KiwiBanany
Members
- Nov 8, 2015
- 65
- 6
Being from Hitchin, and the games in Welwyn only being once a month, another close site would be really, really welcome. All points i have were all made above. 
Hertfordshire - Potential new site - Market Research
- Thread starter RussAFO
- Start date
Fantastic news that a new site could be opening near Stevenage,
I am the owner of Combat-UK Airsoft shop in Broadwater Crescent, so if there is anything you need such as rental weapons pyro etc etc drop me a line on 01438 362922 and I will try to help out as much as I can.
Also happy to promote and send customers your way so please drop some info in such as game dates and leaflets etc etc.
Good luck and hope to see it up and running soon
Combat-UK
I am the owner of Combat-UK Airsoft shop in Broadwater Crescent, so if there is anything you need such as rental weapons pyro etc etc drop me a line on 01438 362922 and I will try to help out as much as I can.
Also happy to promote and send customers your way so please drop some info in such as game dates and leaflets etc etc.
Good luck and hope to see it up and running soon
Combat-UK
RussAFO
Members
- Dec 16, 2015
- 52
- 0
- Thread starter
- #44
Gentleman
Really appreciate the feedback thus far. I'm in agreement with you on most of the points made. My only concern so far is the size of the site. In that I would need to feel some trees to in order to create better parking and better safe zone facilities, I would then lose some play area. However thats not out of the question. Thoughts on size of playing area ? My feeling is that I hate to wander around for ages being taken to FOB's or Firebases before the games get under way. Another time waster in my opinion.
My team have experience of real tactical briefings, very aware of keeping that short and sweet, also very much a sense of fair play... but like a laugh.
I am looking at converted containers, or military buses with the seating ripped out as covered safe zones. These will have lighting. Cost dependant of course !
Really appreciate the feedback thus far. I'm in agreement with you on most of the points made. My only concern so far is the size of the site. In that I would need to feel some trees to in order to create better parking and better safe zone facilities, I would then lose some play area. However thats not out of the question. Thoughts on size of playing area ? My feeling is that I hate to wander around for ages being taken to FOB's or Firebases before the games get under way. Another time waster in my opinion.
My team have experience of real tactical briefings, very aware of keeping that short and sweet, also very much a sense of fair play... but like a laugh.
I am looking at converted containers, or military buses with the seating ripped out as covered safe zones. These will have lighting. Cost dependant of course !
Earlier on proffrink and Jedi_Master mentioned that the site needs clean toilets, without sounding like an advert, our portable toilets serve that area and they do a service every week. I too know the pain of going to a bad toilet after a stag-doo party has obliterated it for everyone else, wish some sites would service more often. 
Anyway to contribute:-
Good Marshals - Call a hit
Mixture of bush and constructed cover
Decent price cup of tea
Bacon :wub:
Some close contact / high risk indoor advantage points
LOW price loyalty system for cheap rounds.
This is out there but how about Live Streaming some games?
Anyway to contribute:-
Good Marshals - Call a hit
Mixture of bush and constructed cover
Decent price cup of tea
Bacon :wub:
Some close contact / high risk indoor advantage points
LOW price loyalty system for cheap rounds.
This is out there but how about Live Streaming some games?
- Jun 28, 2015
- 4,290
- 1,230
I think it is definately worth losing a few trees to improve the site, and the felled timber can be used to build barricades, bunkers, etc. I believe that the UCAP GreenOps site is about 40 acres, so not a large site, but is big enough to have varied games. No start point was more than 5 minutes walk from the safe zone so not too far. Playing 10 per side was great and game area can be adapted to suit.
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RussAFO
Members
- Dec 16, 2015
- 52
- 0
- Thread starter
- #49
I'm currently in talks with the land owner and all being well this site should become live. We have some help from Ed at Combat UK retail in Stevenage who will be supporting this project. I urge you to visit his shop and buy your goodies. I have taken on board all of your above points and we will try and accommodate these as much as possible...but as they say..'You can't please all of the people...etc etc'
Ill be keeping you informed and post FB Pages, Website etc as they come online. Please bear with us while we make the site ready and look for test game days at reduced prices for local players. I also may call on some of you if we need some help in construction. I'm sure you will be well rewarded.
