Running Games at Dragon Con

How do I volunteer for Dragon Con Gaming? How can I run my own games as a scheduled event?
Volunteering is simple, just contact the director of the appropriate area, as listed on our Contacts page.

To run your own game as a scheduled event, you either submit it via the "Submit Event" button on the Gaming web site, if the event submission deadline has not passed, OR you contact the appropriate director.
Does running games at Dragon Con count as volunteer hours? What perks are offered for running games at Dragon Con?
Yes, running games for Dragon Con counts as volunteer hours. Thus, if you run games for 25 hrs., you will earn a free show membership.

As to other perks, there is not a standard set, but some areas offer such things as free gaming tickets (within reason). Contact the appropriate Gaming Director for more information.

Playing Games at Dragon Con

You might also want to take a look at the At The Show section; you might find your answers there.
How much does gaming cost at Dragon Con?
The costs for gaming at Dragon Con vary depending on exactly which events you are interested in. Most non-tournament events generally require a $5 ticket, while tournaments, especially Card Game tournaments, may cost $10, $20, or more if you are required to purchase playing materials. Specific prices are noted in the event descriptions as published here (starting in July), in the Dragon Con app (in late August), and in the Gaming Guide (at the show).
Can I organize a pickup game and play it in Dragon Con's Gaming area? Is there an Open Gaming area? Can I reserve a table?
We love when other Dragon Con attendees love Gaming enough to play their own games at the show. So, yes, please do that!

If you do that, there are a couple of rules we ask you to follow:
  • Check with whoever's in charge of the space before sitting down at a table. There is no Open Gaming area and definitely no unallocated space. It's no fun if the space you sit down in is scheduled for something else and you have to move in the middle of your game.
  • Campsite Rule: Restore the tables and chairs to how they were arranged when you arrived. Clear the table, and throw out your table's trash.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to reserve a table. A great way to reserve a table is volunteering to run a scheduled game. If interested, just contact the director of the appropriate area, as listed on our Contacts page.

Pre-Registration and Paying for Games

How do I pre-register for Gaming events?
  1. Log in to the Gaming web site. You can do this by clicking on the Login button in the top-right of the page. If you don't have an account, click on the Register button, also in the top-right of the page.
  2. Click on the "Search Events" button. Using the search capability, find the events you want to pre-register for.
  3. Examine the far-right column in the search results. It will show the availability for each event.
  4. If there is a checkbox and text similar to "4 available" shown for an event you want to pre-register for, you can select that event by clicking the checkbox. If you want multiple events or event times from the current search results, select multiple checkboxes. If you re-do any part of the search, you will lose your selections.
  5. Click the "Add to Schedule" button.
  6. You will see a list of the unpaid, reserved tickets.
  7. You can adjust the number of tickets using the Number column, and then clicking the "Update Reservations" button. You cannot increase the Number by more than the value shown in the Remaining column. Changing the number to zero (0) will remove that event from your list.
  8. You can continue adding unpaid, reserved tickets to your account by clicking on "Search Events" as you did above.
  9. Unpaid, reserved tickets will be released back into the pool of available tickets after 48 hours of no payment.
  10. When you are ready to pay, click on the "Check out with PayPal" button. When the payment flow completes, you will be returned to the Gaming site, and your tickets will be marked as paid.

Remember:
  • Make sure you have made all adjustments to your number of tickets before paying.
  • Make sure you pay ASAP.
  • You can get back to your unpaid, reserved tickets by clicking on the "My Schedule" button on the top of the page. It will also show your paid tickets.
  • If you have any problems, contact Gaming Registration (gamingregistration@dragoncon.org). Please include a description of the problem, including a detailed description of the several actions you took before encountering the problem and what the system displayed along the way.
I bought the wrong event ticket or an event ticket that I no longer need. How can I cancel it? How can I get a refund?
While pre-registration is open, all ticket cancellations and refund requests must be sent to Gaming Registration (gamingregistration@dragoncon.org). Please include the event, number of tickets, and other relevant information. After pre-registration closes, all changes and refunds must be performed on-site.
I pre-registered for events, but I want to pay at the show rather than beforehand. Can I do this?
No, we require payment for pre-registered events before the show. We do this to encourage folks to only pre-register for the event tickets that they really desire, hopefully allowing others more chance to get the event tickets they desire. Past experimentation with less strict policies led us to set and keep this one.
I pre-registered for events, but I don't want to pay for my tickets with PayPal. How else can I pay?
Unfortunately, we only accept PayPal for payment of pre-registered tickets.
Why do you only accept PayPal for payment?
We use PayPal because it allows the most payment options for the most people, which is especially important because we have limited technical resources.
I am a volunteer, and I thought I didn't need to pay for my event tickets. Do I need to pay via PayPal? Will my tickets be canceled?
Maybe and no. If you have confirmed with your area Director that you are working enough to receieve free event tickets, all you need to do is notify your Director that you have created a schedule, and he or she will make sure it is confirmed.

If there is a complication of some kind, we will attempt to contact you several times before releasing your tickets.

Make sure you registered on the system with a valid email address.

At The Show

Where do I pick up my purchased tickets at the show? What do I need to bring to pick up my purchased tickets?
All pre-registered event tickets are available at Gaming Registration. You must have your convention badge. If you are a Gaming volunteer working 25 hours or more, your area Director or Gaming Registration may have your badge, so you don't have to stand in line at Convention Registration. Contact your Director.

We recommend that you bring a printed copy of your schedule and your relevant PayPal payments to the convention, just in case.
Where is on-site Gaming Registration? When is it open?
Gaming Registration is in the AmericasMart, Building 3, on the 1st (ground) floor.

Gaming Registration will be open at the following times:
  • Thu 4 PM to 8 PM
  • Fri 8 AM to 8 PM
  • Sat 8 AM to 8 PM
  • Sun 8 AM to 8 PM
  • Mon 8 AM to 1 PM
What credit cards does on-site Gaming Registration accept?
On-site Gaming Registration accepts Visa and MasterCard.
Where do I get my Dragon Con badge?
Your Dragon Con badge is available at Convention Registration, which is at the Courtland Grand Hotel (Formerly Sheraton Atlanta).
If my event is sold out, is there a waiting list?
No, we do not offer a waiting list for events.