Imagine that you find airsoft retailers, gear vendors, event organisers, and even an indoor airsoft games facility in just one location? It's ideal, isn't it? It's just like a shopping mall where you can find most of what you need from clothes to gadgets, but in this case airsoft guns and tactical gear. It was the case of the Airsoft Showcase 2015 held yesterday that I suggested to Chris Kong of RedWolf Airsoft UK to rather call it  the "Airsoft Mall" since it actually happened inside a mall.

The UK airsoft community converged in Reading, Berkshire to hold the first airsoft fair inside The Mall. The Mall is known in the airsoft community as the only airsoft games site that is held in an actual shopping mall. It is an abandoned mall, more known to the public as the Friars Walk Shopping Centre which was put up in 1973 and awaiting demolition to give way for a project which so far has not yet commenced. But for the airsoft community, it's plainly called "The Mall" and also for the Zombie Immersive Experience that is managed by Zed Adventures.

Thus, on the 17th of May 2015, airsoft players who trooped to The Mall found a good showing of airsoft guns on display for the Airsoft Showcase. I arrived when the event just opened at 0900H, it was really a convenient location, just right outside the Reading train station and near the city centre. Navigating my way through a dimly lit corridor as we used the back entrance on Garrard Street until we hit the main corridor inside where Chris Kong was welcoming visitors to the event.  it was a trickle of visitors for the first two hours until by 1100h where the place became really busy as more airsoft players showed up.

The airsoft retailers where allotted stalls, which basically are the empty shops of The Mall. The Grange Airsoft shared a big space with Swindon Airsoft and Strike Force CQB.  This section was more known for the good collection of HPA-powered airsoft guns, of which The Grange has all the major HPA airsoft names in stock: PolarStar Airsoft, Wolverine Airsoft,  Valken Tactical, and Tippmann.

It was hard not to miss the Landwarrior Airsoft stall as they all had one for themselves and at its entrance was a "Predator" taking guard and it's made of various vehicle parts but it was well made. It became a selfie location with visitors taking selfies with the Predator. Inside, Scott Allan and the rest of the Landwarrior Airsoft crew were busy attending to visitors checking their merchandise.

Opposite of Landwarrior Airsoft is the largest space on the floor which is shared by RedWolf Airsoft UK, RIFT Airsoft, HT Immersive Simulations, Army Surplus & Toys, Opt Tactical, CamoLab, Airsoft Action Magazine, and Pilgrim Bandits Charity. SAS Legend Rusty Firmin was also there doing book signing for his new book "15 Years in the SAS."

At the next stall was Dave's Custom Airsoft which has expanded fully from providing custom airsoft guns and services but is fully into actual airsoft and tactical gear retail sales. Sharing the stall was Stitch Me Up which provides custom patch design services for airsoft teams.

Right beside them were Drone Airsoft which had on display some interesting contraptions to spice up airsoft games, especially for those who love "diffuse the bomb" scenarios. iWholesales had on display Ares/Amoeba Airsoft AEGs with the new EFCS; and Bolt Airsoft guns that are equipped with the Bolt Recoil Shock System (BRSS) which many of our readers are familiar with as the strong kicking electric blowback and recoil system. I had a very good chat with the ladies of Cloud 9 Combat which is the newly named subsidiary Octavius Hunt Ltd.,  the Bristol-based company which is the largest smoke manufacturer in Europe. They were kind enough to give me a bunch of smokes and Thunderflash to test and for those who want their own brand smoke grenades and thunderflash, they are more than happy to accommodate such requests.

Pro Airsoft Supplies also had a stall for themselves and it was quite busy as many visitors check the various airsoft guns on display. Ammo Drop had their own stall as well, with tactical clothing displayed outside and an assortment of WE airsoft gas blowbacks and AEGs on display inside.

For airsoft players wanting to sell their own unwanted airsoft guns and gear, an area was also available for them to use and enterprising airsoft players took this chance to self airsoft gear they want to dispose of and make way for new stuff back home.

Krytac was very visible as well as they finally have opened their UK and European Sales. Shield Airsoft handles the distribution for them and thus, Krytac Trident AEG series were on display. Sharing the big space with Shield Airsoft were Ashleigh Wright Photography, House of Wolves, and Spartan Airsoft. Opposite them are BadgerTac, BadgerTac2, and A2 Supplies. For those looking for spare parts, then this stall was the go to area for these.

As always, the noisiest stall was that of Incentive Designs, known for their Venom MFG (Muzzle Flash Generator). The S.M.G. Rattle was there on display alright, and with its built-in sound system was generating machine gun noise which was music to many airsofters who were there.

Airsoft practical shooters were there too. The Watford Practical Shooting Club  and Elite Customs of Mike Cripps had a mini course setup. For 2 quid, those who want to try airsoft practical shooter can shoot all these static and dynamic targets they had set up. At the end of The Mall corridor was TLSFx known for their pyros and airsoft grenades.

A floor above the main floor was Infiltration Airsoft which are running a story to run their airsoft event operations about the rebellion of the poor in the UK and the government, called "The Flame" have established militarized areas in cities they control and separate the have nots from the haves. "The Rain" is the rebel army that that is combined forces of the Free People's Army and Guys Army.

Zed Adventures also had their CQB games running which I checked out. The session that I decided to follow was said to have a surprise in store and we wondered what it was. When the game started the team that I followed almost got caught flatfooted when Martin of Incentive Designs opened fire on them with the S.M.G. Rattle! That made the CQB experience more tense as opposing teams had to take out the Martin and the S.M.G Rattle before they can retrieve their objectives of capturing their flags and bringing it to their starting areas.

In the afternoon, Zed Adventures unleashed the zombies, who scared the bejeezus out of some. It would have been fun if there was "Walking Dead" theme during the Airsoft Showcase but they weren't in play for the CQB games. If interested in joining their Zombie game days (or nights), you can visit their website or contact them for the schedules.

By 1600H, most of the shops were starting to pack-up to call it a day. Asking some of the exhibitors on how they find the Airsoft Showcase, some were quite happy as compared to the British Airsoft Show and would just need more improvement. I wonder if there will be another one next year since and held at The Mall as it's quite convenient, done indoors and at a location which is easily accessible. I do hope so, whilst The Mall is still available for airsoft players to play in.

Photos at the Popular Airsoft Facebook Page. Video of the event to follow.