Cheers
Russ
Ill be keeping you informed and post FB Pages, Website etc as they come online. Please bear with us while we make the site ready and look for test game days at reduced prices for local players. I also may call on some of you if we need some help in construction. I'm sure you will be well rewarded.
Cheers
Russ
RussAFO
Members
- Dec 16, 2015
- 52
- 0
- Thread starter
- #50
Good Marshals will be a priority for us. We want a fair and fun game site.Earlier on proffrink and Jedi_Master mentioned that the site needs clean toilets, without sounding like an advert, our portable toilets serve that area and they do a service every week. I too know the pain of going to a bad toilet after a stag-doo party has obliterated it for everyone else, wish some sites would service more often.
Anyway to contribute:-
Good Marshals - Call a hit
Mixture of bush and constructed cover
Decent price cup of tea
Bacon :wub:
Some close contact / high risk indoor advantage points
LOW price loyalty system for cheap rounds.
This is out there but how about Live Streaming some games?
Lots of natural cover, construction to start soon.
Free tea and coffee !!
Cold drinks, crisps and snacks, hot food at fair prices.
Considering a trench system, high points for snipers.
Loyalty schemes and membership.
Ill speak to my techie guy about that...!!
Appreciate the input.
Oooo...one more thing; hire guns. Some sites I've been to have pretty terrible hire guns, and its left a few friends unimpressed when I've tried to get them into the game. If it was my site, I'd try and avoid two-toned, creaky, cheap guns, and also offer two magazines each. A lot of sites seem to only give one magazine, and have even tried to charge an extra £5 for renting a spare. Hire guns should be the sort of guns that someone might actually buy as a decent entry-level gun (e.g. G&G CM16s). Just something I thought of recently!
Also, feel free to give me a shout if you need people to help build anything. I'd be very interested in helping a site so close to my home get developed.
Also, feel free to give me a shout if you need people to help build anything. I'd be very interested in helping a site so close to my home get developed.
Sites wouldn't need two-tone, and they would get the guns at wholesale - particularly if an established store was sponsoring.
One magazine is a lot harder to lose than two.
@OP, if you're working closely with a retailer, i'd suggest looking at purchase schemes in which allowing the purchase of a gun pre-ukara that the site/store holds between games. Or even offering 5% off in store if you hired within the last 2 months (by way of dated vouchers for a single transaction).
Hire players are the future of the business - there should be more attention (particularly commercially) given to them, as Greg is saying.
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Baz JJ
Members
- May 23, 2013
- 2,349
- 502
RIFT and Gunman Tuddenham did have pretty new rental guns last time I looked. Who is charging for second mags ?
Also, FYI I see that Gunman have announced regular dates for their Kings Langley site in Herts which is a massive site area.
Also, FYI I see that Gunman have announced regular dates for their Kings Langley site in Herts which is a massive site area.
I've only seen two-tone hire guns once, and that was at Tuddenham last month, where I believe my friend was given a Umarex UMP .45 in neon blue. It was a perfectly functional gun as far as low-end rentals are concerned, and it seemed to be quite new, but it looked and felt like a kids toy, and I was quite surprised they hadn't gone for something that made rentals stand out a little less. Even the same gun in black would have been a huge improvement. I know looks aren't everything, and that a lot of us would be prepared to use two-tone weapons if RIFs were banned, but for new guys, I think the look and feel of the guns is important.
Good point about the magazines, although I think I still find that one isn't enough for a whole game. At the very least there should be the option to ask for another mag, or perhaps pay a £5 deposit. You get the money back when they get the magazine back. I also support the idea of the pre-purchase scheme; I didn't use one getting into the game, but it makes a lot of sense to me.
RIFT hire guns are essentially what I'm basing my comments on. I think their CM16s are perfect for rentals, and they give two mags, a bit of training, and I think they've got magazine pouches that come with the package as well now, so rentals aren't running around with no-where to store the second one (if I remember correctly, the pockets on the overalls don't fasten up). It was quite a while ago, but I believe it was Tuddenham that charged me for the second mag, around the summer of 2014. I might be remembering wrong. I know they've changed the site a lot since then, and if it was them, they don't do it now.
I'm keeping a close eye on the Kings Langley site. Looks like a good location, and the Gunman guys seem to know what they're doing.
