Policies and Show Information

Gen Con Show Policies

Code of Conduct

Here at Gen Con, we’re in the business of having fun. After all, it wouldn’t be The Best Four Days in Gaming if we didn’t all have a great time together! And as every gamer knows, a thorough rulebook is the key to everyone having a good time, so here are our rules for a safe and fun Gen Con. If you have a question about a specific policy or guideline, be sure to read through all of our policies, but if that still doesn’t answer your question, email [email protected]. Game on!

Be Safe

Follow all show policies, venue rules, and staff directions.
No running, jumping, throwing, or other unsafe shenanigans.
Support each other in maintaining a safe environment.
Report concerns to Gen Con Captains (wearing black Event Team vests).

Play Nice

Don’t harass other attendees, staff, or vendors.
Respect everyone's physical and social boundaries and their personal property.
No stealing, cheating, trolling, or griefing.

Have Fun

Remember to eat, sleep, and shower.
Make a friend.
Play some games.
Explore.

Everyone should observe common sense rules for behavior, personal interaction, courtesy, and respect. Harassing or offensive behavior will not be tolerated. Gen Con reserves the right to revoke, without refund, the membership and badge of any participant not in compliance with this policy.

The following are prohibited from the convention center:

Drones, helium balloons, and other airborne objects or devices.
Skateboards, roller skates, non-mobility scooters.
Pets, with the sole exception of service animals. Emotional support animals are not permitted.
Smoking and vaping are prohibited, as well as alcohol and any illicit substances.

Advertising

No flyering, postering, or show billing of any kind is allowed on or around the convention grounds, including the hotels. If caught, you may be asked to leave the convention and have your badge revoked without a refund.

Security

A professional security firm provides security and may include off-duty law enforcement personnel, security guards, and Gen Con staff. All security personnel serve to ensure everyone's safety and well-being. Please show them the respect they deserve. Failure to comply with the directives issued by uniformed security and staff may result in immediate expulsion without a refund.

Costumes and Weapons

Please note that exceptions may be made to items in bold when participating in the cosplay contest, but only for the period in which you are on stage.

Costumes, cosplays, and general attire must provide the same level of body coverage expected at an all-ages public beach, but no speedos or thongs.
Footwear is required at all times.
Costumes should not impede your or others' movement around you. They must fit through a standard American doorway.
Costumes should not have any functional sharp edges or points that could be a risk to yourself or others.
Costumes may not include smoke, odors, or fog.
Cosplay may not include:
- Words, images, or symbols that convey racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise prejudiced, discriminatory, or bigoted messages or sentiments.
- Obscene or offensive language or images, including uncensored profanities and pornographic content
Costumes should not represent or incorporate the iconography, uniform, or appearance of persons or objects associated with prejudice or bigotry (e.g. Nazi imagery).
20th and 21st-century uniforms may not be worn as costumes. These include any uniform that can be construed as a military uniform from any country or a uniform worn in an official capacity, such as security guard, police officer, deputy, fire marshal, paramedic, etc. Active duty military personnel are permitted to wear their government-issued uniforms.
Costumes and cosplays may incorporate audio or lighting elements of reasonable volume or intensity. Sounds and lights must be able to be turned off easily if they become disruptive to nearby attendees or events.

Weapons and props:

Costumes and cosplays cannot include historical or modern weapons or items that could be confused for them. This includes (but is not limited to): self-defense equipment like pepper spray or tasers; recreational weapons like Airsoft, paintball, water, cap, or BB guns; sharp-edged tools like knives or scissors; or martial-arts weaponry including wooden practice weapons.
Fantasy or sci-fi/futuristic weapons are allowed so long as they do not resemble actual historical or modern weapons and are handled with respect for other attendees' safety and personal space.
No live steel or weapons that can fire projectiles.
Weapons and props must not exceed the height of a standard American doorway.
Any weapon or prop that makes noise must be able to be turned off and must not be excessively loud.

Questionable items can be brought to the Information Desk in the convention center during operating hours to be checked for compliance with this policy. Some events may provide exceptions to this policy under strict circumstances defined by that event. Items purchased in the Exhibit Hall that violate this policy must be wrapped and immediately removed from the convention premises.

