Zagreus

PS. I can only make the Sunday this year - any chance you could just make the show a Sunday-only event? haha

Yeah, like the recent Stan Lee advance signing on the Friday, it's a great oppurtunity for those who ARE free and willing to attend that day. It lets you get a lot of the big guest meetings out of the way, and the experience is a lot more personal then too. Plus, that then takes some of the busy-ness away from the Saturday.

But the whole point of the original post is that we Scots shouldn't be treated any differently since we are all part of Britain. We shouldn't need to get English money out. Admittedly I do do this, ever since my Scottish money was refused at a signing table (really embarrassing with the actor looking on at me being refused service). As for not being able to tell if they are real - you do it the same way you do with any British money. Check it against the light and also look for the metallic strip. No different. Working in retail you must know that.

Oh can I mention another negative? I will try to make this my last! The crew member who accepted a 20 Euro note from someone for Summer Glau? I know the number is the same, but a 20 euro isn't the same as a £20, and it's a little unfair for some people to be getting cheaper autographs than others.

Can I just mention one more negative point I just remembered? I was trying to buy some additional photo-shoots, and waited till Saturday afternoon to hopefully avoid the worst of the queues on the sales desk. As I've mentioned before, it was a bit of a hassle trying to convince the crew member that Ian McDiarmid WAS in fact doing a paid-for talk. Anyway, after the "gofer" had got all the tickets I needed, the lady at the table counted them out and was about to do her stuff with the credit card machine, when one of her colleagues came over saying "can I just take your machine?" "No, I need it, I am just about to use it. I've literally got someone waiting right here" "So have I," and with that she took the machine. I know it was a busy free-for all at that desk, but that was just plain rude and implied that her customer was more important than me. The lady who was dealing with me looked as dumb-struck as me, and I'm sure we were both thinking the same thing...

The post talking about people getting more than one virtual ticket, and tickets not being taken - I had forgotten about this. I don't think ANY of my virtual tickets were taken when joining the queue. I was really low with my ticket numbers, so could easily have passed those on to someone else after I was done. The issuing of tickets was a bit rubbish too. I know they are fiddly, trying to rip the ticket off, but some people were unbelievable slow at issuing them. Some were happy to give out 4 or 5 to one person, while others stuck to the rules. But the one thing that really bugs me is this; every single time I go to get a virtual ticket, the person in front starts asking a question, and the person dispensing tickets spends the next couple of minutes answering and not giving out tickets. Fair enough if someone has a question, but DON'T stop giving out tickets to those reaching out their hands. With such a mad rush at the start of the show, spending two minutes waiting for ever ticket you want is a waste of precious time.

It's a shame it wasn't in place for the early Friday signing, but I'd rather have my unstickered autograph from Friday than potentially miss out on his autograph on Saturday or Sunday. I attended the last event Stan did in England a year or two ago and they had an authentication service there too. I'm not sure of the details as I was happy enough with my signed photo, but it was maybe just the same holo-sticker.

Milo Ventimiglia was great and chatted about the script and dialogue of Rocky Balboa. Robert Hays was super friendly with everyone and talked to me about his work on Iron Man, and his initial meeting with Stan Lee (and being presented a signed animation cel). Jamie Bamber was lovely and chatted to everyone as an equal. David Hewlett as amazing as always, talking with me about the Cube films and planned abandoned TV series. Terry Farrell was a lot friendlier than I expected. Ian McDiarmid was really pleasant to everyone and was very funny during his talk. Corey Dee Williams was good to chat to also, but it's a shame he wasn't allowing posed photos. Despite other people having negative experiences, I'd also say it was great having Billy Dee Williams and Stan Lee at least saying "thank you" with a big smile after I met them, considering how busy and popular they are. And of course, all the British folk, Anneke Wills, Tom Chadbon, William Russell, Jerome Blake, Bernard Cribbins, Phil Herbert.

There was a young Asian girl wearing a female Captain America costume (on Saturday I think), with some sort of drawing/tattoo on her right leg. As I was leaning against the wall between photo area D and the cafe, in front of the fire doors, she was right next to me. I got the feeling she was going to say something to me, but didn't. If you're here, feel free to say hi.

There was definitely no mention of them when I went through on the Friday early signing, aside from the flyer that was being randomly handed out to people outside AFTER they had met them. I'd have got one, but as I said, I didn't know how good they would be at proving authenticity if you can go up and buy them outwith the signing.

Thanks for that! I have the same and have been trying to figure out what it was since Saturday. Looks like "I call them"

They were for sale for £5. I only know this because I was handed a flyer when leaving the Friday signing (outside the building), which was filled with exclusive Stan merchandise. He said "it will be at Stan's merchandise table over the weekend." I was tempted by the sticker, but what's to stop anyone buying stickers then sticking them on fake autos??? Or do they only sell them to autographs they approve as genuine?

It's interesting how many people are now saying that making Friday a full show-day is necessary. I raised that point some months back when the scale of this show became apparent, but I was argued against - "it would cost too much" etc.

