Top Gaming Expos and Trade Shows in Canada 2027

For game studios, indie developers, accessory and peripheral brands, esports organisations, collectibles sellers and gaming retailers, a game expo is where Canada’s players come to try what’s new and meet the people who make it.

This guide lists the top gaming expos, conventions and industry events in Canada for 2027, with dates, venues, who attends and how to build a booth that draws players in.

Why gaming expos matter in Canada

Canada is one of the world’s leading places to make games. According to a Nordicity study for the Entertainment Software Association of Canada, reported by Retail Insider, Canada has 821 active video game studios that contributed $5.1 billion to GDP in 2024, employing 34,010 full-time-equivalent workers at an average salary of $102,000.

Quebec has the largest workforce, with 15,220 employees, followed by British Columbia with 10,930 and Ontario with 6,090, according to the same report. That spread explains why Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto host the country’s most important gaming events.

“The video game industry is a cornerstone of Canada’s digital economy.”

— Paul Fogolin, CEO, Entertainment Software Association of Canada

Source: Techcouver

For exhibitors, that means two audiences: millions of Canadian players at fan events, and a large professional community of developers, publishers and recruiters at industry events.

Gaming expos and conventions in Canada at a glance

Dates are from organisers and event listings at the time of writing. Confirm with each organiser before booking.

Sources: Fan Expo Canada and Toronto Comicon dates from Fan Expo Canada; Game-itoba and Atlantic Entertainment Expo from FanCons; Calgary Expo from the event file and organiser.

Fan Expo Canada, Toronto

Fan Expo Canada is Canada’s biggest pop culture and gaming event, returning to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on August 26–29, 2027, according to Toronto On Demand. The show combines celebrity guests, panels, cosplay, comics, anime and gaming with a huge marketplace of collectibles and fan merchandise.

For gaming exhibitors, it is the largest single room of players in the country. Studios bring playable demos, accessory brands run try-it stations, and retailers sell merchandise and collectibles. With crowds this big, the booth needs to be visible from across the hall and able to handle a queue.

Toronto Comicon

Toronto Comicon is Fan Expo’s spring sister show, running March 19–21, 2027, according to Fan Expo Canada. It is smaller and more accessible than August’s event, which suits indie studios, local creators and brands testing the waters before committing to Fan Expo.

Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo

Calgary Expo is the main fan event in western Canada, held April 22–25, 2027 at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park. Exhibitors include comic and collectible dealers, toy, model and apparel retailers, artist alley creators, publishers and studios, and the audience is comic, film, television and gaming fans, cosplayers and families from Alberta and beyond.

For gaming brands targeting the west, it is the best-attended event of the year, and its family audience suits all-ages titles and accessories.

Montreal International Games Summit (MIGS)

MIGS is the professional side of Canada’s gaming calendar. It usually takes place in November at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, and is described as the leading professional gaming summit in eastern North America, according to Wikipedia. Its aim is to train, network and hire developers, with major studios as partners, and an Expo Zone that has become a key attraction.

For tools and middleware companies, outsourcing studios, recruiters, schools and service providers, MIGS is where you reach Montreal’s large development community. Bilingual English and French materials are a good idea.

Regional and community events

Game-itoba in Winnipeg (January 29–31, 2027) and the Atlantic Entertainment Expo in Charlottetown (March 20–21, 2027) are smaller community events. They suit local game stores, indie developers, tabletop publishers and regional esports groups that want to build a loyal local following at a lower cost.

Esports, tournaments and merchandise

Many fan conventions now include esports stages, tournaments and free-play areas. If you run a competitive title, a peripheral brand or an esports team, ask organisers about sponsoring a tournament or bringing a mini stage into your booth. A live match draws a crowd that stays far longer than a passing demo, and it gives your brand a reason to be on screen all weekend.

Merchandise is the other big opportunity. Fans come to buy, so studios and creators with apparel, art prints, figures and collectibles can cover much of their booth cost through sales. Plan stock levels per day, a fast payment setup, and a counter that keeps the queue for purchases separate from the queue for demos. Clear pricing on a printed counter or banner speeds things up when the booth gets busy.

How to choose the right gaming event

Players or professionals?

Fan events such as Fan Expo, Toronto Comicon and Calgary Expo reach players and buyers. MIGS reaches developers, publishers and recruiters. Choose based on whether you sell to players or to the industry.

Go where your community is

Quebec and British Columbia have the biggest development workforces, while Toronto has the biggest fan crowds. Regional events help local studios and stores build a home audience.

Know your goal

Exhibit strategist Elizaveta Golikova recommends starting with two questions, from an interview with IAEE:

“Who are we trying to reach? What action do we want them to take?”

— Elizaveta Golikova, Executive Consultant, ET Global

Source: IAEE, Make Your Booth Unforgettable (2026)

For a gaming exhibitor, the answer might be wishlist sign-ups, merchandise sales, newsletter subscribers or recruitment leads.

Budget for the whole show

Gaming booths need power for screens and consoles, sometimes internet, and staff for long four-day shows.

A reusable display keeps the rest of the budget predictable, and our guide to trade show displays in Canada, with types, sizes and CAD prices breaks down what each format costs.

Booth planning for gaming exhibitors

Let them play

Gamers want hands-on time. Freeman’s research found attendees need hands-on exposure to what an exhibitor offers, described by Patrick Loftus to IAEE as:

“A tangible way to experience what the exhibitor has to offer.”

— Patrick Loftus, Strategy, Insights and Research Director, Freeman

Source: IAEE, Make Your Booth Unforgettable (2026)

Plan playable demo stations, a short session time so the queue keeps moving, and a way to capture emails or wishlists after people play.

Light it up

Convention halls are dark and busy. Backlit SEG lightbox displays make key art glow, and a hanging banner helps fans find you across a crowded floor where rigging is allowed.

Create a photo moment

Cosplayers and fans love photos. A tension fabric media wall printed with your game’s world turns visitors into social media posts that keep promoting you after the show.

Pick the display for your footprint

A 10 ft trade show display, a printed counter and booth kits sorted by size cover most gaming booths.

Fan convention booth versus industry summit booth

Common mistakes gaming exhibitors make

• Long demo sessions. Ten-minute demos create queues that drive people away; keep them short.
• No way to follow up. Capture emails or wishlists before players walk away.
• Dim booths. Without backlighting, your art disappears in a dark hall.
• Not enough power or staff. Order power early and plan shifts for four-day shows.
• Blocking the aisle with the queue. Plan where the line goes. Our booth design principles explain how to lay out a booth.

Your next step: a pre-order checklist

1. Confirm dates, hall and booth number in writing with the organiser.
2. Read the exhibitor manual for height limits, power, demo rules and fabric fire-safety requirements.
3. Plan your demo stations, session length and how you will capture sign-ups.
4. Choose the display for your footprint.
5. Request a free 2D mockup and get sign-off from everyone who needs to approve it. Production starts within 24 business hours of your written approval.
6. Tell us your show date and delivery address when you order so we can confirm timing.
7. Do a test build before the show.

Plan your gaming expo booth with a free mockup

Pick your show, lock in your booth number, then request a free 2D mockup to see your artwork on the exact frame size before anything goes to print. Our in-house designers can get your file print-ready at no extra cost.