So there you have it! The UK’s first dedicated Airsoft Expo has closed it’s doors for the first time and hopefully not the last.
Here’s our de-brief on the event:
We came, we saw, we had fun…..
It would be too easy to nit pick an event such as this (as it has started out relatively small) but we are going to focus on the positive and from our perspective the Airsoft Expo has the beginnings of something really special and that needs to be focal point here. It was small yes, but with several vendors pulling out last minute (yes we we’re nearly a no show, but we made amends in the end) and with rumours before the event that it was cancelled the organisers were up against it.
So what did happen? Several hundred airsofters and a good cross section of the industry came together to talk, play and shop airsoft.
The scenario area was hosted by Gunman Airsoft with a wild west/zombie theme running over the 2 days; all participants we’re grinning from ear to ear from the experience. Unfortunately as we were stuck on the trade booth we didn’t get the chance ourselves to bag some foe.
Incentive designs were filling the exhibition hall with the noise from their venom and rattle products that offer a massive dose of realism to the game. Airsoft International Magazine were of course there generously offering free back issues. Over the shoulder of AI the hall spread out into the other booths that included much loved retail outlets JD Airsoft, Socom Tactical, Badger Tac 2 and the Component Shop. Infiltration Airsoft certainly had something unique to offer with their heavily based scenario events that had a rolling theme; if you want to know more about these guys, then you should have made an appearance! Otherwise embrace the power of Google.
Our Enola Gaye booth was there in fine form and visitors we treated to some amazing show discounts on smoke grenades, thunder flash and frag grenades.
So here’s to next year! We survived the inaugural event and all vendors seemed happy with the turn out; there will always be some keyboard warriors giving it a hard time due to the size, but it had to start somewhere. If i had a crystal ball i would say that this will be a major airsoft calendar event.
The next event is the British Shooting Show which has a very confusing footfall; you see, vendors are always asking the organisers how many people are attending, but in the case of the British Shooting Show it’s hard to see the genuine airsofters amongst the tweed army. With over 95% of the tickets going to farmers and pheasant shooting Henrys it makes business tricky, as sewn into the job is explaining what airsoft is; so it highlights the need for segregation which the Airsoft Expo has achieved.
See you next year!
