Can anyone think of a reason why Gen Con is "sold out" of 4 day badges while individual badges for each day are still available?

Surely they are sold out only because attandance is capped?

And just as surely a 4 day badge would indicate attendance on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday?

But one can still add to the attendance of any day by buying a one day badge?

Not sure how that makes sense?
 

It costs $270 to attend now for 4 days, and since the con is already close to full they are trying to get as much money as possible.

My guess would be that GenCon prints these badges ahead of time, and they allot a certain amount as 4-day badges and another amount as 1-day badges.  This year they ran out of the 4-day badges first, as they were the hot item (and I bet that they usually wind up selling more of those than the 1-day ones every year).

You have a 100,000 person limit. This is the MAX number of attendees that you can have at the convention at one time. You also know that 80% of your attendees purchase 4 day badges and 20% only come for one day (but different days).

So, you set a limit of 80,000 4 day badges and 80,000 single day badges (20,000 each day). 

Pretty easy to see how it sells out. They have to have badges available for both sets of attendees. They cant just sell 100k 4 day badges and tell the single day attendees "sorry we dont want your business".

Gencon did not do anything wrong on this one.

I think that they allotted a certain amount of 4-day badges and sold out of those. What's left is the Sunday Family deal and the individual day badges.

Of course they could get/make more if they wanted, but they are limited by their plan and the venue's capacity. It's a planned capacity issue, not a supplies issue.

One day passes are popular.  If they take out single day passes people who always get one day would be upset, so you trade one group of upset for another.

Gencon wants people to buy 4 day badges, from hotel booking to the price discount its clear they want people to buy 4 day.  If there was a way to make everyone happy I am sure they would.  

Considering they are warning single day badges are in short supply there probably aren't many of those left. 

Yeah, allotting different caps for 4-day and single day feels very reasonable considering the scope of planning they've had to do. I don't suspect any ~sinister motivations~ at play here.

Have plenty of badge stock.
Have sell out numbers for all badges. 4-day limits were reached first.

If you still want to go you will need to buy individual day badges while they last...

Mike Boozer
Customer Service & Event Team Manager
Gen Con LLC

I am guessing the single days aren't evenly sold out either.  Makes it kind hard to make four day badges If only three days are avaiable.

 And from a business stand point if your going to sell out anyway why do all the extra juggling 

I would bet by the end of July you will see Fri and Sat sell out.  Time will tell

Thanks for clearing that up, Mike.

The part that concerns me is that we are already going to be massively overcrowded based on four day badges alone, yet Saturday badges are still being sold. I am so glad that I won't be anywhere near that exhibit hall on Saturday because it is going to get ugly...