Rowan

Are you serious? You telling us you don't know who Burt Reynolds is?

OK I'm impressed! Add Friday or Monday to the event and I just might come... Otherwise... well I've met Ronny Cox who was in Deliverance too *G*

It seems to me you are the one who wants to bring up old arguments...

This is a thread about asking for Stargate guests. I'm pointing out that it would generally be better to get Stargate guests at C7 rather than LFCC. It is relevant to the thread. If you are going to take everything the wrong way why don't we just stop talking about Stargate guests alltogether?

Yes we've heard this all before. In case you hadn't noticed, I did wish they got Stargate guests for C7. If it's your attitude to pick fights whenever possible then maybe I shouldn't be wishing that. I can see them elsewhere, and I'm not sure you deserve them.

Yes, and if they do book Stargate guests, I wish they'd do it for C7 and avoid clashing with an event a lot of fans are already going to...

Hi Getting a petition together to get him to a con before has been tried. The con in Vancouver did one for the con back in July (though they called it an 'invitation' as it was felt a petition would get right up his nose... which I agree with). It's actually still up, and currently has 1673 signatures on it. The event only has 600 attendees, but people from all over the world have signed it, no doubt hoping if he does one event he might catch the bug and do others. If you want to 'petition' him, I'd suggest you go sign that one. But... he didn't come to that con. I've also heard someone who has met RDA on several occasions say that they feel it may well have rubbed him up the wrong way and made him less likely to come. He knows we want him to come. Apparently his cast mates have tried to persuade him. He'll come when he's ready and not because we pester him into it.

Believe me I'm wishing it too. And apparently he has made vague noises about maybe doing a convention some time. I'm inclined to think he's more likely to apear at a weekend type event than a signing show though. And I'm not hoping too much anyway. Get tired of hoping after a few years!

Well, I guess I put it on the poll, so if someone wants to choose that... I think that person is going to find themselves disapointed rather a lot! LOL

Just asking: are people answering what they WANT or the minimum they would be satisfied with? The intention was to ask what people would feel was the MINIMUM guests should do, not what you'd like to get. If you are answering with your minimum, then you are a very demanding lot! LOL

He's never yet done a Stargate convention, or any other kind of convention or signing show. He does a few charity events, but he's not into doing 'appearances'.

I think I totally agree with you. *G* I'm actually wondering if some people are misunderstanding the poll and answering for what they want not the least they expect. If not then I'm surprised how demanding they are! LOL In a way I sort of like that though. While I was off-line I found myself wondering what the stars would think if they came online and found a poll where 25% of the people were basically saying they were happy just to get an autograph and not have any interaction with the guest. I think if I was them and I thought people really thought that, then maybe I'd get a very negative view of fans. Maybe I'd think they didn't really think anything of me at all, and just wanted a piece of signed paper for a collection. And if I thought that I don't think I'd be very inclined to make an effort to be nice to them!

Wow, I'm actually surprised how many people expect at least 'Auto, greeting, few words and get a photo'. While that would be what I'd like, I am more understanding than to expect that every time! I went for the third option myself *G* Any less than at least a freindly greeting and I would be disapointed.

Ah but would you really have been happy to go up and only see the top of their head as they signed? No eye contact, no sign at all that they even notice you are there. Totally ignoring you so that they can sign as fast as possible? On the poll I've started (here)so far 25% of people are saying they would (even if that's only 2 people!), so I guess you wouldn't be alone. Myself, if that's true, then I think maybe it is time that organisers took that into account. Maybe they could let you just buy an item ready signed from the guests table (or have a member of staff hand your item to the guest to sign), and make more time for those of us who actually want to MEET the guest...

GG, just went back to your first post in this topic, and I agree with you. Sorry if you saw me taking it off in another direction as in someway an attack. Yes, I wasn't at the event, but I took your topic as more general, and, as someone who goes to events in general, I feel I have a right to respond. I thought you wanted to discuss in general, not just C6. Sorry if I got that wrong.

