Gen Con Sold Out!

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You can't walk in and buy a Gen Con badge this year, because--for the first time ever--it is completely sold out.

Gen Con has been in Indianapolis since 2003, after outgrowing the facilities in Wisconsin. This year, over 60,000 attendees have bought badges. Gen Con is one of the world's largest tabletop conventions, which launched in 1968 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

GEN CON INDY 2024 ARRIVES THIS WEEK FOR HISTORIC, SOLD-OUT CONVENTION, CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS WITH SPECIAL EVENTS
  • Gen Con Indy 2024 is a sold-out show -- for the first time in the convention's history, all badges have been sold and no walk-up badge sales will be available.
  • In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, the convention will feature a slate of retrospective events, special guests, a pop-up D&D Museum, and an exclusive early chance to purchase the hotly anticipated 2024 Player's Handbook.
INDIANAPOLIS (July 29, 2024) — Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, returns to Indianapolis on August 1-4 for a sold-out show and a projection of record attendance.

The annual event, held in Indy since 2003, brings tens of thousands of gamers and fans from around the world to the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium for four days of gaming, shopping, cosplaying, and enjoying the best of local food, beverage, and Hoosier hospitality.

"We are beyond thrilled to be hosting Gen Con 2024, a monumental celebration of gaming history, with a special focus on Dungeons & Dragons, a cornerstone of our industry,” stated David Hoppe, President of Gen Con. “This year, we are not just celebrating games; we're honoring the legacy and the incredible community that has grown around these adventures. From the open-air excitement at our Block Party to the immersive experiences inside the convention center, every element of Gen Con 2024 is a tribute to the pioneering spirit of gaming. We can't wait for everyone to join us in this unprecedented celebration."

The convention features an exhibit hall with over 500 vendors selling new and popular games, merchandise, costumes, art, books, and more. Over 20,000 ticketed events are planned, including gaming sessions and tournaments, comedy, film, entertainment, writing and crafting workshops, and the fan-favorite Costume Contest and Parade.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of globally popular tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons, and Gen Con is celebrating the occasion with a slate of special programming that offers a look back at D&D's history through retrospective panels with special guests and a D&D Museum. Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of D&D, is exhibiting at Gen Con with several events and activations, including live play events, a special tournament, and a preview of the game's future with the release of the hotly anticipated 2024 Player's Handbook. To further commemorate the game's place in pop culture history, the USPS will be revealing and selling D&D stamps on site at Gen Con.

Outside of the convention center on South Street, Gen Con's outdoor, open-to-the-public Block Party activation is expanding, with dozens of local food trucks set up alongside Gen Con's local food and beverage partners Sun King Brewery, HotBox Pizza, Daniels' Vineyard, Helm Coffee, Social Cantina, and Harry & Izzy's.

The Gen Con Makers Market returns for its second year, featuring over 20 local Indy artisans, crafters, creators, and vendors in a vibrant bazaar shopping experience.

For Gen Con's annual charity program, the convention has partnered with two nonprofit organizations that will split the proceeds of fundraising programs held during the convention: the Rose Gauntlet Foundation, which provides access to education and resources for individuals who wish to pursue a career in the tabletop gaming industry and hosts the BIPOC Lounge at Gen Con, and Tangram, an Indiana-based organization which provides disability services, programming, and care.

Gen Con's organizers have worked with Tangram throughout the past year on accessibility enhancements for the convention, including wider aisles and walkways, on-site scooter and wheelchair rentals, enhanced signage and wayfinding, and ASL interpreters at major events like Opening Ceremonies and the Costume Contest.
 

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I've been a half-dozen times. I don't have any plans to go in the immediate future (the travel is just too much), and I kinda get the same experience at UKGE--half the size, but I don't want it to grow larger. My favorite convention is Dragonmeet. It has the right level of access, size, and intimacy for me.
Yeah, I heard the drive was murder for you.
 

I’ve been 5 times and the last time had a dust-up with hotel staff about cannabis (have medical card).
Until Indiana changes its draconian drug policy, I won’t be back.
Best things: Writer’s Symposium, Diana Jones, Cardhala, seminars, buying old Dragon magazines, leaving on Sunday
 




Folks should find local and regional cons. Play ne games. Support local game clubs and retailers. Enjoy your time.
Can you suggest any resources for doing so? I have never actually been to a gaming convention and I'd really like to go to one.. And I'd really prefer to attend a smaller con for my first one. Is there a good website that tends to collect con schedules or something?

I joined a facebook group for gaming in my part of the state, but it's not the best. They post a lot of random events like on the other side of the country, or they post them on super short notice.
 

I always wonder if I have one more Gencon left in me. I used to go when it was in Milwaukee, but I had a group to go with. Now, I'm an older single dad with only one kid who's borderline interested in gaming. Feels like too much of an investment in time and resources for too little reward for me.

It does me good to see it's thriving for new generations, and it is a phenomenal place to be exposed to games other than D&D or Magic. One year, I played in a game of live action chess a company was doing demos for - the best part was when you 'died', your corpse littered the chessboard.
The last GenCon I hit was in 2014, and after that one I was convinced that I just couldn't do it anymore. I can only imagine what it's like now that both the board game and RPG industry has exploded.
 

Can you suggest any resources for doing so? I have never actually been to a gaming convention and I'd really like to go to one.. And I'd really prefer to attend a smaller con for my first one. Is there a good website that tends to collect con schedules or something?

I joined a facebook group for gaming in my part of the state, but it's not the best. They post a lot of random events like on the other side of the country, or they post them on super short notice.
One resource I use to find some local and regional conventions is the website tabletop.events
Quite a few conventions use the service to help manage badges and event signup within the cons. I actually just used it last night to help figure out which conventions I would go to next year...and one that I had completely forgotten about appeared on the list.
 

One resource I use to find some local and regional conventions is the website tabletop.events
Quite a few conventions use the service to help manage badges and event signup within the cons. I actually just used it last night to help figure out which conventions I would go to next year...and one that I had completely forgotten about appeared on the list.
Awesome.. This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for

Thank you
 

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