Please note that this tour will likely sell out very quickly of both Single Occupancy and Double Occupancy space. Thus, all bookings will be considered pre-registered until we can collect deposits and confirm your space with such. Please book asap if you would like to join us.
About the Tour
Hello all wargaming geeks! Geek Nation Tours is proud to release our AdeptiCon 2024 tour! Grab a spot soon – I suspect we will be down to “limited space” soon..
Geek Nation Tours is very excited to present our tour to the world’s largest tabletop wargaming tournament and convention – AdeptiCon. Here, discriminating wargamers from around the world find a multitude of gaming experiences – from tournaments using a variety of different wargaming systems to the very best in gaming and painting seminars. AdeptiCon is also a wargamers’ shopping paradise with a huge amount of vendors waiting to show you their wares. It is a spectacle to be seen and experienced. Game with the best, meet friends from around the world, and roll dice all night long!
The AdeptiCon crew will, in 2024, be creating even more options and will offer tabletop gamers an unprecedented level of gaming excellence! And with the release of our 2024 tour, Geek Nation Tours and AdeptiCon will bring you nothing short of an elite wargamers’ experience.
In the past, Geek Nation Tours brought tour participants Pre-Public guaranteed AdeptiCon registration. We offered those that hop on the tour the opportunity to select AdeptiCon events before the general public and thus insure that tour participants get to grab all the events that they are hoping for. This year is no exception – book prior to AdeptiCon’s Cart Release and you will be able to pre-register for all events in advance of them going public. Don’t come half way across the world only to have the spots you wanted disappear…
2024 will again also see Geek Nation Tours include both the full AdeptiCon Elite Package and the AdeptiCon Weekend Pass in the tour price. The package includes Preferred Check-in, an AdeptiCon T-shirt, and an AdeptiCon glass & the very best of other loot that the AdeptiCon crew has instore for us… Not only that – Geek Nation Tours makes your Elite package even better! We will pick up your tickets, weekend passes and your swag bags for you. Absolutely no waiting in line – just show up at the Welcome Dinner and “bang!” you will receive your loot hassle free (with a few extras from Geek Nation Tours and @DMG Miniature Factory).
Geek Nation Tours has of course, hotel rooms right at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel! So all you have to do is roll out of bed and into the goodness that is AdeptiCon. But that’s not all! The Renaissance has also given us free Wi-Fi in our rooms for the duration of our stay…
Each year Geek Nation Tours offers an “AdeptiCon Welcome Dinner” where we are not only fed, but also treated to a private gaming experience like no other (see Day 1 below for details). But be warned! The Basment of Death crew is back with a bit of zombie scifi horror fun…
This year we will continue to give you the ability to let you meet awesome people in the wargaming industry every single night we are at AdeptiCon! We will have our Welcome Dinner of course, but because they were so successful (and tonnes of fun) we will again offer our “Osprey/Frostgrave” night out, then our “Geek Nation Tours Wargaming Industry Leaders Night”, and finally our “Escape from AdeptiCon Bowling Night”…
We will round this up with our Farewell Dinner and our Teach Each Other: Boardgaming Night were we get together to do just that with all the cool loot we liberated through out the week… Alternatively, bring a game from home that you love and would like to share with fellow geeks…
Day 1 - Schaumburg, Illinois (Wednesday, Mar. 20, 2024) / Arrival Day
Today we will arrive from all around the world! Whether you come from Scotland or Japan, Norway or South Africa, wargamers will converge on the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in anticipation of the awesomeness that is AdeptiCon!
Don’t know how to get to Schaumburg from O’Hare? Don’t worry – we have you covered with Private Transfers all the way to the Hotel. When we arrive our Geek Nation Tours Representative will show you around the hotel and make sure you know where all the AdeptiCon events will take place. Need to know where to go to get a game in? We will be there to help get you going in the right direction hassle and stress free.
