Balticon

What Balticon does

Balticon is the annual science fiction and fantasy convention operated by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The first convention was held in 1967 in a hotel suite at $1 per attendee; the event has since grown into a four-day, Memorial Day weekend convention held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, with Balticon 60 scheduled for May 22-25, 2026. Programming spans more than 300 hours and includes author readings, RPG/board/video gaming, a film festival (BS3F3), the Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade cosplay contest, filk concerts, an art show with silent auctions, charity auctions benefiting the BSFS Books for Kids program, and vendor/artist exhibit halls. A hybrid virtual component, Balticon Anywhere, was retained post-COVID and continues to offer remote attendance.

The convention is 100% volunteer-run, with a small core staff (1-10) and hundreds of annual volunteers overseen by a Board of Directors and a Convention Committee. Revenue is generated through tiered annual memberships ($89 adult, $45 young adult, free for children 12 and under, $30 virtual-only), dealer room and artist alley booth rentals ($100-$330 per unit), art show panel and table fees, color and black-and-white advertising in the annual BSFAN souvenir book, and pass-through charity auctions. Supplementary funding and promotional support come from state and local arts grants (Maryland State Arts Council, Creative Baltimore Fund) and minor sponsorships from publishers and game studios including Dark Horse Comics, Blackbird Interactive, Free League Publishing, and Rio Grande Games.

The customer base consists of science fiction and fantasy enthusiasts across age groups, with the most recent convention drawing 1,150 full weekend badges and 250 one-day memberships (over 1,500 attendees). The organization has no subsidiaries, no parent company, no institutional ownership, and no venture funding; it operates as an independent non-profit. The technology stack is non-proprietary, relying on standard event registration, scheduling, and streaming platforms with Discord serving as the community hub.

Name

Balticon

Legal name

Baltimore Science Fiction Society, Inc.

Website

https://balticon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Balticon is a 100% volunteer-run, annual four-day science fiction and fantasy convention held in Baltimore, Maryland, organized by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society since 1967 and serving 1,500+ fans through literary programming, gaming, cosplay, film, and art events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fan Convention Events

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHAAAC

Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

SECONDARYMPAGAOAK

Virtual Community Festivals & Cultural Events (Online Celebrations)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Virtual & Hybrid Events

SECONDARYTHAGALAC

Resort Convention Hotels

Travel & Hospitality/Lodging & Accommodation/Convention & Conference Hotels

Keywords

• Science fiction convention
• Fantasy fan convention
• Literary convention events
• Cosplay and gaming festival
• Filk music programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Convention Memberships: Balticon generates revenue through tiered membership sales: Adult (25+) $89, Young Adult (13-24) $45, Children (12 and under) free, Virtual Only $30. Membership grants access to the four-day convention with programming, exhibits, and events.
2. Dealers Room and Artist Alley Space: Vendors and artists pay for booth/table space at the convention. Dealers Room pricing: Half Table $100 (authors only), 6'x8' space $190, 10'x10' space $330. Artist Alley and Art Show spaces also available for rent.
3. BSFAN Souvenir Book Advertising: The award-winning annual souvenir book BSFAN offers advertising space to businesses and fan organizations. Pro and fan (50% discount) rates available for full page, half page, quarter page, and business card sizes in black/white or color.
4. Charity Auctions: Balticon holds two charity auctions during the convention to raise money for BSFS Books for Kids program, which distributes books to students and local school libraries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Balticon operates an annual four-day science fiction and fantasy convention held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, featuring more than 300 hours of programming including author readings, panels, gaming (RPGs, board games, video games), an art show, a film festival, the Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade cosplay contest, filk concerts, charity auctions, and a Dealers Room and Artist Alley. The event also offers a hybrid virtual attendance option called Balticon Anywhere and publishes the annual BSFAN souvenir book.

