29 – 31 May saw the 20th anniversary of UK Games Expo – the largest hobby games convention in the country. And when I say “largest”, what I mean is that they take over five halls at the N.E.C. in Birmingham. This past weekend saw 87,837 attendees through the doors, of which 51K were unique ticket holders. It was BIG!
It was also my first time. On a roll from having the D&D sessions I pitched to EasterCon accepted by the panel, I went hunting for more conventions at which to GM. I found UKGE and Dragonmeet, and pitched to both. I never expected either to say “yes”, especially not UKGE. But they did and I was pinching myself at yesterday’s table.
I love GMing Dungeons & Dragons, but I adore it when the players throw themselves into the game. They were addressing each other as their character names, leaning into their classes, and being wildly silly. It was tremendous fun. I laughed so hard.
My favourite moments were the halfling assessing the cursed crown by sniffing and licking it, and the half-orc barbarian’s rage leading to an overthrown table, smashed plates, and a broken door. Just brilliant.
My UKGE experience had a rocky start, but that session stoked the flames of my GMing passion and I’ve already asked when we can pitch games for 2027 (around September, apparently).
Next up: Manchester Board Game Festival, 29 & 30 August