Gen Con Califronia Debut Press Release

Straight from my inbox:

GEN CON SO CAL SUCCESSFULLY DEBUTED WITH NEARLY 5000 GAMERS, MORE THAN 130 EXHIBITORS AND OVER A THOUSAND OF GAMING EVENTS

The Best Four Days In Gamingä Drew Nearly Five
Thousand Fans to Anaheim, CA Last Weekend for Four
Days of Gaming Events and Fun!

December 18, 2003 (Seattle, WA) Ð Gen Con So Cal
debuted last weekend in Anaheim, CA to 4725
(un-audited) fans of gaming, fantasy and science
fiction, proving that even on the west coast, The Best
Four Days of Gamingä is the place to be for gamers!

“We knew we were taking a risk launching a new show in
an untested market for us,” says CEO & Owner of Gen
Con LLC Peter Adkison. “But we worked hard, and the
gaming community really rallied to support our
endeavor helping to make Gen Con So Cal a success.
Come January weÕll dive back in putting together Gen
Con So Cal 2004 to make it even bigger and better!”

Gen Con So Cal 2003 Highlights:
· Gen Con So CalÕs first collectible auction saw the
biggest sale in Gen Con auction historyÑa
factory-sealed case (10 display boxes) of Magic: The
Gathering Trading Card Game cards from the Arabian
Nights expansion set, was sold to an anonymous bidder
calling in via cell phone, for the staggering sum of
$95,000.
· Gamers have heart! Hearing of the severely depleted
supply of donations made to the MarinesÕ Toys for Tots
program, Gen Con So Cal exhibitors, including Wizards
of the Coast, Alderac Entertainment Group, Lucas Arts, Privateer Press, Green Ronin Publishing, Osseum, Decipher, Rook Steel Storage, White Wolf, Sabertooth Games, and many generous others, ponied up and donated upwards of $100,000 worth of games, toys, action figures and clothing to the cause.
· Gen Con So Cal hosted the Magic: The Gathering Grand Prix-Anaheim tournament. Ben Rubin, a California native, walked away the Grand Prix-Anaheim champion title and the $2,400 first place cash prize. · Gen Con So Cal was packed with celebrities from science fiction and fantasy TV & film favorites.
Among those who came out to kick off Gen Con So Cal
were William Shatner (Star Trek), Daniel Logan (Star
Wars: Episode II), Sarah Douglas, Battlestar
GalacticaÕs Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict and Herbert
Jefferson Jr., Virginia Hey of Farscape, and Babylon
5Õs Jason Carter, Richard Biggs and Robin
Atkin-Downes.

Gen Con LLCÕs flagship show, Gen Con Indy, is North
AmericaÕs largest hobby gaming convention, last year
drawing nearly 30,000 attendees. 2004 will mark Gen
Con IndyÕs 37th year as the must-do destination for
gaming fans from around the world.

The Best Four Days In Gaming will return to Anaheim,
CA in 2004 (dates to be announced), and Gen Con Indy
August 19 Ð 22, 2004. For more information, including discounted pre-registration, please visit www.gencon.com.

About Gen Con
Gen Con, LLC and The Best Four Days in GamingÔ are
wholly owned by Peter Adkison, former CEO and founder
of Wizards of the Coast. Now in its 37th year, Gen
Con Indy has become the largest annual consumer
fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North
America. Each year, game enthusiasts converge to
share a common enthusiasm and a long weekend of
interactive play, to participate in hobby-related
events and meet celebrity guests. With more than
25,000 attendees each year and more new product
introductions than any other consumer game convention
in the U.S, Gen Con is an annual destination for fans
of adventure games, fantasy and science fiction. This
year marks Gen Con’s debut in Anaheim, CA with Gen
Con So Cal.