KublaCon Recap: The Game Convention Fueled by Community Energy
As we continue to explore new game conventions across the country, I’ve prided myself in finding something that perfectly describes each event. Origins Game Fair continues to have the family-feel we experienced during our first visit many years ago. Great Plains Game Fest in Lincoln, Nebraska is Midwest Nice, a convention filled with caring, welcoming people. TantrumCon is ripe with personality, mirroring the Tantrum House crew the event is named after. Last month, Scott and I were invited as special guests to attend KublaCon Game Convention in Burlingame, California – a stone’s throw from San Francisco (SFO) airport. I pondered how I would describe this event that includes many sub-communities of the tabletop industry.
It didn’t take long to decide: Community Energy.
KublaCon takes place Memorial Day weekend each year and is held in the Hilton Regency SFO. As you enter the convention registration area, you’re greeted by friendly staff and a lobby filled with giant sized versions of many popular games such as the award-winning game, boop. and Hamster Roll to name a couple.
Open gaming is split into different areas of the hotel, but a large portion is housed in an atrium area that brings in the beautiful California sun. You can find open gaming in ballrooms and smaller spaces as well, but there’s something to be said for not feeling like you’re in a dungeon. Unless, of course, your game thrives on that theme in which case, it kind of makes sense.
The organizers of the event, Aldo Ghiozzi and Mike Eckert, host members of the industry as special guests like us. As part of the agreement to attend, we were tasked with different commitments to interact with the attendees depending on our specialties. Special guests act as seminar panelists, contest judges and mentors.
Attendees can even sign up for events where game designers are teaching, playing or leading groups through their games. Some people enjoy trying to beat a designer at their own game while others are excited simply to meet the creators behind the games they enjoy.
The game design community in the San Francisco Bay area is incredibly robust and the prototype area of KublaCon reflects that. Budding and veteran designers alike flock to the room to playtest their designs for feedback.
These are samples of the many things to do while at KublaCon game convention. There are scavenger hunts, tournaments, play to win, charitable initiatives, an exhibit hall and not just one, but two flea markets. If you don’t want to participate in any of those and just want to play games then that’s surely an option. The library is free so you can check out games you don’t own (or didn’t tote with you). Plus, there are flags to attach to the end of the table or carry around if you’re seeking more players.
Having been to several conventions, I can honestly attest that the staff and volunteers can make or break the experience. The team at KublaCon was fantastic. Most were incredibly helpful and consistently professional.
It’s hard to paint a good picture of all the things happening at KublaCon game convention and it’s nearly impossible to convey the feeling of community that caused me to label it the way I did. The atrium creates a vortex for sound. No matter where you are, you can hear an echo of someone shouting, “Kuuuubbbblllaaaa!!” followed immediately by a chorus of voices from around the building responding, “Coonnnnn!!!” It is such second nature to the longtime attendees that they respond without even missing a beat in their games or conversations. The sense of community at KublaCon is unlike anything I have felt at any other convention.
If you live near San Francisco and are looking for a different way to spend Memorial Day weekend, mark KublaCon Game Convention for next year. And if you don’t live nearby, look for cheap flights into SFO. There’s a free shuttle to the hotel! It’s well worth the trip.
What personality does your favorite convention convey?
