Illinois Game Con
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| Illinois Game Con | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Video gaming |
| Venue | Interstate Center |
| Location(s) | Bloomington, Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | June 3, 2018 |
| Website | http://www.illinoisgamecon.com/ |
The Illinois Game Con game convention held annually in Bloomington, IL. It features hundreds of tables of vintage and new game dealers, regional artists, and independent video game developers. The convention also features consoles, arcades, and VR, as well as cosplay, tournaments and special guests.
The event has been held in several locations throughout Bloomington/Normal since launching in 2018.
History[edit]
The Illinois Game Con (then BN Video Game Convention) was first held on June 3, 2018 as an affordable and family friendly alternative to many of the larger city conventions. After closing down his locally owned video game store, founder Ryan Tauscher brought a few colleges together for a large game sale. The original posting received hundreds of responses from interested people, so a larger venue was chosen and more dealers were contacted. Less than a few hundred guests were expected to show, but nearly 500 people attended the first year's convention. Every year since has seen steady growth in vendors, attractions and guests. Special guests such as Mortal Kombat's Daniel Pesina and King of Kong's Billy Mitchell have been a part of the convention.[1] The International Video Game Hall of Fame presented their 2019 award ceremony during the convention in January 2020. In July 2020, Ryan was awarded a Walter Day Superstars of 2020 Video Game and Pinball Trading Card (#3458) for his efforts arranging the annual event and fostering the gaming community.[2]
Events[edit]
Vintage console tournaments are held during the convention and cosplay is always encouraged for attendees. Special guests attend for a meet and greets, autographs and pictures. Additionally, game jams, Esport team tournaments and a Kong-Off have all been a part of the convention and new events are established every year.
History[edit]
| Date | Location | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Radisson Hotel, Normal, IL | 450+ | Started as Bloomington/ Normal Video Game Convention with 10 vendors. |
| 2019 | Radisson Hotel, Normal, IL | 700+ | Introduced special guests and console tournaments. 30+ vendors.[3] |
| 2020 | Grossinger Motors Arena, Bloomington, IL | 850+ | Co-hosted Kong-Off, Esports tournament and a Game Jam at Sixty Six Games Expo. 50+ vendors.[4][5] |
| 2021 | Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL | 1,050+ | Bigger venue & more vendors. Rebranded as BN Video Game Con. 60+ vendors. |
| 2022 | Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL | 1,625+ | NBA Jam tournament, Maid Cafe. Bigger game room. 70+ vendors. |
| 2023 | Interstate Center, Bloomington, IL | 2,250+ | Walter Day Card Ceremony, Super Smash Summer Slam. 130+ Vendors |
References[edit]
- ↑ kelsey.watznauer@lee.net, KELSEY WATZNAUER. "Legendary arcade gamer, esports tournament to highlight annual convention in Bloomington". pantagraph.com.
- ↑ "The Walter Day Collection - eSports". The Walter Day Collection.
- ↑ Newgent, Sean. "Video Game Convention Levels Up In Second Year". www.wglt.org.
- ↑ Pearson, Kaitlin (January 20, 2020). "Second annual Sixty Six Games E-Sports Expo sees success".
- ↑ "Sixty-Six Games Expo Returns to Bloomington". January 19, 2020.
External links[edit]
- Ilinois Game Con - official site.
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