Southern Expo to Hold College Fair, Job Fair

The Southern Interactive Entertainment and Game Expo (SIEGE), set to take place the weekend of October 3, will contain a college fair for prospective students of game development on Saturday (October 4). Representatives from Southern Methodist University’s The Guildhall, Savannah College of Art and Design, DeVry, and other learning institutions will be on hand to answer questions about their game development programs. Put on by the Georgia Game Developers Association, SIEGE focuses on the role the interactive entertainment industry has on the South. The expo will also feature several lecture-style sessions aimed at an audience of high school students. One, for example, will be led by the lead producer of Hi-Rez Studio's Global Agenda on an employer's view of how to get a job in the game industry. Students are also encouraged to bring their portfolios; a panel of industry experts will on hand to give critiques. "This really gives high school students a chance to learn what it takes to break into the video game business," said Clinton Lowe, president of the Georgia Game Developers Association in a press release. "The game industry is growing like mad and avidly seeking people who can make tomorrow's great games. To break in, students need to learn to work with the best software as well as the entire design process. These schools have been teaching students just that, and their graduates work on games around the world." The event will take place October 3 through 5, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Suites hotel in Marietta, Ga. (near Atlanta). Registration for the expo ranges from $45 for students to $95 for professionals, with discounts available for Georgia Game Developers Association members.