Event calendar last updated: May 12, 2023
Click here for an up to date list of worldwide board game conventions
The board gaming hobby can be quite overwhelming for a newly budding board game geek. With thousands of new games coming out each year, it can certainly be hard to jump in head first. 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!
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.
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?

Board game conventions come in all shapes and sizes. Some are small intimate gatherings where people marathon through games, and some are weeklong events with large dealer halls and lots of gaming events. 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.
Small Con vs. Large Con
For the most part, gaming conventions can be put into two categories: either small conventions or large conventions. Of course, small and large can mean different things to all people, so we’ll try to distinguish that a little more.
Small/Local Conventions
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. These conventions usually host anywhere from 200 – 5,000 attendees. Usually, they are more focused on bringing people together just to play games and often lack an exhibitor hall.

Personally, I love these kinds of conventions. With their small size, you often feel like you get to know a lot more people, especially if you come back year after year. We have a local convention called Tennessee Game Days that has grown to about 700-800 people over the years. Now that I’ve been coming for the past few, there are so many familiar faces. I even have friends in other states whom I only get to see at the convention each year. The small intimate feel is a huge perk to these local cons.
Meeple Mountain also runs Nashville Tabletop Day, a single day event in April. It’s small, but growing, with attendance nearing 500.
Large Conventions
The big conventions are always huge, vibrant, and exciting events. 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. 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. There is often not an emphasis on just playing games all day, and instead are focused on the shopping aspects, events, panels, etc. Large conventions can be quite overwhelming, so hopefully this article will help you understand them!

Online Board Game Conventions
Online events are on the rise! As bandwidth becomes cheaper and more reliable, more gamers are looking to save money on travel and lodging by attending online board game conventions (also called virtual board game conventions). Their numbers are small, but growing, and you can expect to see more in the coming years. If you’re not sure what to expect then make sure to check out our tips for attending an online board game convention so that you can get the most out of one. Then when you’re ready, check out our listing of online board game conventions in our master list.
Why should I go to a board game convention?
There are lots of great reasons to go to a convention! Everyone gets something different out of their experiences, but here are some prominent reasons that a board game convention might interest you.
You want to:
- play a lot of games.
- try the hot new games before they are released.
- meet your favorite designers, authors, artists, publishers, or media personalities.
- compete in large gaming tournaments.
- find really cool stuff to buy and take home.
- survey lots of different board games from different publishers to find something new that you might like.
- meet other gamers with similar interests.
- hear talks and panels about topics in the industry that interest you.
- get ahold of exclusive promotional cards/pieces/expansions for your favorite games.
If any of those interest you, then giving a gaming convention a shot might be right up your alley! In all honesty, there is so much more to do at conventions, but these are a few of the cool things that really stand out.
Ok! I want to go! Now what?!
Good question! The first thing you’ll need to do is decide on whether you want to go to a smaller or larger convention. For many people, location will be a big factor in this decision, while others may be willing to travel long distances. Let’s take a look at some of the options available. Most of these will be “large” conventions, but there are some smaller ones that squeak through based on popularity.
Most Popular Board Game Conventions
This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of gaming conventions. There are hundreds of game conventions each year, just in America, so it would be quite difficult to cover them all. The selections below are all either significant because of their pure size or following. Some may be “smaller” conventions, but they are still very prevalent in the board game industry or even run by a large publisher or media outlet. Check out the bottom of this article for an up to date list of worldwide board game conventions!
Small to Medium Conventions
![]() BGG CON (& BGG SPRING) Dallas, TX |
![]() CMON Expo Atlanta, GACheck out Phil & Justin’s experience at CMON Expo! |
![]() Dice Tower Con Orlando, FL |
![]() St. Louis, MO |
Large Conventions
![]() UK Games Expo Birmingham, UK ~21,698 attendees |
![]() Origins Game Fair Columbus, OH ~20,642 attendees |
![]() PAX Unplugged Philadelphia, PACheck out Ashley & Justin‘s recap of PAX Unplugged 2018. |
![]() Gen Con Indianapolis, Indiana ~60,000 attendees |
![]() Essen Spiel Essen, Germany ~174,000 |
I’ve picked a convention, how do I prepare for it?