Gen Con Event Staff or security personnel may inspect any item or costume or request that an attendee remove a mask at any time during the convention. Failure to comply with these policies and/or the instructions of Gen Con Event Staff or security personnel may result in immediate removal from the convention without a refund.

If you have any questions about these policies, please contact Gen Con Customer Service before the convention or visit the Information Desk in the convention center during operating hours.

Event Spaces

Gen Con reserves the right to clear each room after an event. Attendees will not be allowed to remain in the room for the next event.

Items cannot be stored in event spaces. If found, items may be moved or discarded.

Lost and Found

The Gen Con Show Office will serve as the center for lost and found items during the convention. Unclaimed property will be turned over to the convention center security office at the close of the convention. You can help protect your belongings by including identification tags with mobile phone numbers in wallets, purses, backpacks and other loose items. Labeling belongings helps us attempt to return recovered items to their rightful owners.

Anti-Harassment Policy

Gen Con is committed to providing a safe environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Harassment or unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical, visual, or in any other form, is strictly prohibited. Gen Con’s anti-harassment policy applies to all persons involved in the operation or attendance of the convention or Gen Con-sponsored event. Gen Con will not tolerate harassment of anyone by anyone, including participants, vendors, hosts, or Gen Con staff.

Gen Con defines harassment as any behavior threatening a person or group or producing an unsafe and non-inclusive environment. Harassment includes but is not limited to, offensive verbal comments or non-verbal expressions related to race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, ethnicity, age, or religious beliefs.

Furthermore, harassment includes but is not limited to, sexual or discriminatory images in public and quasi-public spaces (online and offline), intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Harassment may take the form of comments, epithets, slurs, discriminatory or insensitive jokes, teasing, display or discussion of written or graphic material, repeatedly standing too close to or brushing up against a person, or giving gifts of an unwanted or sexual nature. Advocating or encouraging any of the above is also considered harassment.

Harassment at Gen Con does not include respectful disagreement or critique offered in good faith. Gen Con reserves the right to alter or broaden its definition of harassment at its sole discretion.

No one should tolerate any conduct of this type. Should you experience or witness harassment, you may choose to take any of the following actions:

If you feel safe and comfortable doing so, ask the offender to stop. Whether the offending behavior is intentional or unintentional, expressing your discomfort to the offender directly may put a stop to that conduct.
Leave the area. While this may seem unfair, it is sometimes best for your safety and well-being if you leave the area, especially if you feel uncomfortable around the offender or their conduct. After separating yourself from the conduct, you may wish to take additional actions.
If you are comfortable doing so, ask a Gen Con Captain or on-site security or staff member for help. You can find Gen Con Captains (wearing black Event Team vests) at Event HQs, in the Show Office, at the Customer Service kiosks, and roaming the halls.
Report the incident formally to Gen Con, on-site or online. You may go to the Show Office or any Event HQ to file an incident report in person. This can also be done anytime during or after the show by emailing [email protected]
Contact the police or other appropriate authorities. Your health and safety are our most important concern. If you require immediate assistance from law enforcement, medical services, or other governmental entities, please do not hesitate to contact such services directly.

Based on any informal or formal complaint or report of harassment, Gen Con may take the following steps. Note that this list is not exhaustive, and other appropriate action may be taken as necessary.

Read and investigate all reports. Gen Con documents and reviews all reports. Reporting parties may be contacted for further clarification of information unless they have submitted a report anonymously or asked not to be contacted further. Note that Gen Con will not share the results of these reports with anyone, including the person who filed the report unless required by law.
Intercede if and when appropriate. Gen Con staff may take immediate action to address harassment concerns, including but not limited to escorting participants to a location in which they feel safe, refunding tickets, canceling events, moving event locations, requesting participants leave a specific area, removing offenders from the event, or banning offenders from the show. Bans and removals may be on a temporary basis, for the duration of the show, or permanent.
Contact police and medical authorities when appropriate. If, upon review, Gen Con finds that relevant local government officials should be notified, Gen Con may contact such entities and/or share confidential information as required by law.
Sanction participants based on our investigations. Gen Con participants found to have violated the Code of Conduct may be subject to sanctions, including but not limited to:
- Verbal or written warning
- Requiring the participant to avoid any interaction with and physical proximity to the party or parties involved
- Temporary suspension from any Gen Con sponsored events or online services
- A permanent ban from any Gen Con sponsored events or online services.
- Immediate expulsion from the convention without refund
- Reporting of the incident to the appropriate authorities

