possible large scale Milsim in the south east of England

[Tracer]

Hi guys and girls,

I have been in talks with a company who are looking at creating a quarterly milsim event in the south east of England. Now we are not talking your average milsim event but something on the possible scale of 300 people for a two day event, starting on a Friday and finishing on Sunday.

The event will be held on a current military training ground/area, which will have CQB, room clearance and woodland (currently I am not a liberty to say where the event will be held).

They are looking to bring in various Airsoft traders and food throughout the weekend.

The company is looking at a price of around £200 per person.

This may seem steep but the company has informed me that there will be current serving members of the Armed Forces and also some Ex Special Forces personal from various Forces. (i.e we are talk guys which have been involved in some very public events throughout their career).

Based on the information above, would any body be interested in an event like this?.

The people who are looking at setting it up are all Ex Forces so they fully understand what us Airsofters would like but they don't wont to fork up the money if there is no interest, as they are looking at spending thousands of pounds to make what would possible be the most realistic milsim event in the UK.

 

[Prisce]

Not a Milsimmer my self, but the idea sounds promising, and I would probably give it a go as it’s local to where I live. 

However, at £200 you have little to no chance of getting people interested. You can get a game for 8 hours for £22 some places. And most Milsims I have looked into are usually around the £100 mark for 2 days.

I wish you all the best, I really mean that, but I do think you’ll have to come down a hell of a lot in price to be competitive and get the people there.

300 people at £200- I can see the appeal, but your more likely to get the 300 people at £100, possibly less while you build a reputation.

 

[Tracer]

i can completely see you are coming from.

I will feed back to the company and see if I can get them to drop the price a bit.

 

[Gepard]

I agree with Prisce. For 2 days I wouldnt spend £200 - especially as their first time as hosts. It sounds like a cool idea though. I have a few questions..

What are some of the things that the company will spend thousands on?

Are you at liberty to tell us which company this is?

Are there going to be vehicles? 

What size is the playing area? 

The people organising this - have they had any prior experience in managing something of this scale? I understand that they're ex-forces, but I'm more interested in the logistics behind all this. 

Again, interested but would like some more details on what the event will include before I'd put my name down on anything. 

 

[Tackle]

Agree with the guys above, everything sounds fine until you get to the price, the forces, or ex-forces stuff won't appeal to airsofters, as most think they're "speshul operators" already  .

i did 2 days at Rype village for £90, & for that the mod fed us too, for £200 I'd want macnab & Ryan cooking it for me, & maybe giving out back rubs & man hugs lol.

do it for £100, build your reputation, with both airsofters & landmarc/mod, which will in turn help your credibility, this is important as landmarc in the south east have had a poor working relationship with airsoft I recent years, on a number of occasions each has let the other down, be good if this could be turned around.

 

[Tracer]

I fully understand where everyone is coming from.

As mentioned I am pretty much the middle man as the company dont really know about this forum.

So I will feed back your thoughts to the company and get back to you all.

 

[Tommikka]

I’ve had a look through some of my email receipts, for some similar specialist games on military sites such as Sennybridge and Copehill Down plus other urban / cqb and underground events such as Drakelow.

I have paid between £55 & £60 entry plus about £30 to £35 for a case of 2000 clear or UV Paintball’s

So that was up to £100 for a weekend or long weekend, typically limited paint so 2000 was more than plenty, if unlimited then players may have been using 2 cases, so still under £150 per head when taking into account food & drink as well.

Milsim & magfed players will be using 500 to 1000 Paintball’s so would split the cost of a case between two or three players

Paintball is reputably more expensive than airsoft and some people have moved over for that reason.

Over a couple of years the key events have included the ‘special venue’, main game and side games plus ‘experiences’ and current or ex military instructors taking people through some skills and training sessions (also with context) such as urban house to house with both the context of hostage rescue or civilian population in situ (thus slowly slowly, identify friend and foe and bursts of aggression, door kicking etc) or full on warfare with the population having been displaced and an embedded defending force, thus high tempo heavy fighting etc

I wouldn’t expect many players to put up £200 per head even though it would be funding the payment of the instructors etc and their equipment / sfx, let alone the probable costs in securing a special venue & having the insurance in place

Paintballers in the last few years ‘have been there, done that’ with scenario Paintball mostly going back to local fields plus main big games

Airsofters have also had greater access to more of the mod venues due to the easier method of cleaning up bbs

But, the people who would possibly spend that are the ‘almost average’ bloke with a deep pocket willing to pay for an ‘experience weekend’ 

I wouldn’t expect big numbers such as 300, but smaller groups of people booking an experience

The instructors we have had were already established ‘experience’ companies, so you book your date and pay for the privilege  

 

[jcheeseright]

£200 is massively expensive, went to a game at a premier MOD urban facility a couple of years back where all staff were ex 4/73 battery with professional pyro, a fully manned (by paid staff) operations room with an actually effective radio net and paid staff on the baddie side and that was only £130 per person.  

