What Fastaval does

Fastaval is Denmark's largest role-playing and board game convention, operated as a non-profit association under Foreningen Alea and held annually at Easter (typically late March) at Mariagerfjord Gymnasium in Hobro. Founded in 1986, the organization attracts approximately 1,000 participants each year to its single six-day event, centered on two core activities: premiere role-playing scenarios written by volunteer authors and designer board games created specifically for the convention. Notable ancillary offerings include Super Søndag (Super Sunday) with unique programming such as live podcasts, swimming pool, sauna, and FastaTV sketches; FastaQuests featuring mega games and tournaments; Fastaval Junior for younger attendees; the Otto Awards (golden penguin statuettes) recognizing excellence since 1992 for RPGs and 2012 for board games; and educational programs like Synopseakademiet and Game Rush.

The business model is volunteer-driven and event-anchored. Fastaval employs only approximately 5 paid staff and is otherwise operated by unpaid community members, including organizers, scenario managers, board game managers, and jury members. Revenue is generated primarily through participant registration fees, with smaller revenue streams from activity-specific pricing (e.g., 30 DKK pool/sauna slots, 50 DKK speedpaint entries), on-site bar, café, and kiosk sales. The Otto Awards have produced commercially validated outcomes including Magic Maze (Spiel des Jahres nominee) and Fog of Love (Walmart exclusive rights, three Golden Geek nominations), establishing Fastaval as a recognized launchpad for tabletop game innovation.

The organization's technology footprint is intentionally minimal: a WordPress-based website, iOS and Android mobile apps for schedule and navigation, Discord for online workshops, Airtable for board game submissions, and YouTube for streaming event programming. Distribution is exclusively physical event attendance at a single venue in Denmark, with no digital product distribution. The organization has no external investors, no funding rounds, and no headcount growth signals. Marketing relies on community word-of-mouth, email newsletter, and organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, X).

Name

Fastaval

Legal name

Fastaval

Website

https://fastaval.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fastaval is a Danish volunteer-run non-profit that hosts Denmark's largest annual role-playing and board game convention at Easter in Hobro, serving approximately 1,000 participants with premiere scenarios, designer board games, and the Otto Awards program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tabletop Gaming Convention / Hobby Event Services

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Multi-Sport Games & Festival Organizers (MPAKADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Third-Party Tournament Organizers (TOs) (MPAKANAB)

Keywords

• Tabletop gaming convention
• Role-playing scenarios
• Designer board games
• Gaming event organization
• Tabletop gaming community

Headquarters

HQ city

Hobro

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Participant Registration/Entrance Fees: Fastaval generates revenue through participant entrance fees. Attendees pay to access the convention which includes participation in role-playing scenarios, board games, workshops, and other activities. Designers receive a discount on registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fastaval is Denmark's largest annual role-playing and board game convention, held each Easter at Mariagerfjord Gymnasium in Hobro for around 1,000 participants. It programs approximately 30 role-playing scenarios and 20-24 designer board games annually, alongside workshops, tournaments, awards, and special programming days. The event is organized entirely by volunteers through the non-profit association Foreningen Alea, and revenue is generated through participant entrance fees.

Product overview

Fastaval is Denmark's largest role-playing and board game convention, held annually at Easter at Mariagerfjord Gymnasium in Hobro. The organization offers a portfolio centered on two core activities: role-playing scenarios (scenarier) written by volunteer authors and played by participants, and designer board games that premiere at the convention. The portfolio includes supporting products such as the Fastaval App for mobile access to schedules and maps, Super Søndag (Super Sunday) special programming day with unique activities, FastaQuests featuring mega games and tournaments, Fastaval Junior for younger attendees, FastaTV for original entertainment content, and the Merlin og Monopolet podcast. The Otto Awards recognize excellence in both role-playing scenarios and board games across multiple categories. Educational programs like Synopseakademiet support aspiring scenario writers, while Game Rush offers intensive board game design competitions. Food and beverage services including the board game café, bar, and kiosk complement the gaming experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Super Sunday: A special Sunday event during Fastaval with additional activities including swimming pool, sauna, and various games.
• Otto Awards
• FastaQuests
• FastaTV

