Here’s a list of many of the conventions I attend each year plus a few extras I think others may be interested in. I'll try to update these and reorder them as best I can and if you're going to be at any of these please let me know and I'll hope to connect with you in person!

January 17 - Jan 19, 2025

Feb 27 – Mar 2, 2025

June 6-8 2025

Aug 29-31, 2025

Various Locations, UT

The mission of SaltCON is “to bring people together with games.” Come play with your family and friends. We have exhibitors, prizes, game teachers, and tournaments.  We have board games, card games, party games, role playing games, dexterity games, miniatures games and more! Check out the hottest new releases, enter a tournament, browse game themed jewelry, decor, and accessories. Find a great deal at the game swap, try-before-you-buy with our game library of over 2000 games, advance in D&D Adventurer’s League, or lose yourself in one of our unique RPG games!

November 19 - 23, 2025

May 22 - 26, 2025

June 29 - July 6, 2025

Oct 3 - 10, 2025

Over five days and nights we're going to venture into the creations of Kaiju, looking for the larger than life strange beasts of monstrous proportions. (King of Tokyo, anyone?) BGG.CON has its own kaiju, the BGG Library, which has yet to be defeated (i.e. all games played) by attendees. Will this be the year? How many games will you play?

Attendees at BGG.CON can enjoy a variety of activities, including playing games with others at open gaming tables, meeting new people to play with or learn from, and exploring the extensive BGG Library, which features a large collection of board games. Additionally, the event highlights the Golden Geek Awards, where winners are announced and celebrated.

May 8 - 11, 2025

Boston, MA

August 29 - Sept 1, 2025

Seattle, WA

Nov 21 - 23, 2025

Philadelphia, PA

PAX Unplugged, PAX East, and PAX West are major gaming conventions, each offering a unique experience. PAX Unplugged, held in Philadelphia, focuses entirely on tabletop gaming, featuring board games, RPGs, tournaments, and an extensive game library. It provides a space for players to connect, learn new games, and engage with industry professionals. PAX East, hosted in Boston, embraces both video and tabletop gaming, with lively panels, indie game showcases, and a massive exhibitor hall where developers reveal upcoming titles and fans can try the latest releases.

PAX West, the original PAX event in Seattle, remains one of the largest gaming conventions in North America. Like PAX East, it highlights video and tabletop gaming while also offering exclusive previews, esports competitions, and live concerts. Each PAX event fosters a welcoming, community-driven environment where gamers of all backgrounds can explore new games, meet creators, and share their passion. Whether attendees are looking for cutting-edge video games, engaging tabletop experiences, or simply a chance to connect with fellow players, PAX conventions provide an unforgettable celebration of gaming culture.

January 23 - 26, 2025

Charlotte, NC

Tantrum House is a board game media group intent on pursuing ever improving video, audio, and visual quality standards in the passionate promotion of our hobby because we believe that games have incredible power to connect people and bring them joy.​ That's what we're all about—Joy! Creating opportunities for connection with one another. Everyone is welcome at the Tantrum House table. ​ No hurdles. Just playing games together and having fun. We want to see the board gaming space be a place where everyone feels welcome.

January 17 - 19, 2025

Atlanta, GA

Roll the dice on Atlanta’s largest tabletop gaming event from the folks who brought you the Southern-Fried Gaming Expo! With a focus on fun, Dice Diversions is tabletop done right. A family-friendly convention focused entirely on board games, role-playing games, miniatures, card games, and everything in-between, Dice + Diversions will be a weekend you won’t forget.

January 24 - 26, 2025

Bloomington, MN

If you are a game designer looking to get professional level feedback from other designers there is no better place to get that feedback. Games in all stages of completion are welcome. You’ll have the opportunity to play test your designs many times through-out the weekend. And the friendships you’ll make will last a lifetime.

Jan 31 - Feb 1, 2025

West Valley, UT

ProtoCON is an in person event that takes place the last week in January each year, while ProtoCON Online is a less structured online event that occurs several time each year. Both events are geared toward unpublished board games/card games of all stages! In order for local designers to make excellent games, they need to play their prototypes with gamers. By starting ProtoCON in Utah, we hope designers will be able to find the right playtesters for their game’s development, and that playtesters will have fun taking part in the creation of Utah’s next games. ProtoCON is truly where games begin!

February 19 - 21, 2025

Las Vegas, Nevada

ToyFest is a toy trade show in Las Vegas, providing a service for specialty toy stores, manufacturers and sales reps to conduct business for over 60 years. It is recognized as the second oldest and second largest show in the United States. The next ToyFest will take place in February at the World Market Center Las Vegas. Don’t miss the first full toy show of the year with close to 1000 different products.

