November 15, 2019 - The 8th edition of Reboot Infogamer, powered by A1 is underway in Zagreb, one of the largest gaming exhibitions in Europe. And there no are prizes for guessing which is the brightest and most innovative stand this year, as Here Be Dragons strike again.
Being a parent in any era is a scary experience, as kids grow and change so quickly. Just keeping up with this is a huge challenge, and trying to understand what interests them and makes them tick requires patience and understanding.
But, man, being a parent in the Gen Z era is another level altogether. Although I pride myself on being relatively switched on (heck, we just started a Gen Z intern programme at TCN), in truth I have little clue about the role models and YouTubers who are idolised by my daughters. Just how little I knew became obvious when my girls met my best friend in Zagreb, the owner of geek merch store, Here Be Dragons. Let's call him J.
J is a few years younger than me, but not that many, but in terms of mental age, he is arguably younger than even my kids. What was incredible to observe during their first meeting was just how in tune he was with their thinking, daily life and topics of conversation. Fortnite, Funko Pops and a whole host of other things I had never heard of. Apart from a pang of jealousy at this connection, I also resolved to do better and to try and enter their world a little more. And I made the mistake of telling my kids this.
"Well, Dad, you could take us to Infogamer when it comes to Zagreb. And can I tell my cousins in Zagreb you will take them too?" And with no idea even what Infogamer was, I found myself making those parental promises that you forget about as soon as they are made.
Months passed, then J called one day. I was on speakerphone in the living room, and he told me about this cool stand he was building for Infogamer, Giant tetris walls made of styrofoam and painted with star glow UV paint.
"The kids would love it, you have to come," said J. The kids took over the conversation, cousins were informed, and that was the end of my planned lazy weekend at home with my wife. To Reboot Infogamer we shall go tomorrow. And so should you.
According to the official website - This year's show will take place on a massive exhibition space of 21.000 m2 in eight halls of Zagreb Fair and it will attract more than 85 thousand visitors from all over Europe. During six days Reboot InfoGamer 2019 brings the most spectacular gaming show for you to experience.
I can't really tell you more about Reboot Infogamer in general than the original website, but I can tell you a little more about the Here Be Dragons tetris stand, which started off as a simple plan and quickly got complicated and took over four days to build. Apparently, most companies delegate their stands to two convention rental companies, and so most of the stands look very similar. The Dragons team - not for the first time - wanted to do something a little different, and so began what is sure to be one of the most popular stands at the fair. For not only do they have the coolest stand, they are also the Kings of Merch.
In addition to fabulous cosplay stars such as Poisoned Muffin, above, the Dragons stand will be featuring some of the top merch out there. As the official licenced merch distributors for the likes of Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, not only is the merch authentic, it is also the very best on the market. There are original Potter scarves, Funko Pops galore, the coolest notebooks for school.
And even the chance to pick up a t-shirt or two to make Dad at least a little bit as cool as J. Here Be Dragons is moving aggressively into the apparel market, with more than 150 designs, with different shirts on sale each day, as the team do a little market testing to see which designs are most popular ahead of the Christmas rush. And the designs are VERY creative.
A key element of the Dragons offer is the Build a Bag option, which is similar to a mystery box, but with more of a guarantee of what you will get inside. The lovely Ivana invites you to a tour of the stand and a more detailed explanation in the video below.
This is the first time Here Be Dragons will have their own stand, having supported book stores with product at previous editions, but it looks pretty impressive. They are also partnering with a company called Bikini Scooters, who have the coolest electric scooters which the kids can test drive.
The Here Be Dragons team are a little bit crazy to be sure, but how refreshing to see a young company not only putting customer service at the heart of what they do, but also putting customer enjoyment ahead of profit.
The opening of their mega-popular geek merch store on Tkalca, with the entire street blocked by fans who had come to pay homage.
Some previous examples - The Enchanted Village at Fuliranje at Advent in Zagreb.
Drinks and a barbecue to keep the visitors happy after a huge turnout on their warehouse sale on Savska.
I have no idea what tomorrow will bring apart from three things - very happy kids, a better connection and understanding of my kids, and - if only for a brief moment - I will feel like a cool Dad and uncle.
Why not come and feel a little cool yourself?
More information on Reboot Infogamer, including ticket prices and entrance times on the official website.
To follow the latest madness from Here Be Dragons, follow them on Facebook.
