It’s the inaugural Geek Mania and boy howdy was it a great debut!

I always feel that it’s important to let people know the context of any given review and with this in mind I should probably mention that I personally know Jo and Jed who run Planet JJs, from being a regular at TOG – and may have leverage that relationship to help get a friend a stall in the hall.

Terms and Conditions applied. On with the review.

**First Impressions**

The first thing that stands out when entering the Angel Centre – beyond the sign say no photography, apologies you’ll have to make do with looking at promotional graphics – was just how many different sections of the “Board Game” umbrella were on display.
From miniature painting and LARPing to introductory sessions for D&D 5e and Warhammer 40k, and even tutorials on countless TCGs that I would not be able to name from the brief glances I got at them.
Immediately, one thing was clear.
This was *the place* to go to get into a nerdy hobby for the first time, with countless experienced people on hand happy to share their passion to those willing to learn.
With many free play tables to sit at to take a breather, play a quick game or make some card trades, Geek Mania really captured the spirit of UK Games Expo, with a local twist *and* *without* the overwhelming size of the Birmingham NEC.

**Vendors**

This local element was most clearly on display amongst the Vendors filled with local artists and shops.
Particular standouts include, *Dead Bunny Creations*, who I was first introduced to back at Tonbridge Pride last year and host a whole range of adorable necklaces, charms, stickers, pins and art prints – the Pokémon and K-pop Demon Hunters theming being very appealing to this visitor.
*A King Name Cory* had similar memorabilia for sale with a One Piece twist and some fabulous looking dice, while *Station Books*, over in Tunbridge Wells, had a number of interesting tomes for sale that makes me think I should pop in some time soon.
Meanwhile, Mike Ibeji at *Guntower Games* was showing off the Pirate and Salvage expansion to *Pandora Celeste* which had just launched on Gamefound and was already fully funded by the event. I was also able to finally get my hands on *Panic Stations! The Pandora Celeste* *Card Game* while many of my friends made off with their alien plushies as “the fastest impulse purchase I have ever made”.
While there was quite a heavy focus on TCGs amongst the Vendors, when they prop up this entire industry, it’s hard to complain about people getting an opportunity to indulge in their passions. And as always, it was nice to see Jo selling out of the bakery as early as 2pm!

**Attention to Detail**

What stood out the most was just how much care this event had for people who, either had never been to a convention before or normally would not go due to fear of being overwhelmed.
From the aforementioned focus on learn to play sessions for all the different hobbies on display, to a checklist (see left) that appeared on the Facebook page beforehand, it was clear that priority one was to ensure everyone who went was capable of having the best possible experience. Compared to a lot of other conventions I have been to, Geek Mania really gave the impression that it not only knew it’s audience, but also how to overcome the particular difficulties that are unique to the increasing demographic of nerdy and neurodivergent people who make up the majority of the Board Game scene.
The only improvement that could be made here would be perhaps including a quiet room, or frankly having more space, but when you have over 400 people at your first outing, these are merely unpredictable teething issues that are not easily foreseen and can be ironed out.
Needless to say, if you have never been to a convention before, you were in safe hands here.

**Community**

Of course, as someone who has been going to Planet JJs since late 2023, to me the main takeaway was the feeling of being reminded just how many people I have met during this time.
From people who I had never met in person before that I instantly connected with due to mutual relations, to people who I thought I barely knew chatting as if we had been friends for years – which itself comes with the realisation that in many cases we have been friends for literal *years*.
At one point we had a revolving circle of people who would happily chat to the people next to them, and as one person left to go exploring a new person would join, keeping the conversation going as we gradually petered out and explored in our own groups and at our own pace.
At various laps around the hall, we would then re-meet over a discussion of a brand-new hobby that was right in front of us, be it the difference between Wargaming and TTRPGs or how LARP works. Everyone had their own passion that was being catered to, while picking up new passions that they had only heard of in passing, but were interested to learn more about.
The revolving circle then reappeared as we went out to the Food Van and various people joined to discuss their highlights of the convention so far and what they planned to do next.

This is why when looking back over the day, to me Geek Mania is easily comparable to UK Games Expo, as after having been to a small handful of Gaming conventions in the last year, this is the only other one that truly captured that feeling of community.

In conclusion, Geek Mania was a smash hit! I would be remiss to refer to it as a Board Game convention, as they were only one aspect of the event, but then it never advertised itself predominantly on this. The greater focus was on catering to all the nerdy hobbies and making sure you could pick up a new one regardless of play level or knowledge base. I hear there are rumblings of another one coming around sooner than you might think, which I eagerly awaiting and would highly recommend!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a feedback form to respond to … perhaps I’ll just post a link to this review.

Geek Mania Review