Gen Con, “The Home of Tabletop Gaming,™” presents the best and newest experiences and products of the gaming industry: tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPG), board, video, party, and live-action roleplaying (LARP) games as well as all the adjacent fandoms you can think of in a four-day, 70,000 person convention. Held each August at the Indiana Convention Center, gamers and their activities take over Indianapolis. Find out about events and new game releases through the Gen Con website and the social media feeds of your favorite creatives, but here are a few practical tips from me, a person of a certain age who’s attended five Gen Cons over the past seven years.
This advice may discourage your attendance, which is not my intent. Rather, I’d like to empower people like myself, who deal with all sorts of social anxiety, to spread their wings and find their own way to enjoy this awesome event. If you’re a free spirit and like to just roll up and dive in, consider making at least a few plans in advance. You can be spontaneous and still ensure you aren’t shut out of all the cool stuff.
Gen Con Scheduling
Gen Con requires a general admission ticket, which provides the attendee an access badge. Some years the convention sells out in advance, some years it doesn’t. Ticket holders can attend for one day or more days. Specific activities may have their own, additional admission procedure.
Every year Gen Con offers thousands of activities to the 70,000 plus attendees. Unlike many smaller cons, everything is ticketed and most have a purchase price, although there are free events as well. You can also buy generic tickets, which are good for any event that isn’t already filled.
But events fill up quickly. A person could buy a bunch of generics and plan to wander around, dropping into games and shows randomly, but don’t count on always getting your heart’s desire.
The Gen Con website offers a reservation/ticket sale apparatus to Gen Con admission ticket holders. Take advantage of that process to make at least some advanced plans. It is possible to coordinate with friends if you all want to do something together, like play True Dungeon or attend a show. Many people find the Gen Con Events website more user friendly than the official page. And new activities pop up all the time, so be prepared to make changes in your schedule.
Gen Con Transportation
Uber, Lyft, and taxis will be busy, with inevitable wait times and demand-based price adjustments. Check out the city bus system, here. (I have no personal experience with it.)
Parking rates and availability are typical of downtown city parking. On a game day. Hotels generally have overnight parking (around $50 a day for guests). I’ve park at Gate 10, around $125 for the entire convention. Gate 10 provides shuttles from the parking area to the convention center and several of the bigger hotels. For 2024, I’m going to try Chance Event Parking.
You can easily get in well over 10,000 steps every day at Gen Con. The convention covers the entire convention center, the connected Lucas Oil football stadium, and around a dozen downtown hotels. Most of these locations are linked by enclosed skywalks, nice in the August heat or a rainy day.
Wear excellent walking shoes and allow adequate time to get to your next event. If you use an assistive device, think through power sources and crowds. Likewise, envision navigating baby strollers and wagons through a packed hallway. People are generally kind and yield the right of way, but some events draw absolute throngs and long lines. You might want to study a map for alternate routes. (Good maps are online as well as printed in your program book.)
Gen Con Lodging
There is not enough downtown hotel space for all the Gen Con travelers. The convention holds a reduced-price hotel room block lottery for registered attendees in the late winter. A downtown hotel connected to the skywalk is ideal. If you have the funds, even reserving a “backup” downtown hotel may appeal to you.
We stayed out in the suburbs one year. The place was nice, the room was fine, the parking good, but driving and ridesharing back and forth to the convention center every day, not so good. There are events going on all the time, late into the night.
Gen Con Dining
Seasoned convention goers recommended packing snacks, even sandwiches, and, of course, a water bottle. Obtaining meals can really “eat up” your precious playing, shopping, and socializing time. My friends usually schedule one or two meet-ups over meals at the beginning or end of the convention and pack in or forage the rest of the time.
Food to purchase is all over, but depending on the time of day, lines are long. The convention center itself has food service, and I found it a more convenient place for morning coffee than the hotel café. Food trucks can be quick or not, and you’ll find some interesting selections.
Of course, surrounding hotels generally have food, as do restaurants near the convention center. It may take awhile to obtain it, though.
Gen Con Stress
Discomfort in crowds may not be a reason to stay away from an exciting event, but plan an exit strategy, if needed. The con provides specific quiet and/or dim-light rooms, and you can usually find out-of-the way nooks to take a breather. The area dedicated to free-range crafting is a good place to hide, if necessary. The adjacent hotels have the usual lobby and lounges, often a nice place to sit and journal, draw a picture, or just people watch for a while. The planned programming includes walking tours and various relaxation and exercise classes; build some of that into your day.
Gen Con Safety
Consider wearing a mask, especially if your immune system is not strong. Hand sanitizer is a must. The usual advice about smart travel precautions apply, even though Gen Con is a jolly crowd of goodhearted people. A few bad apples can surface. Gen Con has a dedicated security staff ( as does the convention center itself) to help attendees with harassment, bullying, or any other threat they may feel. From the website, “If you are comfortable doing so, ask a Gen Con Captain or on-site security or staff member for help. You can find Gen Con Captains (wearing black Event Team vests) at Event HQs, in the Show Office, at the Customer Service kiosks, and roaming the halls.”
How about you? Do you go to big conventions? What’s your favorite tip to make life easier and fun? If you found Gen Con: A Practical Guide interesting, you might enjoy reading about my travels to Louisville, KY. (Also for a convention!)
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