10 replies to this topic

[wyrdsister]

Hello all,

I’ve not long come back from C4, and like many people, I am fairly annoyed at the way in which the whole Lord of the Rings signings were organised.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting to turn up, queue for five minutes and go home with a signed cast photo. I realise that these gentlemen’s planned visit was cut short by two days due to unforeseen contractual obligations. As a fan I can’t complain about the effort put in by the guests to be at the event at all. This is a major guest line-up from possibly the biggest cinematic event of the moment. I completely appreciate that it would be very busy. I completely expected not to be able to get all the guests signatures.

What I did not expect was to learn that not only were all the tickets taken when I got there, they had all gone well before opening time. It’s all very well saying that my partner and I should have come at the crack of dawn, but what must be said is that there are people out there, like myself, who were still working in the early hours of Sunday morning and who can’t show up at six am because of the considerable distance I have to travel to get to MK.

A fair few people (including a Showmasters representative) have put forward the idea that due to the numbers of fan already queuing at the Centre, I wouldn’t have had a ticket anyway. That may be true, but at least I would have had a fair crack at getting one. At that stage, if you miss out, it’s bad luck, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles as they say, but I didn’t get the option.

I keep reading that I should be grateful to Showmasters for bringing theses guests over here. Ok, I appreciate the effort that was made by the organisers to secure such prominent guests for us to see, I really do, but we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that it is the attendees, by paying for this show, that make the next show possible. Gratitude has to work both ways.

Many organisers present appeared reluctant to be approached at all and I was left to deal with a young girl who didn’t seem to know much of anything, not even who the guests were. Combined with this was the fact the some unscrupulous dealers were selling Elijah Wood’s auto for £80, and if that wasn’t enough, some “free” virtual raffle tickets were being sold black market style. You can get those from any stationary shop, how many people got conned I wonder?  

I’m sure I’ll have another opportunity to meet them. Still I was extremely disappointed, but I’ll get over it a lot faster than the little boy I saw in Costa, he was all dressed up as Frodo, he even had the ring on a chain around his neck. Why someone couldn’t have arranged for this child to at least see Elijah Wood for a minute is beyond me.

The one saving grace of today was meeting Rene Auberjonois. It was a pleasure spending a few minutes talking with this charming man. I came away with a signed photograph, a great memory and a sketch he drew in exchange for a donation to the charity Medecin sans Frontiere, a good cause if there ever was one.

Any suggestions? Well, I’m not sure whether or not the organisers had misjudged the number of people and the level of hysteria these guests would attract. In any case they ought to have informed everyone that they would open the queues two hours in front of the scheduled opening time. Be fair in the future.

With guests of such calibre, it might be advisable to print some “Collectormania” tickets, or get a branded stamp to avoid fraud. One ticket per signature per person, that would reduce the amount of people bringing 20 items to be signed. Limit the photo shoots at the signing table. Lastly, at many book signing I have been to, the organisers have always had the foresight to arrange with the writer to sign a good few extra copies for the fans who couldn’t make it to the table. I’d rather have given Showmasters £15 for a signed picture than £80 to that despicable dealer. Ok, I wouldn’t have actually met the guest, but it would have cheered me up.

Let’s hope those who go tomorrow have a better time of it than I did today.

Edited by wyrdsister, 09 October 2003 - 12:48 AM.

[wyrdsister]

wow...I've read a lot of stuff here tonight that's really getting a bit nasty.

ok, I'm disapointed. I went to C3 and it was great, didn't get to meet everyone, but hey, I survived.

This time around, I was geared up for the LOTR actors, and it wasn't to be. A lot of people are unhappy about the early opening time and the mayhem that surrounded the "Elijah Corner". I'm a lot older than many of the fans who were present today, and I found the screaming and stalking a bit overwhelming and emotianally draining.

I posted a message back in august ( I think) voicing my concerns about this. Was it unavoidable? probably not, but it could have been better thought out.

the reason for my above post is to express my concerns over the way things went. It's constructive critisism. A lot of people are over the moon about how the day went, and that's great. But other people aren't, they feel let down, they have the right to express this also.

Showmasters needs to examine the pros and cons of the event, think about it and try to prevent some of the appauling things that were going on such as high priced dealers, who are banking on the lack of queue spaces ( and can just pop in to get more signatures when they feel like it, it seems), and people selling off virtual queue ticket.

things like that needs to be discussed in a mature manner for the good of future event. no?

Other than that, C4 was ok.

Edited by wyrdsister, 09 October 2003 - 12:11 AM.

[Rachiepachie2001]

Just like any good business would do is examine the pros and cons.  I don't think they will just overlook what happened today.  You learn from mistakes and make things better.

I agree the whole Stalker thing, is just really annoying to me.  I wasn't there, but I have seen my share of "stalkers."  Poor Elijah, the guy was probably just bombarded.  What was Andy, Sean and Dom's queues like?  I would have just stood in line for Dom the entire day, because he's the only reason why I would go really.  I wanted to give something to Elijah and Andy as well, but I doubt it got to Elijah today, maybe 2morrow.  

For Tomorrow is another day.

Cheers!

[Poppy]

The day started out a complete disaster and ended up the greatest day ever.

i did get to see elijah and was so over the moon about it.  

Showmasters i can neva thank u enough ever.......