February 23-27, 2025

Louisville, KY

GAMA Expo is the premier professional tradeshow where over 300 exhibitors, game creators and industry experts to connect and collaborate. It features four days of seminars, panel discussions, product reviews and demos of new products, while providing a welcoming environment to network and build your business with a multitude of professionals in our industry. You must be a GAMA member to attend the trade show. All Voting Members receive two complimentary badges to the show as part of your membership.

March 1 - 4, 2025

New York, NY

Founded on June 9, 1916 as the Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc., The Toy Association®, Inc. leads the health and growth of the U.S. toy industry and are the industry’s voice on the developmental benefits of play, promoting play’s positive impact on childhood development to consumers and media through our Genius of Play initiative. Their mission is to be a unifying force for members’ creativity, responsibility, and global success, advocating for their needs and championing the benefits of play.

March 5 - 9, 2025

Las Vegas, NV

Join us for five days of non-stop gaming, exclusive previews, and epic tournaments in the heart of Las Vegas. Whether you’re a casual player or a competitive gamer, Dice Tower West has something for everyone. Get ready to play, discover, and celebrate the best in board gaming with other enthusiasts from across the globe.

March 7 - 15, 2025

Austin, TX

The Austin-based South by Southwest is not just a conference – it’s an extravaganza! Incorporating media, design, technology, and music, this event draws attendees from all over North America and is known for being one of the most influential events of the year. SXSW allows you to learn, explore, and connect in new ways with design. Between the dynamic talk sessions, screenings, showcases and design exhibitions, be prepared to leave inspired.

March 20 - 23, 2025

Cary, NC

Join 200+ board gamers for four days of open gaming, events, play-to-win prizes, and then more games! Bring anything you’d like to play or something from the Play-to-Win table and grab a “looking for players” sign! The convention will be similar to other local board game events, so if you have been to WhoseTurn, TGBT, TantrumCon or even Jeff’s Stra-tee-gery meetup group you have a good idea of the vibe.

March 21 - 23, 2025

Atlanta, GA

Each year we invite board game publishers, designers, and playtesters to gather in beautiful Atlanta, GA for an extended weekend of board game design, playtesting, networking, seminars, and pitches.

Our event boasts one of the best publisher to designer ratios in the country, so Proto ATL is quickly becoming THE place to get new games signed by publishers. For those that are taking the Kickstarter or self-publishing route, we offer a space to get great feedback and to meet useful industry contacts.

March 27 - 30, 2024

Linthicum Heights, MD

Unpub supports the game design and development community by organizing events intended to help designers receive public playtests and feedback, and connect with other tabletop gaming industry folks. These events are open to anyone who wishes to bring their game to the table, or who wishes to simply attend and play these games - no street cred check needed. If you have an idea or a prototype for a game, congratulations you would be a great fit at one of our events! Playtesters are asked to evaluate the games based on their personal tastes and provide constructive criticism in the form of verbal and/or written feedback.

April 26

Orlando, FL

The Gaming Caravan exists as a way to gather the board game lovers of Central Florida together for the sole-purpose of creating a tight-nit community. We work together with friendly, local, game stores to provide the best experience possible for everyone. Events are posted at least 2-weeks ahead of time at various locations in the Central Florida area (and possibly some conventions, too).

May 15 - 18, 2025

St Louis, MO

Geekway to the West hosts board game conventions and events in and around the St. Louis, Missouri area. Our premiere annual convention is hosted in the summer and attracts more than 3,000 board game enthusiasts from all over.

Geekway Mini is a small and local convention that takes place in January of each year, also near St. Louis, Missouri. The focus of Geekway Mini is just playing games – as such, there are no vendors or special events. Geekway Mini is also much smaller, with an attendance cap of only 400. 

May 23 - 26, 2025

Santa Clara, CA

KublaCon is dedicated to bringing people together from all walks of life to congregate in a magical place where games of every imaginable kind can be played as a joyous community.

Our goal is to provide a safe and comfortable space for you and your friends and family where you can immerse yourself in a weekend-long getaway from the real world and join us in a FUN distraction.

June 1 - 4, 2025

San Antonio, TX

ASTRA provides members with access to networking, education, discounts, business products, and services to assist our members as they grow their businesses.

Marketplace & Academy is a four-day trade show and education conference featuring industry leaders and hands-on product demonstrations. The conference draws more than 450 exhibits and includes more than 30 hours of education.

June 2- 6, 2025

Washington, DC

CreativePro Week is known as one of the world’s most effective “How-to” conferences, providing sessions about layout, editing, illustration, design, production, and more! No matter if you’re just starting out or are an expert in your craft, this conference will provide the opportunity to improve or learn about design programs, see what trends are coming down the pipe, and build industry connections. Bonus! Creative Pro Week offers virtual conference passes, where you can receive access to all sessions, handouts of speaker presentations, attendee-only chat forums, and more.

