Gen Con returned to an in-person convention and saw an attendance of over 35,000. This amount was similar to attendance when the convention moved to Indianapolis in 2003. That’s about 50% of the number of people in 2019, the last time an in-person convention was held. The convention is estimated to have generated $37 million in economic activity for restaurants, hotels, and local businesses. The convention took place September 16-19.

The convention was described as a “more relaxed atmosphere” on a smaller scale.

320 exhibiting publishers and vendors were featured in the exhibit hall which included more than 90 for the first time. More than 200 new games were released and more than 6,500 ticketed events were held over the four days.

According to the post-convention release, over 90% of attendees were vaccinated against COVID-19 according to surveys. Attendees were required to wear masks while inside the convention center. Increased table spacing and nightly sanitization and cleaning were implemented for safety.

In addition to the physical convention, 2,300 virtual events were held as well as 200 pop-up events at retail stores. When including those, nearly 50,000 people participated in Gen Con 2021.

Gen Con returns to Indianapolis on August 4-7, 2022.