Jump to content

Group Photo Shoot - Full updated details/answered queries in 1st Post


showmasters
 Share

Recommended Posts

It still seems exceptionally unfair that those of us that can not stay in the Park Inn for valid reasons are being discriminated against. IF there were rooms available to suit everyone, and IF we made an active choice not to stay there, then fair enough, but that really isn't the case.

 

I would love to help them out and stay at the event hotel, and I really want the event to be a success because I love True Blood and hope for another event and the chance to meet more guests from the show in the future. However this has rather soured my anticipation for the event.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 283
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Well I'm sorry Massive Events but I'm absolutely disgusted! At everyone of your events I stay at the con hotel but Northampton ones make it difficult as I can't afford to pay upfront AND buy a ticket for the con! Especially when I do more than one of your events a year. This year in fact iv done/will be doing four! Brilliant way of showing your appreciation to loyal customers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although I have no idea... I'd say it would make sense that the group photoshoots would be available to purchase for those not staying in the Park Inn.

 

Whilst the guests are assembled for the shoot with people wanting to pay for the photo I can't see why not. /

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I'm sure feedback will be taken on board where possible, but I would suggest there's not much point in anyone getting angry.

 

ME have said on a number of occasions that the con hotel does need to be filled as much as possible. This is a good incentive to get those few remaining rooms filled, as well as something nice for those who are already staying there.

 

Obviously there are some circumstances surrounding those who aren't staying there, so perhaps they will be taken on board, but we'll see. I certainly find it difficult paying up front myself, so I do understand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm also annoyed at this, as the only reason I bought a silver ticket was because it also included a group shot, but now that the group shot is being given free it makes the purchase of a silver ticket seem pretty pointless as once you add up the cost of all the photo sessions bought separately we are essentially paying an extra £12 just for seating a few rows in front of normal seating, which maybe in a packed con would be handy, but for what appears to be a small con will make little difference. Next time I will definitely just be getting a standard entry ticket.

Edited by conqueen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a silver ticket was because it also included a group shot, but now that the group shot is being given free

 

er, no - the group shot with a silver ticket is OF the guests not you WITH them!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As Heulwen said, it is of you with the guests, gold and silver get a group shot just of the guests, not them with them.

 

As David mentioned, This hasnt been offered at cons for a while, so it is definitely a good thing to be offered.

 

This is what showmasters said:

 

free, group photo shoot with all the guests attending!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do feel it discriminates against people who can't fork out nearly £200 upfront, I live on £20 a week (that includes my bus fares to work and food) to be able to afford these things which are the only things in the year I have to look forward to. I have recently had a major operation and am having to pay £22 every 2 weeks for prescriptions, I've only just got enough to pay for the Hotel at Bitten - I'm just glad I managed to get a room mate as I'd be very stuck for any sort of spending money. I'll even be bringing my own food and drink as I won't be able to eat out.

 

I have to work out my money like a year in advance if I want to go to a convention, say for example I pay for the ticket in March, I pay for the train in April and the Convention is in May so pay for the Hotel then, doing 2 very large payments in one go is just not logical and just not do-able!

 

Please ME rethink your reasoning on this, it would be better recieved if everyone in the Park Inn and any Gold or Silver not in the Park Inn be given the Photo Shoots and you'll probably be highly praised for it instead of making a lot over people extreaml upset...Thank you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I bought a silver ticket was because it also included a group shot, but now that the group shot is being given free

 

er, no - the group shot with a silver ticket is OF the guests not you WITH them!!!

 

The wording "1 exclusive convention photo featuring all of the guests attending" to me certainly made it sound like a photo session with the guests to me, even those I booked with looked at this and thought that is what it meant. I would therefore suggest the wording be clearer. Maybe substituting the word photo with print. Cons are a lot of money these days and you want to make sure you get the best value you can, and for me having a silver ticket I do not feel like I am getting value for money over a standard ticket, but I may be going slightly off topic now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Nixster. Isnt that a little unfair ? We cant stay at the Park Inn as we couldnt afford it so had to book slightly out of town so we could afford it. Yet we still booked for the event and are still coming in full force, we even helped promote where we could to help ticket sales. Its slightly unfair to just let people at the Park Inn have the photo dont you think? Some of us are on budgets and are trying to still attend and support ME/SM.

