UKGE Goes Virtual 2020

With the current situation around the world, many changes are happening in the way we consume our media and conduct events. One such event that has undergone a transformation is the UKGE. Unfortunately, to the dismay of gamers around the world, Covid-19 led first to the postponement of the event, but then inevitably, it was cancelled. All is not lost though, as last week it was announced that the UKGE was going virtual. Virtually Expo is set to take place from Friday 21st August to Sunday 23rd August and will play host to seminars, live shows, tournaments as well as demos and games to play along with your friends.

The organisers are attempting to bring everything that makes the expo great into a digital format, even including the queues! These events will be hosted via a variety of platforms such as YouTube, Zoom, Twitch and Discord, all attempting to bring the UKGE to as many people as possible. There is no set fee for the expo, instead attendees will have the option to pay at whatever level or price they feel comfortable with. There will be the usual merchandise available to purchase and this will be sent out to you via the post.

I’m really interested to see how this works out, as it is something we are still having to come to terms with due to the pandemic. While it is disappointing that events like this cannot go ahead, it is imperative to protect people and put the interests of health first. Many exhibitors and traders have rolled their stand fees over to next year, as well as many attendees who have willingly rolled their tickets to next year. This small act has helped the organisers out massively and is a step to ensuring that next year’s expo will be bigger and better than ever. The amount of work put in by the organisers is astronomical, so having to cancel such a large event is a massive decision to take, so I would hope that as many of us gamers will support in whatever way we can to keep this event as popular as ever.

I look forward to attending Virtually Expo and exploring the different ways they plan on running the show in a virtual format!