Hammerhead 2016 Show Report
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 4:33 pm
Sorry for the delay in publishing the show report but due to family bereavement we have had lots of demands on our time.
Many, many thanks to everyone who helped to make Hammerhead 2016 bigger and better than ever. The total attendance was more than 20% higher than the previous year with 1217 on the wrist band count plus a small number of traders and gamers who evaded our wrist band girls during the very busy pre-show set-up period before the show opened at 10 am.
On the set-up day, Friday, we were contacted by one manufacturer who informed us that he could not make it because 8 inches of snow had prevented van access to his unit! With heavy snow straddling the M62 and blizzard conditions forecast to the south on the day of the show, we were to say the least a little concerned that the weather might have a detrimental effect. However, wargamers and traders are a hardy, intrepid breed and in the end only two traders and two participation games couldn’t make it. In fact at Newark on the show day the weather was very pleasant indeed with sun light streaming through the south facing glass frontage.
The 53 participation games which occupied the central area of the massive George Stevenson Exhibition Hall were very much the beating heart of the show. The hundreds of gamers who gave their time, skills, hard work and incredible imagination in the creation of so many brilliant games deserve a round of applause for their sterling efforts. With so many different games to play and enjoy many of the visiting gamers ‘stayed all day,’ which has become the norm for Hammerhead. It was an exceedingly hard task for the judges to find just three games from the fantastic collection in show for the Hammerhead 2016 Games awards. Trophies were presented for the following categories;
Participation Games Awards Hammerhead 2016
1) Best Visually Appealing Game: Oldhammer/Spot the Preditor! by The Bunker
2) Best Constructed Participation Game: Operation Grünewüste - Invasion of Sjøbolig by Hysterical Games
3) Overall Best Game: Stingray by South London Warlords
The table-top sales proved to be even more popular than last year with all tables occupied for all the one hour time slots with spare tables only available for the last session of the afternoon. The good thing about this system is that that the gamers re-visit the TTS area every hour to see what new goodies have appeared after each hourly change over.
A big thank you to the members of The Forest Outlaws Wargames Club who helped with the car-parking and security, in particular, keeping the parking bays in front of the building clear for use by disabled visitors. As well as running some of the games, they were also key to setting-up and collecting and stacking hundreds of tables and chairs before and after the show. Without their sterling efforts, especially at the end of the show, trader vehicle access into the hall would have been delayed considerably – well done lads and lases!
Although the day went smoothly and we have received very positive feedback both on the day and after the event, we will not become complacent and have already identified a number of areas that can be improved upon in readiness for next years’ show.
Finally, a very big and sincere thank you to all the visitors, game presenters and traders who all helped to make Hammerhead a ‘celebration of the hobby’ and very much ‘the gamers show’.
Below is a collection of images taken at Hammerhead 2016 for you to enjoy
The date for next years’ Hammerhead is Saturday 4th March 2017.
There are several online reports and blogs you may like to read;
http://wargamesillustrated.net/hammerhe ... 5th-march/
http://kevswargamescabin.blogspot.co.uk ... ewark.html
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=413836
http://nevermindthejankers.blogspot.co. ... games.html
http://gamingfromthecupboard.blogspot.c ... -2016.html
http://paintingshed.blogspot.co.uk/2016 ... -2016.html
http://dusttears.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03 ... -2016.html
http://scarabminiatures.com/forum/viewt ... 164#p12164
http://gamingfromthecupboard.blogspot.c ... -2016.html
Many, many thanks to everyone who helped to make Hammerhead 2016 bigger and better than ever. The total attendance was more than 20% higher than the previous year with 1217 on the wrist band count plus a small number of traders and gamers who evaded our wrist band girls during the very busy pre-show set-up period before the show opened at 10 am.
On the set-up day, Friday, we were contacted by one manufacturer who informed us that he could not make it because 8 inches of snow had prevented van access to his unit! With heavy snow straddling the M62 and blizzard conditions forecast to the south on the day of the show, we were to say the least a little concerned that the weather might have a detrimental effect. However, wargamers and traders are a hardy, intrepid breed and in the end only two traders and two participation games couldn’t make it. In fact at Newark on the show day the weather was very pleasant indeed with sun light streaming through the south facing glass frontage.
The 53 participation games which occupied the central area of the massive George Stevenson Exhibition Hall were very much the beating heart of the show. The hundreds of gamers who gave their time, skills, hard work and incredible imagination in the creation of so many brilliant games deserve a round of applause for their sterling efforts. With so many different games to play and enjoy many of the visiting gamers ‘stayed all day,’ which has become the norm for Hammerhead. It was an exceedingly hard task for the judges to find just three games from the fantastic collection in show for the Hammerhead 2016 Games awards. Trophies were presented for the following categories;
Participation Games Awards Hammerhead 2016
1) Best Visually Appealing Game: Oldhammer/Spot the Preditor! by The Bunker
2) Best Constructed Participation Game: Operation Grünewüste - Invasion of Sjøbolig by Hysterical Games
3) Overall Best Game: Stingray by South London Warlords
The table-top sales proved to be even more popular than last year with all tables occupied for all the one hour time slots with spare tables only available for the last session of the afternoon. The good thing about this system is that that the gamers re-visit the TTS area every hour to see what new goodies have appeared after each hourly change over.
A big thank you to the members of The Forest Outlaws Wargames Club who helped with the car-parking and security, in particular, keeping the parking bays in front of the building clear for use by disabled visitors. As well as running some of the games, they were also key to setting-up and collecting and stacking hundreds of tables and chairs before and after the show. Without their sterling efforts, especially at the end of the show, trader vehicle access into the hall would have been delayed considerably – well done lads and lases!
Although the day went smoothly and we have received very positive feedback both on the day and after the event, we will not become complacent and have already identified a number of areas that can be improved upon in readiness for next years’ show.
Finally, a very big and sincere thank you to all the visitors, game presenters and traders who all helped to make Hammerhead a ‘celebration of the hobby’ and very much ‘the gamers show’.
Below is a collection of images taken at Hammerhead 2016 for you to enjoy
The date for next years’ Hammerhead is Saturday 4th March 2017.
There are several online reports and blogs you may like to read;
http://wargamesillustrated.net/hammerhe ... 5th-march/
http://kevswargamescabin.blogspot.co.uk ... ewark.html
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=413836
http://nevermindthejankers.blogspot.co. ... games.html
http://gamingfromthecupboard.blogspot.c ... -2016.html
http://paintingshed.blogspot.co.uk/2016 ... -2016.html
http://dusttears.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03 ... -2016.html
http://scarabminiatures.com/forum/viewt ... 164#p12164
http://gamingfromthecupboard.blogspot.c ... -2016.html