UK Games Expo 2019 (31 May-2 June 2018, Birmingham)

Realised we don't have a thread for this, and since I bought my tickets this morning I thought it was about time we did

S and I are going along for the full weekend this time, which I am very glad about - just going the one day wasn't enough for my tastes last year. Not sure I'll go anywhere near the main halls on the Saturday though - based on previous years they're typically unacceptably busy for my tastes on the Saturday. Instead I'm planning to look at the tournaments and maybe sign up for one. Also planning to go to a few of the live shows on the Saturday afternoon too!

Who else is going/where are you staying? We're in a Premier Inn a few miles from the NEC. Means we'll have to drive in each day but that shouldn't be too big of a problem.

We're back at the Games Mansion. We'll be driving in each day as well, but it was fine last year

Lizzy wrote:We're back at the Games Mansion. We'll be driving in each day as well, but it was fine last year

We're in the same direction as you but a bit further out. Easy to come play, if we can find the damned place this time!

I'll be there Thursday - Sunday with Kat joining for some of that time. Staying at the Hilton again. Hoping for a big Netrunner tournament again - Euros was excellent fun last year.

I will be going this year! Going Thursday-Sunday, staying at the Hilton.

Have you never been before Samuel?

Yep I'll be there. Looking forward to it.
Zero plans other than playing games.
Kes what was that "legend"? one you played last year. That looked good. It was a fantasy themed one that had a stall. Think you had kickstarted it

Legends Untold. Yeah still hasn’t arrived, hopefully it will before the next expo!

Kes wrote:Have you never been before Samuel?

No, I haven't. Looking forward to my first time, should be lots of fun!

Man you’re gonna love it. I bet you end up spending a lot of money!

Hah yeah probably!

Just in case people haven't spotted it.. they've hiked up the parking costs at the NEC again... If you pre book online it's not too bad... £7.50 per day... But if you just turn up and pay on the day it is more than double that!

What are you planning for the weekend?

They've got quite a few seminars and events listed on the UKGE website. I've booked onto the James Wallis Design Masterclass session on Friday and there's a couple of other events I might go along to if I'm free and there's space.

I'll probably aim to attend the This Game is Broken event, although I had the same aim last year and didn't manage it. Maybe this will be the year I try to get in to the Shut Up and Sit Down live event thingy (but not if it means queuing for an hour). I still haven't experienced The Dark Room show yet, even though it's kind of an expo institution, having been on for the last three or four years.

I'm not signing up for any of the competitive play things, but I guess there'll be a few club members going for that again (Aneurin? Paul?). The only one I might have gone for is the Pandemic Survival but they're already booked up.

I've not got any time booked on the Playtest zone this year, but I'll probably hang round there for a bit trying other people's games. I should also be doing a bit of demoing on Bez's stand at some point (Stuff By Bez, Stand 1-T3. Come and say 'hi').

I've got a couple of things booked on the evening of the Saturday, first "Star Trek vs Star Wars" and then "Board Game Smackdown presents 'The Resistance'".

Other than that there is a fair chance I'll avoid most of the Saturday - it's just crazy busy and as a result not much fun for me. Will either settle down to some games someplace or just go somewhere else entirely for the day...

Friday and Sunday will be the usual mix of trying games and trying not to spend *too* much money!

Yep, I've got my ticket to the Netrunner European Championship which will likely take up most of the Friday (and possibly some of Saturday if I do extremely well). I think I've seen a lot of the entertainment events at this point, but I am a bit tempted by Werewolf Live as I really enjoyed John Gracey in The Beta Males sketch group and I've heard he is an extremely good/funny moderator.

I've never done any of the events or seminar sbefore so I'm tempted to give a few a go this year, namely Star Trek vs Star Wars, The Dark Room or Werewolf Live.

Highly recommend the dark room, saw it in London at Comic Con last year, and I'll be having a day at the expo on the saturday this year too!

Has anyone ever volunteered at UKGE?

I've never done a games convention before and thought answering their call for volunteers might be a decent way to check it out rather than wandering the halls not knowing what i'm doing/where to go.

Ace wrote:Has anyone ever volunteered at UKGE?

