Game conventions come in all shapes and sizes… from small local shows all the way up to the sprawling PAX expos held every year in Seattle, Boston, San Antonio, and Philadelphia. In a bid to move beyond “Game Nights,” many public libraries are now in the business of running their own game conventions.
Believe it or not, this task isn’t as hard as you might think. Especially because there’s no one way to organize a game convention at your library, and there’s actually many different approaches you can try…
- Partner with a local game shop to host demonstrations of new games.
- Recruit local game developers to show off their latest projects.
- Ask for volunteers in your community willing to share their game knowledge.
- Some combination of all three!
- Or something else I haven’t thought of!
But the best way to get ideas for your game convention might be to reach out to librarians who have done it in the past.
List of Library-Organized Game Conventions
Here’s a small selection of libraries who have organized their own game convention. If you’d like your convention added to the list, please let me know…Comicopolis
Location: Lockport Branch of White Oak Library in Lockport, Illinois
Links: Convention Website | Contact PageRochester Game Festival
Location: Irondequoit Public Library in Rochester, New York
Links: Convention Website | Contact PageOctaCon
Location: Bethpage Public Library in Bethpage, New York
Links: Convention Website | Contact PageShushCon
Location: Waccamaw Neck Branch of Georgetown County Library in Pawleys Island, South Carolina
Links: Convention Website | Contact Page