What is it and how did it come about?

As to exactly when Laser-Tag was first used as an LRP (Live Role-Play) mechanic is ambiguous at best. Clubs like Starlore Adventures, the South London Warlords and The Light Brigade all seem to have started somewhere between 1988 and 1990. What ever the true date is it wasn't really until 1989 that it came to the general knowledge of the LRP hobby when Laser-Tag was included as part of Summerfest.

Summerfest was (before it was replaced by The Gathering) the largest gathering of LRP'ers in the UK, taking place over the August bank holiday weekend. One of the groups that ran Summerfest was called Event Horizon and it was them that started to run Lazer-Tag games at Summerfest. Starlore Adventures also started to run nationally-attended weekend-long events at this time as well. It wasn't until Summerfest 1991 when some rather lacklustre games and organisation brought about the suggestion that Laser-Tag really deserved it's own national event.

That suggestion snowballed until the first Dropzone was run over the late May bank holiday in 1992 at the Overstone Scout Camp in Northampton. Just over 100 people made it to the event making it perhaps the largest Laser-Tag event ever held at that time. The event also garnered significant press coverage in both the local newspaper and from Anglia Television (although the piece was broadcast at 04:00 one morning). Dropzone has been run every year since at sites up and down the UK, places like Kings Lynn, Thatcham (near Newbury) and Thoresby Park in Nottinghamshire. The format of the weekend has changed as well with the first having a predominantly Star Wars theme to the latest having 4 linked games with a Starship Troopers feel to them. The organising committee has changed each year as well with people from all of the major Laser-Tag clubs stepping forward to be meet the challenge.

Dropzone is an event that has grown and expanded the hobby in ways that were never initially envisaged. Despite criticisms that the hobby was dying, Dropzone has stood firm and has been a rallying point for the rest of the hobby signalling that there is still life left out there yet.