I've never done a games convention before and thought answering their call for volunteers might be a decent way to check it out rather than wandering the halls not knowing what i'm doing/where to go.

I know a couple of people from the club have done volunteering, although neither Andy M or Jerry have been around for a while to give their experiences. Andy helped out on a stand one year and Jerry always does volunteering for the convention itself, usually managing the queue for the bring and buy. He does that a lot at several conventions and he loves it. I've just done a couple of stints helping out at the playtest zone, so not stuck there for the whole event but just for one morning or afternoon.

I guess there's pros and cons. You should get some or all of the ticket price paid for you, depending on how much you do, plus there's a focus for your activities and some ready-made community so even if you're not going with anyone else you're put together with some people who you can do stuff with when you're free from your duties. On the other hand, you're stuck doing a job when other people are free to go do whatever they want at the expo. Of course in the evening everyone gets to play games, so you're good there. If I wasn't going with my partner I'd definitely consider this myself.

I know Bez (@stuffByBez on Twitter) was still asking for more volunteers a day or two ago to help out on her stand and she could help out with hostel accommodation as well as tickets. She may or may not have got people by now. I expect quite a few exhibitors will still be looking for help, though how they do it will vary.

BeardyTom wrote:
I know a couple of people from the club have done volunteering, although neither Andy M or Jerry have been around for a while to give their experiences. Andy helped out on a stand one year and Jerry always does volunteering for the convention itself, usually managing the queue for the bring and buy. He does that a lot at several conventions and he loves it. I've just done a couple of stints helping out at the playtest zone, so not stuck there for the whole event but just for one morning or afternoon.

I guess there's pros and cons. You should get some or all of the ticket price paid for you, depending on how much you do, plus there's a focus for your activities and some ready-made community so even if you're not going with anyone else you're put together with some people who you can do stuff with when you're free from your duties. On the other hand, you're stuck doing a job when other people are free to go do whatever they want at the expo. Of course in the evening everyone gets to play games, so you're good there. If I wasn't going with my partner I'd definitely consider this myself.

I know Bez (@stuffByBez on Twitter) was still asking for more volunteers a day or two ago to help out on her stand and she could help out with hostel accommodation as well as tickets. She may or may not have got people by now. I expect quite a few exhibitors will still be looking for help, though how they do it will vary.

Thanks for the tips.
I ended up volunteering (for the general UKGE) and they've sent through my "shifts".

Also, does anyone here use the UKGE app? I was about to download it and then saw the reviews were pretty heavily negative.

I'd be interested in your experiences with the volunteering!

As for the app - its not very pretty but its always done everything I've needed it to at the expo (which isn't much more than a bit of info lookup and checking on the progress of the stuff I'm trying to shift at the B&B)

I've never done any events at the expo before so I've just signed up to play in the 4-Player Carcassonne tournament on Friday and the Dark Room thing on Sunday afternoon. Other than that, I'll be aiming to shift a few things in the Bring & Buy, play lots of new games and maybe pick up a few for the collection.

Not that anyone cares but I'll also be looking for a nearby pub on the Saturday night to watch grown men kick a ball around for obscene amounts of money. If anyone else has any interest then feel free to join me.

DaveB wrote:I'd be interested in your experiences with the volunteering!

As for the app - its not very pretty but its always done everything I've needed it to at the expo (which isn't much more than a bit of info lookup and checking on the progress of the stuff I'm trying to shift at the B&B)

I'll report back after the event unless it's so traumatic that it's too painful to recall...

Not long now!
Sooo... could I possibly cadge a lift there/back? Happy to chip in for petrol obviously. Would be helpful, because I'll be taking stuff for the bring and buy as well as everything else so might be a bit awkward to lug everything on the train. I'm going on Thurs, coming back Sun, staying at the Hilton.

Thanks

I will be there all weekend on the Redwell Games stand - right by the entrance to Hall 2 if people want to pop by and say hi or to try Six Gun Showdown or Vote ME!

It will be nice to meet up with people in the evenings to have some time to play other games other than demoing my own!

Samuel - I am driving back on Sunday, so if you don't manage to get a lift with anyone else, there might be a bit of space in my car. Bear in mind though it will be after breakdown on the Sunday, so probably leaving at 5pm