Hi even though I've been using Carrie as an example, I'm trying to make a more general point, that is not aimed at any organiser or guest in particular. I certainly don't want to bring up the CJ stuff (in fact I nearly mentioned that in one post but deliberately took it back out *G*) Though I guess that the feeling that maybe (and it is a maybe...) cash spoke first there is probably part of the feeling there for me. This isn't about one guest, or one organiser, it's about what we, as attendees feel to be reasonable service at ANY event we attend. And it's about sticking up for that and not just accepting what we are given. Like I've said, I've met Carrie at another event. She was acceptably polite to me, and making the effort to talk to people. 'Acceptable' being the word. I don't think she's very into meeting fans, but when I met her she was making the effort to do her job. I'm glad I've met her, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to see her again. But she made the effort and I give her credit for that. I'd like to think that in future when organisers (any organisers...) give her a 'job' to do, that job includes continuing to make that little bit of effort to say Hello. I think we can have some say in that if we say that's what we want.

We've been having a few arguments over in This Thread. This is not to debate whether you felt you got a good deal, or what is a good deal. Just, if you pay to go up and get an autograph signed by a guest, what is the LEAST you expect to get? What is the LEAST you'd go away feeling satisfied with?

By the way, I wasn't at Collectormania. I didn't meet Carrie there (though I have met her elsewhere). You are missing my point. You paid £25 to meet her, and, presumably, you got what you consider to be a good deal. You got to say hello and got a picture. I would agree that's a good deal. In fact I'd say it was still a good deal even if you hadn't got a picture. I'm not suggesting people pay more to get more (100 for a real vip treat would be fair enough, but it's not what I'm talking about). I'm suggesting that people don't accept less and less for their money. From what people are saying this time Carrie was a borderline case. Most people got OK 'service', some didn't. But if we don't complain about the bad cases (in this case those people who got no 'contact' and just got ignored) then why shouldn't guests signing head-down become the norm? If next time Carrie comes she totally ignores everyone then I'm sure she could get 3 thousand through instead of only a thousand. Are you really seriously willing to accept that?

They haven't officially announced Chris yet have they? So could be him...

And that gives someone who wants it the chance to buy it... including folks who couldn't be there on the day.

Rowan Our replies over lapped, but most of what I said covers the point you mentioned. This whole thread is about expectations, what I have been trying to set out is that some people do not have realistic expectations of what will happen at one of these events. Whether this is right for you or not, well, that is up to you to decide, but at least you now know this may happen again and can decide whether or not to attend in the future. In terms of whether I would say I met her, I would say that I have. GG I totally agree that people are often urealistic. I don't expect more than a brief eye contact/acknowlegement/hello/smile, and if I get all of them and a photo and/or a conversation then that's a bonus. It sounds like many people got the 'reasonable minimum', you included. In fact you probably got more than I'd see as the reasonable minimum. I guess what is worrying me is that some people here seem happy to lie back like doormats and say guests signing head down and ignoring them is acceptable. If it really is to you, fine. But if too many people take that attitude then that's what we can expect to get in future, because why shouldn't organisers and guests provide a shoddy service if there's people prepared to pay for it?