Yes its ideal to stay at the hotel where the event is but sometimes this is not possible. The events cost us all enough as it is what with travel, drinks, food and photos etc. This is a kick in the teeth for non Park Inn attendees and I shall not book again with SM after this year based on this sadly :lol:

Edited by Blackviolett
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In my opinion the hotel would of been fully booked if they had not done the pay up front, thats what puts people off, I certainly wouldnt of done it, but i was lucky and booked the rooms last october before massive events block booked all the rooms. Sure I pay a little bit more but it was defiently worth the hassle.

 

But now I am wondering if the people I booked the rooms for an myself will still be included in the free group photos as we didnt book the hotel stating massive events.

 

I do hope we all still get them.

 

amanda

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am sure when Mark announced this he had no idea it opened a can of worms so to speak.

The con has lower ticket sales as per an earlier thread ,so this has maybe been seen as a way to both boost sales and get the hotel sold out .

I am not sure if it is actually a photo with the guests and attendee or just the photo already given to gold/silver ticket holders of the guests only , so guess that may need to be clarified too.

Mark will possibly be sitting with his head in hands now, wondering why he bothered :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I am not sure if it is actually a photo with the guests

It does say 'with' the guests in the first post :lol:

 

But yes it is a shame that ME have tried to do something nice for people and it has ended up like this :D

Edited by DavidB
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not sure if it is actually a photo with the guests

It does say 'with' the guests in the first post :lol:

 

But yes it is a shame that ME have tried to do something nice for people and it has ended up like this :D

 

I did see the bit "with guests" but just wondered if typed as such in error but am sure you are right David.

 

I am also sure that Gold holders will possibly see it as a right , as in the past for them to have it included so think that needs to be thought about too, and as I also said ,poor Mark, he must be wondering why he bothered.

 

 

Interesting way to put it. They tried to do something nice for just a subset of attendees, surely they must have realised that was going to cause an awful lot of bad feeling from those excluded?

 

 

I do not think for one minute Mark intended to cause such a bad feeling.

I am sure the cost to ME to run events in con hotels also depends on filling the rooms at an agreed rate and any shortfall is picked up by ME.

I am sure it was seen as a way to boost sales and sell out the hotel and maybe made in haste without thinking of this backlash.

It is just a shame it is seen this way but do understand frustrations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not sure if it is actually a photo with the guests

It does say 'with' the guests in the first post :lol:

 

But yes it is a shame that ME have tried to do something nice for people and it has ended up like this :D

 

 

I totally agree with you DavidB, they HAVE tried to something nice which was very generous but its upset people who wont be included through no fault of their own apart from being short on cash and not able to stay at the hotel in question. Im quite upset about it but Im sure we will cope and just have a good time anyway. Its just a real shame as we have all paid the same for event tickets and will all spend at the event but this has just made people feel isolated from others who are getting a special treat that they are not :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand where you are coming from, I really do, but at the end of the day, they were just trying to do something nice for those paying (often extra) to stay at the con hotel.

 

I dont even know if I can afford to go to this at all yet, but I just know thats the way it is. I certainly wont begrudge you guys having an awesome time

 

But, if we feel that we are missing out from not getting a group shot because we stay in the con hotel, does that also mean that people should feel that they are missing out because they bought standard instead of gold etc.

 

We can all only do what we can afford, a horrible and depressing thought, but its true, thats the main reason I dont go to a con, just because I cant afford it. Just makes me look forward to the next one. :D

 

 

Sorry you are upset guys, all I can say is that Massive Events do read the forum, and I am sure they are taking on board what you are saying. They are trying to make it a really good convention for you, and that is why they did this. I certainly don't think they were trying to exclude people. :lol:

 

People have expressed their opinion, but I dont think it is going to help anything by getting angry or upset, just let them read the comments you have already made, I am sure they know how you feel now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting way to put it. They tried to do something nice for just a subset of attendees, surely they must have realised that was going to cause an awful lot of bad feeling from those excluded?

 

I tried to book there, admittedly I didn’t ring with any reference to the convention I just tried to book online via their website and was told it was fully booked, I think I tried to book online on more than a few occasions in case rooms had become available, in the end I found the place we have now. I think this is incredibly unfair to those not staying there; all this does in my opinion is annoy and alienate people who have already spent a lot of money and were intending to spend a lot more. surly a raffle or something to that effect would have been a far better idea and given everyone a equal chance and lead to more excitement not disappointment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting way to put it. They tried to do something nice for just a subset of attendees, surely they must have realised that was going to cause an awful lot of bad feeling from those excluded?

