WHAT IS MAGFest?

MAGFest, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization -- that’s right! MAGFest is more than just a fun music and gaming festival at which to party several times a year! Our status as a non-profit organization is a way for us to further our mission statement, which is:

MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE THROUGH VIDEO GAMES.

We achieve this through numerous events, such as Super MAGFest, MAGWest, MAGStock, and Bit Gen Gamer Fest, and by building and empowering a huge community of volunteers and partners. During our events, we also support other not-for-profit organizations, such as Child’s Play. Other primary goals of MAGFest include:

  • To educate the public about video game music, art, and history

  • To promote public appreciation of video game music, art, and history

  • To preserve for posterity the culture and history of video games

Have you ever had an experience at a MAGFest event where you found a new band you love? Or have you ever wandered through the Video Game Museum and been in awe of how far gaming has come? Have you attended a panel through our Music and Gaming Education Symposium (MAGES, for short) and learned about how music and sound effects can make or break the atmosphere of a game? If you have had any of these experiences, then you are a success story of what MAGFest seeks to achieve!

What else does MAGFest do to benefit the community?

Glad you asked. We strive to:

  • Create a diverse and inclusive environment to share the love of video games, music, art, and many other subcultures across the United States (and around the world)!

  • Support small business artists, musical acts, and independent game developers by promoting their talent and providing a venue for their growth and success.

  • Provide a platform for education around video games, video game music, and the gaming industry.

  • Showcase mission-adjacent groups and events, such as the Baltimore Robotics Center and Baltimore’s Artscape.

  • Connect with partners such as Child’s Play and Games Done Quick to raise funds for various charities.

What are some future goals for MAGFest?

  • Continue evolving our flagship event, Super MAGFest, to be bigger and better each year.

  • Bring the magic of MAGFest to different places through additional events like MAGWest.

  • Enhance our event offerings based on feedback from our attendees and volunteers.

  • Grow in the virtual space through year-round streaming and interactive events.

  • Explore more ways to involve and give back to the community throughout the year.

How did MAGFest start? Who is running this thing?

MAGFest started in 2002, originally under the name "Mid-Atlantic Gaming Festival." MAGFest has a volunteer community of over 1300 people, who work alongside a small team of employees to put on the best events ever. MAGFest has exploded in attendance over the last 18 years - we started at 300 attendees in 2002 and had 24,000+ attendees at Super MAGFest 2020.

Our Core Values

MAGFest is guided by several core principles which help shape our events, our methodology, and wholly support our vision. These include Sincerity, Support, Participation, Experimentation, and Community. Our focus on the MAGFest community means we will always choose to do what’s right for our community and not compromise on our values.

SINCERITY

  • Our events authentically showcase our passions.

  • We want to attract people who share our interests.

  • Enthusiasm takes precedence over mass appeal.

SUPPORT

  • Demonstrate a genuine desire for the success of everyone around you.

  • Actively contribute to the growth you’d like to see in your peers and the organization.

  • Exercise candor as a form of respect with empathy.

  • Be upfront, be real and authentic with yourself and with others.

PARTICIPATION

  • Own your experience: create what you want to see at the event.

  • If you’ve got a great idea, we’ll give you the support needed to make it happen.

  • Break down barriers between attendees, staff, and guests, allowing everyone to participate in their own way.

EXPERIMENTATION

  • Failure is a necessary step in growth and development.

  • Don’t be afraid to try to create new things.

  • Mistakes made while acting in good faith should not be punished.

COMMUNITY

  • Everything we create is for our community of players, creatives, and friends.

  • We don’t just create events -- we nurture and build communities.

  • Sponsorships should be partnerships that benefit the community.

Are you interested in some of the nerdy background paperwork for the organization?


Our Nonprofit Determination letter
The Articles of Incorporation
Do you want to read the MAGFest bylaws?
Check out the paperwork for our Employer Identification Number or EIN!
There’s even a California Certificate of Qualification (oOOOooooOoo)
See our most recent IRS 990 Form.