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AdeptiCon, Milwaukee
AdeptiCon 2027 runs Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 April 2027 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Expect five days of miniature game tournaments, hobby seminars, a big exhibitor hall and painting competitions, including Golden Demon, Games Workshop's painting contest, which held its US leg there in 2026. Here's how to book and plan the trip.
AdeptiCon is one of the big dates in the American miniature gaming year. AdeptiCon 2027 runs Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 April 2027 at the Baird Center in downtown Milwaukee, with tournaments, hobby seminars, exhibitors, board games and painting competitions spread over five days.
This guide covers what the convention is, the dates and exhibitor hall hours, how registration and badges work, getting there, parking and hotels, what goes on (including Golden Demon), and how to plan a good trip, whether you live nearby or are flying in from the UK. Everything here is checked against the organiser's website, and the official site always has the final word.
At a glance
- DatesWednesday 7 to Sunday 11 April 2027Confirmed
- VenueBaird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203
- OnTournaments, seminars, exhibitors and painting competitions
- BookingPaid, registration through the organiser. Registration opens in January 2027. Registration and badges
- Websiteadepticon.org
Details checked against the organiser's website in October 2026. Always check the official site before you travel.
What is AdeptiCon
A big spring convention for miniature gamers, now in downtown Milwaukee.
AdeptiCon is a tabletop gaming convention run by AWC, Inc. It's built around miniature games, with tournaments at its heart, and it adds hobby seminars, an exhibitor hall, painting competitions, board games and role-playing around them. It runs over five days rather than a single weekend, so most people pick a few days or stay for the lot.
From 110 people to thousands
The organiser says AdeptiCon started in 2003 as a 110 person event and has grown steadily since, moving through five venues in its 24 years. In 2024 it was held in Schaumburg, Illinois, where the organiser recorded 8,000 attendees and 1,150 events. It now lives at the Baird Center, the convention centre in downtown Milwaukee that was formerly called the Wisconsin Center.
How big it is now
About 10,000 people attended in 2025, according to the organiser. Its own figures list over 1,650 tournament and event games, over 275 hobby seminars and over 160 exhibitors. Sci-fi and fantasy games lead the way, but the rules list also includes historical games, card games and plenty of smaller systems.
The Baird Center gives it room to spread out: the organiser describes 52 breakout rooms and 300,000 square feet of exhibition space in one continuous hall, which is where the tournaments and the exhibitors live.
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AdeptiCon in one card. Usually April, at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, organised by AWC, Inc. Tournaments, seminars and exhibitors, for sci-fi and fantasy gamers, board gamers and role-players.
AdeptiCon 2027 dates
Five days, Wednesday to Sunday, usually in April.
AdeptiCon 2027 runs Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 April 2027 at the Baird Center. The organiser announced the dates in April 2026, straight after the previous convention finished, so they've been fixed for a long time. Registration opens in January 2027.
Tournaments and event games run across the whole convention, and each one has its own start time on the schedule. The exhibitor hall keeps shorter hours: the organiser gives them as 10am to 6pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am to 3pm on Sunday. If shopping matters to you, don't plan your whole trip around the Wednesday.
The organiser publishes the schedule, the exhibitor list and maps in its onsite app (the Cvent Events app, on Android, iOS and the web). You log in with the email you registered with, which makes it the easiest way to check where your next game is.
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The shape of the week. Games and events run Wednesday to Sunday, and the exhibitor hall opens from Thursday. Exact hours change from year to year, so check the schedule.
The booking year
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Spring: save the date
The 2027 dates went up in April 2026, just after the previous convention ended.
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Early summer: hotels
Partner hotel room blocks opened on 23 June 2026 for the 2027 convention. The closest ones went quickly.
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January: registration
Registration opens in January 2027. This is when badges and event places go on sale, and popular events can fill.
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April: the convention
Five days in Milwaukee. If an event filled before you booked, the organiser publishes waitlists for full events.
Badges and registration
You register online through the organiser's registration site.
AdeptiCon is a paid convention. You register through the organiser's online registration site, which holds the badge types, a registration FAQ and the refund policy. The organiser also links a short registration walkthrough video from its Info menu, which is worth watching before registration opens so you're not learning the system against the clock.
Badge types and prices are published on the registration site rather than the main website, and they're set for each convention, so we don't repeat them here. Check the badge types page when registration opens in January. Prices are in US dollars.
Popular events can fill. If something you want is full, the organiser runs waitlists, and it published updated waitlists in the run-up to the 2026 convention.
AdeptiCon 2027
Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 April 2027
Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203
Paid, registration through the organiser. Registration opens in January 2027.
