Wow! What a convention, if you were looking for a place to participate in a wide variety of gaming, then Gamecon 16 was for you. When was the last time you were able to play in a miniatures game, try a new card game, and then get into a boardgame all in the same day? I'd like to thank all of the people who made this experience possible, but I'm afraid I would be turned off quicker than the Oscar's would. Speaking of the Oscars, I don't know if you noticed but the BoD decided to take it's cue from that grand event and strut our stuff in the latest (or is that LOUDEST) attire. We will endeavor to always ... err distinguish ourselves in this manner. Someone mentioned the old proverb..."The best defense is to be offensive..." or something like that.

My day started off early getting the final preparations put together. I was full of apprehension due to the fact we were really forced into taking a holiday weekend for our convention. The big question for several months had been "Would the holiday effect the convention?" Several of you let us know that this would be the case. We appreciated the input and we are sorry if you weren't able to join us because of that.

I had decided not to run a game myself this time so I would be free to say hello to people and keep things running smoothly. I was glad to see that several of the vendors who said they were coming showed up, and then surprised to see several more that we hadn't heard from show as well. We had several tables set aside for games that might show up at the last minute and it is a good thing we did, by noon we were trying to find space for so many additional games. That's a nice problem to have let me tell you.

The best part was things were running so smoothly that I was able to get into some gaming action. I was taking my first breather of the day and scarffing down a burger when I was approached by a lovely young lady who invited me to try a demo of her new card game "Showbiz Shuffle". A terrific game loaded with good fun and some wellaimed barbs at the showbiz industry. After that I returned to the front desk to find out my services were no longer needed (not sure this is a good thing) so I got myself in to "Le Grand Cirque". After all what is a Gamecon with out a race involving unicycles, and steam driven trousers.

Finally I watched a fascinating boardgame about horse racing. I really felt like I was out at Pimlico watching the ponies run. All the while I was trying to figure out how to get myself into that Rogue Trader tournament. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but those guys were having way too much fun. By 8 o'clock I may have been spent but there were still several games going with no signs of stopping. I call that a good time.

The board of directors has made a concerted effort over the last 9 months to reach out to a variety of local organizations dedicated to various forms of gaming. Several of them responded to our call and joined us in our convention. We are going to continue to reach out to these groups so that we can expand our gaming possibilities even further. If you have a club, or belong to one that you think would be interested in joining us then please let us know. We are even now working on some projects that should expand the role of some area gaming groups. Keep your eyes peeled for some interesting developments in the next few months. Gamecon 16 was just a taste of what is in store for our growing membership. NoVAG is dedicated to bringing you the finest in local area gaming. This is what a gaming convention is supposed to be about. All forms of gaming gathered together in one area so that people can get a chance to try games they wouldn't normally be able to experience.

Finally, if you really enjoyed yourselves at this Gamecon wait until you see what we have in store for you in September. We are going to double your fun by bringing back 2 day conventions to Northern Virginia. Two days means twice as many games, twice as many dealers, and twice as much fun. Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing you in September.