Running GAGG—The Long Con 2026

Photo courtesy of Laurie Fox

This year's GAGG conference ran until 2 a.m. on both Friday and Saturday, before wrapping up at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

For 30 years, the Geneseo Area Gaming Group (GAGG) has hosted an event called “Running GAGG,” with this year’s conference being held Jan. 30 through Feb. 1. The event, described as a celebration of gaming, was first founded by three alumni—Dan, Shawn, and Bruce—who continue to run the event to this day. Their continued involvement shows how important this event is for those involved and the impact it has on the community. 

This year’s Running GAGG boasted over 300 events, 218 of which requiring pre-registration, and many others being “pick-up” games—events where attendees show up and start a game with others. Each year, the event makes use of nearly the entirety of MacVittie College Union. This year, the event was so expansive that it overflowed into the Mary Jemison Dining Hall from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, demonstrating the continued growth of the event over the years. 

Running GAGG had over 300 attendees this year, which consisted of students, alumni, staff, and members of the Geneseo and Rochester area. The convention is an event for gamers, by gamers, with a large range of events including role-playing games, video games, and board games, to name just a few. The variety of these games makes the conference accessible to those who enjoy gaming in any context. 

There were also various seminars from game designers and artists, demonstrations of new games, as well as around 14 vendors selling game pieces, crafts, and more. There was also merchandise available for purchase from the student organization to commemorate the event and raise funds for the organization and the continuation of the event. 

According to the club’s advisor, Laurie Fox, a member of CIT, Geneseo Area Gaming Group’s convention had more than 80 people running the event this year. They had help from many different college departments, including Campus Auxiliary Services (CAS), facilities, Student Life, and Men of Action and Change (MAC), who helped with the set-up and breakdown of the event. The involvement of these organizations show how important this event is to the school and student community. Laurie also provided insight into the community aspect of the event, recalling how many of the older attendees are alumni who meet up with old college friends to attend the event and play games together. 

Not only is this event a space for engaging in games with community, but there is also an auction benefiting the Ronald McDonald House each year. The auction is held the Saturday of the convention, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the charity. Items that are auctioned off are donated, from community members and vendors alike, to maximize the proceeds donated. No gaming events are held during the auction so that everyone can attend and participate. This year, 7,701 dollars were raised to be donated, with over 82,000 dollars donated over the years. 

A current member of the Geneseo Area Gaming Group’s executive board mentioned that while they are not necessarily a gamer themselves, it is an organization and event that is “accessible even to [them].” This member also mentioned that while the organization is a “student-led organization,” they still have the “ability to foster relationships with those who are not or were never students” in the local community.