2D Con – A celebration of all things gaming, is Minnesota’s largest gaming event ran to raise money for charity! 2026 will feature two rooms, a Market, containing vendors and retailers as well as artists and an artists alley which will feature artists. The artists alley will be located in a central location near registration.
Demographic Details
2D Con is a video gaming and tabletop gaming event, our market is curated for a focus on gaming related items and artwork.
- Dates – August 21-August 23, 2026
- Location – Doubletree By Hilton – Minneapolis South, Bloomington, MN
- Expected Attendance – 5000
COSTS & DEADLINES
Artists Alley
All applicants go through a juried process. Our hope when looking for artists is to find a diverse blend of product types, originality and unique variety of styles, and gaming-focused content.
- Single artist space: 6’×8′ – $250
- Includes: 1 badge, 1 table, and 2 chairs
- Double artist space: 6′ x 16′ -$400
- Includes: X tables, and 2 chairs
- Additional registrations are $55 – Limited to 2 registrations per 6′ × 8′ space.
- Applications Open: January 1st, 2026
- Acceptances sent between: April 15th, 2026 and June 1st, 2026
- Applications Close: April 1st, 2026 (Closed)
- Payments due by: June 31st, 2026
Vendor Booth
All applicants go through a juried process. We prioritize vendors with gaming-focused products. Want to bypass the selection process? Take a look at our sponsorship options.
- Single Vendor space: 10’×10′ – $400
- Includes: 2 badges, 1 tables and 2 chairs
- Single Vendor Corner space:10’x 10′ Corner – $500
- Includes: 2 badges, 2 tables and 4 chairs
- Located in end of row
- Double Vendor space: 10’ x 20‘ – $600
- Includes: 2 badges, 2 tables and 4 chairs
- Located within row
- Double Vendor space Endcap: 10’ x 20‘ – $700
- Includes: 2 badges, 2 tables and 4 chairs
- Located at the end of a row in center of market
- Additional registrations are $55 – Limited to 4 registrations per 10×10 space.
- Applications Open: January 1st, 2026
- Acceptances sent between: April 1st, 2026 and June 1st, 2026
- Payments due by: June 31st, 2026
RULES
In order to keep the quality of our Market (Artists and Vendors combined) the most genuine it can be, we ask that you heed the following rules. By applying to be an artist or vendor at 2D Con you agree to abide by the following rules.
General Rules
- All applicants must be 18 years of age or older, as required by Minnesota Law.
- 2D Con staff are not responsible for any tax information and it is the responsibility of the Artist, Studio, Store, Individual to file responsibly.
- If you are accepted, you are committed to attend. If something comes up and you have to forfeit your table, please inform us as soon as possible.
- All accepted applicants must attend all three days of the convention during Market hours. Early take-downs are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
- Unapproved early tear down or late set up without prior approval can result in not being accepted in future years
- If you have not communicated to 2D Con staff and not set up before the room opens on Friday afternoon we reserve the right to forfeit your table and grant it to someone on the waitlist with no refund issued.
- Each table will be provided with two chairs.
- If you have a medical need for more chairs please let staff know so we can communicate that to the hotel asap and get that sorted prior to the event
- If a vendor with multiple tables we will verify how many chairs you need prior to set up
Regarding Products
- Any adult materials (18+) must be kept out of view of minors. All artists are responsible for, and expected to, check proper identification when asked to view said materials.
- No live steel sales permitted.
- Copyrighted materials (such as official designs) are not permitted.
- Fanart is permitted, granted they follow this guideline.
- Things like screencaps, copyrighted materials and art based directly on or manipulations of a copyrighted piece of art will not be permitted in the market
- Artist Only
- All artists must sell only work that they themselves have designed or created.
- Proxy sales are permitted with written permission from the artist directly. All written permissions should be provided prior to 2D Con when possible.
- Artists can apply to table share but both must be listed on the application.
- All artists must sell only work that they themselves have designed or created.
- Vendor Only
- Bootleg items of unofficial merchandise will not be permitted
- A first offense will be met with a request to remove all non-licensed items. A second offense will be met with removal, ban, and no refund.
- In the case of used games, all parts of the game must be fully tested
- Food or beverages, in general, are not allowed but the hotel has made special exceptions before. If you are accepted into the market please discuss with the market lead if you wish to bring food or beverage. The venue has final say in the matter.
- Bootleg items of unofficial merchandise will not be permitted
- 2D Con does not allow any AI generated art or products containing AI generated art to be sold in the market. We believe that creativity is human.
Regarding Space
- Please be conscious and considerate of the space you are allocated, do not crowd or obstruct the displays of your neighbors!
- Please use caution with print walls
- Backward facing prints that disrupt other artists displays are not permitted
- We impose a 10′ height limit on internally placed backdrops
If you are found in violation of any of the regulations, we will offer a warning and ask you to take down the offending item or stop the offending behavior. If the issue persists you may be asked to forfeit the rights to your table for the remainder of the convention with no refund. If you have any questions regarding any of the market rules and regulations please let us know via the contact form.
