wjbleming Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 8 minutes ago, natedammit said: I'd like to officially complain about the above post. Denied Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedammit Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 27 minutes ago, wjbleming said: Denied You don't have the authoritaah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 Alright Sherriff Cartman. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) My musings on Saturday... Priority v General Entry: You coordinated photoshoots so those taking place before 11am were early batch numbers and had secondary slots after general entry. However you didn't given the same consideration to those who may have come to see a particular guest talk. Priority entry time before 11am should be dedicated to activities for those with diamond packages, talks/photo ops etc. Free talks should be prioritised after general entry, so majority have more options to choose from. Example here being the Star Trek talk at 9:30am on Saturday, which I missed as I only had general entry. Photoshoot C: Seemed odd it started so late (had to hang around for my photos until right at the end and was rushing around to try and get them signed afterwards). Would cover more bases going forwards if you had all photoshoots ending half an hour before closing time (as you did with A & B on Saturday, that way: if there are any printing/technical issues it can impact on visitor's ability to collect in time before leaving, especially if only there for one day (this happened at another con in London only a week earlier). despite the best intentions and planning, not everyone is able to stay until the official closing time. If everyone were to arrive and leave at exactly the same time it would be carnage. if you allow half an hour at the end of each day, guests can at least conclude long physically and mentally exhausting days for them sitting down together (unless they're on a stage talk obvs). for those who had photo ops and wish to get them signed by the guest there is a sufficient minimum window where they know most guests will be available after a shoot, especially if they're only visiting for a day. On the positives, despite only going to meet Nana Visitor and Jeffrey Combs: Both were absolutely delightful to talk to Really enjoyed the Dean Cain/Helen Slater, Robert Patrick and Game of Thrones talks Food area had excellent (if pricey) options - my deep fried goldfish and chips was very tasty! More seating options than previous events Decent gaming area (enjoyed my VR headset experience despite my left eye struggled to focus on it) Dealer area was fab. Great range of stuff even though I didn't buy anything - took a good 90 minutes to even scan look around Fantastically helpful staff and volunteers as always. Really enjoyed myself, good event (well done all). Edited June 8, 2017 by robmoriarty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Problem is Rob it's always been said that activities happen from open to close so if people buy a general ticket it's a risk the purchaser assumes, any system always disadvantages someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedammit Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 17 minutes ago, robmoriarty said: Priority v General Entry: You coordinated photoshoots so those taking place before 11am were early batch numbers and had secondary slots after general entry. However you didn't given the same consideration to those who may have come to see a particular guest talk. Priority entry time before 11am should be dedicated to activities for those with diamond packages, talks/photo ops etc. Free talks should be prioritised after general entry, so majority have more options to choose from. Example here being the Star Trek talk at 9:30am on Saturday, which I missed as I only had general entry. I respectfully disagree with this - people who have paid for talks or diamond passes including them may not be able to get to the venue before 11 and as they've paid sometimes a lot of money, I think it's fair they get priority over the free talks. I agree it would be nice if all photoshoots were done by 5:30 wherever possible, but looking at the schedule, you got really unlucky that the two guests you wanted were the last two done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Raylenth said: Problem is Rob it's always been said that activities happen from open to close so if people buy a general ticket it's a risk the purchaser assumes, any system always disadvantages someone. Yes, I understand that although no literature before the event made it clear that possibility might happen - could be worth clarifying in future. Was there any particular reason why photo shoot C could not start half an hour earlier? Looking at the schedule I can't see where it would've clashed with anything, and it was managed for the Sunday plan. I know it won't suit everyone yes, hence my comment it would "cover more bases" - more, not all. 9 minutes ago, natedammit said: I respectfully disagree with this - people who have paid for talks or diamond passes including them may not be able to get to the venue before 11 and as they've paid sometimes a lot of money, I think it's fair they get priority over the free talks. You can still end up paying a lot of money even with general entry! Edited June 8, 2017 by robmoriarty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iceman71 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 On Tuesday, June 06, 2017 at 5:30 PM, etmuse said: The scanners would indeed prevent