Our 2022 show was our best yet. It really felt like a return to normal after all larger events faced the obvious challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. We were delighted to have attendance numbers that nosed just ahead of our 2019 pre-pandemic total. It is great to be growing again and we hope that all of our vendor partners had a good show as well.
As far as we know, we are the only major tabletop gaming convention that was able to return to pre-pandemic attendance totals which is nothing but good news for our 2023 show.
Speaking of which, we are delighted to announce that we will be back for our big 10th show – Gamehole Con 2023! It will once again be held at the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall in Madison, WI. Our dates will be October 19-22.
We are also delighted to announce that all of our major partners, as well as some new ones, will be returning for our 10th show.
Historically, our show has grown in attendance each year we have run it. Accordingly, we have expanded the size of our vendor spaces to match that growth each year. Because we did not grow in 2021 for the obvious reasons, we did not expand the Dealer Hall. Instead, we re-designed it giving it a more “open” feel.
This change was universally enjoyed by our attendees. All the feedback we got was positive about it as our attendees expressed their appreciation for a less crowded feeling Dealer Hall despite our much-increased attendance totals from 2021 to 2023.
If we expand the Dealer Hall for 2023, and that is very much an if at this point, at most it will be adding one more row of booths. And rather than necessarily adding additional vendors, this will afford our returning vendors the opportunity to add more space if they like. It is extremely important that all of our vendor partners do well at our show.
Further, we are simplifying the details of booth set up going forward. With each Dealer Hall space you reserve with us, you will get the 10’ x 10’ space, two chairs, and pipe and drape walls. Because so many of you bring your own tables or don’t use tables, all other items, including tables, power and internet drops, will be ordered directly from the Alliant Energy Center. We will follow up with detailed instructions on the process for ordering later in the year.
Once again, our Dealer Hall sold out quickly in 2022 and spaces will go even faster this year. Many past exhibitors have asked to come back and we have had many more exhibitors ask to take part in Gamehole Con 2023.
We invite you to join us for Gamehole 2023 and to take advantage of Gamehole Con’s continued growth. The following guide contains just some of the different ways you can be involved at Gamehole Con 2023. If you would like to participate in another way, just let us know!
Applications for Gamehole Con 2023 are open now. To apply, go to our Exhibitor page and fill out the application, you'll need to be logged into your account to apply. These applications are necessary for all vending spaces including Dealer Hall and Demo Row spots, as well as for artists, authors, and podcasters interested in space at the convention. If you have any questions about any of this, please contact us directly at marketing@GameholeCon.com.
We expect at least 5,000 badge-wearing people at Gamehole Con 2023. If you sponsor this, we will produce a high-quality 5/8th-inch lanyard complete with a bulldog clip from which every person at the show will hang their badge. You can choose the lanyard color and add a repeating logo including up to two colors. This is an amazing opportunity to get your company’s logo in front of literally each and every attendee, exhibitor, and Guest.
As an official sponsor of Gamehole Con you get:
As the lead sponsor of Gamehole Con you get:
This area is immediately adjoining our D&D Adventure League Hall. It is outfitted with comfy chairs, drinks, and other amenities and will be seen by the thousands of attendees that play in our D&D AL Hall, which is one of the largest in the country. Our special/charity D&D AL games will be run in this space as well. It can be adorned with some signage and/or branded table coverings provided by you.
We have several exciting party/reception sponsorship opportunities for Gamehole Con 2023.
Our kickoff party will be held in a ballroom at the Madison Sheraton hotel on the eve of Gamehole Con, Wednesday, October 18th. If you attended last year, you know that the party featured a DJ, a bar, and a pizza buffet. Included in the Lead Kick Off Party Sponsorship is the cost of the DJ. Further, as the Lead Sponsor, you will have complete control of the programming. Do you want to give a talk/presentation? Great. Do you want to give away product? Certainly. Do you want to run demos? No problem. Do you want to put on some sort of AV demonstration? Sure, we can accommodate that. We can customize that evening's events as you like and we will heavily promote your sponsorship of this event.
The Gamehole Con Kick Off Party would not be the same without a drink sponsor! The drink sponsor has the option of simply paying the first $1,500 worth of drinks from the bar located in the party ballroom or to pass out $1,500 worth of drink tickets. In either event, your company will be listed as the co-sponsor of the Kick Off Party and you can place a pop up or similar sign in the party ballroom itself.
No party for gamers is a party without pizza! Instantly become the darling of the convention and beloved by all by sponsoring our Kick Off Party pizza buffet! We will handle the ordering specifics. As the pizza sponsor your company will be listed as the co-sponsor of the Kick Off Party and you can place a pop up or similar sign in the party ballroom itself.
