PAX South to return to S.A. through 2017

Joni Baker, of Houston, plays "Sportsball," during Pax South 2015 gaming convention at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. The event started on Friday and ended Sunday. Joni Baker, of Houston, plays "Sportsball," during Pax South 2015 gaming convention at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. The event started on Friday and ended Sunday. Photo: JERRY LARA, San Antonio Express-News Photo: JERRY LARA, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 75 Caption Close PAX South to return to S.A. through 2017 1 / 75 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO - As thousands of gaming enthusiasts swarmed the Convention Center on Sunday morning, aspiring software developer Jack Evers tried to ignore the noise of the crowd as he nursed a hangover and sports drink.

The 29-year-old traveled from England to attend PAX South, the inaugural three-day convention that brought an estimated 40,000 gamers to San Antonio last weekend.

While many of the younger attendees spent their nights watching video game competitions and showing off their costumes, Evers and his friends explored the city's bars and restaurants.

The most impressive sight so far, he said, was the variety of bars and restaurants at the Pearl.

"I probably spent too much money there," Evers said. "It seems like there's too many Texas beers to try in this city."

A beer enthusiast and first-time visitor to Texas, Evers is exactly the type of conventioneer that the Convention & Visitors Bureau hoped to attract with PAX.

The CVB spent years courting organizers, and their efforts paid off: PAX will host the annual event here at least through 2017, drawing thousands of young professionals who will spend their money at San Antonio's hotels, bars and restaurants.

"This is a new kind of business for us," said Steve Clanton, vice president of sales for the CVB.

Clanton explained that as Austin, Dallas and Houston each invest in their convention centers and destination hotels, competition for trade shows and large events has grown more intense.

Robert Khoo, president of Penny Arcade, the group behind the PAX conferences in Australia, Boston, Seattle and now San Antonio, said the gaming festivals can help spur the existing industry in a host city.

"Although it would be silly of me to say that PAX made Boston, Seattle and Melbourne the game industry hubs that they are, I do think a strong game community is a piece of the puzzle," Khoo wrote in an email. "That passion, interest and desire ultimately spurs a lot of creativity, which are the building blocks to an industry that creates."

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