this, until loading for general entry started they would flag up an error if anyone attempted to enter with a general entry ticket. (Anyone in this situation would then be told to either wait for general entry or were directed to the pay on the day line to pay to upgrade.) When I got there at about 10.20 am on the Saturday there was nobody scanning entry tickets so you could just walk in. Went through the bag check area and was told what direction for early entry and nobody was there to scan my ticket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 6 minutes ago, robmoriarty said: Yes, I understand that although no literature before the event made it clear that possibility might happen - could be worth clarifying in future. I get where you are coming from Rob but the show opening times are there, I don't know how much more info people expect to get? If you see the show is open from 9 to 6 a purchaser would expect activities to take place between those times. The T's & C's of the afternoon entry tickets for LFCC clearly say activities take place before that so be aware if buying talk/photo tickets they might not be suitable - I can't check the C24 terms as the shop is obviously closed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen_Sindel Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 2 minutes ago, Raylenth said: I get where you are coming from Rob but the show opening times are there, I don't know how much more info people expect to get? If you see the show is open from 9 to 6 a purchaser would expect activities to take place between those times. The T's & C's of the afternoon entry tickets for LFCC clearly say activities take place before that so be aware if buying talk/photo tickets they might not be suitable - I can't check the C24 terms as the shop is obviously closed. There were no afternoon tickets for C24 anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Raylenth said: I get where you are coming from Rob but the show opening times are there, I don't know how much more info people expect to get? If you see the show is open from 9 to 6 a purchaser would expect activities to take place between those times. The T's & C's of the afternoon entry tickets for LFCC clearly say activities take place before that so be aware if buying talk/photo tickets they might not be suitable - I can't check the C24 terms as the shop is obviously closed. It said "We do not take responsibility for any missed activities due to not being present for the full duration of the event." - yes it's there, but it could clarify better. For LFCC you are right it does say "Please be aware that photo shoots and talks can and will take place before 12pm, so if you have bought photo shoots, talks or a Diamond pass it is not advisable that you buy this afternoon entry ticket." - This level of transparency would be far better at all events in future. Edited June 8, 2017 by robmoriarty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 24 minutes ago, Queen_Sindel said: There were no afternoon tickets for C24 anyway. No, I know, I was just using that one as comparison as the closest I could find at the time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 56 minutes ago, robmoriarty said: Yes, I understand that although no literature before the event made it clear that possibility might happen - could be worth clarifying in future. Was there any particular reason why photo shoot C could not start half an hour earlier? Looking at the schedule I can't see where it would've clashed with anything, and it was managed for the Sunday plan. I know it won't suit everyone yes, hence my comment it would "cover more bases" - more, not all. You can still end up paying a lot of money even with general entry! Hey Rob... Can i call you Rob? I just wanted to ask did you actually have a good time? Your list of critique seems pretty extensive so wanted to check if you actually did enjoy yourself! From what i can make out, aside from missing a talk that was advertised as starting earlier than the entry time the ticket you chose to buy, it seems lile one way or another you achieved everything you wanted? Cons are never perfect... But i think SM overall deserve some thanks for the 99% of the con you managed as you wanted :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) 12 minutes ago, smithy270492 said: Hey Rob... Can i call you Rob? I just wanted to ask did you actually have a good time? Your list of critique seems pretty extensive so wanted to check if you actually did enjoy yourself! From what i can make out, aside from missing a talk that was advertised as starting earlier than the entry time the ticket you chose to buy, it seems lile one way or another you achieved everything you wanted? Cons are never perfect... But i think SM overall deserve some thanks for the 99% of the con you managed as you wanted :) Yes of course smithy270492, I've been called far worse! I did have a good time thank you. I wouldn't call my critique "extensive", I nitpicked on only two points... If you look back over my post history from previous SM events I have been far more critical of those despite enjoying myself at the same time. I always try to give as much balanced feedback where possible. Was simply pointing out things I felt could run better to make the day even more enjoyable, and why I finished with positives rather than just negative moaning and believe these significantly outweighed the negatives this time. The only thing I couldn't achieve was getting my photo with Jeffrey Combs physically signed. I did have two ways around this which was either