The Take This AFK Quiet Room made its European debut at Pokemon EUIC in London, England.
In March of 2025 a short e-mail appeared in my inbox asking for information on how to bring an AFK room to this little thing called the Pokemon North American International Championships. Just 11 months later I am proud to have just finished running an AFK Quiet Room at the European International Championships–our very first official international AFK room.
Organizing an international event can be tricky, but we are very lucky that our Accelerate Program Coordinator calls the UK his home. With the help of Christopher Leech (and his shipping address!), we ran an AFK room with four staff and all of the comforts convention attendees have come to love. We kept the lighting low in the room, played bird sounds on the noise machine, and provided Pokemon-themed distractions in the form of puzzles, coloring pages, and activity sheets.
We received all sorts of visitors in our first international AFK room. Some were the kind of visitor we were used to after years of running rooms at PAX and other gaming events–attendees who were tired and overwhelmed and needed a break. We also saw quite a few competitors coming in between matches hoping to settle their mind and Judges looking to de-stress after a long day.
One thing I have learned from attending these Pokemon events is the sense of community that can be built over a short period of time. From the ladies at the Colouring Corner (hi Amy!) to the security crew I recognized from Worlds, stepping onto the event floor at Pokemon is like taking that first step into a family reunion. We had many repeat visitors to the AFK Quiet room over the three day event who expressed their gratitude for the room, and the positive feedback continues to pour in.
Planning has already begun for our second cycle of Pokemon Championships. If you’re interested in learning more about our AFK Quiet rooms, you can e-mail me at liz@takethis.org
Liz Favorito
Events and Community Outreach Manager