GeekGirlCon '24: Bigger, Bolder, and 100% Geekier

GeekGirlCon will be taking over the Seattle Convention Center Arch Building the weekend of November 9-10, featuring over 150 exhibits and events as part of its annual celebration of games, comics, cosplay, arts, literature, and all things nerdy. 

The absolutely packed schedule kicks off at 9:00am Saturday, November 9, and includes workshops, speaker panels, meetups, open gaming sessions, and more. An all-ages, all-identities, and all-interests kind of event, there should be something for just about everyone. 

Here are a few highlights that caught our eye:

• Design A Board Game, Ages 8-18 (Saturday, 11:00am)

  Here’s one for the kids. Make your own card or board game with the expert guidance of seasoned game developer Shanon Lyon. Learn to start from a concept and develop the necessary themes and mechanics and then build it out using a game design kit. Work alone or with a team.

• Dungeons and Derivatives: How to Connect Games to Learning (Sunday, 10:00am)

  Have you ever put down a homework assignment only to pick up a game that requires you to balance complex mechanics, attention to detail, and other intellectual challenges? How can we bring the fun of games into our learning process? That’s exactly what seasoned educator, gamer, and comedian Theresa Flores will be breaking down. Join for a lively discussion of what games have to teach us, no matter the subject.

• The “Third Place” For Disabled Gamers (Sunday, 11:00am)

  For many disabled gamers, games like Final Fantasy XIV and World of Warcraft are becoming an essential “third place” to spend time outside of the responsibilities of the daily grind. Join speaker Tess Grossman to learn about the ways in which digital and online games can free us from our physical limitations and provide us the public spaces we need to connect with others and build community that we often lack in real life. Tess is an APX certified disability consultant and producer who combines her education and lived experience as a Deaf gamer into her professional work.

• Drawing Robots Workshop (Sunday, 11:30am)

  Probably best not to overthink this one! Do you like robots? Does building and drawing one sound fun? Then this is the workshop for you!

• Video Games and Animation: Panel of NW Talent (Sunday, 12:00pm)

  You’ve heard them in your games, now hear local voiceover talent talk about the many layers of production that go into bringing digital characters to life. The panel will cover everything from the audio recording process, motion capture animation, and the many ways women are increasingly involved as actors, casting directors, and producers.

• Girl Scouts of Western Washington Film Festival (Sunday, 2:30pm)

  If their taste in film is anywhere near as good as their taste in cookies, then you will not want to miss the Girl Scouts of Western Washington (GSWW) Film Festival. Brought together through partnerships with Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and MoPOP, watch some award winning films and catch a word with their creators afterwards!

The Arch at Seattle Convention Center lit up in Pride colors / Seattle Convention Center

These are just a sampling of the activities that will be happening over the convention weekend, but the full schedule is available online.

GeekGirlCon has been a mainstay of Seattle conventions since 2011, and aims to create a safe and inclusive space to elevate voices and perspectives which are often ignored and left out, especially within traditional geek spaces. It is often regarded as Seattle’s biggest “small” convention with over 50,000 attendees per year. 

Passes are available online or at the door.