For Sponsorships and Activations

Bonfire Agency, a pop culture-focused advertising and marketing consultancy, and INSTIGATOR, an experiential marketing firm, are teaming to bring non-endemic sponsorships and brand activations to this year’s Gen Con, August 2-5 in Indianapolis. This will bring a new revenue stream to Gen Con that appears to be very substantial for larger show operators such as ReedPOP, which has regular Geico and Chevrolet activations at New York Comic Con, among many others, and San Diego Comic Con, which has many outdoor media and brand activations at the Convention Center.



Bonfire brings its long experience working in the geek culture space, and INSTIGATOR has long experience in reaching consumers at existing events and venues for consumer goods and services companies. Gen Con, of course, is the largest tabletop games convention in North America.



The two companies will split the potential sponsors, with INSTIGATOR concentrating on consumer package goods and services companies, and Bonfire working on media and entertainment activations. Reflecting those areas of concentration, the two companies note the connections they hope to make for companies at the convention.



INSTIGATOR President Brad Papps telegraphed some of the categories his company will be targeting. “…[T]his is an audience of intelligent, successful, passionate consumers,” he saids. “They travel, socialize, and oh yea, they really do care about the snacks and other goodies they have on hand for those midnight rounds of their favorite card or board game.”



While Bonfire CEO Steve Rotterdam stressed the opportunities for fan experiences at the show. “It’s not about your brand or property, it’s about what your brand or property is doing to make the fan’s experience at Gen Con more meaningful, more rewarding, and more fun,” he said.



Sponsorships and activations will be made available in the Indiana Convention Center, on the field level of Lucas Oil Stadium, aqnd outdoors on Georgia and South Streets.