The WashingCon Blog Returns for 2017

After a hiatus, the WashingCon blog has returned and will be publishing information about WashingCon 3 as well as highlights from last year's convention to get everyone excited about this year's events. Please make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional updates as the convention draws near.

Breaking News: WashingCon 3 is Coming September 2017!

After taking time off from a great convention, we are excited to announce that we signed the contract with Georgetown University for WashingCon 3! We will host the convention at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center September 9 to 10, 2017. While more details will be forthcoming, we want to announce that:

1. We will have all six side conference rooms for both days, meaning we can schedule more events for you next year.
2. We will have better food options for WashingCon 3. After receiving feedback from attendees and staff, the conference center will provide sandwiches, drinks, and grab-and-go items in a convenient location close to the main gaming hall.
3. We heard you loud and clear and will improve our shuttle service. We will have smaller shuttles running more frequently that will drop people off closer to the main entrance.

Tickets will go on sale in a few months. In addition to announcing ticket sales, we will also announce sponsorships and events over the next few months as well. As always, follow us on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter for the latest news and announcements.

A Big Thank You to WashingCon Attendees (and a Few Fun Figures About This Year’s Convention)

WashingCon would like to say thank you to every single attendee, volunteer, and sponsor for making this year’s convention an unqualified success. While we will be releasing photos soon, here are a few fun facts and figures from this year’s convention:

• We had 953 attendees, including volunteers, sponsors, and special guests.
• We had 70 hard-working and enthusiastic volunteers.
• We had 44 officially scheduled events and sold out 35 of them.
• We gave away 134 play-to-win games, which had a total of 1,836 entries.

If you have any awesome photos that you would like to share with to us from the convention, please send it to contact@washingcon.com. We will need your permission to post these images on our website and social media.

As always, please continue to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and this blog for announcements about WashingCon 3 as well as exclusive interviews with sponsors and game designers who attend this year’s convention. Thank you again; we could not have done this without your support and enthusiasm.

Final Announcements and Reminders for WashingCon!

We are less than than 3 days until WashingCon - here are some important reminders:

Tickets and Events

There is still time to purchase a discounted ticket to WashingCon. Ticket prices will remain at $40 for a full weekend pass until Friday night at 9pm. After that, tickets will be available at the door (starting Saturday at 9:15am) for $45.

Online event sign-up will also end at 9pm Friday night. After that, event sign-up will be in-person starting at 10am Saturday morning.

If you pre-ordered your ticket, you can pickup your badge at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles until 5pm on Friday. After that, you can pickup your badge at will call at the convention center beginning at 9:15am Saturday morning.

The convention officially opens at 10am both days.

Getting There

The event is being held at the Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center, which is part of the Leavey Center. It is on the Georgetown Campus. The address is 3800 Reservoir Road NW, Washington DC, 20057. 

There is a free shuttle that will run between Foggy Bottom metro and the convention center. The first shuttle leaves Foggy Bottom at 9:15am each day. The last shuttle will leave the conference center for the metro at approximately 10:45pm on Saturday night and approximately 8:45pm on Sunday night. Please note, the shuttles are not wheelchair accessible (the conference center itself is accessible).

Parking in the Leavey Parking Garage, which is right next to the conference center, will cost $25 for the day. Parking is also available in the O’Donovan Parking Garage at a cost of $15 for the day. This garage can be accessed by entering the Georgetown campus at the Canal Road entrance near the Key Bridge (the entrance is next to the large rock reading “Hoya Saxa”). From there, follow the signs to the O’Donovan Parking Garage. From the garage, it is a 5-10 minute walk north across the Georgetown University campus to the Conference Center.

The Circulator bus and D6 bus are also great options and takes you right to the Georgetown Campus.

Follow WashingCon on Twitter and Facebook during the weekend for updates on events and other information during the weekend. 

See you at WashingCon, and happy gaming! 