 

[L3wisD]

quarterly milsim event in the south east of England

Good idea.

£200 per person.

 

[Tracer]

Thanks everyone for getting back to me.

So I manged to get hold of the company last night.

And if they brought the price down to £100 would more people be interested?

They have finally told me more information about the site in question.

The site is near Dover, and as had airsoft played on it previously. (does anyone know of any site down that way, I normally only play around hertfordshire)

But not to this extended, normally landmarc/MOD only let people play one main area of site.

However, they are telling me that the entire site will be opened up and from what I am told the site is huge and as mentioned perviously will include, house to house, killhouse, woodland, CQB techniques training given by members of the UKSF group. but yet I dont have names, I have been told that ex-members of the SAS will be present. alongside serving paratroopers. also there will be many different traders throughout the weekend, I can only assuming we are taking the normal guys: ASG, Nuprol, Viper, Vortex, etc.

The Direct support will all be paid staff so I can only assume this is where the cost is coming from

in terms of scenarios what would you guys like to see/do? they are talk about doing a missions based on current events i.e chemical attacks simulation, world war 3 but I am not sure these will work. 

 

[Gepard]

£100 is much more realistic. Is the price all inclusive? 

I think the main game should be more of a capture/defend scenario with multiple points around the map. Basically just IRL Squad.  

Chemical attack would suggest the use of gas masks. Not the most comfortable things in the world to play in. Would be interested in seeing how it would work out, but I wouldn't want it as the main event. 

No matter what the scenarios are as long as it's managed well and communication is consistent it should be a good time.

 

[Robert James]

Echo the above. 

 

[Tackle]

I subscribe to the K I S S principle, seen enough overcomplicated scenarios that inevitably have to be altered mid game as they're either unacheivable or extremely one sided, either of which means at least half of your punters are gonna be disappointed, which doesn't bode well for repeat custom.

sounds like your trying to organise a rival to the NAE (traders stands/personal tactical training etc), which may appeal to some, but others (like myself), like dedicated full time immersive gameplay, don't want breaks during the weekend for shopping, socialising, or ex squaddies (like myself), teaching me to suck eggs .

for shopping, organise a trade fair !

for training, organise a dedicated training event !

& for people who want to airsoft, just give us that  .

oh & scenarios such as gas attack, fine, but don't expect people to mask up, it's a h&s nightmare with players keeling over with over exertion or hyperventilating, not forgetting eye pro issues if the lenses aren't suitable.

 

[Samurai]

First time organizers for a 300+ milsim? Ambitious.

But good luck. Milsims are always welcome.

 

[SheriffHD]

I know of a few MOD sites in Dover so interested to know which one that would want to use. 

When would they want to host such an event?

and at £100 that would sell me for a weekend event. Id just want it to be 0800-1800 for game time and evening for AOB. 

 

[davey666]

£100 more the mark ,at £200 i don't know anyone that would go unless you choppering them in or parachuting in and even them they would complain of the price. like most have said , to charge a premium you got to prove yourself.  site sound awesome though , needs careful planing .

 

[Tackle]

Sorry to sound a bit cynical guys, the OP hasn't been on since may 17th, all the secrecy surrounding the site etc tells me nothing is secured, & being relatively local to the alleged AO, there isn't much in the way of exclusive training areas in the area, plenty of mundane run of the mill stuff but that's it.

Smells like bs.

 

[clumpyedge]

300 players sounds like it would be a shit show especially considering from OP's post that it could be the organizers first time doing something like this (regardless of previous careers) I've been to events with people who claimed to be ex forces or the like and they couldn't even get a decent comms line up between the command network and forces on the ground or organize which teams were doing which mission tasking and that was just 90 people in attendance.

 

[AshOnSnow]

It all sounds good in theory but I don’t think you can find a market at such a massive price point, especially quarterly. I think you would have to choose between generating £10,000 revenue from 50 players at £200, or £30,000 revenue from 300 players at £100.

 

[Tackle]

It all sounds good in theory but I don’t think you can find a market at such a massive price point, especially quarterly. I think you would have to choose between generating £10,000 revenue from 50 players at £200, or £30,000 revenue from 300 players at £100.

OP still not been back since 17th may, doesn't seem that committed to me