Pastimes Comics & Games
Pastimes Events is a privately held US tournament organizer, founded in 1992, that operates Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana events at PAX, Gen Con, MagicCon, and its flagship Eternal Weekend, serving TCG players, game publishers, and convention organizers through paid tournament entries, badges, and staffing services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersNiles, Illinois, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Pastimes Comics & Games does
Pastimes, Inc., operating as Pastimes Events, is a privately held US tournament organizer founded in 1992 and headquartered in Elk Grove Village, Illinois (with a secondary Chicagoland warehouse in Niles). The company runs trading card game (TCG) events for Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana at major US conventions including PAX East, PAX Unplugged, Gen Con, and MagicCon, as well as its flagship self-owned event, Eternal Weekend. Its end-to-end service portfolio covers tournament scheduling and execution, online event registration, on-site judge and operations staffing, prize distribution via its Prize Wall redemption system, and convention hospitality management, supported by integrations with Wizards of the Coast's EventLink and Melee platforms and an active Discord community of 13,000+ members.
The underlying technology stack is conventional rather than differentiated: Pastimes relies on third-party tournament management software (EventLink, Melee) for registration and scorekeeping, layered with its own Prize Wall ticketing system, Discord-based community tooling, and an e-commerce storefront on pastimesevents.com for badge and tournament sales. Product breadth spans a wide format menu (Standard, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Draft, Sealed, Two-Headed Giant, Team Trios, and specialty formats) for Magic, a parallel Lorcana format suite, and packaged bundles combining event credits with exclusive merchandise.
The business model is transactional and event-driven. Revenue streams include per-player tournament entry fees ($0–$290), convention badge/admission fees (subject to a 10% admissions tax), event packages ($80–$225) bundling credits with merchandise, and vendor booth fees from card shops and trading companies. Go-to-market is hybrid: consumer-facing sales run through online registration and on-site convention sales, while enterprise revenue flows through contracted publisher partnerships with Wizards of the Coast and Ravensburger and convention partnerships with PAX and Gen Con. The company operates with a lean core team of 1–10 permanent staff and scales event labor through independent contractors paid via Wise, with key leadership comprising Alan Hochman (Owner/President), John Temple (Senior Manager, Events), and Meg Baum (Manager, Staffing and Logistics).
Pastimes Comics & Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pastimes Comics & Games
- Legal name
- Pastimes, Inc.
- Website
- https://pastimesevents.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Pastimes Events is a privately held US tournament organizer, founded in 1992, that operates Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana events at PAX, Gen Con, MagicCon, and its flagship Eternal Weekend, serving TCG players, game publishers, and convention organizers through paid tournament entries, badges, and staffing services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Pastimes Comics & Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tournament Organization Services
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310), Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Esports Event Production & Operations (Broadcast, Stage, Refereeing) (MPAKANAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters) (MPAKADAI), Esports Festival & Multi-Title Events (MPAKANAJ)
Keywords
Where Pastimes Comics & Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Niles, Illinois
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Pastimes Comics & Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tournament Entry Fees: Players pay registration fees to participate in tournaments ranging from $0 (free events) to $290 (team events). Revenue is per-player/per-team entry.
- Badge/Admission Fees: Convention badges required for entry with 10% admissions tax applied to online and on-site badge purchases.
- Event Packages: Pre-packaged deals combining event credits with exclusive merchandise (playmats, cookies) ranging from $100-$225
- Vendor Booth Fees: Third-party vendors (card shops, trading companies) pay for exhibit space at Eternal Weekend and other events
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Events (Learn to Play, Jumpstart, Minimasters) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Tournament Entry |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium Team Events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Collector/Premium Events |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Pastimes Comics & Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pastimes Events operates as a tournament organizer and event production company for trading card games (TCG), running Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana tournaments at major conventions and standalone events across the United States and internationally. Services span end-to-end tournament organization, judge staffing, on-site operations, online registration, a Prize Wall redemption system, and convention hospitality management for publishers and convention partners.
Product overview
Pastimes Events operates as a tournament organizer and event production company for tabletop gaming conventions, not a product retailer. Its service portfolio spans end-to-end tournament organization and execution for Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana events, a Prize Wall redemption system, online event registration and ticketing, and convention staffing and hospitality management. The company organizes tournaments across a wide range of formats — from Standard and Commander to specialty events like Grand Melee and Super Sealed — at major conventions including PAX, MagicCon, Gen Con, and Eternal Weekend, hosting more than 400,000 event entries since 1994.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tournament Organization & Execution Services End-to-end tournament organization and execution for trading card game events, including Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana, spanning scheduling, registration, judge staffing, and on-site operations for individual players at conventions and standalone events.
- Prize Wall & Prize Ticket Redemption System A prize ticket redemption system where players earn Prize Tix by competing in events and redeem them at the Prize Wall for booster packs, sleeves, accessories, uncut sheets, and other items, deployed across all events where Pastimes runs TCGs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 400,000+ event entries hosted across the nation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Pastimes Comics & Games
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Pastimes Comics & Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Pastimes Comics & Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Wizards of the CoastflagshipPrimary publisher client for Magic: The Gathering organized play. Pastimes operates as tournament organizer for MagicCon events, Eternal Weekend, Pro Tour, and other MTG premier events. Works with WOTC on format development and event execution.
