Calzaki

So to clarify is it ok or not ok for volunteers to ask other volunteers "I can't queue because I'm on shift. Take my name written here and my card and order a diamond/photo for me, in my name, but without my presence, while other people are still queuing for another hour the same tickets to become available and I will come collect them after 6pm? Because thats what I witnessed today. No objection to buying tickets. Its how they maybe got them ahead of other people who were following the rules. If their off tomorrow great for them but today they might have gotten tickets while other people who were queing didn't

I was one of the first people in the queue after David Tennants announcement. I wanted to buy a Diamond pass ticket as I wanted to guarantee an autograph (I have every other living doctor). Unfortunately due to a a mix of poor planning, announcing David before making sure tickets would be available to buy, the website being over loaded AND staff at the ticket booth operating on the exact same website (so getting locked out with everyone else) I was unable to buy a Diamond Pass at that time. The only thing Staff could access was the photoshoot which I bought as I was told "at least this is guaranteed, you can still exvhange it for a Diamond Pass, come back in half and hour or keep trying online and when you get a diamond pass we'll just do a refund so hold onto the receipt and come back in a bit". When I asked if there was a risk of selling out before then they responded "no... their not available so we're not selling diamond passes at all so their not selling out" I left for a photoshoot and while queuing for photoshoot got told by people they had successfully bought diamond passes online (3 in fact. Not limited 1 per person as I'd also been informed by staff). When I returned to the desk guess what! They were sold out of Diamond passes. Although I cant be sure of that because what was actually being said online was still "unavailable " and staff refused to try refreshing the page to try and sell any. The worst part of however is that both the first time I tried to buy a ticket and even while being told they couldn't help me the second time... I witnessed showmasters volunteers who were on breaks or just running through, writing their details down (names etc) on a sheet of paper with "David Tennant" on the top and leaving their credit cards with other volunteers on the ticket sales desk, with the understanding they'd purchase tickets in someone elses names "when the system is working" (diamond and/or photos) then leaving to go back to their own stations while everyone else who wanted a ticket had to wait in queue. I understand that showmasters volunteers are fans forst but it feels like there was an organised abuse of the system here where they were being given preference both in not waiting for tickets and being given the opportunity to get tickets when they became available rather than continuously hittin refresh themselves

Based on Kevins Long form Q and A style... And how well known and popular these events have been in the past I'm suprised Showmasters havent orrganised a full on Q and A evening... Should be easy enough to do assuming they could arrange a limited opening in the evening after 'closing' as they'll have the large Q and A area set up and could sell it as its own seperate event in a way. Only reason I could think of against it it Olympia management not wanting to keep the doors open and py their stff nut in trm of showmasters if they already have a guedt who cn attract a large audience for a full evening, already have a stage and several hundred chairs set up and empty over night etc...

I've noticed on the ticket purchase site that most of the big talks say "not open to Gold Pass" or words to that effect. The description of Gold Pass says that they include all standard talks and entry to TWO diamond talks (again words to those effects) I wanted to know if the statement that a talk is not available to Gold Pass really means these talks (mostly diamond talks) are off limit full stop without the purchase of seperate tickets... OR if it means that they come out of our allotted 2 diamond talks of up to £30 cash value each? In perticular I'm hoping that my gold pass will allow me into the Alyson Hannigan/Alexis Denisos talk and possibly the Kevin Smith talk which despite being Diamond talks are both under £30... but seeing the message about gold passes worried me.

I'm on the other end of a similar situation.A gold pass member who is disabled and not in a wheel chair but still requires a companion... can you confirm what evidence/documentation I need to provide to confirm disabled pass for a carer?

So you've had a post about a live recording of "Fatman on Batman" on the website for a while now but on your ticket section I can only see one talk for Kevin Smith, is this the one? If not can someone point me towards where the podcast recording tickets are on sale?

How about some of the NCIS cast? Not traditional comic con people but probably because no-ones made them the offer yet. Someone like Pauley Perrette or David McCallum would be very popular at LFCC

What are the rules involving young children (5 years old and loving 60's batman right now) in these type of shoot. I know sometimes the rule with shoots change depending on the year and the shoot... Sometimes more than one person is fine as long as you only expect one picture printed and at other times its strictly one customer = one ticket. But this is the first year I get to be cool uncle taking my nephew to comic con and was wondering what the rules were with accompanying a child who would like a picture?

Right, thanks for the info. I knew about the Olympia permanent ATM machines and their habit of running out before lunch. It's just that I totalled my (dream autograph) list to about £300+ and really don't like the idea of getting a cash sum like that out and carrying it all day. I might get the vouchers, or a diamond pass for someone. I was hoping some mobile hand held chip and pin readers might be placed at some of the more pricey guests tables like at the sales table as I'd heard rumours they'd done that for a few guests last year.

Begmfore I begin this is NOT a criticism about pricing, just an enquiry about payment methods for autographs. Looking through the newly updated guest list with big named guests and lets face it... a general step up in autograph prices among guests of all tiers... I was wondering what facilitates there would be for paying through debit card for autographs? I know in the past its been mainly cash transactions at the table but now we've moved on to mid-level guests charging 45-50 quid and the special guests charging 75-95 i wanted to ask if there would be card machines available for these larger transactions? If its going to be cash only then people wishing to get multiple autographs will either need to take out sizable amounts of money (in the hundreds) at once or make multiple trips to the small number of cash machines available in Olympia which WILL run out of cash in a very short time and will charge you for the service... I plan on making more than a few autograph purchases and am pleased to do so but As a disabled attendee I feel uncomfortable carrying large amounts of cash with me in a crowded space for an undetermined amount of time while we get through the day... or having to make the multiple trips and queuing for empty ATM's and then having to make the trip outide the convention to get funds. I also imagine that handling these large amounts will be difficult for the showmasters volunteers who are going to be asked to deal with larger sums than previous conventions. Therefore I'd like to know if card payments will be possible for autographs and if so: will it be for all guests or just the BIG ones like Hannigan, West and Cleese or for all guests over a certain price (say £40)?... Will card machines (mobile chip and pin) be available at the booth same as cash or will we have to do it at the information desk and then convert it into tickets?... and will there be any additional charges for using such a service?

I've seen the talks we get in the commander and Lieutenant packages and hope that they arent going to end up being free ones. I know the description of the tickets definitely say "2 paid talks" for instance but I bet you anything if theres a group of free talks they'll be stuff like "a look back at TNG" or "a look back at DS9 with zero details who'll actually be in the talks.

Unfortunately the blame for a disappointing guest list is squarely on the organisers as many trek stars have vented on twitter to fans who ask why their not coming that they haven't been contacted. Including Roxanne Dawson, Jeri Ryan, Nana Vistor and several others

It less than two weeks until the event now and we've had NO news or information about talks beyond opening ceremony/march of the klingons... How are people going to have time to purchase tickets? Or are you just planning for us to have a free for all Friday morning and to hell with anyone else who just bought a day ticket?

Will there be changing facilities available to cosplayers to get in/out or change costumes on the day? I'm coming up friday morning on the train and want to get into costume asap when arrive but my hotel won't let me check in till 2pm.

Will there be changing facilities available to cosplayers to get in/out or change costumes on the day? I'm coming up friday morning on the train and want to get into costume asap when arrive but my hotel won't let me check in till 2pm.