To the edge of invisible and beyond!

One of the mandatory events on my geek itinerary every year is the Slovenian geek convention – Na meji nevidnega (NMN). The name translates to English as “On the edge of invisible” and I may be a bit biased since a lot of my friends and even my partner are part of the organising team, but I’d say NMN has established itself as the best Slovenian geek convention by now and they have come a very long way from their first boutique event in 2013.

At this point, NMN attracts over 3000 visitors and international guests, all the big names from the local scene and 100+ exhibitors (shops, artists, communities and creators). It is often said that Na meji nevidnega is like the Slovenian Comic-Con, but I love that they go way beyond just comics and offer a wonderful mix of everything geek: board games, gaming (both the latest and old school arcade games), Magic the Gathering, cosplay, anime, LARP, D&D, miniature painting, comics, books, LEGOs, movies, historical reenactment and geek sports like quidditch etc. From Pokemon and Marvel, to Lord of the Rings and Warhammer, there is something from everyone and if you’re a visiting geek in town at the right time, it is really worth buying a ticket. However, the tickets sell out fast nowadays, which is the best testament to just how much the event has grown over the years. It is still run by more or less the same group of friends as at the start, supported by a growing number of volunteers that manage the execution and I am immensely proud of what my friends and my partner have managed to achieve.

NMN is now a two day event in May, with a packed programme full of lectures, presentations, geek quizzes, discussion panels and the all important international cosplay competition. The discussion panels cover all the hot topics such as the current Slovenian fantasy literature, the Metaverse and AI, obscure details of Star Trek and Dune lore, fantasy VS traditional mythology, Slovenian translation of fantasy and sci-fi books and so on, as well as presentations of new board games and video game projects, a live recording of the popular Slovenian podcast O.B.O.D., k-pop dance workshops and impro shows. Most of the programme is usually in Slovenian, unless it includes international guests, but even as a foreigner you can still browse the exhibition stalls, join a short D&D session, play a board game or try out something in the gaming corner (everyone speaks English in Slovenia); paint your own miniature or just enjoy the cosplay competition and all the amazing costumes people create.

Impressions from Na meji nevidnega 2022 – 2026

Even though the Slovenian geek scene is relatively small (there is only 2 million of us after all), it is quite diverse and most of us co-create it as volunteers in our spare time. It’s a tight-knit community and everyone is a friend of a friend, so by now there’s a Slovenian society for practically everything geek out there. I used to spend most of my time at NMN at the LARP Slovenia booth promoting our LARP community, which has since teamed up with the Amulet D20 society. Despite that I’ve always managed to have a look around and buy a bunch of random geek stuff that I absolutely need (at least 1 book + board games, art prints and way too many art stickers for my journal). I also always watch the cosplay competition where my amazing friends often win prizes for their dedication (check out my favourite Black Tea Cosplay, as well as other Slovenian cosplayers like Royal Pain Cosplay, Klarux and LonelywolfJ) and participate in the super difficult geek quiz at the end of the first day where we always fail half the questions.

Our LARP Slovenia BOOTH (2022)

The shopping booths are always a unique experience, so make sure you bring cash: lots of artists like Hana Nekrep, Nyradir, Cheeky Orchid, Bibi and Sara Wired with their prints, badges, stickers and cards, geek crafters like Art Maniushka and Kocke klub with unique LEGO design kits, and all sorts of official shops offering popular fantasy and anime merch, mystery boxes, Pikachu cake pops and other sweets. I am also very happy to see how the major Slovenian publishing houses have started taking fantasy literature more seriously over the years and that there are always a lot of board game stalls too, most of which now sponsor board game tournaments and you can try out any games you’re interested in. You can see what I bought for myself in 2022 and 2026 as an example below:

Considering that Slovenia only has 2 million inhabitants, it is amazing that my friends have managed to establish a proper geek convention, held at Ljubljana’s main convention and exhibition centre no less. I hope that Na meji nevidnega continues to improve every year and cannot wait to see what they will have in store for us in the future!

Also, here’s an after con video from 2022 by fps_Juvan:

Original post from May 2022, last updated 2026.