to photoshop it on afterwards (he signed his autograph separately just in case) which I did, or another attendee kindly offered to get it signed on the Sunday and sent up to me afterwards in the post. The staff at Photoshoot C were fantastic waiting for me to come back from the autograph area before closing the queue off, that attention to detail was greatly appreciated as I mentioned in another topic post on here. It was not intended to be overly negative, more "constructive". I want these events to be successful as they can be for the benefit of everyone involved and attending. Edited June 8, 2017 by robmoriarty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 I did say well done to all involved too, all staff and volunteers (plus you moderators here too) have all been very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 9 minutes ago, robmoriarty said: Yes of course smithy270492, I've been called far worse! I did have a good time thank you. I wouldn't call my critique "extensive", I nitpicked on only two points... If you look back over my post history from previous SM events I have been far more critical of those despite enjoying myself at the same time. I always try to give as much balanced feedback where possible. Was simply pointing out things I felt could run better to make the day even more enjoyable, and why I finished with positives rather than just negative moaning and believe these significantly outweighed the negatives this time. The only thing I couldn't achieve was getting my photo with Jeffrey Combs physically signed. I did have two ways around this which was either to photoshop it on afterwards (he signed his autograph separately just in case) which I did, or another attendee kindly offered to get it signed on the Sunday and sent up to me afterwards in the post. The staff at Photoshoot C were fantastic waiting for me to come back from the autograph area before closing the queue off, that attention to detail was greatly appreciated as I mentioned in another topic post on here. It was not intended to be overly negative, more "constructive". I want these events to be successful as they can be for the benefit of everyone involved and attending. I just wanted to attempt some form of checks and balances... Might i suggest something called a compliment sandwich? Good feedback, criticism then good feedback again... I agree you did give some positive feesback, done in a quick bullet point style in compariaon to your criticism list that has a mini paragraph to each point! Most of your criticisms in my mind seem to easily summed up with "so much to do, so little time". Missing talks due to later entry, rushing between auto and photo areas, not managing an auto on a photo.... I appreciate how saddening it is not being able to fit everything in. But SM has already solved this issue, with early bird passes, gold passes, etc. I strongly recommend perhaps investing in one next time to make your life easier? Would certainly solve most of your personal critiques! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) 15 minutes ago, smithy270492 said: I just wanted to attempt some form of checks and balances... Might i suggest something called a compliment sandwich? Good feedback, criticism then good feedback again... I agree you did give some positive feesback, done in a quick bullet point style in compariaon to your criticism list that has a mini paragraph to each point! Most of your criticisms in my mind seem to easily summed up with "so much to do, so little time". Missing talks due to later entry, rushing between auto and photo areas, not managing an auto on a photo.... I appreciate how saddening it is not being able to fit everything in. But SM has already solved this issue, with early bird passes, gold passes, etc. I strongly recommend perhaps investing in one next time to make your life easier? Would certainly solve most of your personal critiques! The early talk I can live without, would've been nice but I was just making a point more generally. I did look at the early bird/diamond passes etc, both for who I wanted to meet and weighed it up against my experience of prior events where all your staff team have been really helpful for me as a wheelchair user, so I don't need to pay for priority seating or queue access - standard entry is usually more than sufficient for me. As it happened, I had "not a lot to do" until the final rush in the last hour... 9am was just too early an arrival for me this time, as since previous events one of my cats has become diabetic and I could not leave home any earlier - there was no one else to look after him for his regular injection time. I usually do go for the compliment sandwich, however with the points I had felt “well done” at the top would have quickly been forgotten, so wanted to end where it might get remembered more. Different strokes for different folks, each will read it in their own way I guess. I emphasise though: I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will definitely come again... and WELL DONE!! Edited June 8, 2017 by robmoriarty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 5 minutes ago, robmoriarty said: The early talk I can live without, would've been nice but I was just making a point more generally. I did look at the early bird/diamond passes etc, both for who I wanted to meet and weighed it up against my experience of prior events where all your staff team have been really helpful for me as a wheelchair user, so I don't need to pay for priority seating or queue access - standard entry is usually more than sufficient for