If you need to pick up some libations Geek Nation Tours has you covered there too… A few weeks prior to our arrival we will order from Sal’s Beverage World online. You will be able to get any libations you wish along with flats of water (recommended) and snacks.
Today is the day to pick up your loot, event passes, weekend badge and all the goodies you get with your Elite Gamer Upgrade. That is where we come in… Geek Nation Tours will hop in line for you and hand deliver them straight to you at our Welcome Dinner. Not only that – we will throw in some cool things from GNT, and @DMG Miniature Factory.
The Welcome Dinner itself will take place at the Renaissance so there is no reason to search for a local restaurant. Geek Nation Tours has a long list of awesome visitors that have joined us at our Welcome Dinners as Guests of Honor. Last year we offered up a quintessential AdeptiCon experience. The crew from The Basement of Death - Troy, John, and Ben Weis brought us their amazing Space Hulk experience! This year sees their return, but this time we will be playing Zombicide: Invader / Black Plague (and maybe Zombicide:Undead or Alive or regular Zombicide too). 
Each GNT tour participant will play in a timed - high intensity battle - against incredible odds. Who knows, you might even survive! No miniatures necessary btw...
Troy, John, and Ben from the Basement of Death gaming group have been running events at conventions around the midwest for decades. The most well-known is their giant "narrative" Space Hulk game at AdeptiCon. You can follow their adventures at BasementOfDeath.com and hear Troy and his co-hosts on the Playin' and Slayin' podcast, where they discuss all facets of the hobby gaming world.
Overnight Location: Schaumburg, Illinois
Day 2 - Schaumburg, Illinois (Thursday, Mar. 21, 2024) / Osprey Night Out
Today you'll have the opportunity to do some group wargaming. Once the AdeptiCon cart is open we will pick an event as a group - that takes place on Thursday morning - and that entices the many tastes of our community. We will then gather and roll dice together to start off AdeptiCon right....
But that is not all! Geek Nation Tours has partnered with Osprey Publishing/Games in order to bring you straight into adventure. We will head off to the Hyatt (AdeptiCon's sister hotel) to delve into the reaches of space Frostgrave-wise. Tour participants will play in a custom designed Stargrave scenario which will be a collaboration between Joseph A. McCullough (King Kahuna of all things Frostgrave, Ghost Archipelago, Stargrave, Silver Bayonet, and Rangers of Shadow Deep), and Brent Sinclair (Frostgrave rules mastermind and Keeper of FG AdeptiCon events).
There will prizes awarded by raffles and other random/fun events. Plan for this to be a fun event where the crazier the situation the better. No gritted teeth competitiveness here... only adventure and fun! Plus dinner of course, right where we will be rolling dice!
Warning! Hobby Challenge ahead! You will need to bring a fledgling warband representing a new Captain & crew taking their first tentative steps into the stars. This fledging warband will be created using a modified set of rules, which we will post here shortly...
To make sure all participants are equally prepared for a galaxy torn apart by the Last War, Osprey has graciously offered to give all tour participants a pdf of the Stargrave Rules! After AdeptiCon Pre-Public Registration we will send a copy your way...
Overnight Location: Schaumburg, Illinois
Day 3 - Schaumburg, Illinois (Friday, Mar. 22, 2024) / Wargaming Industry Leaders Dinner
Today is your day to Game and Seminar to your heart’s content. Enjoy AdeptiCon on your own schedule, but always know that our Geek Nation Tours representative will be there if you need anything at all. You will be able to find him in the trenches with you - rolling dice and moving miniatures – so beware!
We will, of course, have another meal planned and past participants agree that our meet-ups are an important part of the convention experience – a time where you can get to know other Geeks from around the world and maybe hear a great suggestion or two on what to do the following days, exchange “war stories” and have loads of fun. You can join us every night or you can do your own thing. Geek Nation Tours wants you to have the most freedom to “Geek Out” as possible, so our meetings will be completely optional and you can come and go as you please.
