UK Games Expo trade hall

 UK Games Expo 2016, Trade Hall, NEC Hall 1

UK Games Expo trade hall

 UK Games Expo 2016, Trade Hall, NEC Hall 1

UK Games Expo trade hall

UK Games Expo 2016, Trade Hall, NEC Hall 1

The early figures for UK Games Expo 2016 show an attendance of 25,149 over 3 days and 12,636 unique visitors. This year the halls in the Hilton were entirely given over to tabletop games, tournaments, seminars, bring and buy and roleplaying events. The massive Hall 1 of the National Exhibition Centre was packed with Trade. I saw stands piled high with boxes on day one and less than five boxes at the end. Everyone had a big smile on their face by the end of the event. Take a look at our photo gallery.

Pathfinder games started on Friday morning and continued right up until Sunday evening. We ran 68 games and handed out over 50 "Welcome to the Pathfinders" boons until we ran right out. Most GMs were passing out new Pathfinder numbers and we estimate a similar number were distributed. Our Saturday Night Special, "A Taste of the Blight", was suitably gothic and grisly. After an official disclaimer and public warning the whole room drank to the ill-health of Richard Pett the author and dived in. The adventure followed up with a series of planned shocks for our players and an unprecedented body count by the end. Many players will never be able to look at bacon in the same way again. We had several enquiries about where to buy the new adventure path "The Blight", from which it came. It’s nearly three times as big as a Paizo adventure path! The creepy atmosphere of this "Special" was cranked up to nerve-wracking fever pitch by Ben Loomes of Syrinscape who DJ'd a soundscape of racing heartbeats, ominous fugues, clashing blades and horrible slurping noises. I love the sound of breaking glass. Every GM should have these effects at their fingertips.

We owe a huge thank you to all our GMs at UK Games Expo. Many of them performed well beyond what could reasonably be expected of them and ran extra games, took on extra players, coped with complete newcomers to roleplaying and stepped into the breach when we needed an emergency GM. YOU ARE HEROES! Everyone I spoke with had a great time. I think we can say it was a big success this year. Last but not least, thanks to John Dodd and Richard Denning and especially Tony Hyams of UKGE for creating a custom booking system just for Pathfinder and for their generous rewards for GMs. Thanks to Richard Pett for his Special "Taste of the Blight" and to Al Rigg for editing and to the wonderful Ben Benjamin Loomes of Syrinscape for the creepy soundscape. 

 Pathfinder at Expo

The Blight

Ben of Syrinscape

 UKGE Snowy