me. As it happened, I had "not a lot to do" until the final rush in the last hour... 9am was just too early an arrival for me this time, as since previous events one of my cats has become diabetic and I could not leave home any earlier - there was no one else to look after him for his regular injection time. I usually do go for the compliment sandwich, however with the points I had felt “well done” at the top would have quickly been forgotten, so wanted to end where it might get remembered more. Different strokes for different folks, each will read it in their own way I guess. I emphasise though: I thoroughly enjoyed myself and will definitely come again... and WELL DONE!! So what would have been ideal solution for the early talk in your opinion? I cant agree with the idea of making diamond talks happen at that time, as someone pointed out GA buy diamond talks seperately so that would be more unfair than having a free talk happen early? I dont know if there is an ideal solution short ofbjust cutting some talks out to reduce schedule. I would still argue a higher value ticket would have spared you the last hour rush hour i often buy gold pass for events, even when i have no intentuon of getting there early or going in early, just to spare myself the sort of mad rushes you are describing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Just now, smithy270492 said: So what would have been ideal solution for the early talk in your opinion? I cant agree with the idea of making diamond talks happen at that time, as someone pointed out GA buy diamond talks seperately so that would be more unfair than having a free talk happen early? I dont know if there is an ideal solution short ofbjust cutting some talks out to reduce schedule. I would still argue a higher value ticket would have spared you the last hour rush hour i often buy gold pass for events, even when i have no intentuon of getting there early or going in early, just to spare myself the sort of mad rushes you are describing! I don't think it would have spared the rush as i wanted to get them signed afterwards and Jeffrey didn't have time to go back to the autograph area as his shoot finished at closing time. Like I said, the early talk I'm happy to accept missing given Raylenth's comment about the terms and conditions (although they could have been a bit more detailed to provide clarity). I also only went into more detail on the first two points, as in my personal opinion I felt it would be easier to learn from detailed feedback on them rather than just a generalised "the photo area was rubbish" style comment, which is about as useful as a fart in a wind tunnel for any organiser to learn from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 1 minute ago, robmoriarty said: I don't think it would have spared the rush as i wanted to get them signed afterwards and Jeffrey didn't have time to go back to the autograph area as his shoot finished at closing time. Like I said, the early talk I'm happy to accept missing given Raylenth's comment about the terms and conditions (although they could have been a bit more detailed to provide clarity). I also only went into more detail on the first two points, as in my personal opinion I felt it would be easier to learn from detailed feedback on them rather than just a generalised "the photo area was rubbish" style comment, which is about as useful as a fart in a wind tunnel for any organiser to learn from. Very true regarding generic complaint messages! And if T&Cs were ever 100% clear then they wouldnt be T&Cs! I find it harder to believe a higher paying ticket wouldnt have sold your rush? Less queuing time, would have been able to attend earlier photoshoots perhaps that might have spaced things out... Potentially benefits are endless! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedammit Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Smiffy, Rob's photoshoots were for Nana Visitor and Jeffrey Combs which were right at the end of the day. He was very unlucky with the timing and gold pass would not have helped. Usually yes, but not in this situation. Also, dawww, diabetic kitty. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 2 minutes ago, natedammit said: Smiffy, Rob's photoshoots were for Nana Visitor and Jeffrey Combs which were right at the end of the day. He was very unlucky with the timing and gold pass would not have helped. Usually yes, but not in this situation. Also, dawww, diabetic kitty. So they werent prioritising gold pass before GA for the shoot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 (edited) Like I said if there were earlier shoots I'd have gone for or paid for them. Sunday's timetable would've been perfect for me but I'd ironically already paid for a Saturday entry by the time the schedule was released. Usually the timetable works out Okay for me, this time it mostly did. It's fine, I'll live. :) Edited June 8, 2017 by robmoriarty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmoriarty Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 3 minutes ago, smithy270492 said: So they werent prioritising gold pass before GA for the shoot? Wheelchair/extra help users usually get prioritised before general admission, usually amongst gold passes etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 Just now, robmoriarty said: Wheelchair/extra help users usually get prioritised before general admission, usually amongst gold passes etc A good point! I had forgotten about that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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