AngelGrinder
Members
- Nov 6, 2015
- 55
- 3
Glad to hear it's still looking promising.
I'm right near the Lister, and have a pick-up truck if you need stuff moving!
Send me a PM in you need any help, could probably round up a few troops!
I'm right near the Lister, and have a pick-up truck if you need stuff moving!
Send me a PM in you need any help, could probably round up a few troops!
Okto Eight Milsim
Members
- Jul 28, 2015
- 279
- 122
Hi Greg.
We are part of the same group as Gunman Airsoft and we specialise only in themed milsims so don't have anything to do with the regular skirmishes.
Tuddenham was run by a different managment team at that time. As you say, there have been changes. The current Gunman manager is Doug and we've never come across them charging for second mags.
Kings Langley is not a new site. It's been used for a couple of years at least and we have used it twice for our Okto Eight theme milsims.
The recent development is only that there was a delay in establishing the 2016 skirmish dates for Kings Langley and that has now been firmed up, hence our earlier post here.
http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/29792-gunman-kings-langley-herts-site-open-again-for-2016/?hl=langley
We are part of the same group as Gunman Airsoft and we specialise only in themed milsims so don't have anything to do with the regular skirmishes.
Tuddenham was run by a different managment team at that time. As you say, there have been changes. The current Gunman manager is Doug and we've never come across them charging for second mags.
Kings Langley is not a new site. It's been used for a couple of years at least and we have used it twice for our Okto Eight theme milsims.
The recent development is only that there was a delay in establishing the 2016 skirmish dates for Kings Langley and that has now been firmed up, hence our earlier post here.
http://www.airsoft-forums.co.uk/index.php/topic/29792-gunman-kings-langley-herts-site-open-again-for-2016/?hl=langley
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Aww, shame I can't reach it, can't get there before 10:40 with public transport.
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- Jun 28, 2015
- 4,290
- 1,230
When I was hiring guns from UCAP, I was given one hi-cap magazine and a bottle of 3k 0.20g BB. When I emptied the mag, I just poured some more BB into it. Option to buy extra bottle from the site but I never used a whole one up. Also taught me about bottle rattle and to get a bag to put some BBs into instead of carrying the half full bottle.
As others have said, it is something else to lose. A refundable deposit for extra mag is fairer though.
GunmanAirsoft
Members
- Feb 5, 2016
- 119
- 9
Hi all, I'll try not to hijack the thread as this is about your business, not mine. Just thought I'd reinforce the discussion from a site manager's perspective.
Good quality rental guns are a big thing, we have traditionally used a range of guns on our sites. We sold on our last G&G CM16s after 2 years, after cleaning the switch contacts on all of them as they had only just started to stick with 2 years of carbon deposits. They are fantastic guns and I regret not replacing them like for like.
We made the decision to buy some two-tone guns for use at our open days (Umarex UMP-45 and G36C) with the view being that we could sell them on easier after a year at places like the War and Peace show to anyone over 18. Most people only rent between once and 3 times until they are able to buy their own RIF so the colour hasn't been a problem for most people.
I wouldn't recommend them as rentals (even in black) as they just don't stand up to the same sort of abuse as the g&gs did. Also, the UMP mags are not great unless you use midcaps.
We are looking to go back to G&Gs and sell off the Umarex ones (do you a deal on them if you want lol). I can't recommend the CM16s more highly as rentals.
Most of our games have an ammo limit of 600 rounds carried in the field, so we used to put out two mags with the CM16s, one with AKs and one with UMP and G36 (450 rounds). On non limit skirmish games we will usually loan an extra mag if requested as long as we have spares at no extra charge. I'd be curious how many of our customers who have lost mags in the field realise what a replacement costs though. We also loan out overalls and chest rigs - helps keep your first time customers clothes a bit cleaner.
Another important thing is the rental face masks. We've stopped using the traditional rental masks, you know the ones with a rubber surrounded mesh goggle and the clip on plastic lower face protector. They are uncomfortable and tend to fall apart when your customers cram them into the box or bag at the end of the day. We now have some padded fencing type masks which are a lot more comfortable and hard wearing, but they did cost £30 each!
