115 replies to this topic

[Lizzy]

showmasters, on Feb 1 2011, 07:24 PM, said:

i think WE ARE IN RECESSION guys ok .

Actually, we're not. It was declared on 26th January 2010- over a year ago...



I'll agree with Crippsy that there are too many ME cons IMO. That's MY opinion so you don't have to agree with it. The first ME con, being Eclipse (Heroes), was announced with (going from memory) Hayden P and Zachary Quinto as the headline guests. Now both of them cancelled, yes, but people bought tickets from them in their droves, and we still had 6 guests. Going to present date, Roadhouse 2 still has no guests and is meant to be on next week. I can't imagine many tickets have sold, and it's probably a bit late in the day for people to be able to book and get hotels sorted. For people who booked off the back of RH1, they're going to be in the same position I fear with non-refundable hotel costs. Sorry, but not everyone can afford the con hotels so need to look elsewhere. I'm lucky I'm willing to travel  a fair distance as I'm used to it for work.

Warp10 has really knocked me off guard. I didn't book tickets, no and I didn't book hotel. But that's only cos I'm in the middle of planning a Wedding and I'm taking each month as it comes. I was actually going to get my tickets the week it was cancelled. I'm absolutely gutted that Diana and Eddie haven't been rescheduled, and Jen Lien is still to be re-rescheduled- if she's not naffed off by it all, that is.

I'm so sympathetic to what's been going on behind the scenes, really I am. But my original complaint is from before any of this with EMS happened. I think based on that, there has been a recent lack of comms on the forum, whereas it used to be so good. I understand can't discuss negotiations, blah. But as I REPEATEDLY said for Warp10, we just need to have a bit of reassurance or warnings. Because it's not fair when it's our personal money we've worked (or scrounged, ahem) for being messed about with at the end of the day. And I really hope that the internal issues are being looked at as my email STILL hasn't been replied to regarding my shop order! That's £80 of MY money up in the lurch, and I'm not particularly happy about that. Why should people book in advance if their confidence in doing so is so knocked?




I'm not b!tching about SM before people start. I've been going to their cons since before the first Collectormania, and I won't stop. I'm just going from past experiences and I'm just being honest as that is all I know. You want genuine opinions, there you go.

Edited by Lizzy, 01 February 2011 - 10:20 PM.

[gebes]

Jason

I'll agree you do run good events, and I've had a lot of pleasure meeting guests at one time I never thought I'd meet. Indeed also , the events have become as much of a social gathering for me as it is meeting guests.

But as the events grow, so must the admin/organisation behind the scenes, and it sounds like the majority of decisions / negotiations with guests, is being done by you and you alone. Given the unfortunate circumstances, regarding what happened to you. It sounds like there's too much being done by one person in relation to guests.

Hindsight's a wonderful thing and all that, so to paraphrase Star Wars a little, Is there no one to become your apprentice? as whilst you've also said the ME cons are a seperate entity to the events, and those are run by Mark, I suspect you're also at times end up being involved with various aspects of a con weekend?

If this is the case, then that means you're sort of involved in having to split your time to organise/ help organise 15 weekends with all the logistics that involves.

Or will it be 16 if there are any plans to go back to running a 2nd MK event, as I always thought the CM London was only held due to the stadium being far too cold in the later half of the year.

I will continue to support the events, as there's mulitple guests at MK and LFCC I plan on meeting, as well as having our own event North of the Border, and you know how passionate members of that forum can get regarding things !!

That's what I think it boils down to, is a lot of people here are as enthusiastic about attending, as you are about running the events. The amount of comments I think shows that.

I'm sure this has or will raise some operational issues behind the scenes, and even suspect there will be those who will tell you about how to delegate the work load !

Of course we're not privy to all the details, so no one is right, but given it's a forum, sometimes there might be a comment raised that makes someone else go "hmm, maybe there's something to that comment "

Hope you're on the mend, and suspect there's a ready made lynch mob who would like a few words of their own with the ( insert bad word ) who injured you.

My two penneth for what it's worth, and whilst I can't be at MK for the full time ( couldn't get holidays ) ,I'll be there at some point depending on trains,  meeting guests/ socialising and at that American Food dealer stall !!!

[1of2]

Lizzy, on Feb 1 2011, 08:12 PM, said:

Going to present date, Roadhouse 2 still has no guests and is meant to be on next week.