Buy your badge
First things first, you’ve got to purchase a badge. Some conventions only last a day or two and only have one badge option, while others will allow for you to purchase a badge for individual days or just the weekend. Since most conventions run through both weekdays and weekends, you’ll need to decide what works best for your schedule. Purchasing a badge is usually simple and can either be done online or at the door. Be careful, though! Many conventions sell out ahead of time!
Find housing

Housing can be one of the most frustrating parts of prepping for a gaming convention. Each con is a little different, but most are infamous for making this a true pain. If you buy your badge as early as possible, you should receive some sort of communication before the hotel sales go live. This can be a tricky process as some will have a “queue” system and others will have a “whoever can get through” set up. Either way, for larger conventions these websites will often become bottlenecked and crash. Honestly, there is often just a lot of luck here. Make sure you’re online the second they go live!
If you aren’t interested in a hotel or you weren’t able to get one, there are still lots of other options! I’ve used airBnB a couple times for this and it has worked wonderfully. You might have to walk a bit farther or drive to the convention center, but you also might save some money and stress, so it’s often worth it for many people.
Register for events
Each convention will have a long list of events that you can attend. These can range from talks/panels, gaming tournaments, game demos, and more. Some events will cost while others will be free. Most conventions open their events up to pre-registrations and many events fill up. Each convention website should have a portal that you can log into to find and register for each event. If you miss out on registering in advance, sometimes you can still make it into them, though! Most large conventions will offer “generic tickets” that you can purchase and spend for events. If it isn’t full, you should be able to spend these “generics” to jump in. If a “full” doesn’t have all of its registered attendees, you might be able to jump in with generics as well!
Make a plan of attack
The convention floor can be overwhelming! With so many booths to stop in and so many new games to try, it’s easy to see why you could get lost in the mix. To help ease this sensory overload, it can be helpful to have a plan before you even begin your travels to the convention. There are two things that can help with this: making sure you know which games you are interested in up front and preparing your path in the expo hall.
It can be hard to keep up with all of the games coming out each year, especially with so much going on during the convention season. One of the best ways to keep an eye out on new releases during the major conventions is through the Boardgame Geek Preview lists. Board Game Geek usually releases their preview geeklist a month or two in advance of each major convention. These lists have all of upcoming convention releases and their information listed in order by publisher. This is a great resource to scope out the games that really interest you the most. Be careful, though, as you don’t want to miss out on a game that you didn’t expect to enjoy by counting it out ahead of time!
Once you’ve found the games you are most interested, you can either register for demo events or seek them out in the exhibit hall. The advantage to demoing games in the hall is that you usually will only play a quick demo to get a feel for them. Of course, if you want to play a full game or don’t want to wait in a line, events might be better for you. If you do chose the path of the exhibit hall, it can be a huge help to familiarize yourself with where booths you want to visit are actually located. Most conventions will post a map of the exhibit hall ahead of time, and you can even print it out to highlight and draw the most efficient path for you!
One more thing to keep in mind is that sometimes it can be important to prioritize the “hot” booths first. Every year there are certain games that everyone knows will sell out quickly. If you want those games, you’ll need to make sure that they are your first stops! This can be hard to tell sometimes, but keeping an eye on the comments of the preview lists can help you gauge people’s interest.
Pack accordingly

So, what do you bring to a convention? Well, outside of the obvious answer of clothes, there are some things that I’ve found helpful to have on you.
- Hand sanitizer. Seriously. The “con crud” is real and you don’t want to mess with that! Think about it, tens of thousands of people in one room does not lead to good sanitation.
- Snacks. Cliff bars, trail mix, crackers. Whatever you need, make sure to keep some snacks on hand to keep yourself energized.
- Water bottle. Similar to the snacks, you’re going to want to keep hydrated to stay healthy.
- Battery chargers. My phone always seems to die twice as fast during conventions. The last thing you want is to not have a way to find your friends in the midst of tens of thousands of people!
- Games. Ok, I’ve overdone this too many times. In my experience, it isn’t worth bringing big box games unless you have a specific plan to play them. Instead, I always make sure that I have a couple small card games in my bag for those times where you’re stuck in a line or waiting on something to start.
