Wikipedia
Tolkienmoot (also advertised as Tolkien Moot and TolkienMoot ( camel case)) originally began under the name of Merpcon in 2005. Always a convention focused on J.R.R. Tolkien and gaming in Middle-earth, as the venue expanded to include a broader array of game systems, guest speakers, and special events, it was decided to change the title to Tolkienmoot in 2009. The convention was founded, and continuous to be funded and run by Hawke Robinson, founder of the Inland Empire Eä Tolkien Society an official Smial of the U.K. Tolkien Society, RPG Research, Other Minds Magazine, Middle-earth Radio, Middle-earth Talk, Eä RPG, and other endeavours, as well as an active member of CAR-PGa (Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games website), WSTRA (Washington State Therapeutic Recreation Association website), and others.
Tolkienmoot is a convention dedicated to fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth and beyond (Numenor, Arda, and all of Eä), with an emphasis on role-playing games using this setting. The event is held annually, usually during the summer months, in Spokane, Washington, USA, typically spanning from 3 to 5 days.
To date the convention remains open and free to the public, but has limited seating, so generally provides a first-come, first-served, RSVP system, though walk-ins are welcome, and plenty of seating is available for the guest speaker session, participants cannot be guaranteed a seat to participate in the games without a reservation in advance.
The first event began with MerpCon I in 2005, transitioning to Tolkienmoot in 2009, and continuing each year. As of 2015, Tolkien Moot takes place annually for 3+ days on the third weekend of July.