Dent_1

These are the kinds of holders poster dealers use at shows. Not cheap though, but you are paying for quality gear that is archival safe. You'd also need to make sure you had acid free backing boards to put in the sleeves. Then you're looking at a couple hundred quid for a 'v-rack' to stand the poster sleeves/holders in as well! Selwyns As for framing... to protect from direct sunlight you can get plexiglass/glass that is UV resistant but this costs twice as much as regular plexiglass/glass and its not really worth paying for because you need to protect artwork from normal light as well. The best advice is just keep your stuff out of lit areas entirely because if you don't, your posters will fade over time. Another bit of VERY important advice if you decide to frame, make sure there is some sort of matting. You don't want any poster up against the glass because mositure can get in between the poster and the glass causing it to wrinkle. Also, matting helps support the poster as the poster can buckle (and wrinkle) under its own weight. Finally, if you do frame anything, DO NOT have it 'dry mounted' otherwise your poster will be ruined! I suggest a bit of research before taking anything to get framed so you can best decide what suits your needs. Dedicated poster forums can be a great source of information if you dig around: All Poster Forum Hope this helps!

What are the possible answers for this thread? a. Yes. I buy autos/phtos of people I like. OR b. No. I get autos/photos of people I don't like. Assuming you're not picking up autos for someone else who on earth would do the latter?!? I always find it a little odd when people say "I want to meet 20 people" and stuff like that, because for me I would think getting autos/pics from all and sundry would dilute the enjoyment I would derive from my collection of in-person autos/photos. For example I thought Robert Knepper was AMAZING in Prison Break, but I don't want his autograph. Christopher Lloyd petrified me as a child in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and was enjoyable in BTTF and Star Trek, but I don't want or need his autograph as nice a bloke as he may be. To be honest I've found the talk about this LFCC being the "best line-up ever" etc etc all a bit much. I would never cristicise anyone's personal interests or reasons for meeting guests but nobody likes everyone or everything surely For this LFCC I did a 340 mile round trip just to meet Brent Spiner and Veronica Cartwright. That's it. 2 autographs from Brent, 1 from Veronica and a photoshoot with each. I LOVE Star Trek the Next Generation and think Brent was part of a truly great ensemble cast, and the same can be said of Veronica who starred in one of my favourite films ever: Alien, and I enjoyed her work on the X-Files as well. Everyone else...? Meh. So to answer the question, I only meet guests who's work I really like.

No worries Kevl! Credit where credit is due. I would have understood completely if you took me for a con man trying to skank a couple more photos and refused any more photos but you gave me the benefit of the doubt so what could I do but say THANKYOU! (Sorry I didn't pick them up earlier and caused the confusion at the end, like I mentioned the gf had my bag so I had nowhere to put them and I thought it best to leave it until the end so I wasn't taking away from other fans selection. Very fortuitous that you walked by when you did!) Cheers, Luke

I think it all boils down a bit of a communication breakdown between you and Brent but thats life - it happens. I think it is very hard to be diplomatic in situations like these and I think there is no easy way to turn a fan down request like this. I agree it would be nice if Showmasters could forewarn people about certain guest preferences (Brent's are no secret) but then again a guest may be hesitant to inform the organisers of any specific rules as being told 'no touching' etc. may make him look the bad guy/unreceptive in the eyes of fans. He may rather just play it by ear. To be honest the whole scenario sounds like a little goof, hopefully you'll look back and find it funny (which it sort of was) as I very much doubt anyone there thought you looked stupid or anything.

Somehow I knew it would be Brent Spiner! There was a thread on here (which seems to have disappeared) about Brent whipping out a hand sanitiser after an attendee did the 'knuckle-knock', on their way out from the shoot the fan turned to see this and was mortified. Hilarious! As I said in that thread he was discussing hand santizers with me and the fan in front when I was getting his autograph. In fact he shook hands with the fan in front, the fan then coughed, and Brent immeadiately used the sanitizer and explained how he always gets ill after these events. To be honest he does come across as 'clean freak' and he is not keen on bodily contact of any sort with the public. To be honest I was shocked he put my arm round my shoulder in the photoshoot but figured he was doing it (read: grinning and bearing it) for his fans who had paid to meet him, which I though was a kind gesture when it probably made him uncomfortable. With regards to the "wife would kill me" comment, he was chatting up my girlfriend at the autograph desk so I don't think he was too bothered on that score! He was obviously using the comment to deflect having to offend you with something like: "I'd rather not touch you as much as is possible." I mean how you would feel if he's said something like that? You've come away thinking less of him, when in reality he was trying to spare your feelings. Once your hubby said you were his wife, the way I read it, Brent probably was feeling a bit guilty so was trying in some small way to make up for not hugging you (I very much doubt he wanted to hug your husband either). As for the comment he made, it was only an attempt to diffuse what he probably also felt was an awkward situation. And he always plays up to the audience - he's a very good showman. As for him being less talkative to you at the autograph table, when I met him a few years ago, I thought he seemed a little reserved/aloof but still good so expected the same again. This time he was much more engaging, but I think that was because I threw a little more at him that got him talking, whereas before I really didn't have much to say. I'm glad you told us it was Brent, becuase I'm absolutely positive it is nothing you have done. He really is genuinely eccentric and just doesn't like a lot of physical contact with fans so I really would not worry about it. I hope this makes you feel a bit better about meeting him helps calrify some of his arguably 'odd' behaviour!

