 |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Salute 2006 - Show Report |
Jun 6, 2006 |
 |
|
|
|
In April I donned my pack and headed off to London on my annual pilgrimage to Salute. This would be the fourth year in succession that I had visited the event. This time, however, I would not be making the familiar trek to Olympia where the show had been staged for very many years. The South London Warlords, who organise Salute, had decided that the old hall was just too small to cope with the scrum of people that attend each gathering. A new more spacious venue was required. That new venue was the ExCel Exhibition and Conference Centre on the banks of the River Thames. The only problem I faced was finding the place!
As luck would have it, once I'd got into London, it was a relatively short journey to the site via the Docklands Light Railway. For anyone who’s never travelled by this mode of transport before, the DLR can best be described as a cross between an underground train and one of those narrow-gauge rides you find at theme parks. It's only been around for a few years so it's still looks pristine and runs - apparently - like a Swiss watch. It was also rather busy. Standing room only was the order of the day and I was thankful that I was in good company. I noticed that most of the other passengers looked extremely fit and tanned. Indeed at times you could be excused for thinking you'd stepped into an overcrowded lift at a health spa! This was somewhat at odds with my previous experience of wargaming events whose patrons are (according to rumour) inclined to be a tad generous in the waistline and only ever go out in the sun to visit the pie shop!
The reason for this apparent juxtaposition was revealed upon my arrival at ExCel. The huge gleaming white structure doesn't hold just one hall - it holds several - and Salute wasn't the only show in town that day. Once through the main doors I found myself in a wide concourse. Coffee shops, restaurants and spacious seating areas extended into the distance and for a moment, I felt like I'd walked into an airport terminal. Entry to the exhibition halls was gained through a series of huge portals positioned at various points along the concourse. Just inside the first opening a huge banner proclaimed the "Flora London Marathon". It turned out that all those super fit bodies on the DLR hadn't come to visit Salute - they'd come to sign-in for the London Marathon which was being held the next day! That wasn't all, further up I found the entrance to the "Times Ideal Home Exhibition". My girlfriend would have been in her element, I mused.
Opposite the Ideal Home Exhibition was the entrance to Salute. By this time it was approaching midday but there was still a steady trickle of people queuing to get in. Beyond the entrance the huge hall was already heaving with people. At a more prosaic moment I could inclined to say that the hall was packed to the rafters but, in truth, the place was so big and the ceiling so high, that the rafters would be out of reach of anyone not stood at the top of a very tall ladder. After being handed the now customary Salute bag, containing a small programme, a limited edition miniature and a badge, I ventured into the hall. The first thing I noticed was the event plan which plotted the location of each trader and exhibit. This would prove to be useful as I judged that navigating the place successfully would take some planning. So it proved to be!
I was soon on my way and mingling with the crowds. Lured by the sounds of clanging metal, which drifted over the heads of the crowd, I stopped near the centre of the hall where a large section of floor space had been fenced off. Inside, a group of re-enactors dressed as gladiators set about each other with real swords, presumably revisiting the great battles of Cloppa Castle, or some such thing. Next to this spectacle, the organisers had erected a stage and a series of glass cabinets which displayed entries to the annual Salute painting competition. The top prize is a huge "Excalibur Sword" which was already on view along with a host of other smaller prizes.
There appeared to be a lot of new traders in the hall. I was especially pleased to see companies like 1:72nd scale military model manufacturers Retrokit and WWII game designers Warm Acre who were, by all accounts, doing a pretty brisk trade. Elsewhere I was pleased to meet up with both Barry Walby of MMS Models and Tom Welsh of Milicast both good friends and both making their first real appearance at the show. Until recently, Milicast concentrated solely on producing comprehensive AFV kits in 1:76th scale for the military model market. Over the last 18 months, however, the company have established a new Battlefield range just for wargamers. These kits retain the highest standards of the Premiere range but are constructed from fewer components so are quicker an easier to build. The busy crowd of onlookers bustling around the Milicast tables appeared to be lapping them up.
After purchasing an exceptionally good cup of coffee (a rarity at past events) it was time to meet up with Mark Thornely from TM Terrain. Mark and business partner David Marshall had erected a very attractive stand which provided the perfect showcase for their huge range of bespoke scenery pieces. Mark told me that they'd just finished a huge project for a client which involved building a replica of the ruined city of Stalingrad in 1:76th scale. There was so much detail packed into the models that it had taken them an age to complete. All they need to do now was get the finished items to the customer - which was proving to be no easy task!
