Home Forums General Conventions and Shows Blast-Tastic! 2015

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  • #12168
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Saturday the 3rd of October 2015

    New venue:

    Fairfield High School
    Allfoxton Road
    Horfield
    Bristol
    BS7 9NL

    It is in a schools sports hall so everyone is in the same room this time.
    Being a sports hall it is also bigger and brighter.

    The school has two car parks, one with disabled parking spaces (about 10) and the main car park with 70 spaces.

    The school dinner staff will have the canteen/diner open with chairs and tables so you can get away from the main hall for a bit if you need to.

    It is the same price as last year despite being even better!

    Click HERE for more details.

    #12171

    Sounds like a good venue, just I hope I can make this time! 🙂

    Andrew

    #12230
    Avatar photoSteve Johnson
    Participant

    I’ll be along again to help out and run a demo/participation game. Had great fun at the inaugural event.

    #16088
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Marcin Gerkowicz of Assault Publishing is coming all the way from Poland to put on a game, how ace is that??

    #21145
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Two more traders have confirmed their attendance at Blast-Tastic! 2015.
    Blast-Tastic! is the UK’s only sci-fi only, wargames show!
    (I think)

    See the BT 2015 page for more details

    #24268
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    The venue is paid for.
    Off to talk about catering needs in a few weeks.
    More Traders and Gamers wanted!

    pew pew pew

    LINK

    #24533
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Two more Traders confirmed:

    Armies Army

    Clockwork Goblin Miniatures

    #27392
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    New trader confirmed attendance:

    WILLZ WARGAME LOFT

    http://angelbarracks.co.uk/blast.html

    #27639
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Gideon Miniatures attending Blast-Tastic!

    http://angelbarracks.co.uk/blast.html

    #28666
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    The Scene returns to Blast-Tastic!

    http://angelbarracks.co.uk/blast.html

    #29002
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    DM’s Stingray game that will be at Blast-Tastic!, just won an AWARD

    #29577
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Returning Trader Red Wyvern Games

    and more games at Blast-Tastic!

    #30296
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Only a few weeks until Blast-Tastic! 2015.

    http://angelbarracks.co.uk/blast.html

    There are a few spaces left for traders and games, drop me an e-mail if you are interested..

    #30643
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Just back from the venue, the catering is all sorted.
    Nom Nom Nom!!

    #31092
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    28mm Blake’s 7 participation game now confirmed for Blast-Tastic!

    #31245
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    I don’t do shows any more as they tend not to be a good investment of time/money.
    That means I don’t keep much on hand stock, I just cast to order.

    However I will be making some stock for Blast-Tastic! but it will be limited, so if you want to get something at the show, make sure you pre-order by e-mailing me via the site.

    #31467
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    Squeezed in one last trader that has a very shiny cool offering, check out Laser Terrain Co on the show page:

    http://angelbarracks.co.uk/blast.html

    #31769
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    4 Days to go, who’s going.

    I am going as a trader “Willz Wargame Loft”, trying to downsize my collection. 

    Can’t wait.

    #31776
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    4 Days to go, who’s going.

    Panic stations!

    #31792
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    AAAARRRRRHHHH What planet is the show on.

    #31797
    Avatar photoMr. Average
    Participant

    You British, keeping all the 6mm sci fi action to yourselves…

    Grumble grumble.

    If only I lived on the other side of the ocean!

    #31978
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    Not long now, sorted stuff to take.

    Will six feet of stall space be enough

    #31979
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    You British, keeping all the 6mm sci fi action to yourselves…

    Grumble grumble.

    If only I lived on the other side of the ocean!

    Not just 6mm sir.
    All sci-fi of all scales.

    Not long now, sorted stuff to take.

    Will six feet of stall space be enough

    dude, don’t remind me.
    I have been ill in bed for the last 48 hours, working like a loony at the mo.

    #31985
    Avatar photoPaul
    Participant

    Good luck for the show

    Those are brave men knocking at our door. Let's go kill them!

    #31991
    Avatar photoDM
    Participant

    All packed and ready for tomorrow 🙂

    #31992
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    All ready myself, early alarm set.

    #32010
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    So the second ever Blast-Tastic! has been and gone.
    It had a bigger and better venue this year, so great things were hoped for by all.

    Alas we had 30% less people through the door this year compared to last.
    Why?
    I can’t say for sure, but I feel gutted for those that paid to come and trade and support the show.
    I am very sorry it was not as Blast-Tastic! as I thought.
    My apologies.