Given that the event is going from strength to strength and getting bigger and bigger, I think you could easliy opt for quite a few more expensive guests per show. There are a few who will bemoan not being able to afford them but maybe people should be a bit more discriminating about what they buy. I paid £40 for two Brent Spiner autos this weekend, I'd pay thereabouts for 1x Ian Holm (hint hint for October). I'd pay £75+ for the likes of a legend like Sigourney Weaver, and I'm certain many others would too. So long as there is still a broad ranges of guests and prices there will always be punters who will happily stump up the money. My only concern with bigger guests is the pandemonium they will no doubt cause. As an example... Karen Gillan is stunning to look at, but in my opinion she is just an ok newbie actress in an overrated program. Still the business she generated was INSANE. I cannot imagine what it would be like if you did pull off a feat like getting someone like Sigourney or Ewan McGregor who have massive sci-fi followings and are real A-Listers. Not to mention the captive audience of other people from all over the world who will be attending the Olympics. I was wondering... - Could ALL the hall space in EC2 accomodate the crowds these kinds of celebs would draw? - Would it be worth making the show a 3-day show event (all of Fri-Sun) so demand is spread out and less people go away empty handed? (maybe even 4 days if the guests calibre of guests warranted it?) - Would it be possible to have the event open for longer, say 8am-8pm? I'm not a camp in the street / **** in the bushes kind of guy so am unwilling to queue up before the gates open i.e. the soonest I could get there would be when I could get my car in the car park at 7. Given the queues that would already be formed for a guest like McGregor outside the gates I would be seriously concerned about missing an amazing guest like this. People had camped out for this show since 4 am and others where getting in this show as early as 9:30 and still nearly missed (and some DID) getting autographs which isn't really acceptable. I wish Showmasters every future success but I hope you find new and innovative ways to adapt to meeting the increased customer demand. I'm genuinely concerned fans such as myself (especially those who travel great distances) may miss out.

On my Veronica Cartwright 8x10 she put: "Best always [sig] Lambert 'Alien' Love it when the guest puts in the extras without being asked! When it came to Brent Spiner he asked if I wanted it personalised, I said: "Ordinarily I would but Patrick [stewart] doesn't allow personalisations when he attends these events so I need you all (the main cast of TNG) to match, so if you could just flat sign it please." Brent was like: "Its in his contract not to personalise?" Me: "As far as I'm aware." Brent: "That's nonsense, he doesn't have a contract saying that! That's nonsense." He then went to sign my second picture and asked my girlfriend "is this one for you?" again wanting to personalise. I told him it was for me and again I needed it flat signed. He seemed genuinely deflated I didn't want them personalised. He seemed a bit more placated when I told him I met him a few years ago and he personalised a First Contact poster (which as it turns out to be his favourite Trek film he worked on). Brent's outburst made me think about who really decides on 'no personalisations' when it comes to guests. I don't think it would kill ANY guest to write "To ____" on a photo and leave it at that. I know the additional few seconds stack up but if people like Patrick are willing, and I have no reason to doubt this when he personalises through the mail, then why not let them? If anything it shows the guest just how many true fans turn up to meet them and I'm sure would make them more inclined to turn up at a future event. If the likes of Shatner/Stewart end up thinking many attendees only meet them to make money off them (getting their autos to flog for inflated prices later) I'd wager the guests probably charge higher fees as they may not see the event as a chance to meet fans but rather an opportunity make money off each signature, 'just like the attendees,' which would be a shame. I HATE a guest to think I will take away my flat-signed autograph and chuck it on eBay. Gates and LeVar also seemed a bit taken aback with the though of a non-personalised signature when I met them in MK. Should I blame Patrick, his agent or Showmasters? If Showmasters simply want to save time; get more people through; and therefore make more money - fair enough, it is a business afterall. I'd be fascinated to know who actually decides. Nice that Brent cared, unfortunate I like consistency amogst my autographs. Can't fault the man. I even saw him adding a long quote to a fan's Independence Day poster.