One of sites we have a caterer comes on site, the rest we offer pot noodles, chocolate, water, coke and energy drinks etc. That's the easiest way to cater without getting involved in all the legislation surrounding cooking and food sales. Just make sure you keep your prices reasonable, nothing worse than being charged £1 for a coke or a 500ml bottle of water... We also offer free tea and coffee our non catered sites and events. Doesn't cost much to provide but it can make a big impression on a cold, wet day.
Marshals are hugely important as several people have said. They need to be a certain type of person to do it and they need to have a great understanding of how you want your games run. More than anyone else, they are the people who can make the difference between a great site and community and one where people leave grumpy or angry on a regular basis.
Don't forget to be realistic as well, it's all very well offering haute cuisine, plumbed toilets, showers, loads of chronos and marshals, building features etc, but if you plan on running as a business you'll either have to charge silly money for a game or introduce better facilities gradually. Listen to your players' feedback but understand that you will not be able to satisfy everything, at least not straightaway unless this is a hobby and you have a large disposable income to sink into it.
I hope the above has been helpful and wish you every success with your venture.
Good quality rental guns are a big thing, we have traditionally used a range of guns on our sites. We sold on our last G&G CM16s after 2 years, after cleaning the switch contacts on all of them as they had only just started to stick with 2 years of carbon deposits. They are fantastic guns and I regret not replacing them like for like.
We made the decision to buy some two-tone guns for use at our open days (Umarex UMP-45 and G36C) with the view being that we could sell them on easier after a year at places like the War and Peace show to anyone over 18. Most people only rent between once and 3 times until they are able to buy their own RIF so the colour hasn't been a problem for most people.
I wouldn't recommend them as rentals (even in black) as they just don't stand up to the same sort of abuse as the g&gs did. Also, the UMP mags are not great unless you use midcaps.
We are looking to go back to G&Gs and sell off the Umarex ones (do you a deal on them if you want lol). I can't recommend the CM16s more highly as rentals.
Most of our games have an ammo limit of 600 rounds carried in the field, so we used to put out two mags with the CM16s, one with AKs and one with UMP and G36 (450 rounds). On non limit skirmish games we will usually loan an extra mag if requested as long as we have spares at no extra charge. I'd be curious how many of our customers who have lost mags in the field realise what a replacement costs though. We also loan out overalls and chest rigs - helps keep your first time customers clothes a bit cleaner.
Another important thing is the rental face masks. We've stopped using the traditional rental masks, you know the ones with a rubber surrounded mesh goggle and the clip on plastic lower face protector. They are uncomfortable and tend to fall apart when your customers cram them into the box or bag at the end of the day. We now have some padded fencing type masks which are a lot more comfortable and hard wearing, but they did cost £30 each!
One of sites we have a caterer comes on site, the rest we offer pot noodles, chocolate, water, coke and energy drinks etc. That's the easiest way to cater without getting involved in all the legislation surrounding cooking and food sales. Just make sure you keep your prices reasonable, nothing worse than being charged £1 for a coke or a 500ml bottle of water... We also offer free tea and coffee our non catered sites and events. Doesn't cost much to provide but it can make a big impression on a cold, wet day.
Marshals are hugely important as several people have said. They need to be a certain type of person to do it and they need to have a great understanding of how you want your games run. More than anyone else, they are the people who can make the difference between a great site and community and one where people leave grumpy or angry on a regular basis.
Don't forget to be realistic as well, it's all very well offering haute cuisine, plumbed toilets, showers, loads of chronos and marshals, building features etc, but if you plan on running as a business you'll either have to charge silly money for a game or introduce better facilities gradually. Listen to your players' feedback but understand that you will not be able to satisfy everything, at least not straightaway unless this is a hobby and you have a large disposable income to sink into it.
I hope the above has been helpful and wish you every success with your venture.
Jambo88
Members
- Oct 1, 2014
- 436
- 218
Make sure the road to the car park doesn't wreck exhausts. A big shed with tables inside and benches outside will do for a safezone. A porta-loo would be good, I don't mind having a piss in a bush but I don't want to roll in human shit when I'm playing. A decent map of the area would be good. Bases don't need to be brilliant just keep them to a decent size and don't let them fall to bits. You could run a game where you have pioneers who build a base during a day/weekend game so they will get attacked as they are building a base or digging a trench system you could let them play for £2 or something just to attract players to doing that role.
