Electronic Ticketing

Electronic Ticketing (E-Ticketing) is how Gen Con is leveling up the event-ticketing experience for Event Organizers (EOs) and attendees with a convenient and streamlined process. When an attendee registers for an e-ticketed event, their ticket is electronically associated with their Gen Con account. Instead of collecting paper tickets, an EO for an e-ticketed event simply scans the badge of a registered attendee to redeem their ticket!

For 2024: Once Event Submission opens, event organizers can request electronic ticketing certification through their EO/GM dashboard until the event submission deadline. Once certified, the option to select either paper or electronic ticketing methods will be available during the event submission process for each of their events. See the Event Host Policy for further details.

How It Works

E-tickets are purchased the same way as paper tickets. However, instead of being printed, mailed, collected, and then returned, an e-ticket is stored electronically in the attendee’s account and is associated with their Gen Con badge. EOs admit attendees to their events by scanning their badge rather than collecting paper tickets.

To see this in application, Gen Con has provided an Interactive Training Walkthrough that guides EOs and GMs through the electronic ticketing process for both web and mobile interfaces. This training demonstrates how to use the scanning interface, address common scenarios experienced during the convention, and the ability to train on the system using your own equipment. The Interactive Training Walkthrough is accessible through the EO/GM dashboard and can be repeated at any time.

Additionally, there are also two short videos covering how to use the Gen Con Mobile App or through the Gen Con Website on a web browser to support EOs in training their GMs.

What Equipment Is Needed

To participate in electronic ticketing as an EO, you’ll need:

  • A late-model iOS or Android phone with the Gen Con mobile app installed.
  • And/or a computer with a barcode scanner capable of scanning Code39 barcodes. To make sure your scanner will work, please use the Barcode Test page.

To use a Computer to redeem electronic tickets, you must be connected to the Internet. Free Wi-Fi is available in the ICC Event Halls, Stadium, and area hotels.

The Gen Con mobile app can redeem e-tickets when internet access is slow or temporarily disrupted but will need to be connected in order to sell tickets.

How It Affects Event Hosts

Scanning badges is quick — it only takes a few seconds — but can require more time than collecting paper tickets. Having additional people (GMs & others assisting you) scan badges makes the process faster, and is necessary if you have a lot of attendees and/or a lot of events happening at the same time. In order for an individual to be able to scan badges for an event, they will need to be listed as an GM in the Gamemaster field on the Event Submission Form. EOs are able to edit the GM field for their events at any time through their EO/GM Dashboard.

Benefits for EOs

  • No organizing and returning paper tickets for reconciliation
  • Real-time event attendance data
  • Sell tickets directly to eligible attendees
  • Replace attendees that don't show up, overselling the event if necessary
  • Issue complimentary tickets
  • Can still accept paper tickets from other events or generics if needed

Single & Multiple Event Scanning

The majority of EOs will find the default event scanning process as the most effective option for their teams. Select the individual event you want to scan from the "My Schedule" page, and conduct the full badge scanning process for attendees of that event.

To support EOs running many events starting at the same time, new functionality has been added in 2024 to better support multiple event scanning. Please complete the Interactive Training Walkthrough for full details on using this option and the recommended use cases.

How To Setup Events for Electronic Ticketing

Once you have certified for electronic ticketing through the EO/GM Dashboard, to have your events ready for electronic ticketing you'll need to:

  • Select "Electronic" as the ticketing method on the Event Submission Form for each event you want to be e-ticketed.
  • Add all individuals (GMs & others assisting you) as GMs in the Gamemaster field for each of your events. This will enable access to scan badges for your event(s). Individuals who are not listed as GMs will be unable to scan badges from their account.
  • Prepare yourself and your GMs in advance by reviewing the additional resources provided below. There will also be an on-site support team to assist with technical issues as well. Contact the nearest Event HQ if you have technical issues with e-ticketing onsite.

If you need to add a GM to your events after your events are active, there is a walkthrough video here, or you can follow these instructions:

  • Navigating to your EO/GM Dashboard under your profile in the top right
  • Click the event you wish to add a GM to
  • Select Edit GM’s button for the event
  • Add the GM(s) email addresses to the gamemaster(s) field and submit

How To Prepare

To help you prepare, Gen Con has provided the following resources:

You will be responsible for educating yourself and your GMs on the appropriate information, training, tools, etc. for a successful on-site experience.

More Info

For more information about the program, please refer to our E-Ticketing FAQ or email [email protected].