Katowice Model Expo

Katowice Model Contest 2009

On 21st and 22nd of November modellers from the south and central Poland had a chance to meet at the contest in Katowice. The organizers of the contest were Residential Cooperative of Ignacy Paderewski and the Modellers Club "Ikar" with the special participation of Mr. Tadeusz Madej and Mr. Grzegorz Boduszek. This year it was already the sixth edition of the event.

The event has gathered 63 modellers with 214 models in the contest. A few more models were displayed beside competition. Modellers were divided into two age categories: juniors and seniors. In the junior category there were 22 young modellers with 60 models. In the senior category there were 40 modellers which brought 154 models. These are general statistics given to me by the organizers and I think all possible categories of plastic models have been represented (there where 36 categories at all): airplanes (ww1, ww2, jets, helicopters), ships, AFVs (wheeled and tracked),  trucks, motorcycles, dioramas, figures and busts in all popular scales.

The level and quality of the models was very impressive for me, whichever category you consider. Sometimes it was very difficult to me even to say whether it was a junior or a senior model...I am affraid that if I would start in the competition even with the best of my models I would be beaten and ashamed in any category. I was strongly impressed.

Unfortunatelly nobody even tried to count the visitors but sometimes it was difficult to get to some displays. Thank God I was one of the first visitors on the early saturday morning when all no-modelling visitors were still asleep so I could find some place for a camera and a tripod and shoot the pics you see. A serious minus of this edition was a bad light in the display hall and the lack of fresh air. All windows were misted to allow screening a movies about RC models and only some artificial light was on so it was quite dark in some corners, for example were the biggest F-18 and F16 I have ever seen were presented.


I know that the most important in this report are the pics, so to sum up, I have to say that I was very pleased after visiting this contest. Of course you can't compare it with Telford or Nürnberg but "does the size matter"? For me the most important were the people I met and talked. Some of them I saw at least a year ago, some I knew only on the discussion forum. This time we had an opportunity to met in a local modelling society, share our work and experiences, ask for opinions and give feedback. This is the most positive aspect of any contest for me doesn't matter where it is taking place.