But i have spoken to many people about today and i think the best thing to have done would be to get elijah to say literally hundreds of signed photos and then instead of signature only how about photo only........i feel priveliged that i got to meet both elijah and dom, who are two lovely and fantastic people but i really wanted my photo with them, more than i wanted his autograph........

i also think that there wasn't enough c4 people around the elijah stand - i was trying to get help for ages and did so by an extremely nice ;ady but it was loads of hassle getting help.........

i too think the frodo boy should have been let in...i heard several people asking about this and why they couldn't have just acarried him in and got a pic with eli is beyond me.........he's one little boy and everyone was talking about him.....i'm sure elijah would've loved to have met him as well.

i too think it was extremely unfair that the tickets were given out too early...........

elijah also looked absolutely TERRIFIED at times.  Why so called fans would treat their idol this way is unbelieveable.  If everyone had stood and waited as he walked past, we all would've got pictures and he wouldn't have been so scared.

At one point there was talk that he wouldn't have come out of that room he was in and to be honest, who could blame him?

i also think that there should have been a better area for elijah to be in, although good that we could see him, the fecking people that were banging on the window deserve to be taken out and shot.  this however was not the showmasters fault but another case of the few spoiling it for the many.

I think everyone was extremely shocked about what happened.  although slightly worried - it didn't occur to me that when i turned up at 9am, i would be faced by miles of queues and no-one to tell anyone what was happeneing.  there was alot of upset people - the showmasters could not have forseen this as we among his major fans did not at all.

also the way that there was one rule for someone and another for others was very unfair.......
dominic who was gorge and lovely was being so nice to everyone - however the bloke in front of us got him to say a video message three times into a camera and then this girl just in front of us got a pict with him.  the security guard then started shouting that no-one could have pictures - yet he didn;t stop the person in front or video camera man, instead the people directly behind them go the full brunt of the security mans anger at these people.

i also saw people having pictures with elijah and dom together - how unfair was that?
the security man again got arsey with the people behind them in the queue...... why wasn;t all this stopped?  although i am to a certaine xtent pleased with for the girls, i feel it was unafir that the people behind were shouted at and then really really closely watched...........and herded away and almost harrased, whereas other people had a free reign.

Showmaster i am so pleased about how today went for me and this is no way a dig at u, but these are just things that i observed and felt i should mention.

well done and no-one expected that madness, i'm sure u were as gobsmacked as the rest of us.......xx

[kelso70]

Quote

elijah also looked absolutely TERRIFIED at times. Why so called fans would treat their idol this way is unbelieveable. If everyone had stood and waited as he walked past, we all would've got pictures and he wouldn't have been so scared.

Just another example of selfish people ruining everything for genuine fans who behave in a proper manner. I was less than impressed when two girls minus tickets walked up to a couple in Doms queue and asked the SM helper if they could go in as two people on one ticket, he said yes and they were all let in on one ticket, this was at 2pm when the tickets were long sold out, whatever happened to stricter ticket control ???

[wyrdsister]

Hi all,

I was really put off Sunday, and very nearly didn't come today. but i did and it kinda panned out. A lot less madness and screaming schoolgirls (huge bonus),  improved organisation (ticket wise) but still very, very stressful for myself and the actors I presume, but I feel there was a genuine attempt from Showmasters to please all the fans with tickets. I felt happier that all the tickets (near enough) were honnered. Thanks has to go to Elijah Wood and Dom Monagham on this account as well as Showmasters.

It was however a rush thing, getting pushed through the queues, moved along, told to get the pic the right was up...no chance to say much...well not too great  for £20 and extremely limited choice of pictures . I'm pleased, I got my auto, but only just and conveyer belt style. more thought into it next time there's major guests around please.  

It has been a really stressful week end. Although I am happy about the outcome of today, I am really drained. I hope Showmasters reads the suggestions on the forum regarding improvements to the queuing system, and takes on board our comments.

I still hope to come to C5, and help out this time, if that's possible. Collectormania has gone one major leap forward, and that's very incouraging, but as the popularity of the show grows, so do the crowds and the demands of the public. I'm sure lessons will have been learnt all round, myself included.

who won the costume competition btw?

cheers

Steph

Edited by wyrdsister, 06 October 2003 - 11:28 PM.

[kyle longbottom]

Hi all I am glad we didnt get the tickets for lord of the rings screening.  It was a mad house!!  I mean the line for the harry potter stars were more accessiable.  Over all i enjoyed it all.  I wish thought that if you have another one that you have all the stars from the pratcular movie like Harry potter they all stay in one stall.  Like Matt christian and the twins and dobby (toby) in one area instead of have dobby in one area and the twins and matt, Christain and the phelp twins on the other side.

Other then that I loved it!!

Kyle Longbottom

[Idril]

The bigger the stars get, the bigger the problems.

[kyle longbottom]

Yeah I hear you.  Just imagine if the trio of harry potter showed up??  Dan Rupert and Emma??  My god with lord of the rings stars??  I mean you would never be able to get a autograph!  


Thats why or one reason I stayed away and plus I like Mister potter better

Kyle Longbottom

[fadagaski]

Jeezus, if the calibre of guests rises as it does (and it fair JUMPED for CM4) then the queues are going to get more and more fatal. And I think that was an appropriate use of the word.

Makes me glad I'm not a Famous Person, really.

~fadagaski~

[wyrdsister]

well, I for one am all for big guests.  

It's great that SM can get them here, and as long as they do and revise the queuing system a bit for those quests, then I'll keep coming and giving them my dosh.

Another thought on te strengh of last Weekend, a little advisory notice in the style of : " note that the most popular guest have a finite number of virtual queuing tickets availlable" or " we will only be issuing x number of virtual queuing tickets per guests" or something to that effect? It's kinda obvious, I know but it could prove useful in the future...

Cheers :)

Edited by wyrdsister, 09 October 2003 - 12:51 AM.