With that said, tonight is going to be huge! We will present our 10th annual “Geek Nation Tours Wargaming Industry Leaders Dinner”. Tonight gaming companies from around the world will join us for dinner, and as we eat we will be regaled with stories from our Industry leaders as well as talks about who they are, what they offer, and what they are planning for the future. Who knows, we might even get some “New Release” information…!
Each company will offer unique gaming events which will allow tour participants to hop from one company to the other, see the mechanics of each system, and learn directly from those that brought the game to life. As a matter of fact, each company will be awarding victory tokens to those that show the best sportsmanship, cool cinematic moves, bad dice rolling or for just having the most fun. Those that earn the most victories will be awarded some cool prizes direct from the companies themselves... There will also be plenty of time to hang out with designers or company leaders to socialize and if you are lucky you can get them to talk about the “old days” of miniature wargaming.
Mantic Games will be there again in 2024 along with their demoing team. What will they bring though? Armada, Hellboy, Dungeon Saga or perhaps Worms!? No matter what they bring - dice will be rolled and much excitement will ensue...
Warlord Games will be returning in 2024. Last year we had them demo Blood Red Skies but this year who knows what they will bring? Will it be Bolt Action, Black Powder, Epic Battles, Mythic America or perhaps Slaine? Whatever it will be, the Warlord crew always has something fun planned, and you'll be sure to leave their table with a smile.
Composed of veterans from the tabletop miniatures games industry, Atomic Mass Games published its first game, Marvel: Crisis Protocol, in 2019. Since then, the studio has taken over the development of acclaimed miniatures games Star Wars: X-Wing, Star Wars: Legion, and Star Wars: Armada. In June of 2023 the studio launched Star Wars: Shatterpoint it’s newest skirmish miniatures title. Atomic Mass Games is committed to delivering immersive lifestyle hobby games that combine industry-leading tabletop miniatures and fast, fun, kinetic game rules to create lifelong collectors and players.
New with us this year is Fight in a Box... "Fight in a Box believes in the power of laughter & storytelling to bring us together. Publishing indie board games since 2013, their games have light speed themes with dark matter difficulty. From Squirrel or Die to critically acclaimed Conquest Princess: Fashion is Power, their titles range from tiny fillers to epic adventures."
And the guests keep coming in! GCT is in the house! "GCT Studios is the UK-based games studio behind the successful Bushido skirmish game. Bushido is an Asian-inspired miniature skirmish game for two players using 32mm miniatures, of which there are over 400 to choose from, featuring clans, cults, witches, and worse. With over a decade of production and design experience and an annual international show and expo schedule, GCT is enjoyed globally by many."
In 2024, Dave Taylor will celebrate 30 years working in the toy soldier industry, the last 11 running his own business which has now published 12 hobby books, with four more to come in the next 12 months! He has worked alongside many fantastic industry leaders, and talks about that on his weekly YouTube livestream - Build Paint Play.
Last year, we had the might Andy Chambers and Gav Thorpe stop buy to show us their new Zeo Genesis game... And in years past we have had, Cool Mini or Not, Gale Force Nine, Osprey Games, Anvil Eight Games, Red Republic Games (Arena Rex) and Games Workshop onboard and this year we hope our list of special guest will be even more impressive. Return to this spot often to as we will continue to list our guests as they come in...
Overnight Location: Schaumburg, Illinois
Day 4 - Schaumburg, Illinois (Saturday, Mar. 23, 2024) / Saturday at AdeptiCon and Bowling at Night!
Yet another day to live the experience of AdeptiCon and game and seminar to your heart’s content. Your schedule is your own, but be sure to join us for another elite gaming experience in the evening.
We will be off to Enterrium where they feature loads of gaming opportunities that include retro style bowling, a classic/modern mixed video game lounge including pinball, basketball, virtual skiing, shuffleboard and over a 100 more games!! This night is particularly loved by all as we get to escape the hotel and get some blood moving in our bodies again (even if just because of the video games). The night is filled with jocular competition as we see if we can make some strikes to counter the number of gutter balls. No, there won't be any pros here, but there will be many laughs...