A Safe Space for all Gamers: WashingCon's Personal Conduct Policy

Hello everyone, we hope you are enjoying your Labor Day! WashingCon is less than a week away and we're very excited to see everyone there! We wanted to take this opportunity to share our personal conduct policy with you. Most of this stuff is straight forward, and it really just boils down to the golden rule. 

We also want to make sure that WashingCon is a safe and welcoming space for all gamers. We worked hard with the university to get them to dedicate a gender neutral bathroom. Ultimately we were unsuccessful, but we want to make it clear that there will be a zero tolerance policy for harassment of any kind toward anyone for using the bathroom of their choice. 

Thanks for helping to make WashingCon a fun, engaging, and safe space for everyone to enjoy this hobby that we all love. We can't wait to see you at WashingCon!

Family and Kids events at WashingCon

WashingCon will have a dedicated Family Area inside the main gaming hall with kid-friendly games and activities

The Family area will feature games and demos from BlueOrange, Gamewright, and Peaceable Kingdom. 

BlueOrange will be having a FastTrack tournament Saturday from 11am-1pm.

Peaceable Kingdom will be holding the fantasy themed costume contest for kids on Saturday from 2-4pm. Kids 10 and under can dress in their favorite fantasy themed costume and win great prizes!

Kids might also be particularly interested in participating in some of our dexterity games events, such as our Jenga Tournament on Sunday from 2-5pm.

We're looking forward to seeing you (and the little ones) at WashingCon! And don't forget that to get to WashingCon, you can take the shuttle on both Saturday and Sunday! 

RPGs and LCGs at WashingCon

Are you an RPG or LCG fan? If so, WashingCon is the place for you!

We've got over 20 different scheduled RPG events, but they are filling up fast, so be hurry to sign up! 

The entire West Lobby of our convention space will be dedicated to RPGs, with 10 dedicated tables for RPG games! 

Three different RPG publishers, including Bully Pulpit Games, Evil Hat Productions, and Green Ronin Publishing are sponsors of WashingCon, and representatives from Evil Hat and Green Ronin will be on hand to demo their RPGs! 

We will also be featuring an LCG Lounge on both Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm that will be specifically dedicated to your favorite Fantasy Flight LCG games like Netrunner, A Game of Thrones, 40K Conquest and more! On Saturday, the LCG lounge will be in Room 6, and on Sunday, it will be in Room 4.

Every game you play in the LCG lounge will earn you a raffle ticket with your chance to earn awesome prizes! 

Good luck, game on, and let's see those natural D20's! 

A (Free) Ticket to Ride: About WashingCon’s Free Shuttle Bus Service

As a part of making WashingCon the best possible experience for our attendees, we will have a free shuttle service that will pick people up at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and drop them off at the Hotel and Conference Center. Here are a few important details about the shuttle service:

• The first shuttle will leave the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station at 9:15 am on Saturday and 9:15 am on Sunday.
• The last shuttle will leave the Conference Center for the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station at approximately 10:45 pm on Saturday and at approximately 8:45 pm on Sunday.
• The shuttles will have a sign for "WashingCon" that riders can see.
• The shuttles will be on a continuous loop between the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and the Conference Center on both days.
• There will be a WashingCon volunteer on hand to assist people at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and at the Conference Center in the mornings.
• You do not need a pre-purchased ticket to WashingCon to ride the shuttle.

You can see the pickup location at the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station and the drop-off location at the Conference Center in the images below. If you have any questions about our shuttle service, please email contact@washingcon.com.

The shuttle will pick up next to the Foggy Bottom-GWU Metro Station

The shuttle will drop off in the parking lot next to building 15 (where the picture of the shuttle bus is). You'll need to walk about 1 minute to the building that is circled and marked by the star. 

WashingCon Badges Available for Pickup at Labyrinth Games and Puzzles. More Volunteers Needed for WashingCon!

