HANDYCON
Paul Harris talks about the second instalment of the welcoming bi-annual meetup in High Wycombe and clashing with Gen Con
Interview by Matt Jarvis
■ HandyCon is a highly inclusive show.
When did HandyCon start and how has it changed since it began?
I first had the idea for HandyCon after the 2016 UK Games Expo, after seeing how popular the gaming rooms were and identifying that nothing like that really existed in a southern central region. I thought I’d give it a go.
I put out feelers and spoke to the venue, Holiday Inn, who were keen – January is a dead month for them. From then it just grew and some of my friends volunteered their support and helped me build it.
What was new for the latest show?
Two new tournaments – a Scythe tournament and a Flamme Rouge tournament series. Each with prizes. There was the return of the 18XX room and the Friday- and Saturday-night party games, and a Saturday playtest zone, but the big change was that it was three days – not two – and a bit, as we opened our doors at 9am on Friday until 8pm on Sunday night.