Upon arrival we will fill our bellies with appetizers and and finger food, before you are released upon the video games. Later we will reconvene as a group to socialize and knock down pins… Not to mention more prizes and tonnes of fun.
Overnight Location: Schaumburg, Illinois
Day 5 - Schaumburg, Illinois (Sunday, Mar. 24, 2024) / Boardgaming, Awards Ceremony and Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza!
One more day to game and seminar, but also to take in the Awards Ceremony and see who wins this year’s charity auction army (It could be you!). It is your last day to experience all the goodness that is AdeptiCon so make sure you take it all in!
Right after the closing ceremony Geek Nation Tours will start to wind things down with its “Farewell Dinner”. We will have dinner right in the hotel again, but we will order in for a Classic Chicago style dinner from Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. Geek Nation Tours knows that gamers love their food and we will ban together as a group to choose our pizzas prior to arrival. This will allow more meal choice and a good chance of getting even better pies! Our mouths are watering even now…
Tonight we will chill out a bit and just enjoy our final night together, visiting over dinner. After our pizza feed we will take the time to bring a favorite boardgame (or perhaps a recent purchase) and teach our fellow gamers to play something you love. Whether you hop into boardgaming or just hang out watching – Sunday night is always an awesome night to relax with some less competitive gaming. As a matter of fact, many laughs are always heard from our tour members this evening. We cannot stress enough how fun this last night is.
Overnight Location: Schaumburg, Illinois
Day 6 - Schaumburg, Illinois (Monday, Mar. 25, 2024) / Departure day but see you next year...
Today we will transfer to the airport and head home. The photos, memories and friends you made are yours to keep forever!
Tour Notes
NOTE: Attendance of special guests and celebrities is subject to change due to scheduling conflicts and conflicting professional or personal obligations.
NOTE: COVID-19 has changed both our geek and our real worlds. Some things may never be the same and others may not be able to be offered on our tours or will have to be altered in a new post Covid world. With that said, please understand that GNT is moving forward as if the disease is already conquered, but all tours are now subject to change.
What's Included
All hotel nights and taxes plus free Wi-Fi (we will be staying right on site at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel), Transfers to and from the airport, AdeptiCon Welcome Dinner, Escape from AdeptiCon Osprey/Frostgrave Night dinner, Geek Nation Tours Wargaming Industry Leaders Dinner, Bowling and Video Gaming evening and dinner, and Farewell Dinner. Pre-Public Registration and Guaranteed Gaming and Seminar bookings, Weekend pass and Elite Gamer upgrade which includes No line up Preferred Check-in and hand delivery, AdeptiCon T-shirt, AdeptiCon glass & the very best of other loot the AdeptiCon crew has instore for us… Plus – libation delivery from Sal’s Beverage World, Geek Nation Tours Exclusive AdeptiCon Miniatures, private guide and more fun than you can shake a Goblin at…
What's Not Included
Flights are not included.
Tour Price
Single-Occupancy Upgrade: $850.00 USD
All tour participants needing transfers to and from Union Station and Midway Airport will have an additional $110.00 USD charge.
Don’t have a friend to get the double occupancy rate? That is what Geek Nation Tours does. Book as a double occupancy and we will match you up a roommate… This way you get the best of both worlds – someone to BS about the con with – and more cash to spend!
Covid Pricing note: As we move into the post-Covid era there may well be price adjustments as we move forward. It has been postulated that the tourism industry as a whole will see many price increases. While GNT strives to give the best price along with the best service and experience, we may be forced to increase tour pricing in the future.
Inflation Note: As prices continue to rise GNT will have to adjust some tours. Unfortuately, everything has gone up recently and thus tour prices will continue to do so in this time of runaway and unexpected levels of inflation.
Non-Geek Spouse Argument
“There is always Chicago to explore too… ”
