Already started, but my city runs a local yearly con called BFG Con. Very small, but lots of passion and fun. I'm not making it this year personally but Sandy Pug folks will be there demoing one of our newest games.
Small cons like this can be a real godsend to smaller scale creators; they're cheaper, focused, and you have a better shot at not getting lost in the pile of hundreds of designers. If you're in the area maybe check it out!