Starting in 2022 Meeple Mountain made an internal commitment to attend the yearly GAMA Expo trade show. This is an industry event, meaning that it’s not open to the general public. It’s a place where board game publishers rub shoulders with retailers, distributors, designers, and media (like us). The great thing is that it’s a much smaller show (only 3,800 attendees), you get quality time with the people you want to speak with, and publishers showcase the titles they’ll be releasing in the North American market for the upcoming year.

Come along with me as I chat about the things I experienced on March 1-4, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky.

TL;DR - loads of name recognition for Meeple Mountain, and even specific team members. Small box card games are the hotness right now—almost every publisher has one or two, and everyone I pointed that out to commented that it’s in response to the U.S. tariffs. And of course, like every year, friendliness and camaraderie was on high display.

Sunday

I drove in from Nashville on Sunday afternoon and hung out with team member Kevin Brantley for an hour or two. It was a bummer he couldn’t stay the whole time, but he did a presentation and was also asked to join a panel which needed someone with his experience. I…

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