June 13- 15, 2025

Los Angeles, CA

Born from a shared passion for games and community, LFG Con is a three-day weekend at the Marriott Hotel in Burbank, CA, starting June 13th, 2025. LFG Con will be a gathering spot for gamers of all stripes, from the casual enthusiast to hardcore strategists. We love how board games bring all types of people together! and plan to reach out to non-gamers to spread the love. There will be LFG Con gameologists at the convention to help newbies dip their toes into the vast tabletop gaming arena and help gamers learn new games, answer any questions you might have, and help bring gamers together who are looking For a Group.

June 18 - 22, 2025

Columbus, OH

ASTRA provides members with access to networking, education, discounts, business products, and services to assist our members as they grow their businesses.

Marketplace & Academy is a four-day trade show and education conference featuring industry leaders and hands-on product demonstrations. The conference draws more than 450 exhibits and includes more than 30 hours of education.

July 20 - 22, 2025

Atlanta, GA

The Southern-Fried Gaming Expo features more than 400 arcade & pinball machines, dozens of new and retro console systems, a massive tabletop library, RPGs, wrestling, music, tournaments, a vendor expo, exciting panel sessions, guest speakers, and so much more. Atlanta has earned its place in the hearts of arcade, pinball, and tabletop enthusiasts with the Southern-Fried Gaming Expo. We are thrilled to be once again at the beautiful Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel and Convention Center.

June 27 - 29, 2025

Reno Sparks, NV

RAGECON is the best three days of tabletop gaming in Northern Nevada! We have a packed schedule for you to play your favorite board games, card games, dice games, miniatures games, and role playing games. You can learn a new game from our massive gaming library or our play-to-win section. Win a game or other prize in our RAGEBUCK raffles, or visit our exhibitor room to add to your game collection. RAGECON is a family friendly event so bring the whole family and enjoy three days of gaming fun and prizes.

July 2 - 6, 2025

Orlando, FL

Dice Tower East is for adults and children age 7 and older who love to play board games, and at the convention, you’ll find hours of non-stop gaming with other dedicated, fantastic gamers. Tom Vasel and the Dice Tower crew will be there playing games and putting on a few events and live shows. We will have a Hot Games area featuring the newest, hottest game releases and a demo area where you can try out different prototypes. Your favorite exhibitors will also be there selling gaming goodies and talking about their next up-and-coming publications.

2025

Charleston, WV

CharCon features 80+ Play to Win Games, large library including a mix of the latest games and classic titles, Catan National Championship Qualifier, many other events. Also RPGs with a massive amount of Pathfinder & Starfinder Organized play, Sparks D6 Star Wars, 5th Edition D&D and more! For miniatures they have Battletech, Warhammer 40K & 30K, Legions Imperialis, Age of Sigmar, Marvel Crisis Protocol. Also panels, Costume Contests, Parties, Vendors, children's activities and more!

July 31 - August 3, 2025

Indianapolis, IN

For over 55 years Gen Con has been the largest and longest-running gaming convention in North America. Founded in 1967 by Dungeons and Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, Gen Con now attracts over 70,000 attendees from around the world to Indianapolis for The Best Four Days in Gaming™. Their mission is to create opportunities, experiences, and communities where people can share the joy of games together and embrace progress while building on over 50 years of history to shape the spirit of Gen Con – a space where fun, empathy, play and connection are always at the center.

August 2 & 3, 2025

Pasadena, CA

CatCon is the biggest cat-centric, pop culture event in the world dedicated to all things feline, with a community of cat lovers that spans the globe. Part expo, part symposium, CatCon engages, educates and entertains thousands of fans, featuring the latest in groundbreaking products and ideas for cats and their people. Since its inception in 2015, the annual two-day immersive experience has welcomed over 100,000 attendees, and has been featured in over 1,000 outlets around the world, including The New York Times, BuzzFeed, Reuters, Vanity Fair, and Glamour. CatCon brings together individuals who share a profound love for felines, providing a space both online and in person to celebrate, learn, and engage while making a positive impact.

August 30 - Sept 1, 2024

Grand Rapids, MI

GrandCon is Michigan’s premiere regional tabletop gaming convention held every year in the beautiful city of Grand Rapids. It’s a weekend (3 full days) experience and a place where several aspects of the hobby gaming industry are represented under one roof. We celebrate by playing board games, card games, miniature games, role-playing games, mingling with guests of the industry and community, and shopping vendors. Our goal is to create a Fun-For-All-Ages event!

August 28 - Sept 1, 2025

Atlanta, GA

Dragon Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe. Call us a phenomenon, call us one of the most well attended pop-culture conventions in the country, call us the most fan fun you can have in five days: Dragon Con is where you want to be on Labor Day Weekend. Over three decades, Dragon Con has grown from the little Atlanta convention that defied the rules to one of the largest pop culture conventions in the world.

