From the Gencon forums...
" GEN CON INDY WRAPS UP 2008 WITH RECORD ATTENDANCE
Charity Donations Also Reach Record High
SEATTLE, WA (August 26, 2008) - Gen Con Indy 2008 wraps up its 41st year
with stellar attendance! Gen Con was enjoyed by over 28,600 unique and over
95,800 turnstile attendees who converged on Indianapolis to make this year¹s
Gen Con the most successful to date. Both figures represent an increase of
6% over 2007 attendance, a testament to the growing interest in gaming.
Attendees participated in over 6,000 events over the course of the four-day
event. Some of the successful events included Wizards of the Coast¹s 4th
Edition D&D Tournaments, Upper Deck Entertainment¹s World of Warcraft
Miniatures Demos & World of Warcraft TCG Continental Tournaments, the eGame
Arena with extended hours made possible by sponsor Cryptic Studios, Training
Grounds &Settles of Catan World Championships sponsored by Mayfair Games,
the Gen Con Dance, True Dungeon and the SPA program.
³Given the state of the economy, the attendance we had at Indy tells me that
gaming is more important than ever in our attendees lives, and that Gen Con
adds a fun and unique experience to everyday life. We appreciate the support
from all our attendees, sponsors and exhibitors who make Gen Con the show
that it is and for that we say thank you,² said Adrian Swartout, president
of Gen Con. ³I¹m looking forward to Indy 2009 and another great show!²
Not only were attendance number high but there was a significant increase in
the charity donations. Attendees participated in a variety of events to
raise money for Gen Con Indy¹s designated charity. Through donations from
ESG Security, donation boxes as well as participation in the Charity
Auction, Cardhalla, and Aces to Aces over $20,000 was raised to support the
Fisher House Foundation. This number represents the largest donation amount
ever raised over the four-day event. The Fisher House Foundation, a
non-profit organization best known for the network of 39 comfort homes it
provides as support for military families, was chosen this year to honor
Gary Gygax, founder of Gen Con who recently passed away. "