Gen Con's Code of Conduct applies in all physical and online spaces within Gen Con's control. This includes, but is not limited to, event venues, Pop-Up Gen Con locations, Gen Con social media pages, streamed programming, and Gen Con forums. Occasionally, Gen Con is made aware of behavior by participants (or potential participants) that has occurred outside of Gen Con — either online or offline — and is a gross violation of our Code of Conduct. These actions need not occur in Gen Con-affiliated spaces to be considered for sanctions by Gen Con. These include, but are not limited to:

Individuals who have not attended Gen Con but have a history of abusive behavior and/or known incidents that took place outside Gen Con that may cause risks to a participant’s safety or which may contribute to a hostile or non-inclusive environment at the convention
Gen Con participants who have been reported for outside incidents, including, but not limited to, conduct at other conventions, threatening or abusive behavior online, or assault

We understand that, at times, participants will have disagreements or interpersonal conflicts that do not necessarily escalate to the point of harassment or abuse. Gen Con will not arbitrate such disagreements—we ask that you please leave these conflicts at home.

Gen Con continuously strives to create a safe and welcoming space. Should you have any suggestions for how we can improve, please email us at [email protected]

We care about creating safe spaces to play games together at our events and yours, so we've published our Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policy under a Creative Commons License. This means that you can freely use and adapt them for your convention or event. You can access a copy of our published policy here.

Registration Information

Registration

Registration is when attendees can purchase badges and event tickets for Gen Con through our online registration system. During Event Registration, event tickets are available for purchase. All purchases made after the Ship to Me deadline will be labeled “Will Call” and held for pickup on-site at the show. Onsite Event Registration opens at the convention center on Wednesday before Gen Con officially begins and lasts through the show's end on Sunday.

Specific dates, prices, and other information can be found on our Badge Information page. More information on the Badge Refund and Exchange Policies can be found on the Refund & Exchange Policies page.

Payment

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express as payment. Cash is accepted for on-site purchases only. Checks and money orders are not accepted at any time. A 10% admissions tax will be charged on all online and on-site badge purchases in compliance with Marion County laws.

Badge Credentials

Everyone (excluding children ten and under) attending Gen Con must wear a valid badge for identification while in the convention center and surrounding hotels and during gameplay and events. A badge is required to purchase event tickets and allows the bearer access to the Exhibit Hall, Art Show, seminars, and other events happening in public areas during one or more days of the convention. Badges must always be visible to assure staff and security of your eligibility to participate in the convention.

Children Ten and Under Badges

Children ten and under are admitted free when accompanied by an attending adult. If your child wishes to participate in an event requiring an event ticket, you must purchase a Gen Con badge for them. Children over the age of ten are subject to the standard badge costs. Parents must register all children ages ten and under at the Customer Service or Badge Registration kiosks onsite for the children's protection. A wristband will be issued at that time, listing the parent or guardian’s contact information. The wristband must be attached to the child’s wrist while in the convention center in case the child and parent become separated. More information can be found in our Attendee FAQ.

Registration Areas

There are several Registration Areas throughout the convention center and surrounding hotels. “Main Registration” is located in the Indiana Convention Center Wabash-East concourse near the Maryland Street entrance and consists of: Event Registration, Will Call, Customer Service, Accessibility Services, and Main Registration. Remote Event Registration can be found in the Event Hall and Lucas Oil Stadium. See the Program Book onsite for details.

On-site Badge Registration

If available, it will be at the Customer Service kiosk. Please check out our Badge Information page for additional information about the various badge types and associated costs.

Parents may also use this kiosk if they have already purchased a badge but need to obtain a child's wristband.

Event (Ticket) Registration

An event ticket confirms a spot to participate in a game or event scheduled during the show. Participants may purchase tickets specifically for an event or buy generic tickets, which are used like cash to pay admission fees associated with a specific event. The drawback to purchasing generic tickets is that they do not guarantee admission or the ability to play a game if the event sells out. Event Registration kiosks can be found in the convention center (Wabash-East concourse near the Maryland Street entrance and in Hall C) and Lucas Oil Stadium. While on-site, refer to the convention map in the Program Book for those locations. Event tickets are only good for the year they were purchased.