Products and services

• Rollespil (Role-Playing Games) Written role-playing scenarios (scenarier) designed specifically for Fastaval, playable by 2+ participants typically lasting 2-6 hours. Includes table-top RPGs, live-action role-playing (LAR), and novella-format scenarios. Fastaval programs approximately 30 such scenarios each year. Targeted at Fastaval participants who book and play them during the Easter convention.
• Brætspil (Designer Board Games) Designer board games that premiere at Fastaval, including innovative social games, narrative games, party games, and eurogames. Each game is newly developed specifically for the convention. Targeted at Fastaval participants who book and play designer board games during the Easter convention.
• Super Søndag (Super Sunday) A special programming day on Sunday featuring unique activities including Cubecafe, DnD Speedrun, Wii gaming, swimming pool and sauna, FastaTV specials, Merlin og Monopolet live podcast, and rounders. Targeted at Fastaval participants looking for extra programming on the Sunday of the Easter convention.
• FastaQuests A collection of special quest activities including mega games like Antdromeda, tournaments (HIVE, Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon TCG), workshops, concerts, dances, and competitive events. Targeted at Fastaval participants seeking large-format and tournament-style activities during the convention.
• Fastaval Junior Dedicated programming for younger participants at Fastaval, providing age-appropriate gaming activities and experiences. Targeted at children and teenagers attending the convention with their families.
• Otto Awards (Ottoer) Annual awards given to the best premiere role-playing scenarios and designer board games at Fastaval. Awarded in categories including Best Game, Best Innovation, Best Presented, and Participants' Choice. Takes the form of golden penguin statuettes. Targeted at role-playing scenario writers and board game designers seeking industry recognition.
• Synopseakademiet (Synopsis Academy) Educational program for aspiring scenario writers, formerly known as the Scenario Writing Competition. Provides workshops, synopsis sparring partners, and guidance for new authors. Targeted at aspiring role-playing scenario writers seeking structured training and feedback.
• Game Rush – Build a Board Game Intensive board game design competition where participants build a complete board game during the convention timeframe. Targeted at aspiring board game designers, especially newcomers participating in rapid prototyping.
• FastaTV Fastaval's own television channel producing sketches, entertainment shows, and event coverage. Targeted at Fastaval participants for entertainment during the convention.
• Merlin og Monopolet Podcast Live podcast recordings featuring dilemma discussions in a role-playing show format. Available both as a novella scenario and as a live event on Super Sunday. Targeted at Fastaval participants interested in role-playing-themed entertainment.
• Brætspilscaféen (Board Game Café) On-site café space where participants can play board games, socialize, and enjoy food and beverages throughout the convention. Targeted at Fastaval participants for socialising and gaming outside of scheduled programming.
• Fastaval App Mobile application for iOS and Android providing participants with schedules, venue maps, activity listings, and important announcements. Available on Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Targeted at Fastaval participants for navigating the convention.

Quantifiable outcome

• Magic Maze (Otto winner 2015) was nominated for Spiel des Jahres
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mariagerfjord GymnasiumcoreOthersThe main venue for Fastaval's annual convention. Mariagerfjord Gymnasium in Hobro provides the facilities for all gaming activities, workshops, and common areas during the Easter event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Origins Game Fair: Origins Game Fair is a long-running US tabletop gaming convention that programs RPGs, board games, and tournaments similarly to Fastaval. Its awards, vendor hall, and scenario-track structure make it a direct counterpart.
• Gen Con: Gen Con is the largest tabletop gaming convention in North America, featuring RPG scenarios, designer board games, and industry awards. It shares Fastaval's model of premiere games, scenario programming, and community-driven participation.
• PAX Unplugged: PAX Unplugged is ReedPop's tabletop-focused PAX event emphasizing board, card, and role-playing games. It is comparable to Fastaval as a premiere venue for designer content and hobby-game community gathering.
• UK Games Expo: UK Games Expo is the United Kingdom's largest hobby-games convention, with dedicated board game, RPG, and designer-track programming. It mirrors Fastaval's structure of premiering designer content and gathering enthusiast communities around games.
• Dragonmeet: Dragonmeet is a London-based one-day tabletop gaming convention focused on RPG scenarios and designer board games. It shares Fastaval's community-run, volunteer-organized character and scenario-driven programming.
• SPIEL Essen: SPIEL in Essen is the world's largest hobby-game fair, focused on board games and TTRPGs, attracting ~200,000 visitors annually. It is directly comparable to Fastaval as a multi-day tabletop-gaming convention centered on designer premieres, awards, and publisher booths.

Regional players

• GothCon: GothCon is Sweden's largest games convention, covering board games, RPGs, and miniatures with strong volunteer community roots. It is a Nordic regional peer to Fastaval with overlapping program formats and community ethos.
• LinCon: LinCon is a Swedish gaming convention organized by student associations in Linköping, featuring board games, RPGs, and designer programming. It is comparable to Fastaval as a regional Nordic event with similar hobbyist and creator audiences.
• Ropecon: Ropecon is Finland's main annual role-playing and board game convention, run by a volunteer association. Its scenario programming, designer tracks, and community structure mirror Fastaval's Nordic neighbor model.

Broad incumbents

• BoardGameGeek (BGG.CON): BGG operates the convention arm (BGG.CON) and the dominant online hobby-game community used by Fastaval's constituency. While broader than Fastaval, its convention and platform activities support similar discovery, awards, and designer pathways.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fastaval
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FastaSuperS%C3%B8ndag
• Facebookfacebook.com/Fastaval
• Instagraminstagram.com/fastaval
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fastaval

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fastaval