Aaron2029

When I was waiting in the queue for Terry's autograph I was told that the people at the front of the queue were allowed to chat to the guests for 15 - 20 minutes each because they had some kind of ticket or package that gave them that opportunity. So everyone with an ordinary virtual ticket (including me) just had to stand and wait.....and wait......and wait. There were about 60 people behind me and it was 5.30pm. I was near the front and I was the first person with a normal ticket and I wonder now if Terry knew that because I tried to make my 'meet and greet' very brief so that the people behind had a chance to see her, but when I asked Terry a question (a compliment really) she answered me in such a loving way and kept the conversation going. She was so kind, but I knew there were other people waiting and it was almost 6pm, so after a bit I kindly stepped back and in a sense gave her the cue that perhaps she might move onto the next person, because I only had a normal virtual ticket and I did not want to take advantage of the moment, but even when I stepped back, she was still smiling and talking to me. In the end she smiled and clasped her hands together and gave me a bow. What a wonderful woman. I could have stayed but I had to do the decent thing and step back. Alexander was next to her and I could see he was also being very kind and taking a long time with each guest as well. I personally think the guests are quite happy to chat to the people and try to honestly get to know each one personally because I'm sure they want to gain something from the experience as we do, before they have to travel all the way back to America. I think it really depends on the individual guests. Some like to make it short and sweet, and others love to chat for a long time and get to know each of us.

As advertised. What happened? http://www.destinationstartrek.com/highlights/gaming-voyage .

Agreed. If I did not plan ahead I doubt I could have achieved half the things I managed to get done. Incredible how fast the day went. I knew where the guests would be and the best times to queue and allowed extra time to get in the queues for the talks. There was little opportunity to actually explore and take note of the surroundings and other exhibits, but I think other people came with no plans at all, so everyone got the best of the both I think. This event was supposed to celebrate the 50th anniversary and yes I really enjoyed it, but honestly it felt like any other convention, and the huge open spaces inside the hall were a mystery and could have made a great seating area as I heard people complaining that their feet hurt on the hard flooring. This convention was very good, but it could have been greater, but to what extent I don't know, but since this was set up to celebrate the 50th anniversary I kind of was hoping for balloons to drop, or ticker tape, mascots, a cake competition etc.

No complaints personally, but this is what I recall: Saturday Voyager stage - Stage light was very bright for Terry and she joked that she couldn't see the audience at first. There were also problems with the sound. I was near the front so I heard everything clearly, although Terry's microphone was not working at first and they had to pass the parcel with the other one. There was a bit of feedback when Nicole used it and Nicole's opening comments were about her concerns that nobody could hear in the back rows because she had just passed by the back rows before she came on stage and she joked that the guys were just smiling at Terry with no idea at all what she was actually saying because of the hall ambience going on around them. I think there was also a slight delay or a bit of confusion in getting another microphone so that the audience could ask some questions. Voyager stage - I was at the back this time and I could hear Colonel Worden loud and clear, so the earlier problem had been fixed. Although a message came on the loud speaker which interrupted the Colonel mid sentence and he was forced to wait for the message on the loud speakers to end. The message was something about the auction taking place at the Excelsior stage, and I think there was another announcement about William Shatner's photo shoot being brought forward. Other than that, the talk was great. Excelsior stage - The Kirkeoke contest. I could hear at the back but the microphone levels were about moderate. The audio was good, but not great at the back. Main Hall - Every now and then I would hear the loud gong which was perhaps a slight distraction, but we eventually got used to it. Enterprise stage - DS9 talk - Microphone was not working and I thought 'not again'. They got another one and they could not find any more for the other guests so Garrett Wang had to pass the parcel with the other guests which naturally meant valuable seconds were being lost each time they had to hand the microphone back and forth. They even joked that someone must be taking / stealing the microphones because they kept going missing. Wasn't sure if they meant the guests were accidentally taking them or if people were stealing them? Likely the venue just didn't have enough to go around. The lights were very bright at this stage as well and there was certainly an audio problem because whenever the audience asked a question the guests would say they could not hear, and Garrett Wang would listen and repeat the question to each guest. I was close to the front so I could hear them without the microphone, although the noise level outside the stage was very noticeable, especially when the crew were calling out and yelling at people to form the queues properly for the next talk. Enterprise stage - Shatner's World - I was sitting at Tier 6. People around me were surprised that the adjacent view screens were not used on the stage, so everyone at the back had difficulty just seeing William Shatner on the stage. I had an aisle seat, so I could see him easily down the centre of the aisle. I heard people say the seats were uncomfortable. There was a noticeable echo but I gradually learned to tune it out and I could hear Shatner quite well, so I personally had no problems with the visual or audio, but there were a few times when I struggled to hear what he was saying. Other than that, it was great. I saw people get up and leave half way through and they were much closer to the stage. I figured they were going to the party at the Hilton Metropole. The guy sitting in front of me also got up and left, so I had a better view and I actually squatted down so that people behind me could see better. During the talk William Shatner said a joke and he said a word that was supposed to cue a sound effect that would play 3 times. It went twice but not the third time so it kind of ruined the joke for Shatner and he said sarcastically "The euphonics at this park are great by the way." But I think Shatner might have really arranged for the sound effect to be played only twice, and he just made a blooper and thought there was supposed to be a third one. Either way, he remarked on the audio. Overall I thought the whole experience was great. I have been to conventions and these type of events are pretty much the same. They do their best, but you can appreciate they can't possibly provide a First class service for everyone.

