Community Highlights: Meet Brad Kelley of Midwest GameFest

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brad Kelley.

Hi Brad, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am Brad Kelley, Director of Midwest GameFest and Castellan of the Role-players Guild of Kansas City. I’ve loved games since I was a kid in small-town Kentucky. Mousetrap, Connect Four, Stop Thief, etc. I dabbled in role-playing games in high school and it really took hold of me in college with D&D, Hero System, and Shadowrun.

I was introduced to Talisman, and later Magic: The Gathering. We used to travel to a convention in Illinois called Egyptian Campaign where we got to try all kinds of new games. That’s where I first heard about Settlers of Catan, Blind Sniper, and more. The hobby was exploding in popularity.

I parlayed some connections in college into a job at a game company in Kansas City. We published a game called Towers in Time and later Highlander: The Card Game.

While working on Highlander, I got to travel around the country to large game and media conventions and learned the ropes. I Kickstarted my own small convention in 2014 and later joined up with the RPGKC to helm Midwest GameFest.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The usual work/family life balance with personal pursuits like this. Nothing out of the ordinary.

We’ve been impressed with Midwest GameFest, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the Director of Midwest GameFest, an annual four-day tabletop hobby game convention held each Spring and Fall in the Kansas City area. Our Spring event is an online virtual event while the Fall event is held in-person at Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center.

Attendees join us for role-playing games, historical miniatures, board games, card games, organized play, exhibitors, cosplay, workshops, game designers, benefit events, and more! Midwest GameFest is organized and funded by The Role-Players Guild of Kansas City, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the tabletop gaming hobby.

Midwest GameFest brings a number of long-standing midwestern game organizations together under one roof: The Role-Players Guild of Kansas City (Shauncon), Heart of America Historical Miniatures Gaming Society (Borderwars), Recruits (A Historical, Fantasy, and Sci-Fi Wargaming Convention), and Gamer’s Haven Game Library.

The convention is organized, staffed, and financed by a cadre of experienced volunteer conventioneers from The Role-players Guild of Kansas City with an advisory board made up of participating members/organizers from our partner groups and other interested folks. The convention is financed by RPGKC coffers, door proceeds, exhibitor fees, and sponsorships. The RPGKC is a 501(c)(7) non-profit group of role-playing game enthusiasts dedicated to bringing quality gaming to all and educating the public about that gaming.

Midwest GameFest is not a charity itself, and neither is its parent organization the Role-players Guild of Kansas City. However, we have historically provided a charity raffle benefitting Harvesters Community Food Network, a large community food bank in the Kansas City region. Additionally, separate groups at Midwest GameFest have historically gathered donations for their own charity causes, such as Heroes of Rokugan’s annual Toys for Tots drive.

We also host a Red Cross Blood Drive at both the online and in-person events.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The best way to network is to jump in feet-first and get involved. Like-minded people will take notice doors will open.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://midwestgamefest.org
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/midwestgamefest
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/midwestgamefest
• Other: https://twitch.tv/midwestgamefest