Did Anyone Go To The Last GenCon UK?

[Jonny Nexus]

Hi all,

We're thinking of having a stall to sell Game Night at this year's GenCon UK, but I've never been to its modern incarnation, and have no idea what it's like. I know it's been at Reading before, but that's about it.

Attending will make three long weekends of selling in a row (after GenCon Indy and the Discworld con), and a table will cost us £400 (about $800) - so I want to find out a bit more about it before signing up.

Did anyone go last year? What was it like? I'm particularly interested in what the trade hall was like, and how many people were there. Any feedback or thoughts will be gratefully received.

Jonny

 

[Keith Robinson]

I was there for all four days, though as a player, not a trader. The con was spread out over Reading Uni campus, which provided for lots of space, but at the same time watered down the atmosphere somewhat IMO. It also meant that everything was seperate - so you had the trade area in one building, role-play in another, board games/card/minis games in another, etc. So, to go to the trade hall, for example, you specifically had to wander over there (unlike at, say, Olympia, where it was all in the same hall, albeit at different levels).

Having said that, the trade hall was a good size, well layed out and full of traders. On the occasions I wandered over there, it seemed busy enough, though I really can'y say how this translated into sales, as I have no idea.

I'll be going along this year, though for only for two or three days this time. If you're there, I'll definately be picking up a copy of your book, which I've been intending on purchasing anyway.

 

[wedgeski]

I was there for the first day (the one with the Wizards announcement... the one where I said 'Holy *** that's Bruce Cordell!' really loudly and my wife gave me The Look), and I found it very enjoyable. The trade hall was excellent... really excellent. Lots of stands, great thick walls of product, and at pretty good prices. It could've done with a focus... a really big, obvious Wizards stand as a centrepiece or something, but otherwise very good. General facilities were fine.

I would have to agree with the previous poster on the spread-out nature of the whole thing. There was a good knob of butter there, but the piece of toast was way too big. Or something.

 

[meomwt]

I spent four good days there: as others have said, it was a bit too spread around the campus, so focus and cohesion got a bit lost (it was also a bit if a trek from RPG room to get something to eat between slots if the early one over-ran, but that's another story).

Trader's Hall seemed busy enough, and people were buying product across all four days. I'd just be wary that £400 is a lot of books to sell if that's all you're selling...

 

[Jonny Nexus]

Trader's Hall seemed busy enough, and people were buying product across all four days. I'd just be wary that £400 is a lot of books to sell if that's all you're selling...

There's no way on Earth we're going to sell £400 profits worth of books, not when (as you point out) we only have one book to sell (i.e. you can only sell one book to each customer) and we usually sell it at conventions at £6.99. In fact, it would be a stretch to sell a gross (i.e. before costs) £400 worth.

But the main reason for going is publicity, the chance to get the book out there in front of people. But for that much money, I'd like to feel that we will get it in front of a lot of people. It would be interesting to know if the price was the same last year, since the question really is not how successful the trade hall was last year, but how successful it will be this year. (Although then again, you could say that if there are less traders this year, that might be better for those that do come).

And thanks for all the other responses by the way.