Surviving The Fun

 The UK Games Expo 2017

In early June there will be an event at the NEC just down the road from me, in the heart of the UK. The event is the UK Games Expo and it is, coincidentally, at the heart of the board games hobby. Last year there were in excess of 20,000 visitors over the weekend and that can be a daunting prospect. Before every large event of this kind there is a flurry of posts about what will be the best way to get the most out of it.

 

My answer is pretty simple. There is no "best way". By all means lay your plans, make your lists and prepare yourself. When you arrive most of that will go out of the window. The reason for that is also pretty simple. The organisers know what they are doing.

 

A good organiser, and the team behind the expo are very much that, will give you all the plans and the contact details and the information you need so you will want for nothing in that respect. Then they will provide you with an experience you were not expecting. Are you really going because you want to know what to expect? Isn't that what the internet is for? The Expo is the antidote to the methodical googling and pedestrian nature of sitting (literally and figuratively) at the computer. The energy there will not let you dwell, you will be drawn in every direction at once, it will be almost impossible to settle.

 

So my advice is to prepare one thing, just one. Do that one thing. Then just let go and allow yourself to discover whatever comes next. You will never see it all but accept that and enjoy what you do find because it's almost certain that what you find will be wonderful.

 

If you are struggling to focus on what that one thing should be you are more than welcome to make it a visit to the Hopwood Games stand at J25. But I admit there may be a few other things that take your fancy as well, you can see more of those here - http://www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/