Stenun

Assuming it's a replica, are we going to be able to pose for photos in it?

Yes, I know. That's why I was asking who was planned at this time to be a VQ guest. I said above that I know that it can change on the day but I was asking about who they are printing up books for and expecting to be VQ. :-)

Er ... http://showmastersonline.com/forums/index.php?/topic/93519-guest-days-prices-collectormania-24/

Given Marc Warren is only £10, I was surprised to see you list him as potentially VQ.

What I meant with me opening line was that the standard response when asked "who will be on VQ" is that Showmasters don't know until the day itself. But there is a difference between not knowing for sure and knowing who you are printing tickets for, etc. I know sometimes a guest goes on VQ who was never expected to which is why you never give a firm answer as to who will DEFINITELY be on VQ; but that is a different question from who you EXPECT to be on VQ. See my point? :-) Anyway, was not expecting at least one of those you mentioned, Queen, so that has helped; thank you.

I know that Showmasters always say they can never tell which guests will be on VQ systems but maybe you could tell us which you are planning to have on a VQ system? I mean, the books of tickets you print out don't happen instantly so you must have some idea about which guests you think will need one. Knowing in advance who to expect on a VQ system makes it easier for the punters to no who to head for first. After all, it's always said that one person's idea of a "Big Guest" will not be the same as everyone else's so it's never as simple as "head to the bigger guests first" - bigger guests according to whom? So anyway, knowing who is likely to be VQ will make it easier for some - myself included! :-)

So what can Showmasters tell us about Peter Beardsley's new comic? :-D http://www.collectormania.com/birmingham/index.php/allguests/comics

Given that Benjamin Hartley has now cancelled and so there is no longer going to be a double-shoot, is there a chance of Zarene getting her own photo shoot?

How come Michael Shanks is coming but his wife, Lexa Doig, isn't? She'd be a very welcome addition to the guest list!

"Important". That's a very curious word to use. What would make a guest "important"? We've had dozens of guest announcement hype threads and hundreds of guests announced in the past; none of them have been classified as "important" before. I find this a most peculiar usage of the word. How can one guest be "important" to the event?

When Showmasters makes a new Cosplay Guest Announcement thread, I was wondering if it would be possible to include a link or two to their social media site as well as the pic and bio of them? It would make it a lot easier for those of us who don't yet know the person concerned and are interested to find out more. :-)

4 times out of 5, the only photoshoots that are scheduled for before the Standard Entry time are ones that have a second photoshoot later in the day. If you have a photoshoot at 10 or just after and there is no later shoot, print out your ticket and when it gets to 9:58 you can try waving it at people manning the doors and give them your most charming smile. They might squeeze you into the event bang on 10 if they can.

The best prep you can do is start making a list of things to do between now and then and things to take with you. Start the list now and add to it every time you think of something new. Then, a week to ten days before the event, start working through the list. For example, off the top of my head, my list would be: Camera, make sure all three battery packs are charged; Phone, make sure the phone power pack is charged; Cash, do NOT rely on cash machines at the venue; Items to get signed, some DVD covers but otherwise I'm relying on the pics provided by Showmasters; Props for photoshoots, some action figures and a prop replica; Photoshoot timetable, up on the forum about a week before the event, I'll print it out and highlight the ones that apply to me. etc. As for your other questions: No, you don't need to pre-order autographs, in fact you can't pre-order them you can only get them at the event. The photoshoot timetable will, as previously mentioned, be published on the forum a week before the event. All that happens in a photoshoot is that you join the queue when your batch number is called, when you get to the front of the queue you smile, shake hands, pose for a photo, off you go, wait a minute, pick up your photo, leave. :-)

One of the nicest guests I've ever met and I'm not even a Game Of Thrones fan. :-)

*coughs extremely loudly in order to get someone's attention* AHEM!! Sorry for distracting you, it's just that Emily Beecham - star of Into The Badlands & 28 Weeks Later and with guest roles in Merlin and The Musketeers - tweeted this: https://twitter.com/Emily_Beecham/status/856596705915146240