Get Out of the Con
Yes, we know you’re there for board games. But if you’re traveling to a new city, then consider getting out of the con at least once and seeing sights. Visit an art museum, eat at a great local restaurant, or look for a board game cafe in that city.
Update: Since this piece was originally published we’ve added lots more Gen Con content. Make sure to check out our Gen Con 2017 wrap up, and Gen Con 2017 interviews, along with our newbie’s guide to Gen Con.
Run Your Own Gaming Event
If all of this seems a bit overwhelming, perhaps you should start smaller. Check out our guide to running a successful board gaming event and start your own event in your hometown!
Conclusion
I know this process can be quite stressful, but hopefully this gives a little bit of direction for your journey to your first convention! Do you have any other tips or tricks? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!
Worldwide Board Game Convention List
The following list of worldwide board game conventions is updated regularly.
Click here to add or update an event.
Can’t find the event you’re looking for? Click the crosshair icon on the top right corner of the map to expand it, then search for your event.
Online
Stumptown Game Summit
Conpulsion
Game Devs of Color Expo
TsunamiCon
Protospiel Online April 2022
Protospiel Online August 2022
Protospiel Online January 2023
Terminal City Tabletop Convention
Protospiel Online May 2023
Protospiel Online August 2023
Australia
Ettin Con
MeepleCon
Oz Bunny Con
LFG Canberra
Cancon
ShepparCon
PAX Australia (cancelled)
Belgium
Brussels Game Festival
Youplay
Spellenfestival
Zomerspel
Bulgaria
Board Game Fest
Canada
Alberta
FallCon
Calgary Tabletop Day
Gate: 500
GOBFest
British Columbia
Bottoscon
SHUX | Shut Up & Sit Down Expo
Manitoba
PrairieCon
Game-iToba
New Brunswick
Enbicon
Impossible Realities
Ontario
Ragnarok XP
Niagara Boardgaming Weekend
CanGames
Phantasm
Hotlead
Thundercon
Breakout Con
Quebec
Les Jeux Au Boute
Ludo-Outaouais
Denmark
Fastaval
Viking-Con
England
East
SoRCon
Diceni
Norwich Games Convention
TringCon
East Midlands
Con-densed
Field Of Games
London
Dragonmeet
North West
Grogmeet
Tabletop Gaming Live
Warhammer Fest 2023
Northwest
ConTingency
South East
LoBsterCon
MerryCon
Concrete Cow
Stabcon South
Spiel@Sea
Paradice
South West
Grand Tribunal
24 Hour Board Game Marathon
BayCon
United Kingdom
GridCon
West Midlands
UK Games Expo
epic.LAN TT1 – Tabletop Weekender
Yorkshire
AireCon
Gate: 5,000
Leeds Board Games Fest
7 Hills
North Star
Furnace
Finland
RopeCon
France
Festival International des Jeux
FLIP
OctoGônes
Ludinord
Paris est Ludique!