- RavensburgercorePublisher client for Disney Lorcana Challenge Series. Pastimes organizes and operates Lorcana Challenge events including DLC Indianapolis and other Challenge locations.
- PAX/Penny ArcadeflagshipConvention partner running Magic: The Gathering events at PAX East (Boston) and PAX Unplugged (Philadelphia). Pastimes operates dedicated tournament areas at these major gaming conventions.
- Gen ConcoreConvention partner for Gen Con in Indianapolis. Pastimes runs TCGs including Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana at one of the largest gaming conventions.
- Dragon ShieldminorSponsorship partner providing sleeve products for events. Event participants receive Dragon Shield sleeves as bonuses with entry to certain tournaments.
- Cookie BrigademinorPartner providing cookies for event packages. Cookie Lovers Package at PAX East includes cookie vouchers redeemable with Cookie Brigade.
- Venue Convention CenterscorePartnerships with major convention venues including Pennsylvania Convention Center, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Georgia World Congress Center, Indiana Convention Center, RAI Amsterdam for hosting events.
- Vendor ExhibitorsminorThird-party vendors including Three For One Trading, The Gathering Place, Card Monster Games, Pink Bunny Games, Strike Zone Online, Galactus, Top Deck Games, Mighty Meeple, Stomping Grounds, Journey's End Games, and Tales of Adventure rent exhibit space at Eternal Weekend.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pastimes Comics & Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Star City Games: Major U.S. trading card game retailer and tournament organizer running large-scale Magic: The Gathering and other TCG events, with a comparable mix of retail, content, and organized play operations.
- Face to Face Games: Canada-based TCG retailer and tournament organizer running large-scale Magic, Lorcana, and other TCG events — directly comparable in scope of tournament operations and player community.
- ChannelFireball: TCG content, retail, and tournament organization platform closely aligned with Pastimes' Magic-focused tournament operations and publisher relationships.
- The Gathering Place: TCG retailer running organized play and tournaments for Magic and other card games, with a similar tournament-driven GTM and community focus as Pastimes.
- Card Kingdom: Online TCG retailer that also operates in-store and event-based tournament programming, providing a comparable mix of retail, community, and organized play.
- Cool Stuff Inc. U.S. trading card game retailer hosting Magic, Lorcana, and other TCG tournaments and events at its locations — comparable in scale and format breadth to Pastimes' event operations.
Others
- TCGplayer: TCG marketplace and pricing infrastructure adjacent to organized play; comparable as a critical ecosystem participant for the same Magic and Lorcana player base Pastimes serves.
Broad incumbents
- ReedPop: Convention organizer that owns and operates PAX East and PAX Unplugged, where Pastimes is a tournament partner — comparable as a broader live-event operator in the same gaming convention ecosystem.
- Gen Con: Major tabletop gaming convention where Pastimes operates as a tournament partner — comparable as the broader event platform owner within the same gaming ecosystem.
- Wizards of the Coast (MagicCon): Publisher of Magic: The Gathering and operator of MagicCon events where Pastimes is the contracted tournament organizer — comparable as the larger incumbent that both partners with and competes with third-party T.O.s.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pastimes Comics & Games social profiles
Digital presencePastimes Comics & Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pastimes Comics & Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pastimes Comics & Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pastimes Comics & Games M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pastimes Comics & Games
What does Pastimes Comics & Games do?
Pastimes Events operates as a tournament organizer and event production company for trading card games (TCG), running Magic: The Gathering and Disney Lorcana tournaments at major conventions and standalone events across the United States and internationally. Services span end-to-end tournament organization, judge staffing, on-site operations, online registration, a Prize Wall redemption system, and convention hospitality management for publishers and convention partners.
Is Pastimes Comics & Games a public or private company?
Pastimes Comics & Games is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pastimes Comics & Games founded?
Pastimes Comics & Games was founded in 1992. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Pastimes Comics & Games based?
Pastimes Comics & Games is headquartered in Niles, Illinois, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pastimes Comics & Games make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tournament Entry Fees are the primary driver. The others are badge/Admission Fees, event Packages and vendor Booth Fees.
Who are Pastimes Comics & Games's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Star City Games, Face to Face Games, ChannelFireball, The Gathering Place, Card Kingdom and Cool Stuff Inc.. TCGplayer is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are ReedPop, Gen Con and Wizards of the Coast (MagicCon).
Does Pastimes Comics & Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pastimes Comics & Games.
What industry is Pastimes Comics & Games in?
Pastimes Comics & Games's product category is Tournament Organization Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKANAO, Esports Event Production & Operations (Broadcast, Stage, Refereeing), with a secondary code of MPAKADAI, Venue-Owned/Operated Event Organizers (In-House Promoters). Its NAICS code is 711310 and its SIC code is 7900.