Here is what gen con is about:
About Gen Con
A Little Bit of History
Gen Con is a name that has been one with the gaming world for over 36 years. It began as a meeting between some friends to play games in Lake Geneva, WI - thus the name Gen (Geneva) Con (Convention). Today that name lives on in the gaming industry as the places to go to get the goods. Gen Con has expanded to three shows worldwide. There is one in Europe, Indianapolis, and Anaheim.
Many people ask "Gaming? What kind of Gaming?". Gen Con is the mecca of hobby gaming enthusiasts. These games range from card games, to board games, role-playing games, live action role-plaing games, miniatures, computer games and more. At Gen Con you can challege a friend or foe to a duel of wits in your favorite games.
Game manufacturers use Gen Con as a stepping stone to display their new games or to run their tournaments at. From World Championships, to a scenario that someone randomly crated, you can play them at Gen Con. There is also seminars and workshops ranging in topics from how to develop games to how to paint miniatures. We've got something for everyone.
How does the show work?
Gen Con is a convention that is open to the public. You can pre-register for your badge & event tickets or you can hold off and purchase them onsite. A badge gives you entrance to the show and must be worn at all times. You must purchase a badge to attend Gen Con. This badge allows you entrance to the exhibit hall, entrance to all free workshops and seminars, the art show, and other $0 events that are run at the convention.
Event tickets are separate from a badge. The event tickets are for entrance to specific gaming events run at the show. We as a staff do not run these events, we allot space to those wishing to run the specific events. You can search for events online or in our onsite program book. Then you proceed to pre-register (if in the pre-reg dates) or you can get them at Event Registration onsite. These event tickets are only refundable if the game is cancelled, the GM does not show, or if you come to return them 30 minutes or more before the beginning of the event. You may not get a refund for them after that time.
There is a ticket called a Generic Ticket that may be purchased. Generic tickets are used for open spaces in events. If the event did not sell out and a passer-by wanted to play, they could give the GM an equal amount in generic tickets and join the game. The downside of generic tickets is if someone presents a real ticket for that game, the player with the generic tickets will not be allowed to play. Generic tickets are refundable up until 5:00 pm on the last day of the show. There will be no refunds for any reason after that time.
