Gary Con XVII has ended, but what a year! It couldn’t have happened without the efforts and contributions of so many dedicated staff, volunteers, sponsors, exhibitors, and other donors and contributors. Our sincerest thanks to all who helped make this year the best celebration of a life well-played in the history books. Read on for more gratitude…
Thanks to Our Sponsors
We couldn’t have run Gary Con XVII without all of the contributions and support of our sponsors. From running games, to participating with a booth in the Exhibitor Hall, to sponsoring con-run events, and more—you helped us make this year phenomenal. Thank you so much!! To see the big list of our official GCXVII Sponsors, click the button below!
Chaosium had beverage and song in the Grand Lobby Friday night at their Chaosium After Dark Party, so if you heard great music and saw good times rolling like dice—it was probably them!
In addition, they also sponsored Gary Con’s 3rd Annual Cosplay Contest on Saturday. This year Chaosium awarded “Best in Theme” prizes, too!
We’d also like to extend our congratulations again to Chaosium founder, Greg Stafford, who was posthumously awarded the E. Gary Gygax Lifetime Achievement Award at Gary Con XVII. Special thanks to Jeff Richard for accepting this award in Greg’s honor.
Pre-Con Welcome Party + Shadowdark RPG: Everything You Want to Know
The Arcane Library provided the pizza and beer for the Pre-Con Welcome Party, as well as hosting a pre-con event Shadowdark RPG: Everything You Want to Know on Wednesday evening.
Did you score free beverages in your orange Gary Con XVII cup during Happy Hour on Friday or Saturday? Titmouse provided the drink and made sure you could party it up and adventure more merrily along the way!
The GCXVII Charity Auction was such a big Saturday afternoon event this year that it had TWO sponsors! Thank you to both Orthane Press -AND- Noble Knight Games for supporting such a worthy cause! Together with our two fantastic sponsors, Gary Con helped raise $85,000 and counting for Children’s Wisconsin.
This wouldn’t have been attainable without the bright and brilliant spirits of our attendees, who bid so generously on the items and experiences provided by all of our kind-hearted donors.
We are absolutely floored by your support every year—thank you so incredibly much for helping us do so much good in the world!
Every year you dedicate hours and hours of your personal time to make sure Gary Con is a warm and wonderful experience for gamers who travel from both near and far to join our annual celebration. You’re all rock-stars and heroes!
Look at how many people in our community could take the time to pose for this midday Hawaiian shirt picture on Saturday due to your efforts! Keep up the good work and know that the gaming community has just as much gratitude for you as your peers on the Gary Con Staff Team have for you!
Thanks to Our Volunteers
You took time out of your Gary Con gaming schedule to help our staff run a great show. We’re proud of you and you should be, too!
We once again have some specific shout-outs…
Tower of Gygax
Curtis Cable & Brett Felion
If you were one of the many people fortunate enough to fill a seat at the Tower of Gygax, you probably saw these two standing around. They helped coordinate the event, build adventures, wrangle GMs, and even made sure to provide some cool extras. All their hours of planning and prepping helped hundreds of adventurers explore the Tower of Gygax!
Seriously—thanks, guys!
The GCXVII Deadest Dog
Jeff Searcy (i.e., “KingBashman”)
Did you see Jeff Searcy (i.e., “Bash” or “Bashman”) running around? How about when he was acting as Luke’s “squire” during the Deck of Gary Things?
His help throughout the show—from pre-con unloading and setup, to running power cords and managing sound/video equipment—ensured everything went smoothly all Gary Con long.
Congratulations on being the first volunteer to win Gary Con’s Deadest Dog award!
Thanks to Our Featured Guests
Celebrities, industry notables, artists, and beyond—you attended happily, hosted and played games with attendees of all badge-types, signed autographs, organized and ran events and seminars—you did it all! We are so humbled and grateful for your presence. Thank you so greatly for providing a unique experience for so many fellow gamers in our Gary Con community.
Thanks to Our Exhibitors
Every year we have a wide variety of exhibitors to provide you with a place to have a leisurely shopping adventure in the Forum.
This year included additional exhibitors: one near Paint-and-Take in the Grand Ballroom Hallway, as well as three near TCGs in the Ski Chalet.
Thank you to each and every one of our exhibitors for providing a place for attendees to stock up for their journey and providing kind and courteous service. You are all deeply appreciated for your contributions to an excellent Gary Con!
Thanks to All Our Attendees
Gary Con would not exist if not for your dedication to gaming and your drive to show up year-after-year to celebrate E. Gary Gygax and share in his joy of gaming. For attendees coming for the first time after hearing about how wonderful it is through tales of friends and kin—we hope we lived up to the expectations set by the stories you’ve heard.
Regardless, you all keep the spirit alive at Gary Con and understand the importance of the heart and history that makes the TTRPG industry continue to thrive today. I think we can all agree that E. Gary Gygax, the “father of role-playing games,” can rest well knowing so many people want to both celebrate and live a life well-played.
We look forward to seeing you again soon! Stay safe, adventurers!
