Cost of GenCon

[greygnarl]

Hey, I'm starting to think I may be able to go to GenCon this year. I'm also going to have to save a lot of money if I want to go, and I don't want to have to be cheap while I'm there.

I don't need to pay for transportation there or back, so that's a plus, but would like to know a ballpark for the cost.

Stuff that I will have to pay for:

• Hotel (Reccommendations and cost)
• Food (Where to eat and cost)
• Event Tickets (Cost)
• Spending money

I'd like to stay in a nice hotel, but cost will probably prohibit getting into the nicest ones. I most likely plan to arrive Thursday and leave Sunday, but that could be extended.

Food is pretty self-explanatory. What should I expect to spend and where would you reccommend eating?

If I went, I'd do the Championship event, some other Heroscape events, and probably at least something from a different game. What is a ballpark price for each.

For spending money, I'd like to be able to bring home some souvenirs and cool miniatures. About how much would you guys say you spent last year?

Now for a few other questions:
How much "swag" do the vendors and companies give out? Is it a lot or do only certain people get it?

Is it worth it to pay for nongamers to come into the convention on Friday and Saturday?

Thanks, and I hope I can make it out!
(I hear C3V may be giving some goodies!)

[Matthias Maccabeus]

Hotel - really depends. If you stay downtown you will be paying top dollar. Most rooms are 150-200 or so. Of course if you split that with x number of guys it helps.

Food - there's places everywhere. So that's pretty normal.

Tickets are also all over the place depending on what you want. HeroScape is anywhere from 6-12.


I don't get into the dealer hall much, I usually overbook with tourneys so I can't really answer that part.

Hope to see you there.

[Codeman]

Originally Posted by greygnarl

.......

Now for a few other questions:
How much "swag" do the vendors and companies give out? Is it a lot or do only certain people get it?

Is it worth it to pay for nongamers to come into the convention on Friday and Saturday?

Thanks, and I hope I can make it out!
(I hear C3V may be giving some goodies!)

I have not been to Gen-Con for a few years now... but you get some swag I would not say it is " a lot ".

What is a " non-gamer " ? no I think most anyone would enjoy a day at the Con just looking around, and I'm sure they would play a few games.

[puzzlemonkey]

Originally Posted by Codeman

I have not been to Gen-Con for a few years now... but you get some swag I would not say it is " a lot ".

There was no swag at Gencon 2012, sadly.

[Filthy the Clown]

Originally Posted by puzzlemonkey

There was no swag at Gencon 2012, sadly.

Speak for yourself! My Gencon-related hotel room contained an extra shirt, two pairs of crusty socks, and some apparently soiled underwear...None of which were mine.

I left the 'swag' in the hotel room.

[Jim]

Originally Posted by puzzlemonkey

There was no swag at Gencon 2012, sadly.

There was plenty of swag. Most of it was at the dealers' tables though.

[puzzlemonkey]

Originally Posted by Jim

There was plenty of swag. Most of it was at the dealers' tables though.

True. Vendors give stuff away, and there is a coupon book which includes some free items. They just stopped handing you the bag when you register. (The first few times I went, the bag contained a die, a few packs of promo cards, and a few other goodies. Nothing too exciting, really.)

[Hendal]

buy some generic tickets so when you are walking around you can join an event ( it may not be full, or some one may have not shown up ). The dealer hall is the bomb, you can try out new games and some of the places give out some free stuff if you buy something, or a few booths will have swag - usually in limited numbers
the room is the biggest expense - so get that on the cheap and you will be fine I would say

[greygnarl]

Thanks for the responses guys. We are staying outside of Indy and driving in every morning, my parents say traffic there is really fast though so it's not a big deal. I'm definitely going to get some generic tickets and wander the dealer hall. Anybody else follow bluetablepainting?

[Porkins]

How much cheaper is it to stay farther away from the Con? Like, the cost of a rental car + parking cheaper? The cost of taxi to and from the Con cheaper?

[greygnarl]

Originally Posted by Porkins

How much cheaper is it to stay farther away from the Con? Like, the cost of a rental car + parking cheaper? The cost of taxi to and from the Con cheaper?

If you haven't gotten tickets by now, you're looking at $300-400 per night in downtown, compared to about a third of that if you stay 8-10 miles from the convention center.

Not sure how much rental cars or taxis are since we are driving our own car there, but I think parking will run you about $20 a day.

[orgsbane]

My family stayed at a KOA, a campground just outside of Indiapolis. Short drive there, cheap stay!