Boccob's Blessed Blog

On October 19 Gen Con stated in their newsletter that they have extended their contract with Indianapolis through 2023. The con’s future was a source of debate as several surveys went out asking con goers if they be amenable to a move. Gen Con has worried that Indy lacked sufficient size and hotel capacity.

According to GenCon.com:

INDIANAPOLIS (October 19, 2018) Gen Con, the largest and longest-running game convention in North America, has agreed to extend its commitment to Indianapolis through 2023. Prompted by the announcement of construction of two new hotels connected to the convention center, Gen Con added an additional year to its deal.

“New hotel developments, along with Indy’s desire for technological upgrades, have made our decision to extend with Indianapolis an easy choice,” said David Hoppe, Gen Con President. “We’re enthusiastic to extend our contract with Indy until 2023, as this new hotel development is a game-changer for Gen Con and will allow us to continue our record-breaking expansion. We’d like to thank the Indy CIB, Mayor Hogsett and his team, the hard-working folks at Visit Indy, and the business leaders of Indianapolis for their continued foresight and commitment to making Indy the top destination for conventions in North America.”

Setting a new attendance record in 2018, the convention surpassed 60,000 unique attendees over its four days. Gen Con 2018 featured more than 520 game companies, more than 600 new games, 17,000 ticketed events, and a significant increase in programming in Lucas Oil Stadium. The convention plans to continue its development of Lucas Oil Stadium as a new hub of convention growth.

“When the JW Marriott Indianapolis opened in 2011, our convention was able to expand and support a record number of guests, which at the time was about 37,000 attendees,” said David Hoppe, Gen Con President. “Now, seven years later, Gen Con has nearly doubled in attendance, and we’re confident that the newly announced lodging additions in Indy will let us expand again, netting millions of dollars per year in new economic development for Indianapolis.”

Gen Con will return to Indianapolis August 1-4, 2019.