Games Day

### Description

Games Day was an annual event organized by Games Workshop that celebrated the company's tabletop wargames, including Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000. These events featured miniature painting competitions, gaming demonstrations, special product releases, and opportunities to meet game designers and artists. Over the years, Games Day events were held in various locations around the world, making them a significant gathering for tabletop gaming enthusiasts.

### Website

Historical Event

**Games Day** was an annual event held by Games Workshop between 1975 and 1978. The event was originally created to showcase the company's miniature wargames, including Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000, to fans and enthusiasts.

The first **Games Day** was held in 1975 in London, England. The event was a small gathering of fans who came together to share their passion for gaming and to meet the creators of the games they loved. In the years that followed, Games Day grew in size and popularity, becoming a major event on the gaming calendar.

At Games Day, attendees could participate in gaming tournaments, watch demonstrations of new games and miniatures, and purchase exclusive models and merchandise. The event also featured painting competitions, where attendees could showcase their skills and compete for prizes.

Games Day was a significant event for Games Workshop, as it helped to establish the company as a major player in the tabletop gaming industry. The event also provided a platform for GW to connect with its fans and build a loyal community of gamers.

After the final Games Day in 1978, GW continued to hold events under different names, including Games Workshop Hobby Fest and Warhammer Fest. However, the legacy of Games Day lives on, as it remains a fondly remembered event for many fans of Games Workshop's miniature wargames.

## Origins and Inception

Games Day had its origins in the early days of Games Workshop. During this period, most gaming conventions in the UK primarily revolved around historical miniatures wargaming. However, Livingstone and Jackson, fueled by their passion for gaming, envisioned something more extraordinary. Their relentless commitment to gaming led them to attend numerous conventions across the UK, where they often found themselves sleeping on convention hall floors or in their trusty van, aptly named Van Morrison, due to budget constraints.

## The Birth of Games Day

As Ian and Steve continued to attend conventions, they began contemplating the idea of hosting their own gaming event. This idea was introduced in issue 4 of *Owl & Weasel* in May 1975, and the response from readers and potential participants was encouraging. Thus, **Games Day** became a reality, with the first event scheduled for December 20, 1975, at Seymour Hall in London. It was a bold move, given the considerable cost of hiring a central London venue.

Despite the challenges, Games Day was a resounding success. Gamers eagerly lined up, paying admission fees of 30p for adults and 15p for children. The event featured board games, demonstrations, trade stands, and competitions. While the inaugural Games Day didn't yield sales for the new game "Organized Crime," it witnessed the burgeoning interest in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and established Games Workshop as a significant player in the gaming world.

## Annual Tradition and Growth

Due to its success, Games Workshop decided to host Games Day annually, with the second edition taking place on February 12, 1977, at Chelsea Town Hall. An overflow of enthusiastic participants marked the event's success, despite overcrowding. In November 1976, *Owl & Weasel* announced Dragonmeet, later known as Dragonmeet, which initially struggled to find its footing due to venue size but ultimately became a beloved gaming event.

Games Day continued to grow, with the third installment held at Seymour Hall in London on December 17, 1977, attracting over 1,500 attendees. It featured a D&D competition that proved to be highly popular but was oversubscribed, necessitating preliminary knockout rounds to accommodate all participants.

The subsequent Games Days drew even larger crowds, with Games Day 4 hosting 2,500 visitors. Alongside its growth, Games Workshop also began publishing and selling D&D and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) under license, providing UK players with an affordable alternative to the imported hardback editions. The company expanded its distribution partnerships with U.S. publishers like Chaosium, Judges Guild, Game Time, and Metagaming.

## Legacy and Impact

By 1983, Games Workshop had transformed into a prominent organizer of gaming conventions. They hosted events like Northern Games Day in Manchester, Dragonmeet VI in Westminster, and Games Day '83 in central London. However, the rising popularity of Dungeons & Dragons occasionally brought unwarranted negative media attention and scrutiny, with baseless associations with the occult and satanism that Games Workshop had to debunk.

Through Games Day and other conventions, Games Workshop solidified its place in gaming history and nurtured a community of passionate gamers who reveled in the imaginative worlds they created and explored. Games Day became a cornerstone of tabletop gaming culture, forging lasting memories for gamers and contributing to the growth of the hobby.