Gen Con Breaks Attendance Record

Gen Con 2018 is set for August 2-5.

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As expected, Gen Con LLC is reporting record attendance for last weekend’s convention. The organization says turnstile attendance was nearly 208,000, marking an increase of about 4 percent over 2016. For the first time in its 50-year history, the convention sold out of all attendee badges before the event began.

Gen Con Chief Executive Officer Adrian Swartout says the organization focused on growing attendance while continuing to "optimize the attendee experience." She says adding the field level of Lucas Oil Stadium, improving space planning and restructuring attendance thresholds by badge type allowed the event to attract record crowds "while maintaining a world-class experience for attendees."

This year’s event also reached Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the first time. A concert by Grammy-winning band They Might Be Giants is the largest single event in Gen Con’s history, topping 5,500 tickets sold.

This year’s convention featured around 500 exhibitors and more than 19,000 ticketed events. In addition, it raised more than $26,000 raised for local charity partner Child Advocates.

Gen Con 2018 is set for August 2-5.