Yes, believe it or not, planning for GenCon 2018 has already begun when it comes to events and activities.  Actually, some companies are likely even farther ahead than October 1 when it comes to these things.  I'm sure Paizo probably has the "End of the Year/Start of New Year" Pathfinder Society events for 2019 squared away.  But for those of us who don't drink the d20 Kool-Aid very well, October 1 is a good day to start.  I currently have seven events planned, spanning three gaming systems.  If you followed what I ran last year, the 2018 calendar looks very similar to the 2017 calendar, although the quantities within game systems are changing.  In any case, this is also a good time to mention things like, "Book your hotel rooms before the hotels go stupid, and start saving money to budget for flights and shopping shenanigans.

I'm looking forward to next year's hidden gem, much like this year's hidden gem for me was All Rolled Up - a nice little company out of the UK that makes some great gaming supplies.