Roadhouse 2 is 18th March

[showmasters]

Lizzy, on Feb 1 2011, 08:12 PM, said:

I'm so sympathetic to what's been going on behind the scenes, really I am. But my original complaint is from before any of this with EMS happened. I think based on that, there has been a recent lack of comms on the forum, whereas it used to be so good. I understand can't discuss negotiations, blah. But as I REPEATEDLY said for Warp10, we just need to have a bit of reassurance or warnings. Because it's not fair when it's our personal money we've worked (or scrounged, ahem) for being messed about with at the end of the day. And I really hope that the internal issues are being looked at as my email STILL hasn't been replied to regarding my shop order! That's £80 of MY money up in the lurch, and I'm not particularly happy about that. Why should people book in advance if their confidence in doing so is so knocked?


I'm not b!tching about SM before people start. I've been going to their cons since before the first Collectormania, and I won't stop. I'm just going from past experiences and I'm just being honest as that is all I know. You want genuine opinions, there you go.

if you have had an issue about a money or a refund then please resend us your email and i will get it looked at , we get around 450 a day so the odd one dose get over looked so please resend it .

as to talking to you i did not BS you things change some times so be nice ok


one last thing its funny when ever i read

I'm not b!tching about SM before people start."

why do you feel the need to say that if it could be see as Bitching ?

jason

[i_am_your_angel_of_music]

I feel if there is a need to hold so many events, maybe spread it out a little...im near liverpool and CM manchester was perfect!! otherwise i spend a fortune travelling to london or milton keynes all the time for events...there is like 2 MK ones a year and there was going to be the two london ones as well.

Not to mention most of the cons being in the midlands and then down south - apart from glasgow (which takes just as long if not longer for the likes of myself and people in the northwest to get to) there is no events up north now, no happy medium, if there is a need to run so many a year, a little variety would be nice  :)

[obiton]

Personnally I feel the saturation of events in the past few years has run dry.
I much prefer the good old days of C:MK twice a year and LFACC.
I know alot of people have spoken but I feel London is a long way to travel for myself 2/3 times a year plus the expense.
I havent been to C:MK since the move not just because of move but mainly because of the date changes. The 2 shows at the end of April/beginning of May and also end of September worked fantastically. Ideally the shopping centre would still be perfect but I know that isnt possible.
I also really enjoy LFACC the venue and type of guest is perfect.
I know the world centres around London but its not always the most ideal place.
I will continue to attend Showmasters shows, you put on great events - mix up the type of guests, dont always bring in the same old same old, current film and TV fads work well and you wont go far wrong

[johnhuk]

I've been watching this closely and thought I'd chuck this in....and again like others, ITS MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION!

Now I've been going to cons of a variety of kinds since the 80's and I won't stop. I enjoy SM/ME events, and they are far superior to others, and yes, like many I have had a moan, but overall had a great time.

The thing that shocks me in all of this is the way people tell Jason how to run his business! Yes, as I have been told by others Jason is also a fan (never actually met him face to face, but have conversed by email) but its HIS business! If he chooses to do X amount of events then who are we to say otherwise! He comes on here to tell us what's what and some people see if as a chance to mouth off and be unpleasant!

No one from SM/ME needs to come on here and explain themselves, but they do as that's the kind of people they are (unlike some other event organisers who don't care what attendees think!)

No one forces us to attend, we do so of our own free will. Likewise no one forces us to book hotels, expensive or otherwise.

Over the past couple of years I, like others, haven't been able to attend all the events I'd like, but jeez, that's life! You don't get everything your own way.....there seem to be a lot of people who don't like being told no!

This will possibly cause an argument but hey ho!

[Lizzy]

1of2, on Feb 1 2011, 08:24 PM, said:

Lizzy, on Feb 1 2011, 08:12 PM, said:

Going to present date, Roadhouse 2 still has no guests and is meant to be on next week.

Roadhouse 2 is 18th March :headscratch:

Balls. Duh I meant next month, I even opened the forum section in a new tab to check. I'll admit when I'm wrong... I'm only always right when I really insist

showmasters, on Feb 1 2011, 08:46 PM, said:

if you have had an issue about a money or a refund then please resend us your email and i will get it looked at , we get around 450 a day so the odd one dose get over looked so please resend it .

Will do- sent it to the info@CM addy at 7.20am if it's any help.

showmasters, on Feb 1 2011, 08:46 PM, said:

as to talking to you i did not BS you things change some times so be nice ok

I didn't say you did BS me, I just said I like to believe it's not. I really don't think when we chat you're just leading me down the wrong path, as you know me well enough to know there's no point in even trying that! I realise things change, and I know what you were trying to do with it, I was just so gutted it went the way it did. I'm sure we can chat more at the next show about it anyway! To be perfectly honest, I'm in a section of my work right now I totally loathe, and I'm doing a 4 hour round trip each day on the (literally) busiest train in the country to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day at a place I really don't want to be. And some bar-steward managed to stamp on my glasses today after kicking my bag and making them fall to the floor. They gotta be super glasses though, my god they seem ok! I may be a little vent-y in my post, but in a geeky, emotional way, the EMS was taking place the weekend I finish in that flipping place, and I was really looking forward to having a nice break before starting back at my usual office and remembering what real work is all about. And I REALLY want to meet Jennifer Lien!! My lift had flu when she was last in the UK and I'm bitter about it!

showmasters, on Feb 1 2011, 08:46 PM, said:

why do you feel the need to say that if it could be see as Bitching ?