We are happy to announce that WashingCon attendees can now pickup their badges at Labyrinth Games and Puzzles at 645 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE in Washington, DC (please note Labyrinth is closed on Mondays).

Picking up your badge at Labyrinth means you can skip the badges lines at the convention and walk right into the gaming hall when the convention opens! If you have any questions about the pickup process, email contact@washingcon.com.

Also, WashingCon needs about 20 more volunteers to assist us at the convention. In exchange for volunteering for two four-hour shifts, you'll get your ticket fully reimbursed after the convention. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Ben Rosset at rosset37@gmail.com.

Breaking News: WashingCon Will Offer Free Games for the First 1,000 Arrivals Courtesy of Game Salute!

WashingCon is happy to announce that the first 1,000 attendees who arrive at the convention will receive their choice of a free game, a free deck of playing cards, or a free 96-piece puzzle. The 96-piece puzzle is perfect for kids who are not ready for a jigsaw puzzle. Since we are expecting about 1,000 attendees, this promotion means that we will have something for everybody. So let your friends know that a ticket to WashingCon now also includes a free game for the first 1,000 arrivals. We'd like to thank Game Salute for donating the games and improving our attendees’ experience. 

Also, if you want to get into WashingCon for free (and get a free t-shirt), signup to be a volunteer! Contact Ben Rosset at rosset37@gmail.com for more information.

UPDATED! A Few Details About WashingCon’s Gaming Library and Our Play-to-Win Raffle

Like last year, WashingCon will have a full gaming library with hundreds of games that attendees can check out and play for free in the open gaming hall. Volunteers will be on hand to help teach games to people who want to learn a particular game. The gaming library will be open on Saturday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm and on Sunday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

In addition to the full-range of games, our library will feature a "play-to-win" section. As with other games, WashingCon attendees can check out and play these games. At 4pm on Sunday, we will randomly select one person who has played the game during the convention and award it to them to keep. You can take any games that you won at that point. If you are not present to claim the games you won at 4pm on Sunday, we will send you an email after the convention and you can pickup the games you won at Labyrinth Games & Puzzles within 1 week. Our list of games in this section will include a wide range of titles from publishers such as:

• Allsaid and Dunn: Bin'Fa: The Tao of War
• Bezier Games: America, Favor of the Pharaoh, and Castles of Mad King Ludwig
• Chara Games: Commissioned
• Czech Games Edition: Alchemists and Codenames
• Facade Games: Salem
• Fireside Games: Castle Panic, The Village Crone, and Bears!
• Formal Ferret Games: The Networks
• FoxMind Toys and Games: Fauna, Stinker, and Maze Racers
• Gorilla Games: Lifeboat and Desert Island
• Grail Games: Too Many Cinderellas, One Zero One, and Circus Flohcati
• Grandpa Beck's Games: Skull King and Cover Your Assets
• Greater Than Games: Sentinels of the Multiverse, New Bedford, and Bottom of the 9th
• Hack and Slash Games: Ophidian 2350
• Indie Boards and Cards: Melee, Roar-a-Saurus, The Resistance, and Coup
• Mayday Games: Viceroy, Garbage Day, Chopstick Dexterity MegaChallenge 3000, and Dungeon Busters
• Overworld Games: Booze Barons and Good Cop, Bad Cop
• Smirk and Dagger Games: Nevermore, J'Accuse, and Dead Last
• Stonemaier Games: Between Two Cities
• Stronghold Games: Bear Valley, Stellar Conflict, and The Dragon and Flagon
• Studio Woe: Gruff
• Tasty Minstrel Games: Flip City, Harbour, and Eminent Domain
• Thames and Kosmos: Steam Time, Tumult Royale, and Dimension
• USAopoly: Star Trek Panic, Lift It! Deluxe, and Wonky: The Crazy Cubes Card Game!
• Wattsalpoag Games: A Fistful of Penguins, Claim It!, and Jet Set

Details about the times for the play-to-win drawings will be available at the gaming library during the convention. If you have any questions about the game library, please email contact@washingcon.com.

