About Us
The NOVA Open is a Washington, DC area tabletop gaming convention with a strong focus on organized play, charity, hobby seminars, and social connection. More than 4,200 gamers attended in 2025.
2026 will see the 15th year of the NOVA Open, whose origins are traced to a 32-person outdoor charity BBQ tournament held in 2009 in Springfield, VA. Its legacy events include a massive Warhammer 40,000 GT, and more than 100 player events in X-Wing, Infinity, Warmachine, Malifaux, and many other large organized play tracks in numerous other game systems.
The convention has grown to host some of the world's best hobby instructors. Over 100 seminars are offered all day, every day of the con. The pre-con seminars have been developed to offer attendees early opportunities to learn from the greats over several hours and to assist in finishing armies ahead of the convention.
Information on the NOVA Open event, tournament rules and the Washington D.C. area can be found throughout this website and at the NOVA Open online store. For the most up-to-date information and early access to hotel room block and more, subscribe to the NOVA Open's Newsletter.
QUESTIONS? Contact us: customerservice@novaopen.com.
Healthy Atmosphere | Great Sportsmanship
Our History
The NOVA Open originated in 2009 with a gathering of 32 gamers for an outdoor Warhammer 40,000 event. Played in a campsite beneath a shady canopy of trees, 4 rounds of games were played. Armies were crushed, food was served… and an idea for something new began to take shape.
The NOVA Open 2010 was the inaugural launch of this new experimental format. 114 players from around the country came to Chantilly, VA, to test their skills. With positive post-event feedback and experience gained from steep climbs up ever-expanding learning curves, planning began for a more ambitious event the following year.
In 2011, NOVA Open moved to the Hyatt Regency Crystal City. Over 400 tough attendees participated in various games and tournaments during this 3- day event . . . while the now-infamous HURRIQUAKE of 2011 - a rare DC earthquake, which combined with the remnants of Hurricane Irene - crashed in around them. The massive increase in attendance served to galvanize organizers into redoubling their efforts. If a hurriquake wasn’t enough to deter these gamers, NOVA Open wouldn't be deterred!
As the idea of NOVA Open continues to materialize, lists of critical elements for improving the way hobbyists compete - from running a seamless tabletop gaming convention for player enjoyment to adding the Capital Palette Miniature Art Competition and dozens of seminars each year to ensuring a family friendly welcoming environment unlike other similar cons - the all-volunteer staff has never wavered. When the 2017 NOVA Open hosted over 2,100 attendees, an overall feeling of "having arrived" served only to breathe new life into the staff. These simple concepts - serving charitable efforts, growing to include activities for hobbyists and gamers alike, and motivating a healthy atmosphere where good sportsmanship and social bonds can only improve - continue to be the primary motivations behind the NOVA Open.
Post COVID, the NOVA Open returned in 2022. Our largest event ever, we added the Renaissance hotel to the venues. However, in 2023 we returned back under one roof at the Washington Hilton, in Washington DC.
We look forward to meeting you!
Meet Our Board of Directors
Brian Boswell
Brian’s been a part of D&D and tabletop gaming for well over 35 years. Spending days in the basement of the local library with his brother and friends playing D&D, Robotech, RIFTS, and even the original Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying game - he's been a lifelong gamer. He bought his first box of miniatures, a Space Marine Assault squad, just before 3rd edition released (yes, he still has them).
Brian joined the military in 1996 and served 11 years with both the United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force (it's a long story; he could do a full podcast on it sometime). As an Arabic linguist, Brian was on a forced hiatus from Warhammer, while deployed to Iraq off and on for three years, from 2004-2006. Over the past couple decades, Brian has attended many Games Days and random Warhammer events, playing everything from Warhammer 40k, Warhammer Fantasy, Age of Sigmar, Underworlds, Necromunda, Battlefleet Gothic, and even Mordheim! Over the years around the NOVA area, Brian lived very close to the famous Games Workshops US Headquarters, the Battle Bunker, in Glen Burnie and played in countless tournaments through several Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy editions.
Brian got involved in NOVA when he was in living in DC over 10 years ago. He started volunteering at Lorton for terrain days, organizing storage lockers, and move-in/move-out tasks at the convention. Over the years, he became friends with the NOVA staff and became more of a full-time volunteer through the whole convention. When the decision was made, shortly after his move to Georgia five years ago, to have several folks come into ownership of NOVA, he jumped at the chance to keep NOVA going strong.
Brian currently lives in Evans, GA and assists with local RTTs and GTs in the area for Warhammer 40k and Age of Sigmar.
Tim French
Tim brings over a decade of Warhammer hobby experience and a career spent building strong, inclusive communities to the NOVA Open Board. A hobbyist for 12+ years, Tim has organized and run narrative-focused Warhammer 40,000 events for more than four years at his local game store, creating immersive, storydriven experiences that brought together players across two languages and at least four nationalities. His passion lies in using narrative play to lower barriers, welcome new hobbyists, and build lasting connections across the tabletop community.
Professionally, Tim is a senior Learning & Development and Organizational Development leader. With a background spanning military leadership, global corporate operations, and nonprofit mentoring, he specializes in program management, stakeholder engagement, and building scalable, peoplecentered systems. He has led large, complex initiatives across international teams, managed multimilliondollar programs, and supported leaders through growth, change, and transition.
At NOVA Open, Tim focuses on partnerships, sponsorships, and vendor relationships — helping strengthen the convention’s financial foundation while ensuring sponsors, artists, and exhibitors feel supported and integrated into the NOVA experience. He is deeply committed to NOVA Open’s mission of excellence in gaming, charity, and community, and to ensuring the convention remains a place where hobby, competition, and connection thrive together. Tim has a special connection with NOVA Open as he attributes the NOVA Open community to providing him the space necessary to deal with his own PTSD and credits the community to saving both himself and his family.
Kyron Haines
Kyron Haines has been part of NOVA for 14 years and in the Warhammer hobby for over 20. He got his start with NOVA as a teenager, learning the ropes under his father, Dewey Haines, NOVA’s first Operations Officer—and has been part of the team ever since.
A lifelong hobbyist, Kyron’s ultimate goal is to build the world’s largest Imperial Guard army (and he’s well on his way). Whether it’s organizing events, supporting the community, or just rolling dice, he’s always been all-in on the hobby.
Outside of NOVA, Kyron is an Army veteran and former firefighter, and now works as a computer engineer. His job keeps him traveling frequently—often spending more time overseas than at home—but he still finds ways to stay connected to the hobby and the NOVA community wherever he goes.
Jess Kemp
Jess Kemp has been volunteering with NOVA, going on her 4th year. She started as a photographer and is now on the Board as well as being Operations Director and tech support. When she’s not doing NOVA things, she can be found traveling or expanding her hoard of Lego.
Aaron Straus
Aaron has been a lifelong tabletop gamer and hobbyist since he was 12, playing games like Second Edition Warhammer 40k, BattleTech, White Wolf RPGs, and Chronopia. His first job was at a game store selling Pokémon and teaching patrons the TCG legend of the five-ring. His favorite dead tabletop game is Fairy Meat.
Inspired by MiniWarGaming, Aaron started the YouTube channel Cool Guys Nation in 2009, producing Battle reports, hobby arts, and the occasional terrible song. He also collaborated with MiniWarGaming on the creation of the movie The Rangers and its accompanying board game.
In 2018, he joined the Nova team as a volunteer, live-streaming the 40k narrative event. Over the past five years, Aaron has served as an owner, board member, treasurer, secretary, and volunteer.
