Matthew BaileyThe UK Games Expo (UKGE) is the largest hobby games convention in the UK. It’s a fun event that appeals to families as well as enthusiasts, and I myself, along with many others in the group, have attended before. The expo takes place from Friday, 31 May to Sunday, 2 June 2024.
You can go for a day or the whole weekend, but if you’re just going for a day, I’d recommend Friday or Sunday, as they tend to be quieter than Saturday.
If you’re looking to buy “the new exciting stuff”, be aware that things might be sold out by Sunday.
Parking
Parking at the NEC is reminiscent of being at an airport, with shuttle buses taking you from the car park to the venue. I’d recommend booking in advance to avoid queuing on the day.
Family-Friendly Zones
The expo has two dedicated zones for families and children (although they do kinda blur into one):
- The Children’s Zone: This area focuses on games for Little Board Gamers. It’s a great place to learn games to play with your children.
- The Family Zone: This zone is generally staffed by specially trained demonstrators. It’s designed to attract families who want to learn and play new games together.
Generally, while there are people to help, it’s often easier to grab a game from the central table and give it a go. Last year, we found quite a few games we ended up covering in this section, and it’s normally fairly quiet – even on the Saturday.
Events and Activities
There are a variety of events – from tournaments and live shows to role-playing games – but these aren’t usually targeted at families. However, if you’re going with more than one adult, it might be worth looking at the event list in advance to plan your day.
Things to Bring
While you could take a buggy, I’d say navigating the expo – especially when it’s busy – might be difficult with one. For very little kids, I’d probably recommend a harness and a rucksack over a buggy. That said, others do take buggies, so if anyone has good buggy advice, please share it below.
If you do bring a buggy, the venue is fully wheelchair accessible, so you shouldn’t have any issues from that point of view.
There’s a cloakroom, which I’ve used with no issues.
Cash
Generally, most places take card, but sometimes people have reported patchy internet, so taking some cash can be helpful. I personally have never had an issue. If you’re on a tight budget, taking cash can also help manage your spending.
Shopping
With that in mind, it’s very easy (especially on your first visit) to “go crazy” and spend, spend, spend. Unless money is no object, work to a strategy. I tend to restrict myself to buying things I know aren’t readily available outside the show – e.g. if I can order it for next-day delivery from Zatu, I usually won’t buy it at the show.
There are two services called Shop & Drop and Pack & Post.
Shop & Drop
This works similarly to a cloakroom and lets you leave purchases to pick up later, so you’re not carrying everything around all day. I haven’t used this, but I’ve heard a few stories of things going missing. Personally, if you’ve come by car, I’d recommend taking a break and doing a quick drop-off back at the car.
Pack & Post
This service allows you to have everything packed and posted to your house for a fee. It’s really useful if you’ve bought a lot and travelled by public transport. Just be aware that they sometimes run out of boxes on the Sunday.
Safety & SEN
While I’ve never witnessed or heard of anything negative happening, the expo gets extremely busy and could be overwhelming for little kids or people with SEN conditions such as ASD.
It’s rarely loud, but there’s a constant crowd background hum to be aware of. If kids have sensory issues, ear defenders are definitely sensible.
With slightly older kids, I’d advise picking a big, easy-to-spot landmark when you arrive and agreeing to meet there if you get separated. You could also write your phone number on the back of their lanyard.
Playing Games
There will be loads of people at stands demoing their games. Be friendly, get involved, and enjoy what’s there!
Generally, queues for family and children’s games are short, so there should be plenty to do.
Food
Taking a packed lunch is a sensible idea, but there are places to eat on-site. These tend to get rammed, so I’d recommend going for an “early kid lunch” and eating around 11:30 to avoid long waits or having to eat sitting on the floor.
Staying Over
If you’re coming for more than one day, staying over is a good idea. Sadly, the onsite hotels get booked up a year in advance, but you should be able to find some hotels nearby. We like Premier Inns and have never had any issues.
TAKE HAND GEL
You’re going to be touching loads of things that tonnes of other people have touched. There’s a reason people talk about “Con Flu”. Sanitise yourself every now and then to try to avoid the kids spending the first day back after half term off sick.