LPO Board Games Holiday
Alchimie du Jeu
Germany
Berlin Brettspiel Con
Spielwiese
Spiel (aka Essen)
Nord Con
SPIELWIESN
Göttingen Game Designer Convention
Nuremberg International Toy Fair / Spielwarenmesse
Ratinger Spieletage
Ireland
Gaelcon
K2 Con
Itzacon
Israel
Draconicon
Italy
Delbello Ludico
Gaming By Sea – Summer 2023
Modena play
Gate: 40,000
Japan
Kobe Game Market
Lithuania
Pinecon
Gate: 200
Mexico
Mega XP
Netherlands
Roll Initiative Con
Ducosim
Spellenspektakel
Zuiderspel
New Zealand
Boardgames By The Bay
Games Fair
Wellycon
Norway
MidWinter
Arcon
Poland
Pyrkon
Portugal
VianaCon
LeiriaCon
San Marino
San Marino
Scotland
Tabletop Scotland
Gate: 3,000
Singapore
Asian Board Games Festival
Singapore
Singapore Toy Game & Comic Convention
Spain
DAU Barcelona
Festival Internacional de Juegos de Córdoba
Sweden
GothCon
CalCon
LinCon
Nordsken
Prolog
Switzerland
Ludesco
United Kingdom
TwinCon
United States
Alaska
Platypus-Con
Alabama
Play on Con
Rocket City Gamefest
Arizona
Tucson Comic-Con
Phoenix Fan Fusion
Gate: 30,000
MaricopaCon
Consim World Expo
RinCon
California
WonderCon
Gob Con
KublaCon Game Convention
GameSchoolCon
Long Beach Comic Con
Orccon
D20 Cruise
Gamex
Anime Expo
GACUCON Game Cruise
GACUCON Gaming & Cosplay Cruise
Battle Barge Cruise
Gateway
Board Game Extravaganza
Anime Los Angeles
SacAnime
Pacificon
San Diego Historical Games Convention
JoCo Cruise
San Diego Comic-Con
CondorCon
GobbleCon
Big Bad Con
Fanime
DunDraCon
South Pacificon Game Fest
Colorado
TactiCon
Genghis Con
HexaCon
Springs RetCon
MileHiCon
B-Con
Connecticut
Compass Games Expo 2022
LevelUp Retreat
ConnectiCon
HBG-CON Summer
District of Columbia
WashingCon
Circle DC
Scrum Con
NOVA Open
Florida
Tampa Nerd Con
Gaming By Sea
Dice Tower Cruise
Game and Party Con
HMGS-SOUTH Hurricon
Board Games, Beaches & Brew
Meeples at Sea Spring
Dice Tower Retreat
Meeples at Sea
HMGS-South
Crucible X
Escape Winter Con
MegaCon
Dice Tower East
Quest Con
Lair Con 2022
Pensacon Pensacola Comic Con
Tampa Tabletop Role-playing Games Convention
FlaMinGoCon
Georgia
Proto ATL
Furry Weekend Atlanta
MomoCon
Southern-Fried Gaming Expo
DragonCon
Siege of Augusta
Atlanta Game Fest
Gate: 250
Hawaii
Kawaii Kon
Comic Con Honolulu
Gate: 13,000
Iowa
Gamicon
Sioux City Games Con
Sioux City Tabletop Gamers Fall Convention
Cardboard Caucus
Idaho
Gem State Gaming Convention
iCON – Idaho Convention for Boardgamers
Illinois
Protospiel Chicago
Winter War
DieCon
Archon
Heroicon
Effing-Con
CODCON
Limitless-Con
Polar Vortex
Little Wars
Windy Con
The Gaming Hoopla
QuinCon
Rock-Con
Tabletop Central
Gate: 250
AdeptiCon
2020 D8 Summit Charity Convention
Capricon
Indiana
Indystorm
Who’s Yer Con
InConJunction
Gen Con
Lake City Game Fest
Kansas
KantCon
Tsunami GameDay
Kentucky
Lexicon
LTN Con
Den Con
Louisiana
Louisiana Comic Con (Cancelled)
Southern Board Game Festival
CyPhaCon
Massachusetts
Arisia
PAX East
Nor’easter
ReUnity Games
Total Confusion
Rising Phoenix Game Convention
Havoc!
Maryland
Congress of Gamers Cruise Session (cancelled)
Balticon
Epic Nerd Camp
Barrage
Unpublished Games Festival
Magfest
Congress of Gamers Summer Session
Gate: 300
Congress of Gamers Fall Session
Gate: 300
Congress of Gamers Winter Session
Gate: 300
Congress of Gamers Spring Session
Gate: 300
EuroQuest
Maine
SnowCon
Huzzah!
PortConMaine
Michigan
Chaosium Con
U-Con Gaming Convention
Fandom Fest of Southwest Michigan
Bayou Wars
ConfuseSF
YouMaCon
Spartacon
GrandCon
HUBCON
Marmalade Dog
HistoriKCfest
Michigan GT
Capital City Comic
Battlefields
30th Motor City Comic Con
Minnesota
Con of the North
2D Con
DaveCon
SkålCon
Missouri
Midwest GameFest Fall
ConQuest
Recruits
MoonCityCon
Tremendicon
Visioncon
Warfaire Weekend
Geekway To the West Mini
Geekway to the West
OZ-Con
Mississippi
CoastCon
Mississippi Comic Con
Siege of Vicksburg
Montana
Miscon 33
North Carolina
Mythic Con West (Asheville, NC)
ConCarolinas
JeffCon, the Final MACE
TantrumCon
Mythic Con
Whose Turn Is It Anyway?
