UK Games Expo
The UK Games Expo (UKGE) is the UK’s largest hobby games convention and one of the world’s largest. Founded in 2007 by Richard Denning and Tony Hyams, the event was born out of a desire to create an inclusive, family-friendly space to play a mixture of all game genres in one place, but also appeal to the general public, casual gamers as well as the hobbyist.
The inaugural event took place at the Clarendon Suite Masonic Halls in Birmingham on June 2nd and 3rd 2007, pulling in around 1,200 attendees. It initially operated as a passionate hobby rather than a commercial business venture. However, fuelled by the mainstream boom of tabletop culture, the expo grew exponentially year after year.
By 2026, celebrating its milestone 20th anniversary, UKGE expanded across six massive halls at the NEC Birmingham and the adjacent Hilton Metropole Hotel. It attracted over 900 exhibitors and set a monumental record of 87,837 attendees over the three-day weekend. Today, it stands as a massive global hub for tabletop games.
The next UK Games Expo will be from Friday 4 June 2027 to Sunday 6 June 2027 at the NEC, Birmingham and Hilton Metropole Hotel.