Events running up to two hours in duration are priced at $2. Events exceeding two hours increase at the rate of $2 per two hours (i.e. A three to four-hour event is $4, a five to six-hour event is $6, etc.). The ticket cost may be higher if the event sponsor provides additional supplies or prizes.

Generic tickets are sold in $2 denominations. Generic tickets may be used like cash to pay admission fees associated with a specific event. For example, if you wish to participate in an event costing $4, you could pay for the event with two generic tickets (valued at $2 each). A maximum of 200 generic tickets can be purchased per account. Online purchases have no transaction limit, but onsite generic ticket purchases are limited to 50 tickets or $100 worth of tickets per transaction.

Please note: Any unused generic tickets may only be refunded via system credit and must be turned in to the Customer Service kiosk onsite before 4 pm on Sunday, August 4, 2024. More information on our Ticket Refund Policies can be found on the Refund & Exchange Policies page. Event tickets are only good for the year in which they were purchased.

Lost and Misplaced Badges and Event Tickets

Gen Con cannot replace lost, stolen, or forgotten badges and/or event tickets. Please be responsible with your convention materials. Lost, stolen, or forgotten items can be repurchased at full cost (if available). It is recommended you check with the Gen Con Show Office to see if your materials have been turned in to Lost and Found before buying new materials. Gen Con LLC assumes no responsibility for lost, stolen, or forgotten materials.

Gen Con LLC is not responsible for items lost in the mail (via the U.S. Postal Service) or items marked “delivered” by the USPS tracking system. If you choose to have your items shipped via USPS, we will reprint your badge and event tickets as long as the USPS site lists your package as lost or not yet delivered. If you chose USPS and the package is listed as “delivered,” you will be responsible for purchasing a new badge and any associated tickets. Any returned mail will be available for pickup at the Will Call kiosk on-site

Refunds

You can request a refund for your badge when badge registration opens on February 11, 2024. All badge refund requests must be made by the end of the day on June 14, 2024, at 11:59 pm (Eastern). Absolutely no badge cancellation requests will be honored after June 14, 2024, at 11:59 pm (Eastern).

Refund requests received before the deadline will be refunded and credited back to the original credit card or system credit used for the purchase, less administrative fees. System credit is non-transferable, non-refundable, and never expires. System Credit cannot be provided after the refund deadline.

All badge refunds are subject to a $10 administrative fee per badge refunded. There are no exceptions. Badges refunded to system credit do not incur a fee. Badges are non-transferable. Gen Con will not be rolling over any badges to the 2025 show.

All event and generic ticket refunds are subject to a 5% administrative fee for the total sum of tickets refunded. There are no exceptions.

All refund requests must be made by the purchaser by email to [email protected]. Refund requests must include the first and last name of the attendee, Gen Con account number, and email address associated with the account. Badge types and Game IDs, along with a description of the items to be refunded, are greatly appreciated (i.e., a 4-Day badge and eight generic tickets, or three Saturday badges and three True Dungeon tickets, Game ID#________).

Convention event ticket refunds will be managed by Customer Service and can be requested by the person whose name is on the ticket or the original purchaser. However, all funds can only go to the original purchaser of the ticket. All tickets are only good for the year that they were purchased. More information on the Badge and Ticket Refund Policies can be found on the Refund & Exchange Policies page.

Event Tickets

Generic tickets are only refunded via system credit. There is no cash refund on generic tickets. System credits do not expire and can be used to purchase badges or tickets for any future Gen Con convention.

Event-specific ticket refunds must be requested at least 30 minutes before the start of the event. Please see the area Hall Captain for further instructions if an event has been canceled. No refunds for canceled events will be given without a stamp or signature from the Hall Captain.

All ticket refunds are subject to a 5% administrative fee per the total sum of tickets refunded. The deadline for obtaining an on-site ticket refund is 4 pm on Sunday, August 4, 2024.

Liability

The purchase of a Gen Con badge admits one person to all basic activities and exhibits at Gen Con during regularly scheduled hours for the day(s) it is purchased. Some designated activities require payment of a separate, additional fee. In accepting this badge and in consideration for being admitted to Gen Con, the holder consents to be recorded (by audio and/or visual means) for exhibition and exploitation by any means in all media, including without limitation the Internet, worldwide in perpetuity.