I've been going to Showmasters shows for a decade now, and always enjoyed them to some degree, but I didn't enjoy this weekend. I enjoyed meeting my heroes for autos and photos, but the overall weekend experience was just not enjoyable at all. I made a list of all the things that made it an unpleasant weekend, and to be honest the things within Showmasters control all relate to the sheer number of attendees. That in turn, is related to their desire to run the biggest show with the most guests...but is that really necessary? The air conditioning wasn't coping with the numbers, the toilets and cafes weren't coping with the numbers, even the local quiet restaurant I like to eat in after comic con was mobbed. Even our budget's were not coping. If the 100+ guests had been spread over several shows, we wouldn't need to miss out on people we want to meet purely because we can't afford it. The large numbers required new photographers be recruited, which resulted in a variation in quality (some soft and poorly framed photos, and area D's photographer not doing vertical shots of Jeremy Bulloch in costume because his technique was to have his camera on a pole rather than hold it and adapt to the situation). The already overworked sales desk was impossible to get to unless you're willing to surrender a lot of your time, or wait till afternoon. My carefully planned schedule of photo shoots being useless with guests re-scheduled or moved to another location (or both), and no clear announcements informing of this. Missed meeting Ben Aaronovitch & Paul Cornell due to their limited one-hour signing not being revealed anywhere beforehand. Unable to get through the tightly packed crowds, especially to/from the talk area and next to photo areas D & F. Trying to buy an Ian McDiarmid talk ticket and the person on the sales desk trying to tell me that there are no tickets and that his talk must therefore be free. It’s seriously up to ME to tell Showmasters crew what they are selling?? I AM grateful for the guests you brought over, for the green-screen photos, the hard work of the crew members, the Friday Stan signing. But just because you want to make the shows massive, doesn't mean you have to, especially if the fans are going to suffer as a result. Yes, big guests are welcome, but not all at once so that all of Europe descends upon one show.

Billy Dee Williams isn't the most engaging of guests, but I've never taken it personally over the 3 times we've met. I think also, one of the previous posts hit the nail on the head with the mention of his age / heat / jet-lag etc. I was getting a photo of Lando and the DVD of Nighthawks signed - the agent passed the cover over first and said "don't write Lando on this one" while holding out my name for him to personalise it. He wrote just his name, to which the agent said "no that's not right" and emphasised the slip of paper with my name. Billy seemed genuinely dazed and confused for 5 - 10 seconds before personalising it. I'm wondering if he was having a hard time over the weekend, and perhaps this is why he is (as far as I know) not in the new Star Wars? Having said that, he did shake my hand twice when I offered it, and said thank you afterwards. I asked his agent about taking a photo and he said it would be fine if I stepped back and took one of him. I was about to do this while he was signing my second item, but was surprised when he actually took his shades off and smiled for my pic. As I've said, he's not the most interactive person, but some people are just like that, and age contributes sometimes too. But having met guests who were rude to me, I have no problems at all with guests who just aren't too interactive. It's not great, but I don't take it personally. Having said that, I am sorry that some people did feel that he was rude.

I had met Michael a few years back at the Entertainment & Media Show which was a hugely disappointing meeting. At the time people were saying he was ill. I had read on his guest announcement for LFCC how awesome and chatty a guest he is, so I decided to give him another go. The meeting was just the same and he barely acknowledged me. Instead talking to someone (his agent?) saying "I need to get out of here now." Photoshoot wasn't much better, with his hands clasped behind his back, not shaking anyone's hand. That's two chances I've given him, so despite what others say about him being the friendliest guy ever, I wont be meeting him again.

Haha, the first one's definitely me (glad I could help!), the second one's either me or one of the other lovely ladies in the area across the afternoon. I was the one with the pink lanyard and not in a crew shirt, because I was actually at the venue early to do something else and got distracted... Hi...I've seen you at numerous shows in the past year or two, probably starting with you doing photo sessions in Glasgow...but I don't mean that in a mad stalker way, just that your smiling face is always about. I noticed you were flat out helping everyone and anyone with their queries at the Stan Lee Sunday shoot too. Very helpful you are. I didn't really talk to you properly at the show, but I'm sure you were far too busy to chat anyway.

Who was the crew member at the YALC area on Sunday afternoon, wearing doc martens boots, who helped me with my query?

Was really looking forward to meeting Paul Cornell and Ben Aaronovitch after all these years, so imagine my disappointment when I see they had gone and was told they were only signing 10:30 - 11:30. Was this mentioned anywhere?? I assumed they would be there all day and the fact they were not on the schedule meant they would be signing till the end.

It's a huge wasted opportunity, but thanks for putting my mind at rest about the stormtrooper inclusion. For me it's all about Jeremy / Boba.

I just realised last night though, the area D photographer didn't hold his camera, just balanced it on a pole all day. I guess that's why he didn't do vertical shots...

Hmm, thanks for that. Little disappointed at the addition of a stormtrooper and the decision not to do a full body shot. What's the point in him getting dressed as Boba from head to toe?

Looking forward to my Jeremy Bulloch in costume shoot tomorrow - did anyone get theirs today and can post pics? I'm hoping it's a full-length body shot but I noticed the photographer at D was very quick off the mark when taking his shots so I'm a little concerned it may not be set us as hoped. Also, can anyone say what happened at the Dave Prowse throne room pic? What was the setup and anyone got pics?

It's a shame we can't use some of our other Saturday and Sunday shoots on the Friday evening. I had 6 for the preview night but cancellations and day changes mean I now have 2. So now the preview night isn't going to help me much at all in terms of photos, and Saturday and Sunday will be busier than I planned.

Thanks for this info. - it really makes it all very clear. Looks very well thought out too, well done! I'm gald all photo shoots are in one hall. I didn't fancy having to run between two venues all day.