Soon after I was accosted by Pete Brown - the head honcho of The Assault Group. Pete also runs his own casting business and is responsible for producing a huge proportion of the white-metal figures on the British market. Every year, the Warlords get Pete to cast the commemorative Salute figure which is given away free to everyone who visits the show. In return he is provided with his own pitch which - in the past - he has always used to sell his TAG range of figures. This year, however, instead of a sales pitch, Pete had opted for a gaming pitch. He and his team had set-up a battlefield on which were arrayed a huge selection of his 28mm "Flower Wars" figures. This range draws its influence from the battles between the Aztec peoples of South America. The figures feature a range of gloriously detailed characters - most wearing very little in the way of clothing or dressed from head to toe in feathers and other avian decorations. According to the history books, the battles of the Flower Wars were far less bloody than conventional conflicts. Most warriors did not seek to kill their opponents. Instead they preferred to capture them - then take them home and sacrifice them!
Whenever I visit Salute I always make a point of seeking out some of the companies who we feature here on totalmodels.co.uk - especially the new ones. One of the people I was keen to meet was Adam Clarke of Black Scorpion Miniatures. Adam is one of a new breed of miniature sculptors. Not only does he have an eye for his craft but also for presentation. Over the last 8 months he has posted regular news updates on TM showcasing a range of different miniatures from cowboys to modern US soldiers and futuristic street gangs. He's also released a number of notable large scale 60mm figurines including Achilles and Bob Dylan. Adam crowned his first successful appearance at the show by winning a clutch of painting prizes!
I was also made sure I caught-up with Frank Hammond of Mongrel Miniatures. Frank launched his company just over two years ago on the back of a range of 28mm Cold War miniatures, featuring forces from NATO and the Soviet Union. He went on to release Afghani Army and Mujahideen packs as well as a selection of East German troops. At Salute he was showing off his newly unveiled Israeli Defence Force. Two different packs of 8 minis had just arrived featuring IDF paratroopers in advancing and skirmishing poses. The figures - which were expertly painted and displayed in a glass presentation case - were complemented by a selection of new modern AFVs from Sloppy Jalopy. These included a neat IDF version of the M113 APC. A NATO variant is also available.
I was pleased to see that Shaun Mathews of S&S Models had made the trip to Salute - all the way from Somerset. Shaun was making his first appearance at the event and had brought along a selection of his 28mm WWII AFVs. There's no-doubt that 28mm miniatures are extremely popular at the moment - especially if the sale of figures is anything to go on. Unfortunately, many people argue that there are more figures than there are vehicles - which puts WWII wargamers at a distinct disadvantage. Thankfully companies like S&S are starting to plug the gap. Shaun's own showcase of models was attracting a great deal of attention. His new King Tiger tank, in particular, appeared to be extremely popular with passers-by.
Whilst on my travels I stopped to share a few words with Steve Eserin of The Figure Trader. Steve has been in business only a few short years and yet I would have to say his stand was one of the best in the hall. A large black and yellow industrial-style banner suspended above an accessible L-shaped display area ensured he stood out like a very welcome sore thumb! Steve was eager to show off his new Anti-Tank gun - which is a real cracker! Over the last two years Steve has produced a mixed bag of sci-fi terrain, bunkers and other accessories which are the perfect battlefield accessories for games such as Warhammer 40k or TFT's own rules system, "Sabotage". The simultaneous play, covert-ops style skirmish game is attracting a keen following but that hasn't stopped Steve expanding into other areas. He recently launched a completely different range of larger 40mm miniatures called "Vanguard" - which is a medieval skirmish game. You can read more about that here.
Of all the stands in the hall I think my undoubted favourite belonged to those silly chaps from Too Fat Lardies! For those who aren't familiar with the name the Lardies are Richard Clarke and Nick Skinner. A few years ago they penned a set of WWII wargaming rules called "I Ain't Been Shot Mum!". Although at times a little quirky (tea break, anyone?) these extreme accomplished rules were an instant hit and brought a much-needed breath of fresh air to a community which is often regarded as being a tad on the stuffy side! Several supplements followed each focussing on different theatres of the war. Other releases include "Bag the Hun" which provides mechanisms for aerial conflict. The Lardies' mixture of irreverent, almost schoolboy-like, humour certainly strikes my funny bone. Only they, for example, could hold a competition on their stand called "Name that Nazi" which, they proclaimed, was a "Reich Laugh".
