Games Day 2008

Hello to all.

Well, this years Games Day 2008 was a little flat. I've been going for the last 3 years and enjoying the cameraderie and all other things that make this hobby worth doing. This year, was a little different.

Departed home at 7.15am to pick up my 2 passengers with a view to getting to Games Day at 8.30am. The plan? Get my models as high up in the Golden Daemon cabinets as possible. Arrived at 8.30 and got into the Golden Daemon queue. Doors open at 9.10am and models in the cabinet by 9.30am - at least 15 minutes earlier than last year.

The Games Day (GD) organisers this year wised up to the fact that Golden Daemon (GDa) entrants rush straight for the sales stands. Last year I put this to great effect to get my copy of Descent of Angels and my Armoured Spearhead Apocalypse formation (I still have 2 Land Raiders to build and 1 to paint.) This year we were all held in the pavillion until the main doors opened. As a result the crowd bottlenecked at the stairs and then stampeded for the sales stands to pick up books and Space Marine goodies. Which is what I did. A drop pod, Redeemer (another Land Raider), and a Land Speeder later I went straight for Black Library. It was here I was to spend another 5 hours.

Not before a tour around the Pavillion and a lovely look at the upcoming Warriors of Chaos models (Chosen, nice!; Knights, nice!; Marauders, nice!; Stat lines for the characters - eh? How good?) a look at the modular gaming board (I want 4!) and at some of the awesome battles going on on the brilliant tables supplied by GCN members. I did want to get some tips from the girls from 'Eavy Metal, but I'm not good at talking to new people unless I make myself.

The line for Black Library sales area was still quite short at that time, but it got longer throughout the day. The queue for the tills however was MASSIVE! From there to the Authorium.

I have this habit where I don't like to take up too much time with the authors and although I'd love to sit and discuss the books in detail, and talk about the craft of writing (I'm starting out at 32 - I have a book in the offing!) I'd rather just get my stuff signed and make way for someone else. I queued up at Sandy Mitchell, and did just that after shaking his hand and thanking him for Ciaphas Cain (what a dude!) I headed for Ben Counter and Neil Roberts (born 1 day before me - all the best people were born in September.) Ben spoke to me for a while (no queue, no guilt) about the book - for an avid Smurf hater, it was fab - and about what was coming up; then Neil again I got talking to about the artwork and then signed me a copy of the Galaxy in Flames cover. I missed out Mr. Swallow principly because xhalex kept him talking long enough to get a long queue behind her and I had my book signed by him last year. Then to the queue of Dan Abnett.

I love his books, I love his writing, and I wish I had so much more time to read his back catalogue (and the money to get it!) What I loved the queue for was meeting xhalex. A person more random than I am, and we talked for ages and I loved it! So much so that I've sought her out on here, and Mr. Abnett's blog. Curses!

From there to Graham's queue and little talking, but a bit of hand shaking. Then dipping out of the queue to see Mike Lee, and Jon Roberts. Didn't know Mike Lee was an American, and should make Nagash the Sorcerer and interesting read. From there, it was out to catch my breath and collect my ForgeWorld stuff that I'd reserved.

By this time it was 2.15pm - and I was knackered. Food was had and my losing Golden Daemon entries collected (BOO!) then back to the Authorium to get my Harback of Horus Rising signed by Neil Roberts, who just happened to be presented with his birthday cake as I got there - a copy of Horus Rising with his name and 'Happy Birthday' in the title area. Then a skulk around the Pavillion one last time before collecting my passengers, leaving, and disseminating the day.

So, all in all was it fun?

Well, being in queues for 6.5 hours was not the best time in the world. I think there are improvements to be made, and I shall pass these to the Events team.

Like:
1) Employ the queuing system at the retail stand for the new purchases by using snaked barriers and a call-forward system manned by security.
2) Expand the FW section, and add a snaked queue there aswell, and put more staff on. Hire temps if needed.
3) Have a pool of GW customers who are willing to work for the day for a discount on stuff (say 25%) in lieu of pay in the retail areas.
4) Have 2 queues for each of the retail areas: 1 dedicated cash only; one dedicated card only. The cash queues will move quicker.
5) Bring the entire stock of new stuff to GD, it will sell!
6) Stick to the rules. If the rule is go to the Space Marine section to buy Space Marine stuff, stick to it! So many people were buying it from LotR.
7) Queue Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill separately to the rest of Black Library. They are popular draws and need lots of room.
8) Allow reserves to be made on GD only releases at the main sales stand, and a Mail Order style pick up similar to FW.

That's all I can think of right now, I hope you enjoy.

Nibble Pibbley,
Tim