This^ ! Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Best post I've read regarding this event. I started the 'Crew Member - Some Feedback' thread which has since been locked, unfortunately I think because people were throwing out unfair gross generalisations about crew in general to the point Jason felt the need to clarify that a few bad apples don't spoil the bunch. I was mid-way through writing a reply stating as much before it got locked. To any mods, I'm going to post it here because I agree entirely with Jason and I think my post is balanced, isn't stoking the fire and is quite relevant to the current conversation: Edit by QS: I will move that part of your post to the original topic. I agree your post is balanced, but as you have seen even the most balanced post will get some reactions that Jason was trying to stop. I most certainly don't want it to disappear completely, one can tell you put a lot of thought in this. Hopefully this solution is okay with you. Hi Queen Sindel. No, don't mind at all, a judicious bit of editing on your part. As much as I disliked certain crew interactions this weekend I would never dream of tarring every crew member with the same brush. Thankyou for incorporating my comment back into my original topic, it was a nice way for to cap it off as it had unfortunately been derailed somewhat with unfair vagueness and generalisations. Seeing as crew members are unpaid volunteers I can only extend my admiration and thanks to those who give up their free time and especially to those who put in real effort to provide a good experience and make these events run smoothly. I've copied the end of my response back into this thread as I think its relevant (re: the concept of "complaining" on a forum) I hope you don't mind: "I came away with everything I had intended to get and I wouldn't allow these issues/problems to spoil my weekend even if there were a few bumps along the way. All I have provided [on the forums] is [what I feel is] accurate and concise feedback. I appreciate as the show grows there will always be new teething problems as the logistics get harder and harder to manage but feedback is a gift, and posters shouldn't get slammed [by other forum members] for simply telling what happened. I want to finish by saying once more that MinkyKnights is bang on. Even with the problems I had this weekend, the situation is NOT black and white. I had a great weekend and enjoyed myself very much indeed. The talk I went to was very entertaing and the guests I saw were a credit to themselves, both a real pleasure to meet. Despite some problems I will still attend future Showmaster events and wish them every success with making the experience grow. I gave certainly had fun at thier events, including this one(!) and thank them profusely for giving me the opportunity to meet some of my idols." Cheers!

This^ ! Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Best post I've read regarding this event. I started the 'Crew Member - Some Feedback' thread which has since been locked, unfortunately I think because people were throwing out unfair gross generalisations about crew in general to the point Jason felt the need to clarify that a few bad apples don't spoil the bunch. I was mid-way through writing a reply stating as much before it got locked. To any mods, I'm going to post it here because I agree entirely with Jason and I think my post is balanced, isn't stoking the fire and is quite relevant to the current conversation: Edit by QS: I will move that part of your post to the original topic. I agree your post is balanced, but as you have seen even the most balanced post will get some reactions that Jason was trying to stop. I most certainly don't want it to disappear completely, one can tell you put a lot of thought in this. Hopefully this solution is okay with you.

Who are we talking about here? Geuniunely interested to know.

I have mates always offering me hugs and I tell them where to go in no uncertain terms! Some people are just not into hugs. A guest is a stranger no matter how much you may like them and for me, hugs imply a certain familiarity/intimacy between two people and I wouldn't dream of asking a stranger for a hug, nor would I want one. I always wonder hypothetically how I would deal with fans if I were a guest at these events and I reckon I'd end up being the notorious one with bad feedback who did photoshoots in chairs a metre apart! Then again someone who isn't big on contact might grin and bear it for their fans who have paid to meet them - but what do you do when the fan who 'hums' wants to wrap their arms around you? *shudder*

Even though I didn't meet Christopher Lloyd I hate to hear fans go away with a bad experience, it's every fans worst nightmare when meeting a 'hero' who has made some impact on them. I remember when William Shatner and Patrick Stewart attended Showmasters events a few years back and the general consensus on the forums was they that were both terrible. No conversation, no looking at fans, total conveyor belt etc etc. Shatner came away looking very bad and I'm sure many fans treated both with trepidation when they both returned to MK and LFCC last year (I know I did). Thankfully I can say both guests proved to be really good and NOTHING like their previous feedback - it was a pleasure to meet both actors. It seems there has now been a bit of a reversal with Christopher Lloyd after the stellar feedback when he last attended, but given the examples mentioned above they have helped me realise that you just can't take anything for granted when it comes to guests. Christopher clearly was a good guest so what happened this time? Tiredness? Personal problems? Or was he just having a bad day? It happens. Plus he's getting on a bit! Looking at the glass half full, at least he turned up (again) for both days, took part in a cool photoshoot and lots of fans still got to meet him.

