 2026. A promotion launched immediately after the event sold half of the ticket target more than nine months ahead of the show, the 2026 event brand launched with a distinct identity from day one, the Insights Report shipped in six new languages, four new media partnerships were signed across EVA, PGC, MCV, and Develop, and regional partnerships with DIGI BC, La Guilde, and Interactive Ontario are deepening roots in key developer markets.