Trust me Jason, there are a fair few people who will see any slightly possible critical post and will jump on the pro-SM bandwagon and have a go, without really reading the post properly. I love you guys and you know that. I just have way too many opinions to keep to myself


And I'm too tired to re-read, so Adrian, feel free to try and best me again

[showmasters]

you have had a crap day Lizzy

welcome to my world this week too  

so why done we all get along a bit more then ?

HAY EVERYONE ON HERE

think about it , the world just a bit crap at the mo so maybe we are all just a bit angry  

so lets remember we are all fans and that we do have events to go to ?

we are arguing about how many events we run , so people just do not have an event at all in some countries

just a thought  

jason  

[puddlejumpers]

We have been coming to SM events since they started in MK. We always do LFCC and went to all the Manchester events too. At that time they seemed to be spaced out through the year and I agree that timing is a big factor as it certainly effects my cashflow!

Personally I think the ME events are expensive as I have to buy two tickets for myself and daughter plus hotel makes for a costly weekend. I would rather have good guests at the main cons to meet. Having said that we had a great time at Chevron 7.2 but it had 5 excellent guests so was worthwhile

Quality of guests is the most important thing for me and if they attend more than once we will probably meet them more than once. There are a handful of guests that we've met three times now and I've no doubt that we'll see them again if they come in the future. Daft I know but makes us happy  

We're lucky enough to live near to MK and London is an easy journey but I can see that doesn't help everyone. If Manchester is too expensive ever thought of a Leeds venue?

having said all of the above we will be there come what may because we love the events and always enjoy ourselves. It makes us enormously happy to sit watching Stargate or Next Generation or Lord of the Rings ticking off the actors we've met. Love it

[Lizzy]

showmasters, on Feb 1 2011, 09:23 PM, said:

you have had a crap day Lizzy

welcome to my world this week too  

Crap 6 months Well, 5... I have one more to go nooo At least your week should start to go on the up! I have another day of highlighting tomorrow...

Jennifer Lien being rescheduled would be a good make up gift for me

* and I've just replied to your email Jason, hope you get a chance to read it :)

[reddragon]

There's hardly any events going on the first 5 months of the year.

And I hope THe Hub events continue for years to come - having talked to Eve during the last but one event, even the stars really enjoy the events as quote its like meeting the family again.

Long may Hub events continue.

[Lizzy]

Lizzy, on Feb 1 2011, 08:12 PM, said:

showmasters, on Feb 1 2011, 07:24 PM, said:

i think WE ARE IN RECESSION guys ok .

Actually, we're not. It was declared on 26th January 2010- over a year ago...

I just want to point out that that was me being a smart ar$e as I actually only first heard that a week ago on the radio lol

[crippsy_99]

And you know whats funny considering this thread..

New forum section just gone up for another new event!

Sportsmania
thecentre:mk, Milton Keynes. 15th-17th July
http://showmasterson...p?showforum=239

[Count Fooku]

crippsy_99, on Feb 2 2011, 12:38 AM, said:

And you know whats funny considering this thread..

New forum section just gone up for another new event!

Sportsmania
thecentre:mk, Milton Keynes. 15th-17th July
http://showmasterson...p?showforum=239

Well in the general spirit of this thread I call that excellent news. Maybe its one more event on the calender which might upset some but along with the various Autographicas I've been to, Sportsmania was one of the best signing shows I've ever attended.

Great stuff!

[showmasters]

crippsy_99, on Feb 1 2011, 10:38 PM, said:

And you know whats funny considering this thread..

New forum section just gone up for another new event!

Sportsmania
thecentre:mk, Milton Keynes. 15th-17th July
http://showmasterson...p?showforum=239

do not start on this its a SPORTS EVENT   and will affect none of the other events ok

and i do not book any of the sports guests we work with another Mark on this and he books all the sports guests, so lets just stop this sillyniss now

jason

i think we are done now this thread is not going to resolve anything , we all think differently and i do not think we are going to agree on much .

well thanks all for taking part i am now closing this thread

jason