Destination: UK Games Expo 2025 - my 5 takeaways from the event
As one of 42,000+ 'unique' attendees amidst the event, I had a good time. I had a very different sort of time than the vast majority of folks, though. That's mainly because I was focused on the industry and academic side of things behind closed doors - areas that the average punter probably didn't even know were happening.
Let's open the doors.
Takeaway #1: the mega-con name will probably stick, for better or worse
UKGE has been the largest board game convention in the United Kingdom for years now, and it's largest event yet is in the only space in the West Midlands able to host it. The buzz this year was of a new configuration: hall 1 would be for ticketing and the bring and buy, while halls 2, 3, 3a, and 4 would make for one mega-hall. The stairs that separated hall 1 and 2 were a pinch point and replaced by the NEC's walls, reducing the number of necessary stairs and removing that pinch point, but asking tens of thousands of people to take the long way around.
UKGE 2025 was my seventh con, my third as a Brummie (a Birmingham resident), and my first with a distinctive focus / goal: a complete focus on the professional side of things.
While not a fan of the 'mega-con' term, I do love these 'mega versions' of board games often found at cons.
UKGE's limiting factor at this point is the facilities - the event has scaled well enough to accommodate the bigger-than-ever crowds. They're still around, and the event will only continue to grow.
Takeaway #2: the industry experience is very different from the punters
In past years, I brought games to the Bring and Buy, hung out with friends volunteering at publisher's booths, went to performances / shows, and so on. I got drinks with folks at the Hilton, meandered through the Viking Village and open gaming areas, and queued for the street food. I leaned towards the industry or professional events, and they were usually the priority, but in general I wanted to enjoy as many parts of the venue and event as I could.
This year, I was laser-focused.
The publisher-designer track, along with the academic track on Sunday, all felt like they went smoothly thanks to the tireless efforts of the volunteers and relative distance from the crowds in the Piazza Suites. The speed pitching and networking events were highlights for me - my hoarse voice afterwards was testimony to the many excellent conversations, although I may have some trouble reading my hurredly handwritten notes...!
The academic track led by Liz Cable was also new this year, and an excellent chance to mingle with educators using games in their educational settings. There were plenty of chances to see and hear about the projects they were working on, and I had a number of follow-ups to make.
I think I played one game... watched some demos on a few others... I'll leave it to others to share their thoughts on the con's best games.
Takeaway #3: the crowds were an attraction, even as they detracted from the experience
And my goodness, there were crowds. And queues. Just *more* of everything, but more of everything in a way that began to make me wonder how much of a good thing becomes too much of a good thing. Having passed Origins to become the 3rd largest tabletop show in the world, I heard that the queues for Bring and Buy reached hours (plural), and never saw the Paint & Take without a queue. Crowds were somewhat spread out and diffused throughout the halls, and the wider aisles kept things from feeling too crowded in the halls. Friday (especially morning and afternoon) was quite busy, and Saturday didn't really taper off until fairly late in the afternoon.
The NEC in Birmingham has played host to the UK Games Expo each year I've attended, and it seems clear that the facilities were tested. There are two water-refill stations (one between halls 1 and 2, one between halls 3 and 4), each of which had a consistent queue due to the machines working inconsistently or not at all for some people. At one point metal barriers were installed to define the queue (or perhaps corral it to avoid its length from impeding the flow of traffic). Hopefully the NEC can make sure they work well next year, instead of unreliably dribbling out water.
Takeaway #4: I appreciate UKGE continuing to experiment, even if those experiments don't work perfectly
It took quite a bit of time to get used to the new layout, especially when you get turned around. The booth numbers on the floor were my saving grace - halls 2, 3, 3A, and 4 all blurred together far too easily since there were few other visual cues. I'd love to see some more colorful cues to create some separation.
I saw a few volunteers walking through with portable flags attached to the backpacks they wore. They introduced some nice verticality and made it easier than ever to spot them as they walked through the crowd to offer assistance. They were a bit too free-swinging, to the point where people were too easily thwacked by them if they weren't careful.
The Pin Collective was a noble effort, and like any first-time efforts there were growing pains. I'm told pins cost exhibitors about £1 each, even as they were expected to be given away for free. Quantities were very limited as a result, and I'm not sure how much meaningful interaction they drove to an exhibitor's offerings from collectors hurredly out to catch 'em all. I hope they find a balance for next year.
Takeaway #5: Bring your credit cards
Food and drink was more expensive than ever - a single pint of beer at one of the mini-bars near the food trucks in hall 4 cost £7.90. I wanted no part of the food trucks charging over 10 quid for some of the cheaper options or the queues for any of the NEC's also-airport-gouging options. My only concession was some coffee at the Wetherspoon's, which doubled as a place to catch up with some friends and colleagues.
You come to a con like UKGE and naturally expect to pay for games, sure. I fear seeing people not buying games or accessories since they're on a budget. They're also trying to ensure their party of adventurers gets fed and stays hydrated throughout the day. Parking isn't free, of course, and neither are train tickets.
Some other pictures taken throughout the event
My game Bento, which was part of the speed pitching event on Friday. I forgot some of the only non-printed components in the game, so I made do with some carefully bent-to-length paper clips, which worked surprisingly well.
Some scene-building with some amazing painting and minis (this 'lil Army GI sculpture is maybe a few centimeters tall, which is important to help understand the scale of the next picture):
That 'lil Army GI sculpture is that little speck left of center, near the bottom of the left wall. These subs were easily over a meter long.
My pro-tips for next year
Assuming they keep to the same layout, keep eyes peeled for the floor signs showing booth numbers.
Bring coffee and snacks (protein bars are my current favorite).
Like any con, you get out of it what you put in. I went in more organized than ever and feel like that was rewarded. I knew who I wanted to try to connect with and why, and that made a world of difference.