Gen Con 2014 Rocks It Again with Record Smashing Numbers

Aug 22, 2014

Another Gen Con has come and gone and by all accounts, from exhibitors and attendees, it was a smashing success. Speaking of smashing, at the show I had been mentioning to exhibitors my thought was we’d see a record attendance somewhere in the vicinity of around 55k or so. It was just a gut call as the Indiana Convention Center seemed a bit more crowded, as did the Exhibitors’ Hall, and knowing how well our hobby is growing I’d “guesstimated” that number. Well the official attendance has been announced and I have to say I was close…

From Gen Con:

Gen Con 2014, completed August 14-17 at the Indiana Convention Center, experienced another year of record attendance numbers and unprecedented growth. For the fourth consecutive year, Gen Con grew by more than 10%. This year, reaching more than 14% year-over-year growth with a weekend turnstile attendance of 184,699 and unique attendance of 56,614. This number surpasses 2013’s previous record of 49,530 unique attendees. Since 2009, Gen Con’s annual attendance has more than doubled.

“Gen Con 2014 is a testament to a more than decade-long relationship between Indianapolis and the game industry, which has culminated in the best attendee experience yet,” said Adrian Swartout, CEO and owner of Gen Con LLC. “Gen Con is a massive yearly adventure that would not be possible without the collaboration and support of our show sponsors, exhibitors, event organizers, volunteers, local business partners, the Indy community, and of course, our attendees.”

Another new record in 2014 was set for donations to Gen Con’s Official Charity Partner. Gen Con raised more than $40,000 for Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana’s BackSacks program, which provides weekend food to children at-risk for hunger. This donation includes a $20,000 check provided by Mayfair Games’ Cones of Dunshire event, a charitable game played Saturday, August 16 on Georgia Street.

“Since their first show in Indy in 2003, Gen Con has evolved into more than just a great convention for gamers – it’s become a one-of-a-kind cultural event,” said Leonard Hoops, president & CEO of Visit Indy. “The entire Indy hospitality community is proud to host Gen Con and we congratulate their team on yet another record-breaking year.”
Due to Gen Con’s expansion throughout the Indiana Convention Center, the show also featured record numbers of exhibitors (370+) and events (14,000+).

Gen Con 2015 will return to Indianapolis July 30 – August 2, 2015.

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...