oldnick

I personally wouldn't. This guy may be just fine... but statistically speaking, about 70-80% of eBay's autographs are fake... 63.5% of percentages quoted on the internet are made up.

Technically speaking, he doesn't keep negatives, as the photographs are produced digitally. What he does do is back up the digital cards - so there are electronic backups. Knowing his professionalism, he probably backs up the backups too.

See, I wish I'd been told this. My hotel was only 5 mins away from the shopping centre and I was categorically told that they would not be back that night. If I'd known they'd be available at 9pm I could have easily come back. Then I asked whether, if I came early on Sunday (I had to catch a train at 10:30am) my photos would be ready then and again I was told no So now I am without my Brandon photo and am being told, from the sounds of things, that it'll be weeks before I get it! If we'd been told what was happening instead of being told to fill in a bit of paper and then go away there'd be less hassle for them now You were told exactly and truthfully what was happening at that time - at the time when the decision was made to ask for details to be left by people who couldn't pick up the photographs the following day, two things were known 1: That a lot of photographs were not yet printed 2: That at the speed they were being printed, many would not be printed by the time the developer closed for the night, and the centre was closed to the public. On that basis, something had to be done to ensure that people who couldn't return the next day received their photographs. It was genuinely believed at that time that they wouldn't be available that night. In the mean time, 'management' of the issue was happening, and arrangements were made so that the manager of the developers stayed until 9pm working his machines, and so that people who did stay could remain in one area of the centre after it was officially closed to the public. This took negotiation after the decision had been made to take details down on paper. A small crew stayed behind, first chasing the remaining photos, and then replanning the layout of the photo area for the next day, to speed the bag-check/reclaim process, and rebalancing the crew rosters to avoid the problems that this could help with for the next day. We left the centre at about 10pm, having been on from 7am.

So why didn’t anybody ‘manage’ this situation, if it was clearly getting progressively worse throughout the day? ‘Snappy Snaps’ clearly isn’t the only photograph developer in a shopping centre of that size. Is it too much to ask for a ‘plan b’? Yes. It is - if by a plan b, you mean being able to plan for every possible failure by third parties. There is a limit as to which contingencies can be planned for - in this case a supplier had committed to do a job, and they found it took longer than was expected. It was managed - discussions happened, and on Sunday a second supplier was doing the job. They did it better. I suspect they'll be the 'plan a' in future. When the show is running, and the general pubic and the guests are in the hall, there are very few resources available to change plans at this sort of level. Volunteer crew can be reassigned to different jobs - and this did happen - but the event management people are already working full time. The old saying "the impossible we can do at once, but miracles take a little longer" is so true.

Quite correct - the photo-shoots individually ran pretty well within the times allowed for - although problems with checking in and out bags resulted in the layout of the tables being redesigned on Saturday night so that it ran more smoothly on Sunday than on Saturday. Certain sessions did run late due to guests failing to get to the photo-shoot location in time. The reasons for this are mixed - in some cases, due to it taking longer than planned for to close down queues and move guests through a packed hall to the location. The key problem was plain and simply down to the developer used on Saturday being unable to cope with the volume of photographs they had to develop, and getting more and more behind schedule during the day. The last packs of photographs arrived back at about 9pm, and some from that batch were collected then by visitors who'd decided to wait. On Sunday, with a different developer being used, photographs came back within the planned timescales, and there were far fewer problems.

Thanks Jola, Hotel was spot on, a much appreciated move.

Ah well - it just means the crew will have to get to bed a bit earlier, nice and sober. Either that or sprint down from the hotel rather than strolling slowly.

Yes, but it really doesn't matter. Pens are always available, provided by the organisers. It's only if you need something special that you need to provide your own pens.

A promotions team from Sharpies were at Autographica this year, giving away a variety of colours and styles of pen. I had a chat with them about silver pens in particular, and metallic ones in general. They stated that the reason that metallic Sharpies are not sold in the UK (or in Europe in general) is that the solvent used is not approved for sale here. They are very well aware of the demand for metallic pens, but at present do not have a product which they can legally supply. So, if you want gold or silver ink you will need to use a paint pen from another supplier. These all have the disadvantage of long drying times, and a particular problem that they can feel dry on the surface, without having dried through fully. If you are going to use such pens, I would strongly advise taking your own, so that you can avoid any with damaged tips at the tables, and also take a box, rather than a tight sleeve, that you can transport the 10"x8" photo in, after it feels dry, while the paint finishes curing.

Philistine!!!! I think there were only three of us there who had proper bow ties. Of course some of us are the height of class and sophistication.....or something I'll add that of the crew, two of us wore proper bow ties, whereas of the paying public, only one managed it! Clearly the crew were better dressed than the public (and yes, Dr Evil would have looked wrong in a bow). (Mind you, I'll bet that some of the guests had real bow ties, but didn't feel the need to flaunt them!)

Like it or not - how the car park is managed is a factor outside of the organiser's control. They've picked a hotel that has a large car park, the hotel manages that car park. If the hotel fails to manage it, that's one factor regarding choice of hotel for them to consider for the next event. As to public transport, Heathrow airport is a very major public transport hub that is very close by. People get there from all over the world. There is a bus from Heathrow that goes around the hotels, including the event hotel. I know at least a couple of the crew used it without problems. If you are incapable of getting to the hotel, situated where it is, and supported as itis by public transport, by public transport you probably shouldn't be allowed out on your own.

Go to quieter parties where you don't have to shout over the dance music! Avoid Micky D's.

Don't you think you went just a bit too far, if that was your entire aim?

Yeah, Nick! Can't you keep your threads on topic?? What if there had been important information hiding in here?! There was - me saying thank-you at the top of the thread. ;-) I never complain when discussions 'below the line' go off topic, only when the main information from SM/Jola threads do so. Anyway - who invited you to post in my thread?

You got to sit down!! Allright for some Sounds like you would have needed it after having 6 hookers I'm going to murder Yvie when I next see her! :-p Mind you - I shall be a gentleman, and not say which bedroom I saw her emerging from.

You'd better ask ALX about them! ;-)

He's from Torchwood. Gareth David Lloyd IMDB details

Thanks to everyone who made my first attempt at being a Pitboss so painless on Saturday (I even got to sit down at one point!). In particular, thanks to Andy for coping so well with having a newbie working with him, and putting up with all the questions I had to route through him (and through his radio).

There's a nice compassionate response to hearing that an 82 year old is unwell. :-( Get well soon George.

With most guests, there is a table part way down the queue, where you pay (by cash, or if you must, by cheque) for the autograph, and select a free photograph to be signed. You get given a ticket showing the number of autographs you have paid for to take up to the guest's assistant. With some quieter guest's the assistant sitting by the guest has the photographs and takes the money directly. For the last few events, payment by credit card has been available at the information desk. You pay there, and get given a receipt ticket, which you take to the guest's cash table, and now use just as if it were money.

How about Tony Lee?

IMDB is a good website for this - Deep Roy for example is listed here Now - in case it's too hard work to do the research, Showmasters quite often provide links to this site for that exact reason when they list who will be attending.

That conjures us a very strange image!

How many crew will be working at Collectormania?

Emmeh The email you should have received regarding tee-shirts reads "We do have some spare from previous shows for those who are first time crewing." HTH