Gen Con delays annual gaming convention in Indianapolis

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INDIANAPOLIS — A gaming convention that draws tens of thousands of visitors to Indianapolis has pushed back the annual gathering amid plans to make it a hybrid event due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Seattle-based Gen Con convention will run Sept. 16-19, instead of Aug. 5-8 as originally planned, the Indianapolis Business Journal reported.

Gen Con typically draws about 70,000 people to the Indiana Convention Center each year, but organizers canceled last year’s in-person convention because of the pandemic in favor of online offerings. Indianapolis will host Gen Con through 2026.

In a statement on Gen Con’s website, event organizers said they believe the calendar change is the “best approach both to meet the many challenges of the moment and to explore possibilities for the future.”

Gen Con said it plans to offer an in-person convention with capped attendance, at-home events through the convention website and live-streaming services, and through partnerships with local game stores for pop-up activities.

The convention said it plans to “adapt to conditions as they are in September,” but the total in-person attendance will be determined by the Marion County Public Health Department.

“Convention planning happens on a long timeline, and we appreciate your continued patience as we tread these murky waters,” the group said.

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