There is often not an emphasis on just playing games all day, and instead are focused on the shopping aspects, events, panels, etc. Most conventions that break the 15k mark of attendance will have a large dealer hall where you can buy games directly from the publishers and large event halls where you can sign up to play specific games or in tournaments. These can be hard to categorize because their attendance is so high in variance, but usually they host between 15,000 all the way up to 200,000 people. The big conventions are always huge, vibrant, and exciting events. It’s small, but growing, with attendance nearing 500. Meeple Mountain also runs Nashville Tabletop Day, a single day event in April. The small intimate feel is a huge perk to these local cons. I even have friends in other states whom I only get to see at the convention each year. Now that I’ve been coming for the past few, there are so many familiar faces. We have a local convention called Tennessee Game Days that has grown to about 700-800 people over the years. With their small size, you often feel like you get to know a lot more people, especially if you come back year after year. Personally, I love these kinds of conventions. Usually, they are more focused on bringing people together just to play games and often lack an exhibitor hall.

These conventions usually host anywhere from 200 – 5,000 attendees. Small conventions are often also called “Local Conventions.” The reason for this is that most of them simply attract a local crowd instead of drawing people in from all over the country. Of course, small and large can mean different things to all people, so we’ll try to distinguish that a little more. Large Conįor the most part, gaming conventions can be put into two categories: either small conventions or large conventions. We’ll mostly be talking about larger conventions, but before we jump in too deep, let’s take a look at what the difference is. Some are small intimate gatherings where people marathon through games, and some are weeklong events with large dealer halls and lots of gaming events. If you are ready to take this next step, read on! It’s the perfect time to jump aboard since we are just kicking off convention season! What is a board game convention anyway? Origins 2017 – Renegade Games boothīoard game conventions come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re still trying to get a grasp of the hobby, that’s totally fine as well! Go ahead and check out our previous article, So you like board games… What now?, before jumping head first into the convention scene. Maybe you’ve started your own gaming community, but you want an opportunity to meet even more gamers? Maybe you’ve started to build up a collection, but you want to get to try some of the new hot games before they come out? Checking out a board game convention might be the next best step for you! With thousands of new games coming out each year, it can certainly be hard to jump in head first. The board gaming hobby can be quite overwhelming for a newly budding board game geek. Looking to attend a board game convention? Our guide to board game conventions can help you decide what to pack, play, and pass on!Įvent calendar last updated: August 29, 2022Ĭlick here for an up to date list of worldwide board game conventions

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