A day in the life of a LEGO builder displaying at events

Ever wondered what it’s like to share your LEGO displays with the public? Hear from some experienced LEGO builders on what it’s like.

While you might have plenty of LEGO builds in your own home, have you ever thought about taking them out into the world? Thousands of builders do just that with Brick Festival, with events taking place across the UK, from Carlise to Birmingham. If you’re unsure about what it would be like, here are some stories from experienced builders that we spoke to.

Ready, set, go

Of course, the very first step for displaying is getting your (potentially delicate) build to the actual event. Long-term family builders Sabrina and Matt Kelly have some tried-and-tested ways to make sure their builds make it intact.

“We learned over the years that the best way to transport our builds is in Really Useful Boxes, as they are sturdy and stackable,” Matt said. “What is particularly useful is adding every single build into a ziplock bag, which means if parts are broken off during transport, you contain all relevant pieces with the build.”

Having a dedicated method hasn’t meant it’s all smooth sailing, however.

“We made a big mistake with a large build last year,” Sabrina added. “We did not think of how to transport it first, so we struggled to get it into the right boxes when packing.

“Luckily it was one of the rare occasions we didn’t have the kids with us! We are very restricted in terms of which sizes of boxes we can take when also trying to squeeze two kids in the back of the car.”

LEGO, assemble!

Once at the event, you might need to use some quickfire building to get your model back into one display-ready piece. Another builder, Nick Mitchell, incorporates this need into his builds to make life easier for him on the day.

“Lately, I have been making sure all of my builds are modular in some way,” explained Nick. “That way, space is saved and there is less of a risk of breaking anything!”

Builders will usually have a table of their own, or a shared table if they’re just starting out, so you can set out your build as you like. Whether you’re displaying custom minfiigures on a stand or have an intricate build you need to assemble, the space is your own to make what you want out of it.

Meeting and greeting

The rest of the day, by all the builders’ accounts, is then spent chatting and spending time with other LEGO fans.

“Every event is different but the idea is the same: turn up, share your builds, and meet some amazing people,” said Nick.

“It is really all about interaction with people,” agreed Sabina. “And the joy when little kids drag their parents another time to see our display because it incorporates movement and light.”

Although your feet might be sore (Sabrina’s top tip is to bring comfy shoes), the biggest takeaway that every builder had was that the day flew by with so many people to talk about and so many people engaging with their builds, no matter what it is.

Where to start

If you are keen to start building and the only thing holding back your ideas is budget, the Brick Festival team might be able to help through their LEGO Builder Support Program. They are keen to invest in the LEGO community and so are ready to offer builders for displaying at their events a range of vouchers to give greater access to bricks. 

For all the details on the rewards available, head to the Brick Festival website. Plus, check out this chance to win a massive £1,000 in LEGO vouchers, all by simply giving Brick Festival a few quick details about yourself.

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