Prioritising your wellbeing at Develop:Brighton 2024

Going to Develop:Brighton for the first time? Here’s some mental health and general wellbeing tips that I found really useful that I wanted to share.

Develop:Brighton can be a hive of energy, excitement and reunions, but it’s important to check in and properly take care of yourself. Here’s a list of things to keep in mind to prioritise your wellbeing and still have fun, at your own pace.

Heat

The Hilton and other venues hosting peripheral events can get pretty warm depending on the weather and the number of people around, so it’s important to be prepared! Weather-appropriate clothing aside, I’d recommend equipping yourself with water and fans to keep cool and stay hydrated. This is especially important if you struggle with body temperature moderation from antidepressants, or other medications, for example. (Some antipsychotic and antidepressant medications can hinder body temperature regulation).

Note: Usually, several booths within the Expo have free fans for conference-goers, but it’s worth coming prepared if you overheat easily. There are also water coolers in the venue, and water is available at the bar, but it’s handy to have a refillable bottle on your person at all times.

Escape Routes

Develop is one of the more overwhelming events, in my experience, due to the smaller venues and more concentrated groups of people. If you have a tendency to panic or get overwhelmed, planning a route to leave a venue and get some fresh air can put your mind at ease. This could also include keeping track of how long it might take you to get back to your hotel or home, if you are staying several days.

Take Time Outs

I can’t stress this one enough. Events are overwhelming and exhausting. If you need to skip a networking session or a party to recharge, try not to feel guilty about it. Rest is essential for any longer-term event, it is a marathon, not a sprint. If you struggle to remember to take breaks, consider scheduling timers on your phone or arranging breaks with friends to remind you to recharge regularly.

Plan meals

For me, Develop is one of those events where there is so much going on, meal times can fall to the wayside. If you can, come prepared with some snacks to have with you in case you need to boost your blood sugar. This is especially important if you have any dietary requirements or allergies, to ensure you have something you can definitely eat.

It’s also a good idea to research local eateries surrounding the venue and/or where you are staying, to ensure you have easily available options to grab a bite.

Set medication reminders on your phone

Events can totally ruin any routine you might have built up. If you have important medication, make sure you have it with you and have set timers to take it on time, wherever you may be.

Alcohol

Whilst there are many alternate events at Develop that are not alcohol-centered, there are peripheral events at Develop that do have a heavier focus on it. We talk about alcohol and events in greater detail in our Event Safety Standards, but here are a few highlights from me:

• Attend events with trusted friends and colleagues with an easy way of communicating with each other. This can be helpful for so many reasons, not limited to having people to walk/ride home with, a network of people to seek support from and check in with, and having friendly faces to circle back to.
• Do not feel obligated to stay in spaces where you feel unsafe, undervalued or excluded.
• Try to research events before attending that align with your values and safety concerns. There is an Unofficial Develop Events Calendar that shares more information on events that are happening in tandem with Develop:Brighton, which is a great place to start.
• Advocate for others; if you see someone who is uncomfortable, or a victim to inappropriate behaviour, do your best to help. I recognise that this can be more difficult depending on your existing privilege, standing in the industry or even personal safety concerns. Therefore, I wanted to highlight some more passive ways to support folks who may need it. If overtly calling out inappropriate behaviour isn’t an option for you, try interrupting an uncomfortable conversation to give someone an opportunity to leave. Making a security or staff member aware of the situation, or seeking support from others at the event can be a quick way to mediate a situation without getting directly involved.

Transparency

No matter how much you prepare, sometimes things just don’t work out. Whether you miss a meeting or need to leave early, being honest about how you’re doing with your team or with trusted peers can be really freeing.

This was just a quick whistle-stop tour of some essential reminders that I try to practice when I’m at events, that I hope has proved helpful to you in some way. It’s important to take care of ourselves and each other, especially to people that the games industry can often exclude. Stay kind, and keep each other safe.