BPA - BoardGame PLAYER Association
The Boardgame Player Association (BPA) is a nonprofit organization built by and for competitive board gamers. We exist to organize and grow competitive board gaming, most visibly through the World Boardgaming Championships (WBC), held each summer in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania.
Participation in WBC is through BPA membership rather than paid admission or ticketed events. This structure reflects what we are: a community of dedicated gamers who collectively own and govern the organization, vote on events, and shape its future.
Our Mission
The Boardgame Players Association seeks to host one of the premiere gaming conventions for tournament board gaming: The World Boardgaming Championships (WBC). The WBC will be a single-site, family-friendly convention that welcomes competitors of all ages with a diverse array of gaming preferences. The WBC aspires to grow based on our incredible reputation and by fostering the next generation of board gamers.
Our Vision
Our vision is to shape a future where competitive board gaming continues to thrive across generations.
Our Story
How it started
The World Boardgaming Championships has been decades in the making.
1991 - Founding of Avaloncon
The Boardgame Players Association traces its roots to Avaloncon, a pioneering competitive gaming convention born from years of campaigning by Don Greenwood, who finally convinced Avalon Hill management that a "return to basics" convention emphasizing competitive play was the best way to reverse the company's flagging fortunes. Having helped start the Origins gaming convention two decades earlier ? only to relinquish control to the fledgling Game Manufacturers Association ? Avalon Hill returned to its roots in 1991 with Avaloncon, putting competitive gameplay front and center.
1999 - Boardgame Players Association and launch of the WBC
As the hobby grew and evolved, so did the organization, eventually becoming the Boardgame Players Association and launching the World Boardgaming Championships as its flagship annual event in 1999. Decades later, WBC has grown to feature hundreds of individual tournaments, thousands of participants, and a rich tradition of competitive play across classic and modern games alike.
2017 - Continued evolution of WBC
As the WBC outgrew its early locations in Hunt Valley, MD (1999-2005) and Lancaster, PA (2006-2015), the event has found a welcoming home in Seven Springs, PA. This venue supports the ongoing growth of the convention and provides family-friendly amenities to members. In 2017, Don Greenwood passed the baton of convention leadership to Ken Gutermuth, who provides ongoing stewardship and guidance to the evolution of the event.
22-06-24
12-02-20
Achievements
Milestones That Define Our Journey
From a grassroots gathering of passionate hobbyists to a respected championship experience welcoming players of all ages, BPA continues to grow through the people, tournaments, and shared moments that define the journey.
30+
Years of tournament play
1000+
Annual attendees
3000+
Hours of scheduled events each WBC
500+
Library games available in Open Gaming
Membership Rates
When you join BPA, you're not just buying a ticket to WBC ? you're becoming a member of the organization. Your membership includes admission to WBC and gives you a vote in decisions that affect the hobby, from which games appear at WBC to who sits on the Board of Directors.
Membership levels vary in benefits and price, with options to suit different levels of participation.
Explore
Explore More
Learn more about the leadership, member support, and policies that help shape the Boardgame Players Association experience.
Frequently Asked
Questions
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Get in touch
The World Boardgaming Championships is the BPA's flagship annual convention, bringing together competitive board gamers for a week of tournaments, open gaming, and community.
Registration happens through BPA membership. Once you join, your membership includes admission to WBC and access to the event registration flow.
The BPA is the nonprofit member organization. WBC is the BPA's annual championship convention and its most visible public event.
The BPA is governed by its members and board leadership, with members voting on important matters that shape the convention and the organization.
Board members are elected through the BPA membership process, giving active members a direct voice in leadership and organizational direction.
Join the Legacy of Great Play
Become part of a board gaming community where competition has meaning, tradition is honored, and every generation is welcomed to the table.
