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Two weeks ago we had the privilege of exhibiting at AireCon – one of the biggest and best gaming expos of the year. We met loads of great people, saw our industry friends, and of course, we played some games. Read on to learn more about it!
The event took place up in Yorkshire, at Harrogate’s Convention Centre. From the moment of first walking in you’re immersed in a world of gaming. In the first hall there are stalls everywhere, ranging from big brands like Asmodee and Hachette to smaller stalls with inventors presenting their games to the public for the first time.
Beyond the first hall, you'll find more exhibitor stalls and rows of tables where avid gamers are all playing together. Not only are new games available to trial and purchase, but AireCon has an expansive library of pre-existing games, including several titles from the Gibsons range.
It’s a fantastic atmosphere. Everyone is friendly as people from far and wide come together to play, test, and meet other gaming fanatics. Plastic lightsabres line the tables – if illuminated that means it’s an open invitation for someone to join the game!
We were set up in the third hall, demoing Hare & Tortoise and 221B Baker Street. We got to play with lots of members of the public - which was heaps of fun, and their feedback was invaluable.
Both games will be getting packaging redesigns in the next 12 months. Hare & Tortoise is a classic racing game that relies on strategic spending and a bit of luck to cross the finish line first. It won the original Spiel des Jahres Award in 1979, but was still proving a hit among gamers!
221B is a battle of wits and wills that sees players racing to solve a mystery by searching for clues and piecing together the case. There are 75 unique, original stories to immerse in, providing many hours of entertainment.
Alongside meeting with consumers, we had the opportunity to reconnect and catch up with many of our industry friends. We saw Alan Paull – who we worked with to redesign Kingmaker, and Andrew Harman - inventor of Fast Track and Connecting London.
Connecting London is Andrew's hit game, where players race to piece together London tube lines and complete their Tube Line Sign. We were delighted to hear that it was very popular among AireCon's attendees!
This year’s AireCon was the biggest and best yet. There were over 10,000 attendees – making for an 18% increase on the previous year. The event also raised over £10,000 for charity!
These proceeds were split evenly between Mary’s Meals - a charity which provides food to impoverished children in Ethiopia, and Playful Futures – an organisation which supports children’s well-being in primary education by providing access to higher quality play experiences.
All in all, AireCon was a fantastic weekend. We loved playing with our customers, seeing old friends, and being at an event with an atmosphere that reminds us what it’s all about.
And it won’t be long until we’re back! With UK Games Expo just around the corner, the fun will be continuing at the end of May. Not to mention that we've got some exciting new releases that will be making an appearance. So, if we didn’t catch you at AireCon, we’ll see you there!
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