Game On Greensboro
Con-Gregate
ReCon Board Game Convention
Southern Front
Playthrough Game Convention
North Dakota
Fargo GameFest
CoreCon 11
Nebraska
Punchboard Paradise Con
Great Plains Game Fest
Nebraskon
PretzCon
Nuke-Con
New Hampshire
MayhemCon
Granite Game Summit
StarCon
New Jersey
DexLite
Enfilade!
PrinceCon
New Mexico
BuboniCon
Nevada
Meeple Peak
Roll20Con
Dice Tower West
World Series of Board Gaming
RageCon
New York
Great Escape on the Lake
WGGCon
Long Island Retro Con
Long Island’s Tabletop Gaming
Running GAGG
Adirondacon
Gate: 150
OttoCon
GeeklyCon
SIMCON
Flower City Comic Con
Council Con
Ohio
GooseCon
Ice & Dice
CinCityCon
Cleveland ConCoction
Origins Game Day
Buckeye Game Fest
GDex
Origins
AcadeCon 6
CincyCon
DayCon
Ratha Con
Con on the Cob
Wittcon XVI
Oklahoma
Soonercon 28
TokenCon
Twisted Lords Con
Tokyo in Tulsa
Oregon
GameStorm
Rose City Comic Con
Pennsylvania
COSCon
SIBcon
COSCon
SIBcon
S’mores & Meeples Board Game Camp
Erie Days of Games
Cold Wars
Fall In!
Pittsburgh Gaming Expo
Too Many Games
PAX Unplugged
World Boardgaming Championships
S’mores and Meeples Board Game Camp
Gate: 175
Mepacon
Save Against Fear
Rhode Island
Captain Con
South Carolina
SCARAB
Soda City Comic Con
ShushCon
MegaMooseCon
South Dakota
SiouxperCon
VerminCon
Tennessee
ConNooga
Chattacon
Fun K-Town
Rocky Top Game Con
Board Game Days
Gate: 200
MidSouth Con
Shadowcon
Tennessee Game Days Fall
Tennessee Game Days Spring
Nashville Tabletop Day
Gate: 500
Nashville Comicon
Nashcon
Music City Multi Con
Texas
Wild Game Roundup
MillenniumCon
South by Southwest (SXSW) Gaming
STAPLE! Present Indie Tabletop Game Day
ALL-CON
BGG.CON
BGG.CON
BGG.CON
BGG.CON
Lone Star Game Expo
ComicPalooza
NTRPGCon
FenCon
Mini Recon
The Long Con
GamerNation Con
ChupacabraCon Gaming Convention
Alamo City Game Convention
San Japan
FallsCon
Utah
SaltCON Spring 2023
SaltCON Summer 2023
SaltCON End of Summer 2023
TimpCon
Protocon
Virginia
PrezCon
RiVirCon
GalaxyCon Richmond
RavenCon
Richmond Open
TCEP 28: 28 Years Later
MarsCon
Williamsburg Muster
Vermont
Carnage
Washington
GameOn!
Dragonflight Game Con
OrcaCon
Gate: 1,200
CascadeCon
TAGCON
Evergreen Tabletop Expo
Go Play NW
PAX West
GeekGirlCon
Emerald City Comicon
BGG @ SEA
BGG @ SEA
Wisconsin
Phoenix Con
Strong Tower Gaming Convention
Kitsunecon
Coulee Con
Gary Con
Free-For-All Gaming Event
Dragon Fall
VENGER CON
GameholeCon
Fire and Ice Convention
LincCon
Nexus Game Fair
Midwinter Gaming Convention
Midwestern Gaming Classic
Protospiel – Milwaukee
Air-Con
Plattecon
Evercon
No Brand Con
West Virginia
DualCon
CharCon Game Convention
1d4Con
Wyoming
Cheyenne Gaming Convention