August 5-8, 2026
Grand Wayne Convention Center
120 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
Welcome to Fort Wayne and the 2026 IPMS/USA National Convention
On behalf of the International Plastic Modelers' Society/USA, it is a distinct honor and genuine pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 National Convention to be held in Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 5-8.
Whether you are a first-time attendee, a rising young modeler, or a long-time champion of our craft, we thank you for joining us in this remarkable gathering; a celebration of the ingenuity, camaraderie, and passion that define our modeling community.
We are a team of eleven IPMS/USA Region 4 Chapters dedicated to give you the best convention experience we possibly can.
The three rings of the circus -- the National Contest, our esteemed vendors, and the raffle -- will all be in place along with other side shows such as the Tiger Meet, family make and take, tours, and seminars to sharpen your skills and learn more about our craft.
As a group, we wrestled with the five Theme Awards for the convention. The first is Happy Birthday America - The American Revolution (the U.S. semi-quincentennial is only one month prior to the convention). The others are Gundam RX-78 - Back to the Beginning, Truck Town USA – International Harvester, the 60th Anniversary of Star Trek, and the 110th Anniversary of the Battle of Jutland. I will explain each of these awards in greater detail and provide our thoughts as to why we chose these five in subsequent posts.
We will be posting frequently here and on the Convention Facebook page to give you all the information you need in a timely manner, and to answer questions you might have.
We’d also like to be kept abreast of what it is you are planning to bring to the convention, be it for the contest or for the Tiger Meet (display only, more on that later). Show us your work and share updates on your builds with us.
We are very excited to have been chosen to host you in Fort Wayne. I will be posting opportunities for family outings, short trips, and items of interest for modelers and their families. There is so much that we want to share with you, so check back often.
Gracias amigos…
John Figueroa
IPMS/USA
2026 National Convention Chairperson
News and Announcements
-
Today we want to bring your attention to a Fort Wayne culinary staple, Shigs In Pit BBQ, located at 8506 Illinois Rd., a 16-minute, 6.3-mile drive from the convention center.
-
Today we want to introduce you to a Fort Wayne gem that will baffle some and enthrall others: Wizard's World Pinball Arcade, located at 14613 Lima Road, a 10.3-mile, twenty-minute drive from the convention center. Wizard's World has more than 170 pinball machines, is ranked in the top ten largest pinball arcades in the world, and hosts pinball tournaments every Saturday.
-
-
All vendors at the 2026 National Convention will need to register with the state of Indiana to collect sales tax. The form for that is now posted on the site under the Vendors tab. Please take the time to download, fill and file this as soon as possible. Instructions for the form, as well as contacts for further assistance, are included on the document.
-
Today’s post is about Proximo, a Latin restaurant in the heart of downtown Fort Wayne. We have already posted about some of the BBQ restaurants in the area and we intend to post on Italian, Mexican, and Chinese establishments soon. However, today’s post is for the culinary adventurous among us.
