Gen Con is taking part in Indianapolis‘ “It’s My City” campaign and is attempting to set an example for other conventions to follow when it comes to cutting waste, use less disposable products, and “upcycle” existing materials.

The convention has announced they they will reduce their annual paper usage by more than three million pages in 2018. That’s more than 130 trees! That savings will come from removing the event charts from the program book which can now easily be found by attendees using their smart phones, tablets, and desktop computer. A new search functionality will be added to make its use even easier and a downloadable version will be available as well.

That decision was partially made due to feedback from attendees who said they were using that part of the event book less. Even when printed, that event portion of the book featured only a portion of the ticketed events available. The digital catalog will be released April 22.

The convention will also move towards electronic ticketing in 2018. This first year will be done as a test for a handful of events. Ease of use will be measured to see if it can be further implemented. Most events for 2018 will continue to use paper tickets while this test is performed. Electronic ticketed events will have a special notation in their event listing. Attendees who go to these events will have their electronic ticket tied to their badge which can be scanned to keep track.

The company will also have “unboxing” stations in 2018. Attendees will be able to recycle unwanted packaging including cellophane wrap and interior components you may not want.

Gen Con is also partnering with People for Urban Progress (PUP) to test “upcycling” of the convention banners from Gen Con 50. The street banners have been converted into collectible bags and wallets. They also use material from Indy’s RCA Dome as well, creating a unique bag and collectible. A limited number will be available soon.