Steve B

Hi, I'm not sure whether this is the best place for this but I guess an Admin will move or delete it if it isn't! We were first-time LFCC attendees this year (although we've been to several other Cons) and had a 3 day pass for the event. Overall, we had a brilliant time and massive thanks & congrats ned to go to all the volunteers - they were incredible and all deserve medals! However, as with every event, there were things that didn’t go so well or seemed odd and opportunities that I thought were missed so I thought I’d post some feedback here: 1. Queue management. General entry queue management seemed really bad, especially on Saturday. Why didn’t people who had already queued up and got wristbands / passes on Friday have a separate / fast-track entry line for subsequent days? Why wasn’t the enormous entry hall space used for queueing instead of having everyone standing outside round the block? (By the way, letting people move forward in groups just allowed LOTS of folks who weren’t in the queue to just walk down the street and cut the line closer to the entrance). Signage for where the entrance was / where the queue started was also poor / non-existent. The queue for on-the-day purchases from the Showmasters desk was also incredibly long and slow – it looked like there just weren’t enough staff assigned to man it so the throughput was really low. It was also unclear (to LFCC newbies like us) what could be paid for in the lines (e.g. autographs) and what had to be pre-bought at the desk. The re-entry process (for those who went outside for a cigarette) was bizarre. Why force people who have had their hand stamped to walk round the building to join the main queue again instead of letting them back in via the door they just used to pop out for a cigarette? Seems pointless & unnecessary. 2. Photo opps. How batches and queue ticket numbers worked seemed really inconsistent & confusing – some photos were done by batch number, others weren’t (or batches / ticket numbers weren’t used) and there seemed to be no logic to it. A bit of clarity & consistency would be helpful in future. The process for failed photos was also a mess – I saw several people miss out on their photo because the celeb had gone by the time they were sent back for a second go after there was a problem with their original picture. Maybe the celebs shouldn’t be ushered away until everyone who paid for a photo has got one that’s actually ok? I also saw some people miss out on photos because the celeb had gone by the time they turned up (even though the schedule showed that the shoot was due to have been still going on for a further 15 or 30 mins). Surely if the photo shoot is due to run from 5 - 6, someone turning up at 5:30 shouldn't be told, 'Sorry, you're too late'. 3. Autographs The process for getting autographs (& photos or selfies) was pretty haphazard with some celebs being told by event staff that they couldn’t get up & pose whilst others were allowed to do whatever they wanted. In addition, despite the fact that the LFCC site states “We will not add any extra restrictions on taking photos whilst queuing or at their autograph table simply due to the photo shoot” people were being told by staff that photos weren’t allowed. Better staff briefing required? 4. Food & drink prices Could someone please have a word with the food vendors in the venue? Not because prices were high (we expect that) but because they seemed completely random. Over the course of the weekend, I bought several pints of cider from the same food kiosk. On Friday, I was charged £4:90, on Saturday morning, I was charged £4:50 and early on Saturday afternoon I was charged £5:00. All for the same drink from the same place. Seems odd, to say the least. 5. Why no ‘official’ parties? I asked this question of other Con-goers before the event & was told ‘because it’s all about the photos & autos’. But that’s the same at ALL Cons. So, is there any reason why there aren’t any official evening events (i.e. parties) after the Con has closed for the day? Pretty much every other Con I’ve attended has parties of some description in the venue, or in a ‘host’ hotel (or nearby), where Con attendees can gather to have a few drinks, dance & have a good time. They are always incredibly popular and are lots of fun and it feels like LFCC is really missing a trick here by not having any. Thanks & keep up the good work!

As the 'something old..' rhyme refers to wedding traditions, we could be looking at Princess Bride guests...

I think it depends on the celeb as well as the prop - I politely asked Shatner if he would hold my Tribble (stop giggling at the back! ) and he just said 'No, you hold it'...

Ah ok, thanks. Not sure I understand the rationale - Destination Star Trek (at the NEC) was also about photo shoots, guest appearances, autographs & talks but still managed to organise two official parties - they just hosted them offsite in a nearby hotel. But it is what it is, I guess. :)

My Name That I Respond To IRL: Steve My Rough Age: 35 plus or minus 10-20 years. Is that rough enough? My Main Fandoms: LoTR, Star Wars, Dr Who, Star Trek, GoT, Marvel Most People Love This Fandom But I Strongly Dislike: None. Favourite Guest I've So Far Met: Jason Isaacs Biggest Name Guest I've So Far Met: William Shatner Ultimate Dream Guest I'd Love To Meet: Ian McKellen &/or Patrick Stewart However A More Realistic Dream Guest Would Be:Tom Baker I Plan To Be At LFCC 2017 On These Days: Friday p.m. to Sunday p.m. I Will Most Likely Be Wearing: Geek t-shirts or cosplays: 4th Doctor, Jedi, 'Portly Spock' (you'll know me when you see me - I'll be with 'Chunky Kirk'!) As Well As The Guests, I Will Also Be Attending To: Geek out, stroll around the halls in cosplay (or 'Geek civvies') soaking up the atmosphere & feeling at home with 'my people,' buy overpriced / rare merch, drink, party & eat junk food Favourite Colour: Black Favourite Movie: LoTR trilogy Favourite Food: Chinese Favourite Book: Silmarillion Favourite Series Of Books: LoTR trilogy Favourite Video Game:Mass Effect series (except the original ending of ME3 - don't go there, please, I'm only just out of therapy) Favourite Item Of Merchandise: A tie between my Illuminating Gandalf Staff and my Remote Control ToS Phaser Prop Favourite Person With The Screen Name "Stenun" Who Started This Thread: I'll get back to you on that - I need to think about it Other Information About Me That I Want To Mention: Hello to Jason Isaacs! Other Information About Me That I Don't Want To Mention: Why spoil the surprise?

Hi all, Apologies if this is a noob / old / boring question but I'm new to the forum (& to LFCC). I have been to several other Cons (another event, Destination Star Trek etc) and at all of them there have been parties of some sort, either in the Con venue as part of the event, or hosted off-site, after the Con halls have closed for the day. After searching online the only after-hours party of any sort that I can find at LFCC is the forum members' get-together & geek-off quiz in the pub. Am I missing something or is that the only one? Thanks, Steve