I thought the ticket prices were very affordable. £26 - Saturday entry ticket (Included free talks, free exhibitions, free access to see the guests signing away, spacious hall room, very close food outlets, and free wash room facilities.) £26 - Shatner's World Tier 6 (I could see him clearly and heard almost every word.) £11 - DS9 talk (I queued up over an hour before it began, and got a great seat. For £11 it was fantastic value.) £15 - Guest autographs (Most of them were £15 - £20 and you got to meet them and engage in personal conversations with them and shake their hands or even hug them. I spent hundreds to see the Queen appear at the palace balcony and others had spent thousands, and sometimes the crowds are so big you can't see her at all as you are so far back in the crowd, and this can be said for many celebrity events. So there I was meeting the guests in person, and we're talking to each other so friendly, shaking hands and giving us hugs. The experience is so memorable. Spending £15 - £20 to have direct contact is fantastic. I think Shatner's autograph was around £50 but I can understand his importance in the show. At DSTL 2012 I only got a glimpse of William Shatner in the distance because there was so much security and there were many dividers and wall partitions put in place. The great thing at this convention was, there were no dividers so you could see the guests very easily signing away and appearing on the bridge photo shoots. I saw Shatner so often that I rarely used my camera at all because I had grown accustom to seeing him and the guests so freely about the hall. If there was one downside it was that it made 'the moment' of seeing them less special because we got to see them so often about the place.) £5 - Vendors. True there were very few of them but from what I saw the items for sale were not expensive. I was tempted to buy several things, not because I wanted them, but simply because they were going cheap and I was looking for a souvenir. I saw vintage toy figures going for just £5 and I knew I could buy some and sell them on ebay at a profit. Overall I thought the prices were affordable and pretty much like most other conventions. For me it is a once-a-year event so I am concentrating far more on meeting the guests. The event was good, but not great. I think when we experience a past convention that was great, everything else afterwards is judged to be better or worse and is rarely judged on its own merit. I'm sure many saw the event as the best ever.

The guy sitting next to me was filming most of it. Other people were filming as well. Might see it on social media soon.

The guy asked her if she felt comfortable about kissing another woman which many in the audience found to be rather insulting. Imagine someone asking William Shatner today if he felt comfortable kissing a black woman. Terry's answer was incredible. She was asked twice not to answer the question, but she stood up and demanded to answer it. She spoke from the heart and her voice was almost breaking with emotion. The audience cheered and I found a new respect for Terry. She is a strong person in body, mind, and emotion. I later thanked her when I got her autograph. It was hilarious during the DS9 talk because she dropped the F-bomb and when Garrett Wang told her off, she looked at us, and looked at him, and just said a string of F-bombs one after the other and the audience roared with laughter. Fantastic guest. Terry was the best.