September 18 - 21, 2025

Jacksonville, FL

Game & Party’s Board Game Convention grew out a love of board gaming in Jacksonville, FL. We have spent the last decade growing a board gaming community with our meetup group and continuously being involved in board gaming scene in North East Florida and the surrounding areas. After much discussion with our members and friends we decided to put on a gaming convention in Jacksonville, FL. We hope to share a wide variety of tabletop games, promote this enjoyable hobby to the larger community, support local games retailers, support publishers, and benefit the general community.

September 19 - 24 2024

Richburg, SC

MegaMooseCon is a tabletop gaming convention with the goal is to provide a fun, friendly atmosphere for tabletop gamers to enjoy their hobby. Join us for open board gaming, game demos, prototypes, war games and RPG adventures! Originally it was named "TurkeyCon". It was intended to be an annual event. A geek alternative to "Black Friday" shopping. It was a great success and many expressed interest in having the event more often than once a year.

Sept 7-9, 2025

Springfield, MA

Convenience, community and commerce is our mission for NETS. Our goal is to manage, promote and execute an engaging and efficient toy, gift and game tradeshow. NETS will be a benefit to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic retailers along with all the reps and vendors within the specialty toy business. NETS will be the largest toy trade show in New England and is closer to more specialty retailers than any other toy show in the country.

September 26-28, 2025

Springfield, MA

Maker Faires happen in over 40 countries across the globe throughout each year. No two events are the same, though all share the ethos to celebrate the creativity of the maker movement. We invite you to explore Upcoming Faires today and find one to attend or participate in!

Maker Faires are also known as The Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness. Where creators, inventors, tinkerers, artists, engineers, and enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds come together to showcase their projects to share, learn, and connect

2025

Hamilton, OH

CinCityCon 2024 is happening October 11-13th, 2024. They have a new venue this year in Hamilton OH at the Spooky Nook Sporting Complex and are a diverse community that enjoys playing board games, card games, RPGs, social games and so much more. There will be tons of board gaming and RPG events scheduled over the weekend including a 1,100 + Board Game Library, lots of excellent vendors, game tournaments, and many demos by publishers and local game designers.

October 16 - 19 2025

Madison, WI

As Gamehole Con is one of the largest tabletop gaming conventions there is, tabletop gamers from around the country and world gather each fall in Madison, WI for this carnival of gaming. Gamehole Con is all about tabletop gaming and all the fun that goes with it. The convention features role-playing games, board games, fantasy and historical miniature gaming. Gamehole Con is for the fantasy and adventure tabletop gaming enthusiast. Gamehole Con features the best guests in the industry, an unbelievable Dealer Hall and of course, lots and lots of gaming! If you are a tabletop gaming fan, do not miss Gamehole Con!

October 23 - 26 2025

Essen, Germany

We are the Merz Verlag, organizer of the world’s largest visitors fair for boardgames SPIEL Essen. Our small team organizes the whole event and invites about 1.000 exhibitors and about 200.000 visitor from all over the world to Essen into the heart of the Ruhr area. From working with the exhibitors, planning the halls, coordination with the fair, media and visitor communication, awards for special games, ticketing and much much more, we at Merz Verlag take care of everything regarding SPIEL Essen.

2025

Chicago, IL

People of Play is the toy industry's most comprehensive networking and resource hub; a social platform and industry portal where toy industry veterans, newbies, inventors, buyers, job seekers, recruiters, consumers, and others come to find each other.

Get up-to-the-minute toy industry, event, and product news; participate in live online educational and networking events; browse a vast library of expert resources; and peruse and post to the industry's only dedicated social feed.

November 7 - 9, 2025

Montréal

Ludicon isn't just a convention; it's an immersive celebration of board games like no other! Join us at the prestigious Palais des Congrès for an unforgettable experience. With a focus on gamers and their passion for gaming, Ludicon offers a diverse range of gaming tables where participants can immerse themselves in thrilling games and enjoy unforgettable moments of camaraderie. Whether you’re a seasoned board game enthusiast or a tabletop role-playing gamer, Ludicon promises an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.

2025

York, PA

Every year since 2010, The Bodhana Group combines the love for tabletop with the love for our community by showcasing all of the benefit gaming can accomplish. Celebrating the games, the people, and the opportunities to learn how to bring your own character to life, play with us and game for good at Save Against Fear! All proceeds benefit The Bodhana Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates and utilizes tabletop gaming as a directed therapeutic and clinical practice that can benefit personal growth as well as enhance social and educational services to individuals and families. 

Making the world a better place through fun, interactive art & experiences.

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