March 22, 2017: Scouting Ahead: GAMA Trade Show 2018 Will Be Incredible!

We sent a team to Vegas last week for the GAMA Trade Show, where we met with retailers, distributors, and many industry friends from other game companies. The show is always productive and fun, and this year was no different, with a great response from retailers for some of our upcoming games. And, for the third year in a row, our retailer-appreciation party was packed with store owners and staff, and everyone had a blast talking games - and even playing some games!

Everything changes for the GAMA Trade Show next year. The team behind organizing and running the event has made the decision to leave Vegas (for which I am grateful), and after far more time in research and discussions than I can begin to imagine, they settled on moving the show to Reno in 2018. 

The GAMA show is important to us - it is one of the best places to sit down with our partners at the retail level and review what works - so I accepted the GAMA staff's invitation to join them in Reno this past weekend. The GAMA team gave me (and others from the industry) a tour of the Peppermill Resort, 2018's home of the GAMA Trade Show. After spending so many rough years at Bally's in Vegas, the convention's 2018 home feels like the upgrade that we, the entire tabletop game industry, truly deserve. The level of professionalism in the industry has skyrocketed in the last decade, and the Peppermill is a well-deserved reward for all of our hard work. (Phil shot a short video of the resort, as well. -HS)

Thank you to John Ward and the GAMA team for inviting me to the Peppermill. The tour of the facility - and the time I spent exploring the nearby restaurants and shops in search of off-site spaces for private meetings - went a long way toward getting me all excited about the venue change. Excellent choice, John, and I can say that Steve Jackson Games is looking forward to joining you (and the entire industry!) in Reno next year.

Retailers, please take a close look at the benefits of attending the GAMA Trade Show next year. The new location is a dream, and we look forward to seeing many of you - especially first-time attendees! - at the Peppermill in 2018.

-- Phil Reed