Sign Ups for the Math Trade Event at WashingCon Are Now Live!

Like last year's WashingCon, a volunteer will be running a math trade event at this year's convention. For those unfamiliar with this event, a math trade allows convention-goers to use online platforms such as trade.abecorn.com to trade games from their own gaming collection with each other to get rid of old games and get new ones. By using an algorithm to make the trades, math trades allow users to simply note which games they want to trade from their collections and which ones they want from other traders. 

Here are a few important details about the math trade at WashingCon:

• There is no limit to the number of games you can offer for trade. The more games you offer for trade, the better chance you have of getting the games you want in return. 
• The deadline for posting your own games to the trade list is Friday, September 2nd.
• The trade will occur at 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 10th. 

Additional information about the Math Trade is available in this page on Board Game geek. If you have any questions, please leave a comment on the BGG page and Matthew Rall, the organizer of the math trade, will assist you.

WashingCon Events Signups Are Live! Check Out Our Events Schedule (and Volunteer for Us)

We are excited to announce that signups for WashingCon events are live! Before you register for our events, please remember that:

• In order to participate in an event, you must have a ticket to WashingCon.
• While all of our events are completely free, you will need to have registered for each one to participate in them.
• If you don't show up to the event on time, we may give your spot away to another person waiting for the event.
• If our website does not list a location for an event, you can find this information in the final schedule at the convention’s signup table.
• Please remember that many events such as tournaments and panels have limited space, so sign up as soon as possible before they sell out.

We may add additional events before the convention, so check the event signup page, this blog, Facebook, and Twitter for announcements for new events. If you have any questions about events, please email contact@washingcon.com.

In addition to our events signups, we still need volunteers for the convention. You can read more about our volunteer program here. People interested in volunteering can contact Ben Rosset at rosset37@gmail.com.

WashingCon Sponsor Spotlight: HABA USA

As the road to WashingCon continues, we would like to take this opportunity to spotlight one of our sponsors, HABA USA, one of the largest companies in the children’s game market. Since their first appearance at GenCon in 2014, HABA USA, the North America distributor of HABA Games, has seen the interest and popularity of their products grow. The company has released over 60 children’s game titles in the United States and will introduce 14 more games this fall. The company’s games use unique mechanisms such as blowing feathers, balancing eggs, racing finger driven fire trucks, and turning flowers into honey. Here are highlights of four new games the company will release this fall:

Go Cuckoo: Who can help Kiki Cuckoo build a nest for her eggs? In this game, players race to place twigs on the nest before placing all of their cuckoo eggs on top of them. Be careful, though; the game takes finesse – and a little luck – since the fragile eggs may tumble down a half-built nest. The player who places the wooden Kiki Cuckoo bird on the nest after putting all of their eggs on the twigs wins the game. This wobbly nest-building game is for two to five players ages four and up.

Magic Feathers: In this game, animals are running around the dense jungle looking for the partners they lost while playing. As a colorful magic bird soaring high over the treetops, players can help these animals find their partners by using letting magic feathers float into the jungle to enchant them. The player who reunites the most matching animal pairs as the bird becomes king of the jungle and, at the end of the game, decorates themselves with these feathers. This magical floating feather game is for two to five players ages four and up.

Logic Labyrinth: In this game, players have to find the correct path through the mysterious cavern in order to steal treasures from the cavern’s mighty genie. However, the treasure map has been torn into many pieces throughout the cavern. Players will need a quick eye for combinations to piece together the map and find the most treasure in the cavern without losing their way. This intriguing brainteaser game is for two to five players ages six and up.

Heroes of Kaskaria: In this game, evil trolls have stolen the treasure of the ancestors and the magical tribal amulet, leaving the Kaskarians fearful of the wrath of their ancestors. Brave heroes must immediately set off with flying griffins and fast cliff runners to reach the trolls’ lair at the bottom of the volcanic crater. The hero who plays their action cards strategically, recovers as much treasure as possible, and snatches the magic amulet back from the trolls will be the hero of Kaskaria. This beginner’s tactical fantasy adventure is for two to four players ages six and up.