ConfirmedRead the refund policy first. Flights and hotels are the expensive part of a trip from the UK. Check the organiser's refund policy and the registration FAQ before you book anything you can't cancel.
Getting there and parking
A downtown convention centre, with hotel blocks and discounted parking.
The venue
The convention is at the Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203. It's in the middle of downtown Milwaukee. For directions, public transport, accessibility and venue rules, the organiser points visitors to the Baird Center's own getting there and accessibility pages, and it publishes a map of the area showing the hotels and car parks.
Flying in from the UK? The organiser doesn't give airport or train advice on its own site, so use the venue's getting there page to plan the last leg from your arrival point.
Parking
In 2026 the organiser arranged discounted parking with Interstate Parking in garages and surface lots around the Baird Center. For 2026 it listed three garages, including the Baird Center's own garage on W Kilbourne Ave, and around ten surface lots. Daily rates in 2026 ran from roughly $11 to $28 before the discount, and the organiser warned that event rates, which can be higher, may apply on most days. The discount was applied by scanning a QR code at the garages or entering a promo code at the lots, with payment by card.
Parking details are refreshed for each convention, so check the parking page nearer the time.
Hotels
For 2027, 21 partner hotels held discounted room blocks, from about $149 to $234 a night plus tax, booked directly with each hotel. Most are a short walk from the venue, and a handful connect to it by skywalk, which is very welcome when you're carrying an army in April. By October 2026 about half the blocks, including all the skywalk hotels, were already marked sold out.
The organiser is clear that it does not work with any outside housing services, and it warns that housing services contacting attendees have been scams. Book through the hotel links on the official site.
Storing your stuff
Pop Up Lockers were on site in 2026 for bags, boxes and purchases, reserved in advance. A locker saves carrying armies and shopping around all day. The organiser says supply is limited, so reserve early if you want one.
What happens there
Tournaments, seminars, exhibitors, painting and a lot of board games.
Tournaments and event games
Tournaments are the core of AdeptiCon. The organiser's 2026 rules page lists rules packs for around 65 game systems. The Warhammer range is well covered, from Warhammer 40,000, Kill Team and Age of Sigmar to The Old World, Horus Heresy, Legions Imperialis, Adeptus Titanicus, Blood Bowl, Warcry, Underworlds and Warmaster. Star Wars has a big presence too, with Legion, Shatterpoint, Armada and X-Wing.
Beyond those you'll find Marvel: Crisis Protocol, BattleTech, A Song of Ice and Fire, Kings of War, Infinity, Malifaux, Warmachine, Trench Crusade, Turnip28, Frostgrave and Stargrave, One Page Rules and Halo: Flashpoint. Historical players have Bolt Action, Saga, Konflikt '47 and Blood Red Skies among others. Each event's rules, timings and format are on the rules and resources page, so read yours before you build a list.
Painting competitions
Painting has its own section on the rules page, with eight painting competition documents listed for 2026, plus information on the AdeptiCup Army Showcase. Check those documents for the categories, how to enter and when entries are due, and give yourself time: our four week competition plan helps.
Golden Demon
Golden Demon is Games Workshop's painting competition. Golden Demon held its US leg at AdeptiCon in 2026. Games Workshop has not yet published its 2027 legs. In 2026 its categories covered Warhammer 40,000 (single miniature, unit or Kill Team, large miniature or vehicle), Age of Sigmar (single miniature, unit or warband, large miniature or war machine), Horus Heresy, The Old World, Middle-earth, Blood Bowl and Necromunda, plus Diorama, Duel, Youngbloods for younger painters, and an Open category.
Entry is by advance registration: read the category and entry guidelines, then fill in the entry form, which AdeptiCon links from its Info menu. The Gold winners are judged together for the Slayer Sword, and the winner receives a real sword. Youngbloods and Open winners aren't eligible for it. The full rules are on the Golden Demon page.
Hobby seminars
The organiser lists over 275 hobby seminars. They're a good way to pick up new skills from people who do it well, and a nice change of pace between games. Check how to sign up for the ones you want when registration opens.
The exhibitor hall
Over 160 exhibitors fill the hall, open 10am to 6pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am to 3pm on Sunday. Expect miniatures, terrain, paints and accessories, and the chance to see things in person before you buy. For 2026 the organiser published a map of the exhibitor hall.
Board games and more
Not everything is about armies. In 2026 a board game library was set up with a large selection of games ready to play, and there are role-playing and card games too. The rules page also has sections for board game events and Extra Life charity events.
