Change of Venue for 2013

[rdenning]

Before folk get too carried away with room rates we plan just like at the current venue to have a range of options.

For the sort of visitor who already stay at the strathallan or Quality Inn there is little change (ie a quid or 2 at most which is really just inflation).

For those who book in down the road at the cheap hotels we will look to link in with the cheaper hotels within a mile in Solihull town its self.

WE imagine some people wil choose to stay on site (like at present) and some will be happy to travel a bit to use the cheap venues maybe 15 or 20 mins away. (just like at present)

So you need to compare like with like when having this type of discussion.

Our aim here is to ensure that for most people prices are not much different from that which they choose to spend this year.

[pedr]

Surely the hotels the other side of the train station would offer some cheaper rooms, if there was some organised or accessible way to get to/from them?

I've not been on the site, but Solihull is quite some distance away, I think?

I may well want to stay on site, and hotel prices aren't the only consideration, of course, but one of the significant benefits of Expo is that it attracts a large number of people and I'd be sorry if a move made it considerably more expensive (particularly for people using public transport)

[rdenning]

Indeed there are several over there which are cheaper. Folks that want cheap options will find them.
As for public transport the train station is close by and there are bus routes from Birmingham to the NEC.

We will make all this information available in 2013 - but for now are focussing our efforts on the 2012 show.

Bottom line is IF you want the show to grow and get bigger then a Move is needed. That move will bring challenges.
BUT in 2006 myself and two others had to create Expo out of nothing. We had no money, no track record save a small local wargames show and initial conversations were disheartening. THAT was a huge challenge - getting the traders along, getting the visitors along and keeping the momentum year on year.

If we managed that when there was no initial interest from anyone I am confident that we can manage the move when there is interest from a good few hundred people and a decent number of traders.

[thtraveller]

The first thing I thought when I saw the venue was the cost of parking. Accomodation you can do stuff about offsite if the main hotel is expensive, but then you are driving in and paying expensive parking day rates at the hotel, with little alternative.

[rdenning]

Residents at the venue during UK Games Expo (booked in via our link) get free carparking. This is something we negotiated with the venue. So if you stay at the hotel you save those costs.

This is one factor we realised would be an issue and so went back to them and asked for and they agreed.

[PaulofCthulhu]

It's Helen & I's favourite convention and I can already see people on my Twitter feed beginning to jump that it's now only a week away.

From my own personal experience with the fine folks of UK Games Expo over the years I'm very much looking forward to the next stage of the convention's evolution. Richard, Tony & co have been consistently great in managing this event and I've no doubt they'll do a great job with the move to the Metropole in 2013.

[thtraveller]

How many more parallel RPG tables will the new venue support?

I note that we maxed out tables in multiple slots this year at around 22-25 tables per slot and I believe several submissions were turned down due to slots being full when they were submitted (e.g. Pathfinder).