Gen Con | Gen Con Indy 2025

Exhibit Hall?

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Posted by colbrook kellishaver

 kellishaver wrote:
My only concern with ticketed/timed entry into the exhibit hall is that if reserving a ticket is the usual ticketing free-for-all, then the people who only have one-day badges could lose out on opportunities to enter the hall to someone with a 4-day badge who happens to be faster at getting a ticket.
If GenCon's going to restrict access to the hall, then the people who only have single-day badges need to be given priority on their days, especially since it seems like GenCon is encouraging single-day badges/single-day attendance this year in order to allow the most people to attend while still keeping daily capacity lower.

From what's been said in this thread and other sites it looks like tickets are only required in the morning, when there tends to be a mad rush on the exhibit hall. Anyone can go in after noon regardless of tickets/badge.

Posted by kevinrg

#52

What I want to know, with less people and more expected space in the exhibit hall... can we run this year?

Posted by sirrogue

#53

I'm wondering if it will even be a problem now. Nearly a dozen big companies have pulled out/said they aren't coming now. My guess is more will follow suit. Will even be a floor or a con without backing from the likes of Paizo and True Dungeon? Or enough of one to bother going?

Posted by kevinrg sirrogue

#54

 sirrogue wrote: My guess is more will follow suit. Will even be a floor or a con without backing from the likes of Paizo and True Dungeon? Or enough of one to bother going?

If one is only interested or attached to the largest companies, then this con will probably be one to sit out. When I go to the vendor hall, I almost never go to Paizo, Fantasy Flight or Asmodee because, well.. I'm familiar with them. I prefer going to the edges where the small guys are, but that's me...

In reviewing the list, seems like a fair number of small/mid are going. Only one that disappointed me so far was Van Ryder games, but that might be a combination of pandemic and company tragedy where they just decided to sit it out.

Posted by kellishaver sirrogue

#55

 sirrogue wrote:
I'm wondering if it will even be a problem now. Nearly a dozen big companies have pulled out/said they aren't coming now. My guess is more will follow suit. Will even be a floor or a con without backing from the likes of Paizo and True Dungeon? Or enough of one to bother going?

I'm going just to get away from the house and do something different/fun for a few days. Even if it's not "normal GenCon" it will still be more fun than sitting at home.

I'm excited about the possibility of having more time/opportunity to check out small publishers and hopefully discover some hidden gems.

I understand why not everybody feels that way, but the big vendors pulling out isn't a major issue for me.

Posted by ungmar9567 buffythecatslayer

#56

 buffythecatslayer wrote:

 sirrogue wrote:
They could also just manage it the way most stores have done during the pandemic; monitor entrants, cap at capacity, then let people in as others exit. I think I would like this in combination with a ticketed system. So you would have a guaranteed reservation time when you would get to go in for a bit, but still be able to wait in line to come in later if you wanted.

The "1 comes out, 1 goes in" system probably won't work for the Exhibit Hall. I know a number of people, including the group I go with, that spend the entire 10-6 time in the Hall, only exiting for lunch, or if they had an event that couldn't be scheduled for later. There is quite a bit of turnover in the hall, but the people that luckily happen to get in at 10 shouldn't be able to hog their places all day, assuming they plan to have a limit on the number of people in the hall at one time.

I'm like your group. I spend most of Gen Con in the Exhibit Hall. I don't mind a little social distancing or a limit on people, but one hour or even two won't cut it. So if they require a ticket before noon, but no restrictions after, that's fine.

Posted by quarex

#57

The thing all these big companies pulling out has really helped me bring into focus is how little interest I actually have in most of the big companies. Do I own any products made by any of the corporations that pulled out? I honestly have no idea; possibly, but Wizards of the Coast disappearing like five years ago had a much bigger impact on my interaction with the Exhibit Hall than any of these announcements.

If I recognize something as I walk around, odds are good I will not actually stop and look at it, because I already know what it is and whether I want it. It is when I see something I have never laid eyes on before that I get excited, and I imagine there will be a higher percentage of that per aisle than ever before this year!

Posted by ryric

#58

I usually pick up my Paizo subscriptions, and usually FFG has something new I want to buy or demo, but I agree that they are a small part of the time I spend in the exhibit hall - just some shopping early on Thursday but after that it's too crowded to do much at the big booths.

Posted by eldrad12000

#59

I got the PTO to burn, and it will be better than sitting at home. So even if it is a smaller con, I will be more than happy to go.

Posted by deadsaidfred

#60

Curious - has the schedule been confirmed yet for the exhibit hall - Days/Times?

I searched the Forum - apologies if missed an existing thread…

Posted by austicke deadsaidfred

#61

 deadsaidfred wrote:has the schedule been confirmed yet for the exhibit hall - Days/Times?

It opens each day at 10am and closes at 6pm except 4pm on Sunday. Tickets will be required for timed entry before noon each day.

_____________________________________
Alec Usticke, Fans of Gen Con Facebook Group

Posted by wmarshal austicke

#62

 austicke wrote:

 deadsaidfred wrote:has the schedule been confirmed yet for the exhibit hall - Days/Times?

It opens each day at 10am and closes at 6pm except 4pm on Sunday. Tickets will be required for timed entry before noon each day._____________________________________
Alec Usticke, Fans of Gen Con Facebook Group

I did not see any tickets for the exhibitor hall in the events spreadsheet? Anyone know if those are going to be added prior to event registration?

Posted by hahnarama

#63

IMO I think Tix for Exhibit Hall was an urban legend.

Posted by matthias9 hahnarama

#64

 hahnarama wrote:
IMO I think Tix for Exhibit Hall was an urban legend.

It's not an urban legend, though. It was in the official May Health and Safety Update: "With regards to exhibit hall timed entry, we expect to regulate entrance up until noon of each day and then to open the halls fully until closing for the day. Entries will be made available via our event ticketing system, and we’ll provide more details in advance of event registration and in our next month’s update. "

Whether that is still the plan now, though, is another question.

I expect there to be an announcement about how that works before tickets go on sale if that is relevant, which it may no longer be.

I don't think it pays to try to ask them to announce the things they haven't yet announced. I'm sure they're working on it.