Elizabeth Hargrave Announced as Keynote Speaker for PAX Unplugged 2024

Penny Arcade :

SEATTLE – Sept. 12, 2024 – Show organizers ReedPop and Penny Arcade reveal today the storytime keynote speaker at PAX Unplugged, the most attended tabletop gaming convention on the East Coast. Celebrated board game designer Elizabeth Hargrave will kick off the show when PAX Unplugged returns to the Pennsylvania Convention Center from Friday, Dec. 6, to Sunday, Dec. 8.

Hargrave is best known for her award-winning debut title Wingspan, the bestselling bird-collecting game featured in The New York Times and Slate. Previously a health policy analyst, Hargrave saw a gap in the tabletop market, and designed a game with beautiful art and distinctive subjects that would appeal to audiences outside the typical tabletop realm.

Hargrave’s games are largely inspired by nature and wildlife. Her latest games include 2023’s fox domesticating experience, The Fox Experiment, and 2024’s fungi-farming adventure, Undergrove. Through her continued contributions in the tabletop gaming space, Hargrave has cemented herself as a well-respected designer among peers and fans alike.    

Stonemaier Games, the publisher of Wingspan, will exhibit at PAX Unplugged. Based out of St. Louis, MO, Stonemaier has published over a dozen tabletop titles including popular brands Stamp Swamp, Apiary, Red Rising, Viticulture, Scythe, Charterstone, and more. Stay tuned for upcoming announcements including the full lineup of exhibitors, panels, community meetups, tournaments, and more. 

"Having Elizabeth Hargrave share her talent and her process with PAX Unplugged has been a fantasy of ours for years," said Jerry Holkins, co-founder of PAX, Penny Arcade, and Child's Play. "I can hardly believe it's happening."

Media and content creators can register for PAX Unplugged here. Attendees can purchase three-day badges for $91, and pick up single-day badges for $43 each. Families can pick up Sunday Kids Day badges for children aged 7-12, for $14 each.

Media and content creators interested in covering the event can apply for badges here.

For more information, follow PAX on Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram.

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About PAX

PAX, or Penny Arcade Expo, is a festival for gamers to celebrate gaming culture. First held in Seattle in 2004, PAX has nearly doubled in size each successive year, with PAX Prime 2014 selling out of tickets in a matter of minutes. Connecting the world's leading game publishers with their most avid and influential fans, PAX expanded with a second show in Boston in 2010, and a third in San Antonio in 2015, making it the three largest gaming shows in North America. The first international PAX was held in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. In 2017, Penny Arcade established PAX Unplugged, its first tabletop-focused show, held in Philadelphia.

About ReedPop

ReedPop is a boutique group within RX – one of the world’s leading events organizers. Launched in 2006, the group has become the number one producer of pop culture events across the globe as well as a full service digital content provider and media company. Delivering once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences curated specifically for localized audiences, ReedPop currently features events in North America and Europe, including: New York Comic Con (NYCC), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), PAX West, East, and Unplugged, Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), Star Wars Celebration, MCM Comic Con, Eurogamer Expo (EGX), Star Trek Missions and more. In addition to organizing and managing events, ReedPop also runs and operates the Gamer Network and its portfolio of leading gaming websites including Eurogamer, Rock Paper Shotgun and GamesIndustry.Biz. The staff at ReedPop are a fan-based, globally focused group of professionals that are uniquely qualified to build and serve the communities with whom they share a common passion.

About Penny Arcade

Penny Arcade has been the world’s most popular webcomic for over 20 years, with over 3.5 million readers. Started in 1998 in the living room of Mike Krahulik & Jerry Holkins, it has grown into a media empire encompassing multiple beloved properties such as Lookouts, Automata, and beloved D&D live-play series Acquisitions Incorporated. Penny Arcade was responsible for the creation of Child’s Play, a gaming charity that has raised over $45 million dollars for children across the world. They are also the founders of PAX, the number one consumer gaming festival in North America, with hundreds of thousands of loyal visitors every year.

Media Contacts

Veronica Stodolnik / Carter Dotson / Brigitte Gautreaux

Stride PR for ReedPop

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