I was intending to do a full report on Games Day 2012 held on Sunday 23rd at the NEC in Birmingham.
However as I saw next to nothing of the show, I can only report on the day we had on the GCN stand, so here you go, the GCN day at Games Day 2012 in a nutshell.
Dave Wise GCN secretary and myself arrived at the venue at just after 7.15am, not a bad trip down from Chesterfield at all, I normally like to leave about 1 1/2 hour for the trip to allow for traffic on the M1/M42, granted you don't get that much traffic on the roads at 6.00am on a Sunday morning, but i have been caught out before with road works etc, anyway I left home for just after 6.00am and was sitting outside the venue doors for 7.15am.
Bek Hawkby from GW was ready and waiting for the volunteers to arrive, and Dave and myself were the first there, so getting registered and getting our wrist bands took a few seconds. The car was emptied and as we only about 20 to 30 feet form the door the unloading did not take long at all. We were allocated lass space than we had at Games Day 2011, we only one table with a display cabinet next to the stairs directly below the display of the Ultra Marines. Being as Dave had not brought anything i have the cabinet to myself and so took the opportunity to fill it to bursting point with a selection of 40K Space Marines/Space Marine vehicles, Chaos Marines, Lord of the Rings miniatures and my three fleets for Battlefleet Gothic. Being as my Space Marines and my Space Marine armada are painted using the dame colours the display worked quite effectively.
We were set up and ready for business in under an hour, and so had a quick poke around the hall. I took this opportunity to go and talk to two of the GCN club who were there, well actually one new club, Ammo Bunker South and one old club who fell off the GCN register I have been trying to get back in touch with recently to get them back in the network, The Sutton Coldfield Immortals, so after a brief chat with both clubs and 'borrowing' one of the Immortals committee we had sorted out what had happend and had all the new contact details ready to welcome the club back into the network.
I did get a look round the retail area at 9.00am, and had the chance to chat to some of the GW staff I know who were working up there. I had been asked by the event manager at Maelstrom Games in Mansfield on the Saturday if I could pick him up a copy of the new hard back tome of the Horus Heresy, Betrayal from the Forge World stand. I had been working at Maelstrom Games on the Friday and Saturday assisting Battlefront Miniatures to set up and help run the Flames of War 2012 European GT, and as he knew I was going down asked me to pick him up a copy, I wanted to pick up the last Horus Heresy novel along with the new book, which as it turns out apart from a bacon and sausage cob and two cups of coffee, the two books were my only purchase on the day! Whew got away light this year!
I was back behind the GCN desk by 9.30am as GW let the first of attendees in, so we watched as a huge mass of gamers pretty much jogged across the hall to get the sales area first. Last year I was halfway up the stairs talking to somebody when GW opened the doors and was very nearly bowled over by the mass of bodies hurtling towards me, so I made sure I was well out of the way this year, as being covered in foot prints did not appeal at all!
First customer on the GCN stand, not counting the Immortal committee member of course, was at 9.45am, pretty early start I thought. Like last year and the previous year I had spent time on the GCN stand, I had expected a slow start getting busier during the day, boy were we in for a shock. 10.30am time for a coffee break so I went and got Dave and myself a drink, bumping into a few people and have a chat for a few minute catching up. Dave decided to go for wander at 10.45am while I dealt with the steady flow of people turning up to the stand, from 11.00 to 12.30pm we were inundated with people asking about how to join the GCN, setting up clubs and checking for clubs in their area, it was full on and pretty much no stop.
12.30pm saw a little lull, so Dave nipped off to the crew section to get lunch, as we had been so busy we had already decided that we had to go back to the GCN stand and eat as and when we could in between dealing with inquiries. That was the problem with only the two of being there, previously we would take shifts, but this was not going to be possible at this show. Dave re-appeared after about 15 minute sand I went to collect my lunch bag and drink, I needed to get some more water as my voice was starting to get scratchy. On my way down to the crew section I bumped in to Steve Yates from Warlord Games and had a chat for a few minutes, picked up my lunch nad headed back to the GCN stand.
Only one word describes what happened from 1.00pm to 3.30pm, MANIC, we were blitzed with people asking about joining the network, setting up clubs etc etc etc, I had to have a break mid way through the afternoon as my scratchy voice failed me altogether, fortunately I was well looked after by GW staffers who made sure I had plenty of water to drink to keep me going. My throat was raw at the end of the day, however my wife found it quite funny, so I suppose it was not all bad.
Based on my experience on being on the GCN stand, this was the busiest I had ever seen it. If all, the people we spoke to follow thorough we will be having a major boost of clubs into the network. So I for one and looking forward to the next few months to see where we go based on Games Day 2102.
Was it worth the GCN being at Games Day, a resounding yes, granted I had to up for 4.45am and I was so tired I hit my bed at 8.45pm and stayed there until 8.30am Monday morning!!!
No pictures of Games Day, I did take my camera, but never had time to take it out of the bag, let alone take pictures of anything, and even stranger both Dave and myself were asked to sign copies of the latest White Dwarf by some attendee's, ah fame at last! : )
To follow up Sunday I spent most of Monday e-mailing the new contacts, I also had the PLI
renewal notice to write up as the renewal cost for the 2012/2013 period
only came in late Thursday afternoon, however as I was out assisting Battlefront Miniatures most of last week and Saturday, Monday morning was the first opportunity to get it sorted and sent out to all the clubs in the network.
Roll on Games day 2013.....
Tony.
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