It started with a gap...
When the World Congress of Gamification, held annually in Spain, was cancelled in 2017, Monica Cornetti, along with thousands of professionals around the world, felt the loss of an event that brought together the leading people in gamification.
Worse, there hadn't been a gamification conference of note in the United States since 2014.
Recognizing the need for a conference that would further the application of gamification, especially in the learning and development space...
...Monica approached Training Magazine with the need for a gamification of learning conference.
She knew that while she had the vision and the drive to create GamiCon, her company, Sententia, Inc., lacked the structure and resources to put on a conference at the scale she wanted.
Monica already had a relationship with Training Magazine, having spoken at their conferences and presented several pre-conference events for them. She also saw, from both behind the scenes and as a participant, the quality of conferences that Training Magazine produces. She soon discovered that they were also open to her crazy ideas about taking conferences beyond the next level.
From this partnership, an unprecedented conference experience bloomed...
A Gamification Conference that is Actually Gamified.
Not content to have just-another-conference, Monica's vision included gamifying the conference experience. Why talk about the gamification of learning while using old conference models that involved people passively sitting and listening to speakers drone on and on?
Once again tapping into her network, Monica reached out to Bernardo Letayf. Leveraging the gamification power of his platform BLUErabbit, Bernardo has successfully gamified every GamiCon whether live or virtual.
In this way, GamiCon practices what it preaches!
Inaugural Year: 2018
Chicago: What we didn't know is that we were competing with the Chicago Marathon when we scheduled the first GamiCon. Since we were at the McCormick Center, which is at mile 20, we were effectively locked in during the race.
2019: The Big Easy
New Orleans, baby! If you want to be creative and play, you need a creative and playful environment, and the Big Easy did not disappoint!
2020: ATX Virtual Playshops
GamiCon 2020 was set to take place in Sententia's hometown of Austin, TX, but of course, the Pandemic disrupted those plans. We pivoted to offering five playshops from top designers from around the world with celebrity drop-ins.
GamiCon21V
2021 - Training Magazine fully expected to be able to hold Training Conference in Orlando in February 2021, and they asked Sententia to host GamiCon as a pre-con for the conference. We jumped in full-speed to have a post-pandemic experience. But as the Pandemic continued on, it became clear that we would have to be virtual. Which raised the question, "What does a virtual conference offer that a traditional one does not?" Monica's answer? "We're not bound by time and space." So Monica got the idea to have a conference that ran for a full 48 hours, spanning the globe twice; thus allowing speakers and audiences to attend live in their time zone and listen to replays of events that occurred while they were sleeping.
Camp GamiCon 2021
No Lecture. All Play. All Online. We thought we’d be live in Austin, TX… but we went virtual once again. Camp GamiCon was a totally collaborative virtual space with campers and a group of acclaimed industry leaders exploring and experimenting with new media, concepts and techniques. L&D professionals and adult educators participated in an encouraging, diverse, and groundbreaking gamification design experience to create their own low-resolution portfolio in a friendly, player-centered, creative community, utilizing a wide range of virtual design resources.
GamiCon Orlando 2022
FINALLY, we were back live and together again!! We spent three days learning the magic of gamification! It felt wonderful to be back in person, working collaboratively to revamp stale and boring programs. The collaboration and creativity that came out of this event was phenomenal!
GamiCon 48V 2022
GamiCon48V went virtual for 24/2 on May 9-11, 2022. LEGENDS AND LEADERS. For 48 hours, participants levelled up to defeat the dragon. Many stopped the dragon and became what legends are made of. Leaders from across the globe guided participants through gamifying their learning programs. Attendees gathered ideas and were inspired. They successfully levelled up and armored themselves so they can slay the dragon of dull, dry, boring learning experiences and free their learners to enjoy programs.
Chapter 2 ran bigger and better than ever in February, 2023
Camp GamiCon Austin - 2022
September 19-20, 2022 found us LIVE in Austin, TX, co-located event with Training Magazine's TechLearn 2022 Conference. The venue was gorgeous, food was plentiful and delicious, after-hours events let participant see some iconic sites of Austin, TX. Participants agreed that is was the most creative and innovative camp for gamification design in corporate training and adult education. The theme was wrapped in a shroud of espionage, counterintelligence, and secret agent training inside the International Intelligence Agency. To round out the fun and learning attendees got to view and vote for the Gamification Throwdown competition and play along in real-time in a social deduction game.
GamiCon48V 2023
Leaders and Legends Chapter 2
We conducted a global price sensitivity study and for the first time offered registration at a rate that was equitable for learning professionals in 26 different economies! We moved closer to our dream of a truly global event as we had speakers from every continent (accept Antarctica) and our geo sensitive pricing enabled participants from across the globe to learn and network with world-class speakers.
Beginning February 26, 2023, GamiCon48V ran ONLINE for a solid 48-hours.
GamiCon NOLA - 2023
In September 2023, GamiCon NOLA brought to life a spectacular convergence of gamified and game-based learning in the vibrant heart of New Orleans, Louisiana. This memorable event, co-located with Training Magazine's TechLearn 2023 Conference, unfolded in the spirited realms of Mardi Gras country. Here, world-renowned designers, alongside creative minds like you and me, unveiled a rich tapestry of learning experiences. These experiences were amplified by the burgeoning wave of AI and AR tools, offering a diverse range of blended learning opportunities. As the days unfolded, the magic of GamiCon extended beyond the conference rooms. Evenings were spent exploring local breweries and distilleries, where playful networking, the forging of new friendships, and the embrace of innovative technologies occurred in harmony. GamiCon NOLA 2023 wasn't just an event; it was a celebration of the future of learning, steeped in the timeless charm of New Orleans.
GamiCon48V 2024
Tinkers and Thinkers
Born in the heart of the bustling city of Gearford, our young steampunk adventurer was not like other children. While most were content playing with simple toys, he was fascinated with the cogs, gears, and steam engines that powered his world. At the tender age of seven, he built his first miniature airship, setting him on a path of exploration and invention.
As our young steampunk adventurer's journey of curiosity and innovation unfolds, we invite you to embark on your own remarkable adventure. Join us from February 29 to March 2 for a completely gamified online event, where 48 hours of mind-blowing exploration and growth await you in the ever-evolving world of GamiCon.
