Strategicon’s Gateway 2027 is on the calendar for Friday, September 3, through Monday, September 6, over Labor Day weekend at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport. Like every Strategicon show, it opens at noon Friday and runs continuously until 6 p.m. Monday, with board, card, miniatures, role-playing, collectible, and video games around the clock.
Gateway closes out Strategicon’s year, which also makes it the place where season-long events end. In 2026, it hosted the finale of the 13th Power Grid World Tour. The 2027 schedule is a long way off, but the dates are set. Here is what is confirmed and how the weekend works, as of October 5, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Friday, September 3, at noon through Monday, September 6, 2027, at 6 p.m. |
| Where | Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 |
| What | Board, card, miniatures, role-playing, collectible, and video games |
| Full con badge | $75 online, $85 at the door (current posted price) |
| Parking | $13 a day at the Hilton with a Strategicon pass |
| Kids | 11 and under $10 with an adult; a family area with games for ages 3 to 6 |
| Official site | strategicon.net |
Last year’s big events
The 2027 special events have not been announced. Here is what Gateway 2026 offered, for a sense of what the Labor Day show tends to bring:
- The Power Grid World Tour finale. The 13th tour played a different Power Grid map each day at all three Strategicon shows, with players earning points by finish and table size. It wrapped at Gateway with maps for Brazil, Spain and Portugal, and Central Europe, then Benelux on Monday, before crowning a champion.
- The Gauntlet IX. A one-day, three-round board game championship: a qualifying round of Splendor on Saturday morning, the top eight moving on to Stone Age, and a final four playing Puerto Rico.
- Starfinder Society. A multi-table Starfinder 2nd Edition special, “Beyond the Blood Door,” which Strategicon said was restricted to approved conventions.
- Artemis. Multiple sessions of the real-time spaceship bridge simulator.
- Paint and Take at the edge of the miniatures hall in International Ballroom A.
Signing up for games
Strategicon runs on scheduled events that open for sign-ups before the convention. For Gateway 2026, the event submission deadline was August 14, game sign-ups opened August 15 at noon, the hotel rate deadline was August 20, and online pre-registration ended August 31. Expect a similar rhythm in 2027, and watch the site for the new dates.
Badges
Strategicon’s registration page lists these prices as of October 5, 2026. They are the rates posted for the current season, and 2027 prices have not been announced, so check before you buy.
| Badge | Price |
|---|---|
| Full Con Pass | $75 online, $85 at the door |
| Teen Full Con Pass (ages 12 to 17) | $50 online, $60 at the door |
| Season Pass (next three shows) | $180 online, $200 at the door |
| Child with adult (11 and under) | $10 |
| Saturday or Sunday Family Day Pass | $100 |
| One Day: Friday | $35 |
| One Day: Saturday or Sunday | $45 |
| One Day: Monday | $20 |
- Volunteer: Work eight hours and your badge is free.
- Group discount: Members of dozens of listed game groups, plus current U.S. military, veterans, and allies, get $70 full con passes and $170 season passes.
- Wear it: Your badge has to be visible above the waist. A lost badge costs full price to replace.
Hotel and parking
- Address: Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 5711 West Century Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045.
- Room block: Strategicon books one large convention block at the Hilton, and once it is gone, it is gone. For Gateway 2026, last year’s rate was $160 a night for one or two people, $180 for three, and $200 for four. The 2027 rates and booking deadlines have not been posted.
- Hilton parking: Self-parking is $13 a day for attendees. Hotel guests get an in-and-out pass at check-in. Non-guests get the $13 rate by having their ticket stamped, or picking up a pass, at the Strategicon registration desk, and that does not include in-and-out privileges. Valet is $25.
- The lot fills up. Strategicon notes surrounding lots typically run $25 to $40 a day and recommends reserving ahead through SpotHero.
Inside the con
- Game library: Hundreds of games to check out. Bring your badge and a government-issued ID, which is held while you have the game. Last listed hours: Friday 3 p.m. to midnight, Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to midnight, Monday 9 a.m. to noon.
- Family area: In Catalina A on the second floor, with a separate library of games for ages 3 to 6, plus puzzles and coloring.
- Flea market: In the Pacific Ballroom Foyer. Tables rent for $10 an hour and require a badge. Selling current, in-print products is not allowed.
- Auction: Monday at 11 a.m. in the Carmel room, with up to 200 lots. Lot slips are $2, and a $50 buyer tab deposit lets you pay at the end instead of lot by lot.
- Painting contest: Miniatures entries are accepted Saturday at 10 a.m. through Sunday at noon in International Ballroom A, with judging Sunday at 2 p.m.
- Tournaments: Bring a copy of the game. Strategicon says players without one can be replaced by someone who has it.
Still to come
The Gateway 2027 event schedule, special events, sign-up and pre-registration deadlines, 2027 badge prices, and the hotel rate have not been posted as of October 5, 2026. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- Strategicon, official site (2027 convention dates, venue, hours)
- Strategicon: Convention Registration (badge prices, at-the-door hours, group discounts)
- Strategicon: Hotel
- Strategicon: Parking and Transportation
- Strategicon: Game Library
- Strategicon: Family Area
- Strategicon: Flea Market
- Strategicon: Auction
- Strategicon: Painting Contest
- Strategicon: Special Events (Gateway 2026)
- Strategicon: Code of Conduct
Featured photo: JIP via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
