Dragonmeet

I am usually in and out of London to see my brother. In past years I’ve returned to Toronto disappointed to learn if I had planned my trip a little bit better I would have been in the city for Dragonmeet. So this year I planned better: I booked a trip around the weekend Dragonmeet was taking place.

Dragonmeet is one of the big RPG conventions that takes place in London. Smaller and more indie that the bigger UK Game Expo. I was in attendance for the first Dragonmeet at its new home, the totally soulless Excel convention centre. Past attendees told me they missed tight narrow hallways of the hotel in Hammersmith that used to be the conventions home. Breakout in Toronto feels like it might be a bigger convention, but Dragonmeet has a far bigger OSR presence. I got to see all my G+ bros!

Dragonmeet has far more vendors that Breakout. Apparently it was twice as big as past years. They had two big rooms of the Excel centre filled with stands. The vast majority of vendors in attendance were indie. It was nice being able to wander around and see people I know in attendance. I was excited to finally meet the infamous Grey Wizard. Paolo and Eric were sharing space together, the first people I saw when I arrived. Just a little past them was Zach from Soul Muppet Games. I got to see their cowboy game in the flesh, and am now wondering I made the wrong call not grabbing a copy. The book was gigantic and looked cool. Daniel was working the Igloo Tree & Melsonia Arts Council, which was where I also finally met Luke Gearing. We discussed the whacky world of Over/Under.

I was mostly hanging out with my Warhammer World posse of Chris and Patrick, wandering the convention with the two of them, watching people muscle Patrick out of the way to tell Chris Bastionland changed their lives. James Young was there with some of his gamer crew, and we would stop and chat whenever we saw him again. David Black arrived a little after lunch with his wife, and joined us for a short while. I stumbled upon Johan Nohr. Next to him was Chris Bissette! I saw so many people I’m already starting to forget them all. The whole convention was the fun experience of wandering a little bit and seeing someone you know.

Would love to come back for Dragonmeet again, certainly a good reason to find yourself in London. Salute in April is the other convention that seems exciting, and is conveniently in the Spring. Paolo’s LasagnaCon in August is probably the most tempting—if only for the food.