WashingCon attendees can learn more about these games and other HABA USA products at HABAusa.com. WashingCon would like to thank the company for their support of our convention. 

WashingCon Needs Volunteers! Join Our Team to Make This Year’s Convention the Best One Yet!

WashingCon relies heavily on the hard work of our volunteers to help organize and staff the convention. Our team of volunteers and their dedication to the tabletop community in the DC area will be critical to making this year’s convention a success.

If you want to contribute to this year's convention, here are three important details about volunteering with WashingCon:

• In return for working two 4-hour shifts, volunteers will have their tickets refunded after the convention; they must purchase a regular ticket before the event.
• Volunteers will also receive a free volunteer t-shirt to wear during their shifts and keep afterward.
• Volunteers need to visit WashingCon's volunteer sign up page to register for their shifts.

Remember, you need to sign up for two shifts to receive a refund for your ticket after the convention.

In addition to working at the convention, volunteers will need to attend one of two upcoming volunteer meetings that we will host in DC in mid-August:

• Sunday August 14 at 6:30 at Labyrinth Game Shop, 645 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
• Monday August 15 at 6:30 pm at the SE Public Library, 403 7th Street, SE.

At the meeting, you’ll learn more about the job you signed up for as well be able to offer suggestions for making the convention even better. If you cannot attend either meeting, please sign up for your shifts and email Ben Rosset at rosset37@gmail.com. If you have any other questions about volunteering, please email Ben.

Once again, WashingCon would like to thank all of our volunteers for their hard work and commitment to making the convention possible.

Breaking News: World-Renown Game Designer Rob Daviau is Coming to WashingCon!

We have major news for WashingCon attendees: award-winning game designer Rob Daviau, the designer of Pandemic Legacy, Risk Legacy, and Seafall, will be attending WashingCon! Rob’s work on Pandemic Legacy made the game the number one ranked strategy game on boardgamegeek.com.

Rob will be attending the convention between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. During this time, Rob will be participating in several events such as panels, which we will be announcing soon. Attendees will have a chance to meet him and talk with him about the industry, his upcoming games, and the hobby in general.

As always, follow this blog, Facebook, and Twitter to hear more about Rob’s schedule in the coming weeks.

Announcing WashingCon’s First Round of Events for September 10 and 11

WashingCon is excited to publish the list that WashingCon attendees have been waiting for: our events schedule! Our events will range from from miniatures game demos such as Fantasy Flight Game’s X-Wing and Steve Jackson Game’s Ogre to role playing game sessions of Bully Pulpit’s Ghost Court to family friendly events such as a costume contest and Fastrack tournament. We will also be featuring the Unpub Protozone, which we discussed previously on this blog.

Read below to see which events we have announced so far. We will be announcing signups for events as well as additional ones as we finalize out schedule on this blog soon. Individuals who have purchased tickets for the convention can sign up for free on the WashingCon website. They will need their ticket to participate in the event during the convention. As always, check back on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter for more announcements about WashingCon.