The badge holder releases Gen Con LLC from any liability for loss or damage to persons or property, infringement of any right, or any other claim or course of action of any kind; authorizes and permits Gen Con LLC and its designees, which includes but is not limited to all sponsors, exhibitors, and contractors to use and authorize the use of his/her name, voice, likeness, and all reproductions thereof by any means and in all media now and hereafter known, including without limitation the Internet, for all purposes worldwide in perpetuity; and agrees to comply with all the rules and regulations of the Event.

Gen Con LLC Event Management reserves the right to deny entry or remove from the Event facilities any person who, in Event Management’s sole and absolute discretion, is behaving or threatening to behave in a manner that Event Management reasonably considers to be disruptive of the Event.

On-site Show Information

Show Hours

Official convention hours are usually announced in April/May and can be found on the Registration page. The Exhibit Hall remains open from 10 am to 6 pm, Thursday through Saturday, and from 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday.

Will Call

If you purchased a badge and event tickets and selected Will Call as your shipping option or purchased items after the Ship To Me deadline, you may obtain your items at the Will Call kiosks located in the convention center’s Wabash-East concourse near the Maryland Street entrance. You will need to present a valid government-issued photo ID in order to obtain your packet. Small children with no photo ID will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian with a valid ID in order to pick up their packet. Please keep in mind Will Call lines may vary based on how many attendees choose this option.

Items ordered online during show hours will be available no sooner than two hours after placing your order. Will Call items are placed in separate packets for each recipient and can only be claimed by that recipient.

Visit Main Registration or a Remote Registration kiosk for faster ticket purchases!

Hours:

WILL CALL

Wednesday: noon – Thursday 2 am
Thursday – Saturday: 7 am – 11 pm
Sunday: 7 am – 3 pm

Customer Service

Questions regarding the convention or any of the show policies can be directed to Customer Service. These kiosks are located in the convention center’s Wabash-East concourse near the Maryland Street entrance. Refunds will only be processed at the Customer Service kiosks. Event-specific ticket refunds must be requested at least 30 minutes before the start of the event. Refunds only will be issued to the original ticket(s) purchaser. See the Refund & Exchange Policies page for more information.

Important note!The Customer Service/Badge and Event Registration kiosks have all merged into one kiosk.

Please note: Customer Service kiosks will not be accepting cash after 11 pm nightly.

Hours:

CUSTOMER SERVICE/MAIN REGISTRATION & ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES

Wednesday: noon – Thursday 2 am
Opens: Thursday at 7 am
Closes: Sunday at 4 pm

accessibility Services

This kiosk is located between the Customer Service kiosks and the Maryland Motor Lobby doors. Patrons with disabilities may use this kiosk for Will Call pickup, badge and event ticket purchases, and refunds or exchanges. Wristbands or badge stickers are available at this location to alert staff and event team members that the bearer may need additional assistance (i.e. limited waiting in line, etc.).

Accessible viewing areas for the costume parade will be located at the Crossroads-Wabash intersection and next to the Hall B Event HQ.

Additional accessibility information for patrons with disabilities can also be found on the ICC website.

Remote event registration

HALL C REMOTE REG

Thursday – Saturday: 8 am – 8 pm
Sunday: 8 am – 2 pm

LUCAS OIL STADIUM REMOTE REG

Credit Card Only.

Thursday – Saturday: 7 am – midnight
Sunday: 7 am – 3 pm

Contact Information

Due to increased call volume and limited resources at this time, you will get a faster response by emailing us with customer service inquiries.

All badge refund requests must be sent by email.

If you are requesting a refund, please include the Gen Con ID number for the account used to purchase the badge(s) (find it next to your name on your account), the name on the badge(s) to be refunded, and the type of refund you are requesting (to your credit card minus the processing fee, or to system credit with no fee).

If you have any inquiries regarding our Policies or Show Information, please see our Attendee FAQ or Refund Policies or contact us at (206) 385-1967 or customerservice(at)gencon.com. Customer Service hours are Monday-Friday, 9:30 am – 5 pm (Pacific).

All inquiries can be made at the Customer Service kiosk on site during the convention.