 

I tried to book there, admittedly I didn’t ring with any reference to the convention I just tried to book online via their website and was told it was fully booked, I think I tried to book online on more than a few occasions in case rooms had become available, in the end I found the place we have now. I think this is incredibly unfair to those not staying there; all this does in my opinion is annoy and alienate people who have already spent a lot of money and were intending to spend a lot more. surly a raffle or something to that effect would have been a far better idea and given everyone a equal chance and lead to more excitement not disappointment.

 

 

I agree, I booked the IBIS back in December 2009 as the Park Inn website said it was booked up. I have paid £195 for a gold ticket and now Show Masters say I am not getting the premium service I paid for?? I have friends coming thousands of miles for this event from various countries and we have planned this for 7 months. I am not impressed with this change at all and I want the "includes all of the above" package that I was told I was getting. Otherwise I could have paid for the park-inn, paid for separate photos and it would have actually cost less than the gold!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I am not impressed with this change at all and I want the "includes all of the above" package that I was told I was getting. Otherwise I could have paid for the park-inn, paid for separate photos and it would have actually cost less than the gold!!!

Sorry but I can't agree with anyone who is claiming that they won't get what they paid for. You will.

 

This is simply something that Massive Events have decided to do as an extra. If they decide to extend it to all attendees then that's great, but if not then it's still a very nice thing to do and some people will be lucky :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok I heard about this earlier from Steph and I just want to say this is totally unfair and very selfish of SM.

I want to start off by saying I have gold tickets for 4 events this year, had 3 last year and 2 the year before and the last few events havent had the group shoots which is fair enough but know to find out they are doing it but not for people who arent staying at the park inn how can you do that?!

 

every con I have been to I have stayed at the hotel where the event has been but this year due to me having to go part time at work due to medical reasons I simpley couldnt afford to pay up front so now I feel we are being punished.

 

most of us cant cancel our rooms now without them still charging us, I can understand doing something nice for the people satying there but to make this fair surely it should have been said when tickets went on sale and people started booking their hotels and not just added weeks before the con?!

 

I'm really upset with SM and lost abit of respect for them here, in the past when they have said at ET evets people staying at the hotel will get a little extra something we never had, this has really let me down and not to sound immature but is gonna put a downer on my weekend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not impressed with this change at all and I want the "includes all of the above" package that I was told I was getting. Otherwise I could have paid for the park-inn, paid for separate photos and it would have actually cost less than the gold!!!

Sorry but I can't agree with anyone who is claiming that they won't get what they paid for. You will.

 

This is simply something that Massive Events have decided to do as an extra. If they decide to extend it to all attendees then that's great, but if not then it's still a very nice thing to do and some people will be lucky :D

 

I disagree, why pay for "everything" and not get it? If its "something nice" as everyone keeps quoting then it should be "something nice" for everyone. I have paid for "something nice" by paying top dollar for this event and now I am being penalised because the Park Inn cannot get its room availability sorted.

Edited by billturnedmestraight
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

I disagree, why pay for "everything" and not get it? If its "something nice" as everyone keeps quoting then it should be "something nice" for everyone. I have paid for "something nice" by paying to top dollar for this event and now I am being penalised because the Park Inn cannot get its room availability sorted.

Well we'll have to agree to disagree. I can completely understand the frustration from some people that they won't be getting the group shot, however that is not the same as not getting what you paid for. You are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are still getting the package as advertised on the website.

The Group Shot was not offered with any package before. So I'm afraid I'll have to join the "agree to disagree" club too.

 

I agree, I booked the IBIS back in December 2009 as the Park Inn website said it was booked up. I have paid £195 for a gold ticket and now Show Masters say I am not getting the premium service I paid for?? I

 

The Park Inn website will always show that the hotel is sold out for the event because ME are blocking the rooms. It's the same for pretty much all conventions but the ones in the Hilton in Birmingham, the Hilton being the exception because it's a much larger hotel.

 

The Bitten website says under venue that you need to call the hotel to book a room, and in October they definitely should still have had rooms available.

 

I'm really sorry for this misunderstanding.

Edited by Queen_Sindel
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...