WashingCon Events on Saturday, September 10

Main Room

• All Day: Open Gaming. Convention attendees will have a chance to play a range of games in the 10,000 square foot open gaming hall.
• 10:00 am – 6:00 pm: Vendor Hall. Convention attendees will have a chance to check and out purchase games and other items from vendors such as Labyrinth Game Shop and Fun to 11 Games.
• 11:00 am – 6:00 pm: Unpub Protozone. WashingCon’s own Unpub Protozone will feature designers demoing and playtesting their latest work – and the next potential hit game.
• 11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Evolution Demo. NorthStar games will be demoing Evolution, where players compete against each other to create and evolve their own species in a dynamic ecosystem with predators and limited resources.
• 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Evolution Tournament. WashingCon will bring the phrase “survival of the fittest” to life in the Evolution tournament as players compete across multiple games to claim the title of most dominant species at the convention.
• 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Andy Versus Everyone. Come to this unique tournament where you compete against legendary game designer Andy Looney of Looney Labs as he plays up to 10 games at once. Participants who manage to beat Andy will receive prizes.
• 2:00 pm: Munchkin Tournament Preliminary Round One. Come play the classic and irreverent RPG card game from Steve Jackson Games in WashingCon’s Munchkin tournament. Participants who win this preliminary round will enter the final round on Sunday.
• 2:00 pm: Ogre Demos. This demo of Steve Jackson Game’s classic miniatures war game will feature Objective 218, the game’s upcoming Second Edition, and other products in the Ogre universe.
• 5:00 pm: Munchkin Tournament Preliminary Round Two. Participants who win this preliminary round will enter the final round on Sunday.
• 6:00 pm: Car Wars Demos. Steve Jackson games will be running demos of Car Wars: Max Carnage School of Offensive Driving, the latest game set in the Car Wars world.
• 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm: The WashingCon Wits and Wagers Game Show. After years of work, WashingCon is excited to host game show version of the party game Wits and Wagers from Northstar Games.

Executive Conference Room

• All day: X-Wing Events. WashingCon will set aside a whole room for X-wing players and attendees who want to learn about the game. In addition to demo games and learn to play sessions, we will host an epic battle set up on a 16-foot long conference table.

Conference Room 4

• 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm: War Games Discussion and Demos with Jason Matthews. Join Jason Matthews, the designer of the award-winning war game Twilight Struggle, for a discussion about war games and demos on various designs.
• 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm: The WashingCon Wits and Wagers Game Show. WashingCon will host another game show session of Northstar Game’s party game Wits and Wagers.

West Lobby

• 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: GURPS Prime Directive Demo. Come by the RPG area to play Steve Jackson Game’s GURPS Prime Directive RPG, which gives players the opportunity to explore the Star Fleet Universe.

Conference Rooms 5 and 6

• 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Two Rooms and a Boom. WashingCon will make this hit party game live up to its name and host it in two rooms for a special Saturday evening event.

Family Area

• 11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Fastrack Tournament. WashingCon invites attendees with a steady hand and careful aim to participate in our Fastrack tournament sponsored by Blue Orange Games. 
• 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Costume Contest. WashingCon’s Family Area will host a fantasy-themed costume contest for children ages 10 years and younger for Peaceable Kingdom games such as Cauldron Quest and Fairy Game. We will have fun prizes like stickers for participants.

WashingCon Events on Sunday, September 11

Main Room

• All Day: Open Gaming.
• 10:00 am – 6:00 pm: Vendor Hall.
• 11:00 am – 6:00 pm: Unpub Protozone.
• 10:00 am – 7:00 pm: NorthStar Games Demos. NorthStar Games will demo several of their games such as Evolution, Happy Salmon, and others. Titles are subject to change.
• 11:00 am – 4:00 pm: Jason Matthews Game Demos. Jason Matthews will demo his newest games such as 1989: Dawn of Freedom and teach people to play his classic designs such as Twilight Struggle.
• 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Sola Fide: The Reformation Demos. Jason Matthews will demo his new game Sola Fide: The Reformation, a game based on the Protestant Reformation where one player aims to spread the Reformation across the Holy Roman Empire and the other tries to prevent it.
• 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Super Dungeon Explore Demo. Come learn to play the chibi-anime inspired miniatures game Dungeon Explore from Soda Pop Miniatures.

Conference Room 3

• 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Game Design Panel. Join published game designers such as Jason Matthews, Ben Rosset, and other special guests to be announced as they discuss various topics related to game design.

