The world's longest-running tabletop gaming convention, Gen Con, has announced a series of pop-up events to be run at local game stores in the US during the course of the convention this August. President of Gen Con, David Hoppe, said:
“We’re excited to bring the Gen Con experience to more tabletop gaming fans than ever before through our new Pop-Up Gen Con program, local game stores that combine community space with traditional retail are the heart of the hobby, and we’re proud to be a part of that by connecting with gamers nationwide.”The first year of these pop-up events is being treated as a trial run and will see many pre-release copies of games set to be released at the convention shipped to stores nationwide. This will give gamers the chance to try out and pre-order new games before they hit the market, and all in the comfort of their local gaming stores which are often seen as the lifeblood of the tabletop community.
During this trial run of Pop-Up Gen Con, events will be held at 40 stores across the United States with video content to be streamed live from the main convention in Indianapolis. Which stores, in particular, will be hosting events will be announced via the Gen Con website over the coming months and those wishing to attend will have a small admission fee which includes a commemorative badge and exclusive pin. If the trial goes well these sort of pop-up events could become a staple of the convention in years to come.
The convention will be held from August 1st until August 4th, 2019. Check the official site for details of pop-up events in your local area.
Are you excited by the prospect of pop-up Gen Con events? Will you be going to any local events in your area? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
