UK Games Expo

Last updated

UK Games Expo
UKGE Logo.png
Genre
FrequencyAnnually
Venue
Coordinates 52°27′12″N1°43′10″W / 52.45333°N 1.71944°W / 52.45333; -1.71944
Founded2007
Founder
  • Richard Denning
  • Tony Hyams [1]
Next event30 May - 1 June 2025
Attendance65,000
Organised byUK Games Expo Ltd
Website UK Games Expo
Hall 1 at the NEC Birmingham during UK Games Expo 2023 230603 UK Games Expo 0519.jpg
Hall 1 at the NEC Birmingham during UK Games Expo 2023

UK Games Expo (UKGE) is a tabletop-game convention and trade fair held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the Hilton Birmingham Metropole. [2]

Contents

UK Games Expo (UKGE) is the largest Hobby Games Convention in the UK [3] First held in 2007 the event is now held annually at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham [4] and currently hosts over 39,000 guests.

UKGE features a range of exhibitors, events, open games, demos and tournaments including the UK Carcassonne Championship, and the UK Agricola Championship. [5]

All forms of tabletop games are represented at the event including board games, role-playing games, card games and war games. Organisers each year also hold the UKGE Awards with two categories, the People's Choice Awards as voted on by attendees of the event and the Judges Choice Awards. [6]

History

The UK Games Expo was first held in 2007, [7] organised by Richard Denning and Tony Hyams. Apart from 2020 the event has grown year on year and in 2024 had over 65,000 daily participations, making it the largest tabletop games event in the UK and the third largest in the world. [3] (In 2020 the event was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] [9] The event returned in person in 2021 with additional restrictions. [8] In 2022 the event was restored to full capacity, and in 2024 broke exhibitor and attendance records from 2023.

In 2008, the expo hosted the official launch of Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition in the UK. [10]

Show features at UK Games Expo:

Special Guests at previous UK Games Expo include:

Attendance

Annual attendance 2007-2024 UK Games Expo Attendance.png
Annual attendance 2007–2024

Attendance figures released by the organizers are published each year in their exhibitor pack. [16]

YearUniquesAttendance
20079001,200
20081,2002,000
20091,8002,500
20102,0002,700
20112,4553,585
20122,8794,046
20133,5385,805
20145,8059,919
20157,16213,971
201612,63625,149
201716,50030,698
201821,70039,000
201925,70445,097
2020 (online)N/AN/A
202110,67118,430
202223,16339,527
202331,11752,888
202439,30665,281

UK Games Expo Awards

Each year the show awards the UKGE Awards which are split into two broad categories: The People’s Choice, which are voted on by expo attendees, and the Judge’s Choice, which are voted on by invited judges or delegates. [4] [17] UKGE rewards different game styles, including abstract games, strategic games, party games and more, as well as expansions, accessories, RPGs, novelties, etc. [18] [19] [20]

People’s Choice Award

YearBest Board Game (Euro)Best Board Game (Strategic)Best Card GameBest Strategic Card GameBest Roleplaying Game
2023 [19] Earth - Inside Up Games Frostpunk: The Board Game - Glass Cannon UnpluggedViking Raiders - Neowulf Games Isle of Trains: All Aboard - Dranda GamesBe Like a Crow - Critical Kit
2022 [20] Lost Ruins of Arnak - Czech Games Edition Get On Board - iello Dungeon Decorators - SlugfestLord Of The Rings LCG Revised Core - Fantasy Flight Games Shiver Core - Parable Games
2021 [21] Excavation Earth - Might BoardsUndaunted: North Africa - Osprey Games A Game of Pretty Gardens - Osprey Games Imperium Classics - Osprey Games Vaesen - Free League Publishing
2020 (online) [18] Tapestry - Stonemaier Games Dune - Game Force NineSolar Storm - Dranda GamesMarvel Champions - Fantasy Flight Games The Alien RPG - Free League Publishing
2019 [22] Quacks of QuedlinbergRootThe MindArboretumForbidden Lands
2018 [23] Photosynthesis - Blue OrangeWarhammer Underworlds - Games Workshop Legend of the Five Rings - Fantasy Flight Games category began in 2019SINS - First Falling Leaf
2017 [17] [nb 1] SubTerra - Inside the Box Board Games The ColonistsStatecraft - Inside the Box Board Games Category began in 2019Adventures in Middle Earth
  1. ↑ Before 2018 the awards only existed in one category, voted on by attendees. [24]

