We have just finished spending the weekend at CGC! It was a great (but tiring!) weekend and great to see so many friends, customers and meet new ones.
Set Up
Set up was nice and straightforward with the advantage of having a nice large set up window the day before the convention. We were able to take our clothes rail so we were able to show our apparel this time. It had a lot of rummaging! I found it quite disability friendly. During set up I mentioned I had a back problem and someone from Dice and Destiny got me a more supportive chair without me even asking! At pack down he noticed me standing and brought me a chair too. It was such a thoughtful gesture that I really appreciated.
Venue
The venue was a good size with lots of light. There was free parking available for both exhibitors and guests which is a nice touch with disability parking right in front. The toilets were gender neutral which worked well, both for non binary and for keeping queues down at the ladies! I’d like to see this adopted in more places. There was also a water refill point.
Artists
We were surrounded by some lovely artists – Emily Abeydeera, Tanuki Treasures, Alive Arts and Dead Bunny Creations. Had some really great chats and did some sticker swaps. Dead bunny creations gave me some really useful tips about eco resin. I might have to give it a go! Tanuki Treasures gave me a beautiful lion print.
Popular Designs
There was a lot of love for Bob the Frog, Billy the Brush Dog, Hypnodisc and my Loth Cat designs at Canterbury Gaming Con which made me very happy. It turns out there was an animatronic Loth Cat at the event which a lady from the Queens Head Cantina brought over for a stroke. If you stroked him, he would make happy purring noises which was adorable. They bought a Loth Cat print and put it out on their stand. It made me feel so proud – I was proper chuffed! They also had adorable porgues which would run and flap their wings. Definitely an inspiration for a future illustration!
Another thing that was super cool was that I had some returning customers who were telling me what they’d done with their last purchases which I always love to hear. I’m thinking about maybe designing a loyalty card with a free sticker available at the end.
There were a lot of bestsellers and I sold out of a few items which was great! My Jackie the jellyfish earrings, Bob the frog badge, Bobbie coaster and stitched toadstool sticker all went down well. I also love that a new trend is emerging, on my socials I’ve had a few All Hail Bob! which makes me chuckle.
Gaming
As you might expect, the sheer amount of different games at this event was immense. RPG’s, TCG’s, Retro gaming and even medieval gaming were covered.
Paul Thomas – Western (who judged the Pokemon tournament) was so kind. I received Pokemon promo cards and stickers which I was very chuffed with!
On the Saturday evening I took part in the Pokemon card bingo, which was great fun but also quite tense. I was just waiting for Pokemon beginning with E for what felt like the longest time! In the end I ended up getting bingo at the same time as someone else and we played rock, paper, scissors at the front for the choice of first prize. I actually won somehow, normally I suck at Rock Paper Scissors! I chose a Blastoise from Pokemon Go as my prize. It’s my first card sealed in acrylic. I might have to put it on display somewhere.
On the Sunday I had time to wander and explore the convention. Adrian taught me how to play Pokemon Catch which I’d never heard of before as well as Flesh and Blood. They were really patient with me and explained the rules well. They also offered a demo pack to take home – now I just need someone else with a deck to play with! I also managed to pick up some White Flare, Temporal Forces and Destined Rivals. Dicey Dragon Games were running a raffle for diabetes UK which I entered. I won a R.E.G.S guide (really easy game system) thought up by Dan Bodle. I’m curious to try it, especially as I’ve been wanting to learn more about Dungeons and Dragons but was put off by learning the rules or joining a regular campaign. Life can get very busy!
One of the things I liked about Canterbury Gaming Con was that a lot was included in your ticket price. All of the games were free to take part in and there was also a miniature painting section run by Agitated Kraken which was a nice touch. I was asked to be one of the judges which was amazing.
Conclusion
Overall this was a great event, especially as it’s the first one and I know dates are already booked in for 2026! It felt very inclusive, I met some wonderful people and took part in some fun events. It was also great to have some love for more of my niche designs such as my Loth Cat and Hypnodisc.
If any of my designs sound like your thing then please head to my shop. Otherwise as always you’re always welcome to join the mailing list.