On each of the listed evenings, Thursday, October 19th, Friday, October 20th, and Saturday, October 21st, we throw a reception at the Clarion Hotel. At each reception, like the Kick Off Party above, we will provide a half barrel of Spotted Cow beer to be served free to all reception goers. In a more limited fashion than the Kick Off Party, you can give a brief demonstration, give product away, or just be a charming host of the evening. We will promote each of these events indicating who is sponsoring each evening’s reception.
Our booth spaces are each 10’ x 10’ and come with two chairs along with pipe and drape walls. Each space is only $500 ($750 for a corner booth) for the entire 4-day convention. If you require an electrical drop or hardwired ethernet for your booth these can be purchased directly through the Alliant Energy Center website. You also receive four universal Gamehole Con four-day badges for your business.
Our demo row is very popular every year. Each of these 15 tables can be purchased for the entire weekend for $250. These spaces are strictly limited to game designers demoing and selling their own games and supplements. No sales of third-party products are permitted — that is restricted to the Dealer Hall. Each space comes with a draped table and two chairs. You also receive two universal Gamehole Con four-day badges for your business.
On the second floor of the convention center, we set up a lounge with couches and comfortable chairs, coffee and end tables and a cash bar that opens each afternoon. This space can be sponsored by your company making this the [YOUR NAME HERE] Lounge. Last year, Monte Cook Games used this space to great effect. We will provide the furniture and configure the gaming/demo/vendor tables in any way that you like. Signage downstairs will direct people to your lounge. Finally, the sponsor of this lounge can place a banner of their creation on the balcony overlooking the show that virtually every Gamehole Con attendee will see.
We love our GMs. That’s why we offer a GM oasis at Gamehole Con each year. This is a private area for GMs and Special Guests to prepare, regroup, and relax. Your business can be the official sponsor of the GM’s Lounge. Your name would be affixed to the lounge, you can place your company’s materials, ads and products in the lounge, and you will receive a special mention every time the GM Lounge is advertised.
We produce a fantastic program every year. We offer it in both electronic and print form. We include a fabulous custom map, bios of all the special guests, and tons of other useful information for our attendees. Our program artwork is second to none. We release a digital copy of the program in the weeks before the show increasing your ad’s exposure that much more.
Program ad prices for 2023:
Inside Front Cover – Full Color | - $800 |
Inside Back Cover – Full Color | - $700 |
Full Page – B&W | - $500 |
Half Page – B&W | - $300 |
There are hundreds of hotel rooms in the hotels surrounding the Alliant Energy Center - The Clarion Suites ($1,500), The Sheraton Madison ($1,000), and The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Central ($1,000). Sponsors at this level can customize the art on every hotel room key issued in our room blocks over the week of Gamehole Con at one or more of these hotels. What an amazing marketing opportunity! Every attendee, vendor, or Guest staying at the hotel(s) you sponsor will see your custom art/message on their room card all weekend long.
Have a cool display or sign you want everyone to see? Contact us about specific pricing and locations in our main lobby area!
If you attended Gamehole Con 2022, you could not miss our elevated hanging display in the Dealer Hall. We can hang your sign in the Dealer Hall, where every attendee will be able to see it. This is a powerful marketing opportunity. Don’t miss this chance to get in front of literally thousands of your potential customers.
We can produce custom window clings using your artwork for the windows on the second floor of the exhibition hall. These will be seen by attendees as they walk up to the convention and when attending events on the second floor including most of our Special Guest games, our seminars, our streaming games, and the popular custom lounge. There are two sizes of windows available, a nearly square option for $175 (37.5” x 43.5”) or a larger rectangular option for $325 (115.5” x 43.5”).
We can provide custom door clings using your artwork to be placed on either our interior or exterior main entry doors. These are the primary doors used to enter and exit the exhibition hall so your ad will be seen multiple times per day by thousands of attendees.
We have the ability to provide custom floor graphics for your company or business. These can be placed in any number of high-traffic locations throughout the exhibition hall. If you are interested, contact us about prices and possible locations.
We have the ability to provide custom graphics for the stairway that accesses our dedicated streaming room, Special Guest gaming rooms, seminar rooms, custom lounge, and many other games. These stairs are also visible as attendees walk through our main lobby meaning that virtually every attendee will be seeing your ad multiple times per day.
Don’t see a promotional item that you want? We are open to new ideas and happy to work with you to create custom solutions that will convey your company’s message in a unique way.
Thank you for your interest in our convention, Gamehole Con. Here you will find information about the convention in general, as well as pictures and other media from our past conventions. Please enjoy your tour and if you have any further questions,please let us know!