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What's on. Tournaments for Warhammer, Shatterpoint and more, hobby seminars, an exhibitor hall, board games, role-playing games, and Golden Demon, whose US leg was held at AdeptiCon in 2026.
Golden Demon in 2027? Games Workshop hasn't published its 2027 Golden Demon dates yet. If you're hoping to enter, check the Golden Demon page and the AdeptiCon site before you plan around it.
Who it's for
Tournament players first, with plenty for painters, board gamers and newcomers.
Tournament players. If you play sci-fi or fantasy miniature games and like competitive events, AdeptiCon has a huge number of them under one roof, and over five days you can play more than one system.
Painters. Between the hobby seminars, the painting competitions and Golden Demon when it's held there, there's a lot for painters to see and learn. If you're thinking of entering, our guides on how to enter a painting competition and what the judges look for are a good place to start.
Newcomers. The organiser pitches AdeptiCon at veteran players and newcomers alike. Seminars, the exhibitor hall and the board game library are easy ways in if you're not ready for a tournament.
Historical gamers. It's mostly sci-fi and fantasy, but Bolt Action, Saga, Konflikt '47 and Blood Red Skies events mean historical players aren't left out.
Groups with mixed tastes. Board games and role-playing make it a good trip for friends who don't all paint armies.
Families. We couldn't find an age policy on the organiser's main site. If you're bringing children, check the badge types and registration FAQ before you book.
Workbench guide
What the judges look for
Clean technique, contrast you can read from arm's length, colour choice, basing and presentation. Worth a read before you enter any painting competition.
Read the guide
Planning your visit
Book in the right order and a five day convention is relaxed.
Register on day one
Registration opens in January 2027. Watch the walkthrough video beforehand and have your event list ready, as popular events can fill.
Hotel before flights
The closest partner hotels sell out months ahead. Book through the official site only, never a housing service that contacts you.
Get the app
The onsite app holds the schedule, the exhibitor list and maps. Log in with your registration email before you travel.
Reserve a locker
Onsite lockers are limited. Reserve one if you'll be shopping or carrying more than one army between games.
Budget for parking
If you're driving, assume event rates and use the organiser's discount. The parking page has the details.
Pack for the flight
Armies travel best in a proper case in your hand luggage. Our storage and transport guide shows how to pack them.
Entering? Plan it
Golden Demon entry is by advance form, so read the rules early. Our four week competition plan helps.
Leave room to shop
With over 160 exhibitors, keep a little space in your luggage and a budget in dollars for the hall.
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A day at AdeptiCon. One way to spend a day: badge on and in early, play your tournament, sit in on a seminar, browse the exhibitor hall, wind down with a board game, then back to the hotel with a full bag.
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What to bring. Your badge, an army case packed for travel, dice, a tape measure and your lists, a painted miniature if you're entering a competition, water and comfy shoes. Bob is ready.
Details checked against the organiser's website in October 2026. Always check the official site before you travel. Badge prices, the event schedule and the exhibitor list are published by AWC, Inc., so that's the place to look for anything this page doesn't cover.
Planning more than one show? Our miniature events around the world page lists the big shows by region, including the other big American conventions.
Before you go
- Checked the dates and venue on the official site?
- Registered, or a reminder set for January?
- Hotel booked through the official links, not a housing service?
- Picked the tournaments and seminars you want most?
- Read your event's rules pack and the painting competition rules?
- App installed, and a locker or parking sorted?
- A carry case for your army and anything you buy?
Never do this
Touch their army
Someone flew that army across the country. Admire with your eyes, and ask before you touch a single figure.
Spin in a backpack
Every spin with a backpack on is a falling squad waiting to happen. Carry it in front or by hand in busy aisles.
Trust a hotel cold call
If a "housing service" rings offering rooms, hang up. Rooms are booked directly with the hotels and nobody else.
Skip lunch, again
Five days of games on vending machine snacks is a bold strategy. Eat something green at least once.
Hog the entries
Admire the painting entries as long as you like, just not from a spot that blocks the twenty people behind you.
Overbuy, then fly
Buy only what fits in your luggage, and plan the trip home before the third box of terrain.
Quick answers
The short version
Milwaukee in April
AdeptiCon 2027 runs Wednesday 7 to Sunday 11 April 2027 at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, run by AWC, Inc. Expect tournaments for around 65 games, hundreds of hobby seminars, over 160 exhibitors, painting competitions, board games and role-playing, and Golden Demon when Games Workshop holds it there.
Book a partner hotel early, register the day it opens in January, get the app, and check the official site for parking and anything that changes. Then enjoy five days surrounded by tiny armies.
Back to the painting table
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