ConGlomeration: Louisville’s Grassroots Gaming Convention

Spring has sprung, and with it, the usual sights and sounds we are used to in the Ohio valley—Derby hoopla, allergies, and people cruising Bardstown Road just to be seen. But for Louisville gamers, spring means the sound of rolling dice, smells of tasty junk food, and dreams of worlds to be conquered or lost. April marks the start of gaming convention season with the homegrown fan convention: ConGlomeration.  A descendant of the late, great RiverCon, Conglomeration has entertained local gamers with an exciting mix of games, engaging panels, and an entertaining dealer’s room/artist alley for over a decade.

There were tons of games to play at the con, including RPG and board games.  D6 or Die came down from Indiana to revel would be rebels with sessions of civil war in a galaxy far far away: West End Games’ version of Star Wars.  Cthulhu games were the next favorite, including the campy fun of the Star Trek/Cthulhu mashup that I personally ran. All the board games were supplied by local gaming club Louisville Boardgamers who have always assisted ConGlomeration with their gaming needs.  

The panels were well attended this year, starting with the lovely Jenna Busch, who you might have seen on Wil Wheaton’s Tabletop web show. Jenna gave some thrilling personal tales during her panels while also engaging the audience on sensitive topics like Gamergate. Our intern Amber was fascinated by the “Girls in Fandom” panel, which discussed the often overlooked role of women in the culture. I agreed with Amber that women are often more fanatical, especially with attention to detail and authenticity in cosplay. Other panels ranged from fun to educational including “How to pitch your story” on the writers’ track and “Rules to being a great DM” for gamers.

The dealer’s room was full of everything a gamer needed to get their hobby fix—boxes of books, dozens of dice, tabletop miniatures, art, handcrafted jewelry and plenty more. The vendors were knowledgeable and friendly, including our favorite sponsors Heroes Comics and Gaming and Role of the Die. ConGlomeration goers experienced little bit of gamer heaven to whet their appetite for the coming season. The convention has ended, the con suite has closed, but the memories of playing there will live forever.

For a longer discussion about ConGlomeration, listen to our latest podcast!