DSTE - Saturday - 3.00pm Congratulations once again for another great show. Had a fantastic time. I bought a day ticket for Saturday and got into the main hall for 9.10am. I immediately went to the Voyager Stage which was already quickly filling up. Got a great seat near the front with a clear view from the aisle. Terry and Nicole are brilliant speakers. That was quite a powerful moment when Terry stood up and gave that guy his answer and boy did she give it! Her answer was given with such emotion that it duly received a roar of applause, and the day's show had just started! Nicole arrived a few minutes late and had to sneak onto the stage with great laughter. She was genuinely thoughtful and sympathetic because her opening comments were not about herself or the other guests, she instead first brought our attention to the fact that the people sitting in the back rows could not hear what was being said on the stage due to a problem I think with the microphone and the general ambiance of the hall as thousands of people were coming in. Full marks for Terry and Nicole. That was a great talk and a great feeling to start the day! A quick tour around the hall to familiarise the layout and eating arrangements, and then I was off to get some autographs. Wonderful chatting with Christopher Lloyd as he signed my photo from BTTF. I then showed him some photos that were taken in Belfast earlier this year when I photographed 70 Deloreans parked outside the Titanic museum. He was immediately impressed and gasped "Wow!" I joked and said it would be awesome if someone had opened the top floor window of the museum, looked down and yelled "Great Scott!!" Chatted a bit more and then he shook my hand. A true gentleman and charming to speak to. Also got to see William Shatner up close as he was signing autographs beside Christopher. I met Nicole next and as she was signing her autograph, I just had to say it - "You certainly know how to make an entrance." She laughed and said why she was late, and when she heard my accent we talked about my home town and the hope of attending a convention there one day and asked for tips on getting around. I also said she looks younger now than she did in the show and then I sang to her - "You must have been a beautiful baby, 'cause darling look at you now!" - just had to say it. Next I met Gates McFadden. This was interesting because I showed her two photos (one from Star Trek and the other from Marker (post Star Trek series) and I asked her politely if she could sign the one she liked the most. She surprised me and chose the picture that was from Marker and her answer was "My hair was nicer and I was happier then". I admit I was not expecting her to say that because she was (and still is) one of my favourite characters from TNG. We chatted a bit more and off I went. It was a different experience compared to the other guests I met. I then went to the Excelsior stage and watched the Kirk=o=oke. Most of the seats were filled, so I stood at the back. When it started a number of people got up and left, which I thought was strange because - what were they expecting to happen? I thought it was a laugh, and the singing Borg should have won :) I then joined the queue to see the DS9 talk at the Enterprise stage. I was among the first in the queue and waited over an hour as the previous talk with George Takei was delayed by half an hour which meant the DS9 talk would also be delayed. I got a seat about 5 rows from the front. It was great to see the cast so friendly to each other and having a genuine good time up there. Everyone hugging and harmlessly flirting on stage and having a good laugh about their days on DS9 and of course hosted by the marvellous Garratt Wang. I heard the people next to me saying it was one of the best guest talks they had ever attended at a convention. I went back to the Voyager stage and watched a great talk by former astronaut Colonel Worden. The seating was packed and I sat nearer the back this time, but his voice was coming in loud and clear as by now most of us had become accustomed to the background ambient noise and had mentally tuned it out. I left half way through the talk because I still wanted to get Terry's autograph. It was now after 5pm and her queue was still very long and every time I checked it rarely seemed to move. I went back to the Voyager stage and listened to Colonel Worden conclude his talk, which was very good and informative. I then walked around the stalls and returned to Terry's autograph queue. On my way there I saw William Shatner doing his bridge photoshoots everyone massed together in the hall around him and holding their cameras in the air. A person in the crew said my ticket for Terry's autograph should now get priority over many other's as I had got the ticket about 3 hours earlier and I was taken close to the front, with about 60 people behind me and about 9 in front. It was now 5.30pm and I knew Terry would not have time to get to us all. A couple of people with Commander's tickets were now put at the front. I wasn't too bothered because during that wait I had a fantastic view of Alexander Siddig and watched him sign away and he was so cheerful and friendly to everyone. When a mother brought her young child towards him. Alex crouched down eye level with the kid and behaved like a loving parent would do. It was wonderful to see this man behave genuinely with goodness and gratitude to all those people. Terry was just the same. Giving big warm friendly hugs and engaging in full conversations with genuine thanks and happiness all around. When it was my turn I thanked her on her stage talks and how "You are a great speaker" and then I said "I don't know how you do it. It's after 5.30pm and you've still got the energy to keep going, and you're still smiling! I know I couldn't do it." She laughed and said her fans give her the energy to keep going and how for many of them this could be the last time she will get to meet them and said it was the least she could do and wanted to show her support and thanks to as many as she could and sign as many autographs as possible while almost everyone else had been packing up or had already left. What a woman! Terry and Alexander were signing away right up to 6.00pm when I left the hall. Two people I now hold with great respect as genuine good people. I left the hall just after 6pm and grabbed a snack before 'Shatner's World' began at 7pm. The queue was huge. My ticket was for Tier 6 so I wasn't fussy about my position in the queue because I was only too glad just to get a seat and rest my feet for a while. I got an aisle seat and I could clearly see William Shatner on the stage. There was a considerable echo effect but this went away as I gradually tuned it out and focused on what he was saying, and I could hear almost every word and had a good laugh. Other people were laughing near the back, but not many. About half way through the show people started to get up and leave and some of them were near the front, so they must have spent quite a few quid on their tickets and yet here they were getting up and leaving. I figured they were going to attend the party at the Hilton Metropole which had already started by then. I thought it was good and there were some brilliantly funny moments that made me laugh hours later. I thought my overall experiences at DSTE on Saturday were excellent, and the crew did a fantastic job. I have to admit my experiences at DSTL 2012 were much better as the location and professionalism of that event was handled slightly better, but that was in London after all, and that was my first Star Trek convention. Overall I give DSTE a 7.5/10 score.