West Lobby

• 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm: GURPS Prime Directive Demos. Come by the RPG area to play Steve Jackson Game’s GURPS Prime Directive RPG, which gives players the opportunity to explore the Star Fleet Universe.
• 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Ghost Court Demos. Come to the RPG area to play Ghost Court by Bully Pulpit Games, a game that lets players act out The People's Court as people and ghosts engaged in legal imbroglios.

Discounted Hotel Rooms and WashingCon’s Event Space

As WashingCon draws near, we wanted to provide some details about the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center, our convention space and hotel. The hotel and center is a short walk from the heart of historic Georgetown on M Street. We want everyone to know that:

• The gaming space is over 10,000 square feet with dedicated rooms for specific events and the Family Games Room.
• In addition to hosting events in the center’s main room, we will hold others in the six conference rooms surrounding the main room.
• There will be several food options right in the hotel and conference center.
• The center will have paid parking; limited street parking may be available around the center on Saturday and Sunday.

We will publish more information about which events will take place in these rooms in the coming weeks.

In terms of our hotel accommodations, the hotel has generously provided us with a significant discount for WashingCon attendees. Attendees who are interested in booking a room at the hotel should know that:

• Guests will be able to book discounted hotel rooms for Friday and Saturday night for $119 per night using this link: http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=1675250&hotelID=15410
• If you have booked a room, call the hotel at (202) 687-3200 and let them know they are part of WashingCon and would like the room block rate. The hotel will modify your reservation to get the discounted rate.
• If you cannot book a room because we ran out of spaces in the room block, email contact@washingcon.com and let us know so we can add additional rooms.

We also want to remind participants that they must make reservations by Wednesday, August 10th.

If you want to learn more about the hotel and spaces, please visit the Georgetown Hotel and Conference website. As always, check back on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter for more announcements about WashingCon. 

Signups for the Unpub Protozone at WashingCon begins Tuesday, July 12

As a part of WashingCon’s events, we excited to announce that we will be giving local game designers a chance to demo and playtest their unpublished games in the Unpub Protozone. Unpub is an organization dedicated to helping game designers get their games published. Over the last six years, publishers have signed over 100 games shown as Unpub events, including games created by our very own Ben Rosset and Matt Grosso such as between Two Cities, Brew Crafters, and Dead Last.

This year’s Unpub Protozone will be run by Darrell Louder, the Director of Unpub and the designer of Compounded and Bottom of the Ninth from Dice Hate Me Games. The event will have 16 three-hour slots with eight slots available on Saturday and eight available on Sunday. Registration will open on the Unpub website at noon on Tuesday, July 12. While game designers can sign up for free, they will need a ticket to WashingCon to register to demo their games.

In addition to the Unpub event, there will also be many game designers and game publishers in attendance, giving local designers a great opportunity to network with other members of the industry. Check back on this blog, Facebook, and Twitter for more announcements about WashingCon soon.

The Road to WashingCon Continues with Weekly Blog Posts on Events and Announcements

After a brief hiatus, WashingCon is excited to announce that we will be returning to regular weekly posts in the two months leading up to the convention. Our readers can expect posts and announcement on subjects such as: 

• Announcements for our plans for the game tournaments as well as the RPG and Family rooms.
• The publication of an initial event schedule for the convention, which we will release in the coming weeks.
• Signups for game designers who want to participate in the Unpub Protozone, WashingCon’s creative space for designers to demo their work.
• Interviews and features with our roster of 15 sponsors, including our event co-sponsor, Steve Jackson Games.
• Announcements about discounted rate on rooms at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center, which will host this year’s convention.

We also want to remind our readers that discounted “Later Bird” tickets to WashingCon are still available, so purchase yours here before they sell out. We also need volunteers to help out with running the convention and its events. If you live in the area and want to serve as a volunteer, click here and select the “I’d like to volunteer” button to get started. If you have any questions, please email us at contact@washingcon.com.
 
As always, follow us on this blog as well as our Facebook and Twitter accounts for the latest news and updates as we continue on the road to WashingCon.