This is where I’m really spoiled with our local Bay Area conventions. The con books individual hotel rooms for rpgs and so we can have a dedicated room per game. The hotel replaces the bed with a round gaming table and chairs (the same they use for wedding receptions, etc.).
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Yeah, Expo and Tabletop Scotland use very similar systems, but then there are all these shelves and a crowd of people.
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I love conventions, but now as a publisher I have to think differently about the two I attend (although I’ve been to Spiel, it was before I dipped my foot in the world above).
Expo is a great selling convention, people generally go there to buy. I know I do. As long as there’s something you can offer (a promo, discount, or just releasing it there so they get it first) and don’t go overboard on the spending you should make a profit. For just demoing its fine, but people want to buy games there.
As a punter it’s exhausting and hot and noisy and I love it. Absolutely love it. Straight to my veins can’t get enough of it.
Airecon is not great as a publisher- I don’t know if it lacks the footfall or people just aren’t there to buy games, but all the small publishers I know have booked demo stands this year, saving the sales standsd for the Expo. It used to cost almost the same as the Expo on a square metre cost, but sincew the move to the new place it had a fraction of the footfall. Great for demoing though, cheap tables and good publicity for the price. Given I live locally it’s a no brainer for me, to the extent I’ve booked a demo table for next year with nothing to actually demo.
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Oh, wow, obviously I’m stuck in the information from pre-COVID times. Definitely looking forward to go, although 2600 sounds huge.
With regards to going with a friend, or group of friends, definitely always recommended. But even if my local mini-con is organised by people I know, it is always better if you have somebody to play with. Then I have always ended up playing with people I haven’t met before, from Palmerston North or Auckland or Wellington, but it is always better to have familiar faces around.
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I like the bring and buy at UK games expo. I’ve always got one cool thing and sold everything that I wanted to. The sort of ramshackle mess is a good way to find things you remember seeing on YouTube a few years ago but don’t have in the forefront of your desires.
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lol at all those people trying to sell second hand gloomhaven at RRP tho’
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