Gen Con, the largest and longest-running tabletop gaming convention in North America, packed the halls of the Indiana Convention Center this week with more than 71,000 gamers and fans, setting an all-time attendance record and generating an estimated economic impact of more than $77 million for Indianapolis hotels, restaurants, and other local businesses.
“As our city’s skyline has grown, so has Gen Con’s attendance and its overall impact on Indy,” said Chris Gahl, executive vice president & chief marketing officer with Visit Indy. “In addition to attracting visitors from around the world, since arriving in 2003, Gen Con has partnered with local nonprofits to give back more than $455,000. Gen Con is so much more than an annual convention, they are part of our community.”
During the four days of the convention, attendees browsed and shopped an exhibit hall featuring over 540 games publishers and vendors and participated in nearly 24,000 events and activities held in the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, and several downtown Indianapolis hotels.
Local Hoosiers without convention badges also participated in the Gen Con’s outdoor Block Party activation on South Street, where local businesses including Sun King Brewery and HotBox Pizza served up exclusive Gen Con-themed fare alongside dozens of food trucks throughout the weekend.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of globally popular tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons, and Gen Con celebrated the occasion with a slate of special programming that offered a look back at D&D’s history through retrospective panels with special guests and a D&D Museum.
“Gen Con 2024 was a rousing success and we are once again humbled by the passion of our attendees and the hospitality of Indianapolis,” said David Hoppe, Gen Con’s president. “The original edition of Dungeons & Dragons made its Gen Con debut in 1974, and we were proud to join with our attendees on this historic occasion to celebrate how much D&D and Gen Con have each grown in scale and cultural influence over the past 50 years.”
Wizards of the Coast, the publisher of D&D, conducted several events and activations, including live gaming events, a special tournament, and a preview of the game’s future with the release of the hotly anticipated 2024 Player’s Handbook — selling copies of the new book before its official release. The U.S. Postal Service revealed new D&D stamps and sold them to excited attendees over the course of the convention.
“It was so cool being in the audience when Dungeon Master Aabria Iyengar revealed Brennan Lee Mulligan and Anjali Bhimani were both playing secret dragons in the live game,” said Jess Lanzillo, VP of D&D Franchise and Product at Wizards of the Coast. “Gen Con 2024 has been an amazing celebration of 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons and a testament to the countless imaginations that have been inspired by this game.”
Gen Con partners with charities each year to raise funds and spotlight the remarkable work of the selected nonprofit organizations. This year, attendees helped raise more than $31,000 for the Rose Gauntlet Foundation and Tangram. Gen Con has raised over $455,000 for charity since 2003.
Gen Con will return to Indianapolis July 31 – August 3, 2025 and will remain in Indy through 2030. Badges for next year’s convention will go on sale in early 2025 on the convention’s website (gencon.com).
Images via Gen Con
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