EXPERIENCE IT ALL AT THE UK GAME FAIR

It’s the new highlight of the countryside calendar – we get the latest news on what’s at the UK Game Fair, 22-24 July at Stoneleigh

The biggest names in shooting, fishing and hunting are signing up to exhibit at the UK Game Fair.

The fair’s Gun Quarter is shaping up to be not just an unparalleled shooting retail experience but also a global showcase for country sports.

After the demise of the CLA Game Fair in 2015, the UK Game Fair is widely considered to be the natural replacement for this flagship event. In contrast to recent game fairs that were perceived as shunting their gunmakers’ sections into the periphery, the UK Game Fair restores fieldsports to the core of its layout, with the Gun Quarter at the heart of the show.

Big brand backing

Renowned optics manufacturer Swarovski will be a flagship exhibitor at the UK Game Fair 2016, with a significant presence at the show including exhibition space and sponsorship. The Austrian firm is instantly recognisable to fieldsports followers as a producer of top-end riflescopes, binoculars and spotters. Globally, the business also has influence in a number of other sectors, from jewellery to lighting all the way to the movie industry.

Stoneleigh will also welcome an icon of British manufacturing in BSA, the Birminghambased airgun firm that manufactures its PCP airguns at its HQ to this day. BSA and Gamo will take a significant presence at Stoneleigh that includes both brands’ airguns as well as BSA-branded optics.

And capping the line-up is Beretta, the world’s biggest name in guns. The Beretta empire contains some of the world’s most recognisable names in shotguns, rifles and optics including Sako, Beretta, Benelli, Franchi, Steiner and Burris.

The UK Game Fair’s stellar cast of fieldsports giants also includes Promatic, Eley Hawk, Ruger, BASC, the Countryside Alliance, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Yama- ha, Great Wall, Longthorne Guns, Boxall & Edmiston, Deerhunter and Brocklehurts.

Retail contingent

And you won’t just be able to see all these world-leading brands and their new products – you’ll be able to buy them too. The retail contingent at the Gun Quarter continues to grow, with Ladds Guns the latest to confirm.

“We’re excited to be attending the UK Game Fair – all of us at Ladds are looking forward to supporting this new event and helping make it a success,” Mike Ladd said after confirming the company’s presence at Stoneleigh this July. “We’ll be attending with our full range of new and second-hand shotguns, including Beretta, Browning and Blaser, for whom we’ve just become a main dealer.”

Gunshop Rugby will also exhibit, bringing up to 300 guns. Martin Perkin said: “We’re a premium Beretta dealer – one of the biggest in the Midlands. The two shops and the shooting ground mean we’ve got a fair amount of stock.

“We are also official dealers for the Browning B15 range – there’s only 11 dealers in the country and we’re one of them. Then there’s the new Blaser F16 – we’ll be stocking a lot of that – and we do a lot with Perazzi as well. In rifles, we’re very big dealers for Sauer. We’ll have the Sauer 404 and also the Blaser R8 – another premium rifle.

“And we’ll take optics to go with the rifles. We’re a key account holder for Swarovski –we’ll bring a lot of those, including the new Z8 range.”

Zoli premium dealer Stutley Gun is another to confirm a major presence at the UK Game Fair. “We’ll be bringing a lot of guns – Zolis, Berettas and the other big brands,” said Jim Stutley.

“Express cartridges are coming to support us – they’ll have a presence on the stand. Titan rifles will be there, we’ll have a lot of Vortex optics there… We’ve taken a bigger stand to fit this all in!”

Clay line

Shooters should make a bee-line for the clay line at the UK Game Fair.

EJ Churchill, one of the UK’s most prestigious shooting grounds, has signed up to run the clay line and competitions, bolstered by a 35,000-cartridge sponsorship from Eley Hawk, including prizes to take home and shells for use at the fair. Promatic and Clay Shooting magazine are also key sponsors.

Organisers recently announced the first UK Game Fair Classic – a 50-bird English Sporting championship – run by EJ Churchill, with substantial prizes across the classes and categories. There will also be a 25-bird Sport Trap event, again with substantial prize money. Additional prize money will be added to the highest aggregate scores over both events to make for an exciting new challenge for the competitive shot. In total, the clay line will offer over £20,000 in prizes and sponsorship. Newcomers will be able to try clay shooting under the guidance of expert coaches in a safe environment. EJ Churchill’s team of professional coaches will oversee the have-a-go lines, and BASC will run a full tuition package.

Experience Campaign

You can experience the countryside at the UK Game Fair – the show has launched an initiative to attract thousands of country sports newcomers.

The Experience Campaign encourages those who have not tried clay shooting, airgunning, gundog handling, 4x4 driving or fishing to get involved.

Experience is designed for newcomers of all ages and actively rewards showgoers for visiting every area of the show, including the clay line, airgun ranges, Focus on Fishing, arenas, 4x4 track and more. Younger visitors will be able to collect stamps for each activity on a special certificate.

A concerted promotional effort is under way to build excitement for Experience, including print advertising and online marketing. This reaches further than the shooting press – for example, the UK Game Fair has booked a heavy campaign with the Midlands-based Touch FM network, which will include on-air advertising, editorial content and live broadcasts from the fair itself.

“We’re attracting a fieldsports-friendly audience to the UK Game Fair, and that includes new blood as well as seasoned country sports veterans,” said show founder Wes Stanton. “With the Experience campaign, we want to give the associations and businesses attending our show every chance of gaining new members and customers.”

What’s there for me?

Whatever countryside pursuit you’re into, there’s something at the UK Game Fair for you.

Focus on Fishing at the UK Game Fair is set to be an angling extravaganza, with casting and fishing demos, live fishing in all angling disciplines, kayak fishing, casting and fly-tying competitions for all levels of ability – plus an all-new

Advice Centre that looks set to become the hub of the show.

Meanwhile, the working dog area at the UK Game Fair will represent every breed, from Labradors and spaniels, to terriers and lurchers, with displays, trade stands, competitions and demonstrations. The Countryman’s Weekly, the national country sports newspaper, is sponsoring the working dog arenas where demonstrations and displays will take place. Prestigious company Scurry Bandits has signed up to deliver an exciting programme of gundog scurries, and Ian Clinton and Howard Kirby will run a gundog clinic.

Fans of 4x4s will be able to ride in a fleet of Land Rovers over Stoneleigh’s testing track, built by Land Rover to put its vehicles through their paces. Great Wall and Yamaha have confirmed their support of the show.

And the UK Game Fair’s Artisan Food exhibition will bring together rural food and drink producers from across the nation, showing off their mouthwatering wares and headed by a line-up of demos from top chefs including Tim Maddams, Peter Gott, Kathy Slack, Rayeesa and Jose Souto.

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