If you are even the slightest bit interested in wargaming, the Too Fat Lardies demand a closer look...
Whenever I visit a show like Salute, I always wear two different hats: one as a customer and one as an industry observer. As an observer I was naturally keen to learn what the traders thought about the new venue. The vast majority were very pleased. The fact that they could drive their vehicles almost straight into into the hall was a big talking point. This made unloading and setting up their stalls far easier. I was also told that ExCel had an orderly system in place to ensure a swift and pain free exit from the building once the show was over. Indeed throughout my many conversations with the traders, I only heard two negative comments. The first was that the location was both difficult to find and took a long time to reach [by car]. This thought was echoed by many. Some even suggested they'd spent more time driving across London than they had spent driving towards it!
The second and perhaps more surprising comment was that many people felt the atmosphere inside the hall was a little flat and stilted. One experienced voice likened the event to [Games Workshop's] "Games Day" which was not, he insisted, necessarily a good thing! I suspect this sentiment was due to the truly cavernous environment. Unlike the more enclosed, almost cosy, surroundings of Olympia, which is spread across 4 floors, the halls in Excel are just vast empty spaces. The ceiling is more than 20 feet high which, in terms of comfort, is certainly most welcome. The drawback is that although the floor space was completely covered, most of the vertical space remained empty. The trade stands in wargaming events are not noted for being particularly ostentatious and there are very few of the big banners or graphics that you might expect to see in other exhibitions. Indeed, as soon as you walked into the hall you had an unobstructed view of all 4 corners of the room. This rendered the spectacle a little 2-dimensional which undoubtedly contributed to the muted atmosphere expressed by some traders.
Before leaving the hall I stopped to say hello to Sally White at the Hasslefree Miniatures stand. She and hubby Kev White are riding a wave of success as their range of 28mm characters goes from strength to strength. Kev's renowned sculpting talents are also in demand from other companies and he will soon be producing work for the likes of War Machine amongst others. Sally is one of the bubbliest people I know. She always has a smile on her face and will stop and talk to anyone. On this occasion, however, she was nursing a nasty cut to her hand. Sadly things were to go from bad to worse as, later that sday, someone stole a sizable amount of cash from the Hasslefree till. It was a sour end to what was an otherwise very successful day.
I enjoyed my day at Salute. I felt the new venue was a vast improvement over the old one which was - let's face it - getting a little cramped. The lowest floor in Olympia, which is actually below ground level, was starting to feel more and more like an oubliette! Once that happens it's time to move on. The Warlords have moved on and I'm pleased to report that traders and fans of the show appear to have moved on with them. As a customer my journey to the venue was a breeze, at times verging on the enjoyable. When I arrived I was greeted with a large, airy building which was very clean, had great facilities and plenty of space. It doesn't get any better than that.
On the downside I do share many of the concerns expressed by the traders. The hall is a very big space and Salute 2006 did not fill it. Yes, there were traders a plenty and some very accomplished presentation games, but not nearly enough in the way of participation games or other inclusive attractions. At times the hall did seem a bit too quiet, a bit too muted. Were it not for the gladiators and their clashing swords the ambient sound would hardly have risen above a murmur.
In may respects, the sheer size of the hall only served to hi-light the more intrinsic nature of the industry. Hobbies like model making and wargamimg are all about creativity - from the guy who designs the model or miniature to the person who builds or paints it. Why is it, then, that the people at the very heart of that industry are the least creative when it comes to presenting themselves and their products? In order to fill a space like the halls at ExCel, traders need to be more bold, more colourful and, yes, more up-to-date. Personally, I'd prefer to see more traders step out from behind their tables and stands - which so often act as a barrier - and engage more directly with the enthusiasts who've come to see them.
A modern venue deserves a more modern outlook and so, perhaps, does the hobby.
For more details please don't forget to visit the official Warlords website. For more information about individual traders please follow the red links in the text above. You can also view an expansive gallery of photos which I took on the day, here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
