Gen Con convention badges selling at record pace

Gen Con officials have signed a contract to hold their event at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium through 2022. (IBJ file photo)

Last year, the Gen Con annual gaming convention sold out of entry badges before the show started for the first time in its 50-year history.

Many thought that was in large part because the huge convention was celebrating its 50th anniversary. But according to Gen Con officials, badges for this year’s Aug. 2-5 event are selling faster than they did at this time last year.

Badges “went on sale about a month ago,” said Gen Con spokesman Jake Theis, “and we’re on pace for a second consecutive sellout and our largest opening of all time.”

In 2017, Gen Con registered record attendance for the ninth straight year. Tickets were not sold on site, for the first time ever, due to the sellout. Gen Con recorded 207,979 turnstile visits, a 4 percent increase over 2016. Those visits came from roughly 60,000 unique attendees. Visit Indy estimated the economic impact at more than $71 million.

The event this year—like last year—will be in the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium.

Gen Con officials have signed a contract to hold their event in Indianapolis through 2022. In recent years, Gen Con has been one of the city’s three biggest conventions in terms of economic impact.•