I rang the NEC. They said it costs £1 per item and they accept coats, bags, luggage (big and small), and baby prams. They said the cloakroom is open for service during each day's event and will stay open up to 30 minutes after each day's event. I asked them about Saturday's timetable because the venue is over at 6pm but I am staying to see 'Shatner's World' which is kind of separate and will be over around 9pm. They said the cloakroom service usually covers the day's venue and likely would close around 6:30pm after the venue is over. She wasn't sure if the cloakroom would still be open at 9pm after 'Shatner's World'.

Will contact them tomorrow and get all the details (times, prices, luggage sizes etc). Cloakroom and entrance to Hall 4. .

I guess it comes down to maximum hall capacity. I have been to places where they have exceeded the limit and people have been asked to wait in a queue outside the hall until some people inside have left the venue. Do they have this kind of arrangement for this venue? Although I think the hall will be big enough for everyone. Are they expecting thousands or tens of thousands?

Thanks again. You provide absolutely First Class customer service.

Thanks. I noticed the venue closes at 6pm but 'Shatner's World' starts an hour later at 7pm. Wonder if ticket holders will be allowed to stay the extra hour? Might be a great opportunity to speak to the guests before they leave.

Thanks. I will try to see them before or after lunch. I think the venue on Saturday ends at 6pm. Will they be signing autographs up to 6pm?

Do the guests leave for lunch together at a set time or at their own convenience? My window to get autographs will be around 1pm and I'm guessing many of the guests will be away for lunch around that time. Does anyone know roughly how long they might take for lunch? e.g. 10 minutes - 1 hour?