    So what am I going to do about it for BT 16…?

    Promotion is the key here I think.
    I will do all I did last year and this year, plus:
    Contact all the local colleges and universities and make them aware of the show.
    Make SURE all the local games shops are aware; make SURE all the local clubs are aware.
    (I will make fewer assumptions about them knowing.)
    Get more flyers about the show passed around at other shows.
    Spend money on Facebook advertising.
    See if I can pull any favours and get it mentioned in one of the glossy magazines.

    I was considering not doing it in 2016 due to today’s turn-out, as running and organising and promoting a wargames show is a lot of work for one man.
    After all it is normally a whole gaming club that organises a show, not some slightly podgy middle aged fella!
    But I truly do think the idea is sound and the principle a good one.

    So a Massive Thank You to everyone that came this year, and an even bigger thank you to those that promised to come back next year!

    Fingers crossed for the venue being too small in 2016!

    😉

    #32011
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    Mike I had a fantastic time at “Blastastic”, a brilliant venue, full of interesting and friendly gamers and traders.  I am a historical gamer primary but I like Sci / fi and I think the venue was spacious , welcoming and bright.   Thank you Mike for all your work in organizing the show, I will be returning next year BZ.

    #32013
    Avatar photoDM
    Participant

    FWIW Michael, and as noted elsewhere, we had a great time, met lots of old friends and made quite a few new ones too. The game went well, we had lots of chats with people keen to recreate it themselves, to talk about the joy of scratch building terrain and buildings out of odd household items or simply to reminisce on Stingray and other Gerry Anderson TV series. Looking forward to next year!

    #32014
    Avatar photoGuy Taylor
    Participant

    Unable to make it this year as was at a university open day with second son,  however next year with a game !!!!

    Regards

    Guy

     

    Keep the faith Michael.

    #32032
    Avatar photoSteve Johnson
    Participant

    A nice day out for Craig and I, despite our game bogging down a bit. Lots of nice stuff on show and good to meet some familair faces again. Next year I think it will be KR-16 for me.

    #32034
    Avatar photowillz
    Participant

    It was nice to chat Steve.

    #32041
    Avatar photoAlan Millicheap
    Participant

    Steve Price and I had an enjoyable day playing (learning how to play) Laserstorm – a set for big fast games. Maybe it’s a bit odd using a show to learn a set of rules but due to club members dropping out, not wanting to play FWC and having just bought the rules it seem like the logical thing to do. It generated a fair bit of interest as well.

    We played 2 games – bugs attacking a fort held by colonial marines and the introductory scenario from the ruleset.

    The other games on display were very good. I liked the sunken battleship from Dave M’s Stingray game, the Ogrethullu from the ASL game and game where the terrain lit up.

    I spent all of my money on 6mm stuff from Angel Barracks & Brigade Models

    We will definitely be there next year

    #32043
    Avatar photoirishserb
    Participant

    Sunken battleship???  Too cool!  Anybody got photos?  Please share if you can.

    Man, I would a convention like Blast-Tastic, but its a kicker of a drive from Central Ohio.

    Angel Barracks, don’t be too down about the attendance.  I’ve been involved in starting up two conventions, and coincidently neither of them showed growth over the first year, until the third year.  So maybe, it isn’t as bad as it seems.  One of the cons died after 4 years, I had moved away and no one stepped up to run it after the number 4.  The other just had its 20th run this weekend, though I haven’t been involved for at least ten years now.

    #32045
    Avatar photoAlan Millicheap
    Participant

    An AAR of Laserstorm at Blast-tastic on my blog

    #32050
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    A nice day out for Craig and I, despite our game bogging down a bit. Lots of nice stuff on show and good to meet some familair faces again. Next year I think it will be KR-16 for me.

    Yeah baby!

    #32051
    Avatar photoAngel Barracks
    Moderator

    The attendance thing was annoying, I think I made the mistake of assuming people spend as much time on the internet as me, and as such will be aware of everything…
    So there will be a lot more direct marketing to groups and schools etc.
    I will also ask the school/venue to inform their students, something they did not do.
    Again, me making assumptions.

    Anywho, very many thanks to those that came and I have already e-mailed the school about hiring it again for 2016.
    I should have the answer tomorrow!

    Oh and nice report Alan, did you get to the bottom of the melee issues?

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