Product overview

Balticon is Baltimore's annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention, operated by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. The convention offers a four-day celebration featuring diverse programming including author readings, gaming (RPGs, board games, video games), an art show, film festival, charity auctions, concerts and filk music, cosplay contests (Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade), dealer rooms, and artist alley. The event also maintains a virtual component called 'Balticon Anywhere' for remote attendance. Balticon publishes the BSFAN souvenir book annually and distributes daily Rocket Mail updates during the convention. The convention has been held annually since 1967.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Balticon Annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention A four-day in-person convention held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland, featuring more than 300 hours of programming including author readings, panels, gaming, art shows, film festival, cosplay contest, filk concerts, and charity auctions. Targeted at science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.
• Balticon Anywhere Virtual Attendance Virtual attendance option for fans unable to attend in person, providing access to panel recordings, special events, and virtual programming via Discord integration. Priced at $30 for virtual-only membership.
• BSFAN Souvenir Book Award-winning annual publication featuring original art, science fiction and fantasy writing, and guest highlights, distributed to attendees with an estimated readership/distribution of 1,200-1,500. Sells advertising space to businesses and fan organizations in black and white or color formats.
• Dealers Room and Artist Alley Booth Rentals Booth and table space rentals for vendors and artists at the convention, including Dealers Room (Half Table $100 authors only, 6'x8' $190, 10'x10' $330) and Artist Alley spaces. Targets publishers, game studios, and independent artists wanting access to engaged fans.
• Art Show Space Rentals Panel and table space rentals for exhibiting art at the convention, with panel hanging fees ($11-$22) and table space ($7-$17). Includes silent auction of exhibited artwork.
• Charity Auctions (BSFS Books for Kids) Two charity auctions held during the convention to raise money for the BSFS Books for Kids program, which distributes books to students and local school libraries.
• Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BS3F3) Curated short science fiction film festival held during the convention, with nearly 100 entries in the recent edition. Targets filmmakers and sci-fi/fantasy movie fans.
• Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade Cosplay Contest Iconic cosplay contest judged by panelists, with annual winners recognized during the convention. Targets cosplay enthusiasts and costume designers.
• Gaming Programming (RPGs, Board Games, Video Games) Three full rooms of gaming including drop-in round-the-clock tabletop RPGs, board games, and video games, with demos of new tabletop RPG systems. Targets gamers and tabletop role-playing game enthusiasts.
• Concerts and Filk Music Programming Filk concerts, theme circles, and music programming featuring musicians such as The Faithful Sidekicks (Music Guest of Honor for Balticon 60). Targets filk music enthusiasts and science fiction/fantasy fans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,150 full weekend badges and 250 one-day memberships sold for Balticon 60
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBSFS is the parent non-profit organization that sponsors Balticon. Founded to promote the creation and appreciation of science fiction, fantasy, and related sub-genres, BSFS runs Balticon as its flagship annual event and maintains facilities in Baltimore including a Little Free Library.
• Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace HotelcoreOthersThe convention venue host for Balticon 60, providing hotel and event space for the four-day convention.
• Maryland State Arts CouncilmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerState arts council providing promotional support and funding to Balticon as a cultural arts event.
• Creative Baltimore FundmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBaltimore-based arts funding organization supporting the convention as a cultural event.
• Blackbird InteractiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGame studio sponsor. Known for Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, Warcraft I & II Remastered, and Hardspace: Shipbreaker.
• Free League PublishingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTabletop game publisher sponsor. Publishes roleplaying games and board games with a mission to make gaming accessible to everyone.
• Naldobean GamesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Baltimore team developing TTRPG Break!!, a loving tribute to JRPGs and classic tabletops.
• Metalhead PrintingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSingle-person 3D print studio specializing in pop-culture memorabilia and cosplay props.
• Loke Battle MatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAward-winning Book of Battle Mats publisher. Creates lay-flat, wipe-clean map books for tabletop RPG encounters.
• Dark Horse ComicsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-largest comics publisher in the United States, founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson.
• Rio Grande GamesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGame publisher focused on adult and family strategy games.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• OryCon: Pacific Northwest science fiction convention hosted by the Oregon Science Fiction Conventions nonprofit. Comparable volunteer-run non-profit regional convention model with similar programming breadth and attendee scale to Balticon.
• Readercon: A literary-focused speculative fiction convention held annually in the Boston area. Closely comparable to Balticon's emphasis on literature, authors, and small-scale intimate programming rather than mass-market entertainment; similar scale (a few hundred attendees).
• Arisia: Boston-area annual science fiction and fantasy convention run by a non-profit volunteer organization. Highly comparable in operating model (volunteer-run, regional, literary-leaning sci-fi/fantasy with gaming, panels, and fan programming) and roughly similar scale to Balticon.
• WisCon: Madison, Wisconsin-based feminist science fiction convention. Comparable as a mission-driven, community-oriented literary sci-fi convention with non-profit volunteer structure; comparable size and programming philosophy emphasizing community values.
• Capclave: Washington D.C. metro area science fiction convention run by the Washington Science Fiction Association. Same Mid-Atlantic geography, similar volunteer-run non-profit structure, and overlapping fan base with Balticon; comparable scale and literary focus.
• ConFusion: Michigan-based annual science fiction and fantasy convention. Direct peer in scale, volunteer-run non-profit structure, and literary-leaning sci-fi/fantasy programming mix comparable to Balticon.
• Dragon Con: Atlanta-based annual multi-genre fan convention spanning sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, comics, and pop culture. Most direct competitor in the U.S. fan convention space, though substantially larger (~50K+ attendees) and entertainment-focused rather than literary-focused like Balticon.
• World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon): The annual international science fiction convention hosted in different cities each year, organized by the World Science Fiction Society. Direct peer as a literary sci-fi convention with author guests, programming, and the Hugo Awards — a more prestigious but itinerant counterpart to Balticon's regional Maryland model.
• Philcon: Philadelphia area annual science fiction convention, one of the oldest regional cons in the U.S. Direct peer in Mid-Atlantic regional convention space with similar literary sci-fi focus, volunteer-run operation, and overlapping fan community with Balticon.

Regional players

• Awesome Con: Washington D.C. metro area pop culture convention with broader comics/media focus. Regional peer in the Mid-Atlantic fan convention market; overlaps with Balticon's attendee base but skews more mainstream/comics rather than literary sci-fi.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/BaltimoreSciFi/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/BalticonConvention
• Instagraminstagram.com/balticon.convention
• Xx.com/Balticon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/balticon-scifi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Balticon