See also

Judges Choice Award

YearBest Board Game (Euro)Best Board Game (Strategic)Best Card GameBest Strategic Card GameBest Roleplaying Game
2023 [19] Earth - Inside Up GamesNew Eden - SchmidtViking Raiders - Neowulf Games Vita Mors - Play With Us DesignCritical Foundation - Gigamic
2022 [20] Bitoku - DevirThe Thing - Ares GamesCULTivate - Pops & BejouLord Of The Rings LCG Revised Core - Fantasy Flight Games Twilight: 2000 - Free League Publishing
2021 [21] Excavation Earth - Might BoardsPrisma Arena - Hub GamesA Game of Pretty Gardens - Osprey Games Schotten Totten 2 - Iello The Dee Sanction - All Rolled Up
2020 (online) [18] Tapestry - Stonemaier Games Ishtar - Iello Solar Storm - Dranda GamesOriglamme - Studio HPaladin - Chaosium
2019 [ citation needed ]Architects of the West KingdomRootThe MindRuthlessForbidden Lands
2018 [23] Great Western Trail - StrongholdCivilisation - GibsonsPikoko - Brain GamesN/A - category began in 2019Adventures in an Age Undreamed - Modiphius

References

  1. ↑ Young, Graham (3 June 2016). "Tenth anniversary UK Games Expo opens at NEC". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "UK Games Expo | NEC, Birmingham". web.archive.org. 18 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 WGP (5 June 2017). "UK Games Expo is now bigger than Origins, making it the third largest tabletop show in the world". Tabletop Gaming. Warners Group Publications Plc. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  4. 1 2 "UKGE Awards". UK Games Expo. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  5. 1 2 "National Catan, Carcassonne, Pandemic, Splendor and 7 Wonders Duel tournaments to be held at UK Games Expo". Tabletop Gaming. Warners Group Publications Plc. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "The UK Games Expo 2024: Highlights From the Weekend - KeenGamer". web.archive.org. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
  7. ↑ Griffin, Mary (29 May 2015). "UK Games Expo launches in Birmingham". BirminghamLive. Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  8. 1 2 Carter, Chase (27 January 2021). "UK Games Expo 2021 announces summer dates for return of in-person convention". Dicebreaker. Gamer Network Limited. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "UK Games Expo is Back, and now it's Virtual". Tabletop Gaming. Warners Group Publications Plc. 14 May 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "D&D 4E - UK 4E Launch Event at The London Dungeon". EN World D&D & Tabletop RPG News & Reviews. 6 May 2008. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "UK Games Expo | UK Exhibition Calendar 2025". www.xldisplays.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  12. ↑ "Exhibit". UK Games Expo. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 "Events". UK Games Expo. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "Choose Your Own Adventure: Ian Livingstone Talks of His Own Adventure Choices in His Iconic Books". Tabletop Gaming. 1 January 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  15. ↑ O'Brien, Michael (18 May 2023). "Rivers of London creator Ben Aaronovitch is our special guest at UK Games Expo, Friday June 2nd". Chaosium Inc. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  16. ↑ "Exhibitor information". UK Games Expo. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  17. 1 2 "UK Games Expo Award". UK Games Exp. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 "UK games expo awards 2020 winners". Geek Native. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  19. 1 2 3 "UKGE 2023 awards". UK Games Expo. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 "UKGE 2022 Awards". Geek Native. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Award winners 2021". UK Games Expo. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Expo 2019". UK Games Expo. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  23. 1 2 "2018 UK Games Expo Awards". File 770. 10 June 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  24. ↑ A reference for the footnote.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.