Last year, Gen Con (the largest tabletop gaming convention in America) decided to form a panel of experts to help them select people to join them as part of their slate of Industry Insider Guests of Honor. These are creators who work in the tabletop gaming industry and have something to share as panelists at the show. Ken Hite, Stan!, and I formed that original panel, and this year Nicole Lindroos and Eric Lang have joined us.
To be considered to become a Guest of Honor, you have to apply with Gen Con. This is the best way for us to collate the bits of information we need and to reach out beyond our network of friends in the industry and find fresh new voices as well. To do this, you first have to register an account with Gen Con (which costs nothing) and then go fill out the online form.
Apply is easy and shouldn’t take much time. The questions are all about you, so you should already know most of the answers.
The deadline for this year’s applications is April 8, 2013.
So what’s involved? Here’s what Gen Con has to say:
What is Required of an Industry Insider Guest and What do I Get In Return?
Gen Con Industry Insider Guests of Honor are required to attend Gen Con Indy and are asked to participate in 3-6 seminars/panels over the course of the four days. We encourage you to host interactive events such as workshops and ask that you provide us with information about what you would like to host at the show. The events you submit should take into consideration topics that are broad enough for other Industry Guests to be a part of. Only fellow Industry Guests are permitted to participate in panels as part of the Industry Insider events/programming. You can submit individual events separately outside of the Industry Insider program.
At the end of the submission process, you will be required to agree to Terms & Conditions which outlines your involvement, this will serve as a contract moving forward.
In return, Industry Insider Guests receive the following:
- A “Guest of Honor” badge (good for all fours days of the show)
- Picture and Bio featured on our website and in a dedicated section of the program book
- A hotel code that allows access to an exclusive block of “self-pay” rooms just for Industry Insider Guests. (You are responsible for acquiring your room and covering the costs)
After the deadline, the panel will gather the applications, review them, and come up with a list of guests. The results will be announced in late April/early May.
This will be my 12th year running as a guest of honor at the show, and it’s a fantastic time. It’s my favorite event of the year, topping both my Christmas and my birthday (which sometimes falls during the show, so bonus!).
So, if you qualify and would like to join us at Gen Con, please apply. And if you know someone else who fits the bill, pass the information along. I’d love to see a fantastic and robust group of guests.
Either way, if you enjoy games at all, come on out and join the rest of us at the show. Gen Con had something like 45,000 gamers show up in Indianapolis last August, and if you like this kind of event, you’re not going to find a better time.
