Gen Con

This is the Granddaddy of all conventions. King Kahuna! This is the convention that
spawned TSR and a gaming revolution. It has been held in various locations for 3
decades since 1968. Gen Con owes its name origins to its first location in Lake
Geneva, Wisconson. It probably helps that wargaming was the order of the day
and the name could be a play on words for Geneva Convention which dictates
the laws of War. It is no coincidence this was Gary Gygax's hometown as
he was very active in wargaming. Along with a small circle of other
local wargamers they turned a once
small game group into a premiere national
gaming event within a few short years.
If Gygax's game group were the local
organizers of this convention then
International Federation of Wargamers (IFW)
was the official oversight behind this convention.
The earliest Lake Geneva Conventions had all of the
basic features of the more modern Gen Con...lots
of gaming rooms/areas, vendor booths and the used
game auction. Gen Con was held in or around the
Lake Geneva area moving from one larger venue to another
as TSR's D&D mass market appeal grew to its zenith. Eventually
Gen Con moved to Milwaukee where it stayed for a number of years
until most recently since it has been moved to Indianapolis in favor of
more modern facilities and greater boarding facilities for the long weekend
gamer. Please follow the link from the list of Gen Cons by year for a
detailed description of events and highlights as well as images of
programs and any other available material. Please forward any more
information or images toCONTACT.

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