AireCon 2025 Preview
I’ve been to the UK Games Expo (UKGE) four years in a row, I went to Essen Spiel a couple of years ago too, but I don’t get to as many gaming conventions as I would like. I dream of walking through the doors of an American Expo and seeing the scale of one of those. However, there is another convention that has always been held in high regard with many of my board gamer friends, and that is AireCon. So this year, I am travelling 280 miles all the way to Harrogate, to experience it between the 13th and 16th March 2025.
Instagrammers at AireCon 2024
Image courtesy of Trywin Games
My favourite bit of UKGE is always meeting people I know via Instagram. It is lovely to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the halls and the shiny new releases in the board game world. It is even nicer to sit down and play games with the like-minded hobbyists and people you know. Essen Spiel having no open gaming was its biggest downfall for me and why I haven’t rushed back.
The opportunity to play games is the single most thing that seems to be synonymous with AireCon and it is the thing I am looking forward to the most. As it is in Yorkshire, I am optimistic that I will see some friends I don’t usually get to see from the north of the Kingdom too which is exciting.
Of course, there are other things that will be a treat to do. Catching up with publishers and game developers in the Exhibitor Hall will be a lovely way to stretch the legs between games. I’ve already got a new tee from Shirts and Merch for the convention, but I will struggle to resist stopping by their stand and seeing if they have some new designs to tempt me!
Me in my new Shirts and Merch Tee
I’ve also heard good things about the Food Faire at the convention centre, so I’m quite eager to see what is on offer there too! Speaking of food, I am also very tempted to drive half an hour to Skipton to have a Stanforth’s pork pie straight from the oven, the memory of these from my childhood holidays, still makes me drool.
Although I have never been to AireCon, I feel like I have lived vicariously through others, who always look like they are having the best time, so I can’t wait to experience it for myself. If you’re going to Harrogate and you see me wandering around, be sure to say hi!