Ok, so the massage thing doesn't really work... and as for you London tour.... in my opinion, CW IS the Tower... so If you've come to Milton Keynes only to be told you can't see her (because she's spent all day with a lucky few visitors,) you're going to be annoyed. The same goes for your three course meal.... your examples seem to be supporting MY case that it's important to receive what you've been told you can have... which in the case of C6 was an autograph... WHICH YOU GOT! Where do they say you can chat away with them, where does it guarantee ANYTHING other than an autograph? If you're EXPECTING more from the most popular stars, then you are quite possibly going to get disappointed. That's YOUR error for having unrealistic expectations. Chris, you are quite right to say that all you are actually paying for is the autograph. My point is that people actually expect more, they usually get more, and if less is then offered in order to get more people through, then maybe they are entitled to feel they got short changed. You are taking the metaphors too literally, but... If you went on that tour, you'd expect a reasonably comfortable bus. If you went to a Jamie Oliver restaurant you'd expect nice seating not trestle tables in the car park. Maybe what you pay for is the tour and the meal, but most people expect the trimmings too. In fact some people may choose to go on a certain tour not because of where it takes them, but because they know they have nice comfy busses. Some people may go to Jamie's restaurant rather than another not because of the food, but because they know it's a nice atmosphere. I personally buy an autograph as much to meet the guest as to get the autograph. It's usually part of the deal, so why shouldn't I expect it to be part of the deal? To me it's up to us as attendees at these events to define what we are willing to pay for. If there's too many who are willing to pay for the dirty bus and the trestle tables in the car park, then that's what is going to be provided. Why should organisers make sure their guests take even 10 seconds to say hello to attendees, if they think they can make more money pushing people through like cattle? Showmasters may not be prepared to give their customers shoddy service like that, but maybe there are others waiting in the wings that would. And if we, as customers, accept it, then in future there will be higher fees for guests, greater profits for organisers, and worse deals for us as customers. It's up to us to say 'This is what we want from a guest'.

GoldenGreen, I'm not going to reply in depth to yours, because I think I've covered a lot of it in what I wrote at the same time you were posting! But: I think what you got from Carrie is more than could be expected as my 'bottom line'. If everyone got what you got I don't think anyone would be complaining. But if all you'd got was an autograph and the chance to see the top of her head - no eye contact, no hello, ignoring anything you said - would you feel you'd got what you paid for? Would you still say you'd met her?

Yeah but if I cut it down, it's not a proper massage, and I've got my rep to guard. So sorry, but if you can't make the effort to get there early, you aren't getting your massage! Look, if you paid for a tour of London which included going to the Tower, and on the day you were told 'no Tower, and no you can't have a reduction, that way we can take twice the number of people round', you'd be annoyed. If you paid for a 3 course meal, and only got two you'd expect to pay less, not be told 'don't be selfish, if you don't clear that table fast there's other people won't be able to come in tonight' If people expect to get an autograph and a smile, and they only get the autograph, then why shouldn't they be annoyed? If the organisers are thinking that all they are selling is the autograph, then maybe we should be telling them 'No, we want actual eye-contact/hello included'. Maybe what we should be doing in this thread is deciding what's the bottom line. What we are prepared to accept for our money. You may be prepared to pay to see the top of a star's head as they sign. Personally I don't count that as meeting them, and I want to meet them.

I think in one of the other threads the person who sat with Carrie one day was saying that at dinner time she was worrying that there were 1000 tickets handed out and she'd only done 300 or something. To me that means that Carrie felt there was a target, and that she was under pressure to acheive it. Maybe she put herself under that pressure, I don't know. Does anyone know how many tickets were handed out for popular guest at previous events? I'm under the impression it was less, but maybe I'm wrong. High fees: I think SM's know where that rumour comes from, don't worry Con or not, you CAN restrict how many people go through the line. Choices CAN be made. Organisers can choose in advance how many virtual tickets to allow through, how fast to push people through... of course the the actual result may be different on the day. But you can make choices of how many people you want to go through the line and how you are going to do it. You can moniter how fast the guest is signing and tell them to stop taking photos or even to stop talking if the target is not being met. (If the guest is willing to co-operate of course *G*) OK, lets try a metaphor.... I'm selling foot massages. Usually I do 5 minutes per massage. One day I know it's going to be bussier than usual. So I decide to cut the massage to 3 minutes, which is not long enough to do the job properly, but I'm still going to charge for 5 minutes. Is that fair? Or do you think I should still do 5 minutes, give proper massages, and accept that not everybody who wants one will get a massage?