It is with regret that we must announce the cancellation of Gen Con™ Australia, the Brisbane games and entertainment convention, for 2010. On the eve of announcing our guest list and event schedule, we have decided that due to the current economic climate and its recent effects around the globe, that it is not financially viable to hold Gen Con Australia in 2010.

Many businesses both here and overseas are finding exhibiting at an ever increasing number of events difficult. With this in mind, we feel we would not be able to produce the quality event our attendees have grown to expect. As a result we have decided that it is in the best interested of Gen Con™ Australia to cancel the show in 2010.

Attendees who have paid to attend the show will be fully reimbursed as soon as possible. Our sales team will be in contact with exhibitors shortly.

We would like to thank Gen Con™ LLC. Without their assistance in allowing us to license the Gen Con™ name, we would not have been able to bring the show to Australia for the first time in 2008. The gaming industry in Australia has now tasted a part of the massive Gen Con™ experience that has been running for over 40 years in the US, and will be sadly missed here.

We feel it has just been unfortunate timing that the beginning and critical years of the show coincided with the unforeseen global economic downturn, and we feel very proud to have been able to produce the show over the previous two years in such a climate.

We would like to thank those who supported us both from the beginning and over the last three years. In particular we would like to thank the following people and organisations:

Sponsors– Special thanks to Wizards of the Coast, Madman Entertainment and Mana Bar who were there to support us this year. We would also like to thank those sponsors from 2008 and 2009 for their support in our initial years of development.

Vendors – Thank you for being there in 2008 & 2009 and for those who signed up for 2010.

Friends & Volunteers - A very special thanks to all our Friends & Volunteers who have supported and volunteered their time for 2008, 2009 & 2010. We would not have had these shows without your continued enthusiasm and support.

Event Organisers, GMs & Clubs – Thank you for your time, experience and fun events which gave our attendees endless hours of entertainment.

Special Guests - Thank you to all those special guests who were willing to make the trip to Brisbane to attend the show, including those who we had already signed for 2010. We wish circumstances were different.

Other Supporters - Thank you to our other supporters who also wanted this year's event to happen: TwoCents Group, Exponet and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Attendees, Fans & Followers – and last but not least, thank you for being as excited about Gen Con™ Australia as we are, and for supporting us over the last three years.

The official press release can be found here.

For further information, contact Ian Houlihan, Events & Marketing Manager.

This is a shame, and we at LanSmash wish you the best going forward.

So....what it's gone for good?

That's really unfortunate, but I understand that something like this has a commercial reality to it. I hope to see it come back in 2011 so I can bring more events to it.

Ian I am sorry to hear that something as obscene as the Almighty dollar has hurt your dream. My 2 young sons will be devastated. They learnt how to play DnD and M:TG at GenConOZ 2008 and 2009 and this year was going to be another big one.

I say this with confidence: if you organise it, we will come.

We eagerly await the next big event you organise.

Ian this is devastering news, i went last year for the first time with my work mates and we loved it and had a great time. Like Supanova it was a place where people with simular interests could meet and discuss our hobbies. I only hope that Gencon can find another form and another venue that the dollar won 't effect.

I too wish to express my deep sadness at this news. I had my 4 day pass bought, time off and accomidation arranged and was looking forward to booking in for many events.

I hope this is only a set back, not the end as I would like to be a regular for years to come.

Drew