I have been attending Showmasters events since 2006 and I have always been happy to say I have NEVER had any bad experiences with the Showmasters crew and a couple have really gone out of their way to make sure I came away with a good experience. I’m sad to say this weekend did not live up the usual standard. This is a run-down of all my interactions with crew members on the Saturday. I want to stress this is NOT meant as a bash-fest, it is a simple retelling of what I experienced this weekend and I would hope Jason et al. would appreciate honest feedback when reviewing the event so here goes... Once I had got my virtual ticket numbers I proceeded to the area at the front where you could purchase photoshoots/talk tickets etc. and asked a crew member there if I could get the FREE talk tickets from this area. I was informed I could and made my way to the back of the line she directed me to. A little concerned at all the signage denoting payment types I wondered if perhaps the crew member has misheard me and thought I was referring to the paid talk tickets. This time my girlfriend asked her again if we were in the right queue for the FREE talk tickets and we were informed that we were. Once at the desk a new crew member asked what we needed. After telling her “Free talk tickets†we were told that we were in the wrong queue! I said I had been told twice to queue up here and I was asked who told me this. I pointed out the original crew member and the new one said annoyedly “tell her to come see me and I will tell her otherwise.†I just walked off. I’d already wasted 20 minutes and didn’t feel like wasting any more persuading a crew member to go and get chastised by another. Frankly it’s not my job to do their dirty work. Really unprofessional. ~ After getting some talk tickets I do what I always do: checked out the dealer stalls for images of the guests I want to meet and compare these to the free ones at the guests table. I then decide if I need to purchase any and then head to get the autographs. First up was Veronica Cartwright and I was pleased to see there was a really good profile shot from Alien on her table so I decided not to purchase a similar one I had seen at a stall earlier so I joined the queue. Once the queue edged closer I was getting concerened that the image looked a little fuzzy but at the distance there was no real way to tell. However once I was at the desk, I paid up and picked up the photo. Up close you could see the resolution really was quite terrible so I said to the crew member sitting with Veronica: “I’m really sorry to be a pain, but I need to buy a different picture from a dealer as these ones from Alien are too grainy, would that be alright?†The crew member said, “Well, you have already paid.†Unsure whether this was a refusal to let me wander away I continued to stare at her in anticipation of something a little clearer. Once the biggest pause of all time had ended she said begrudgingly, “Go on then.†I said “Thankyou, I’ll be two minutes†to which she replied. “Make it quick.†I came back a few minutes later and reminded the crew member by saying “Thanks for letting me get another pictureâ€. This was met with silence. Fortunately Veronica has missed the conversation(s) re: picture selection/quality as she was busy talking to other attendees. When I put the photo in front of her she picked it up and she paused for a minute and gazed at the photo in her hand and said “This is a GREAT picture. Where did you get it?†I told her I bought it off one of the stalls because the images on the table were a bit fuzzy and as I had travelled a long way to meet her and I wanted a good shot of her in the classic film. She repeated again, “It’s a great shot, could you get one for me?†and then started scrambling through her purse for some money. The crew member then told Veronica: “I’m sure we have this one here†whilst glancing over the table and behind her. Veronica told her, “We don’t have this one.†The crew member kept looking and said, “I’m sure we do,†and Veronica curtly informed her: “NO, we don’t.†Seems Miss Cartwright and I were very much ‘on the ball’ when it came to image selection and quality; the crew member most definitely was not. Given that Veronica was not privy to the earlier conversation I must admit it was extremely satisfying that she acknowledged that the photo I presented to her was so good; so much better than the free ones the crew member was tut-tutting at me for not taking, that she actually wanted to buy one herself. Suffice to say Veronica got her photo (and her money back) – my treat, and she said she was going to put it on her website. It shouldn’t need saying but after travelling hundreds of miles to meet a guest I would not pay one penny, let alone £15 to get a signature from ANYONE on a crappy low-res image. I imagine most people would feel the same. I am no last-minute plonker and I prepared for the signing as much as possible but there was no way to see just how bad the image at the table was until it was in hand given people where queuing up. Given that I had ducked out of the queue instantly, didn’t hold anyone up (in fact the people behind me got to see her sooner) and I queued up again afterward without cutting in, I though the crew member’s comments and demeanour were unfounded, unnecessary and extremely rude. ~ Next up was Brent Spiner. Like many autograph collectors I prefer certain inks over others and when I went to get an autograph from Brent I handed over my photos to the crew member sitting with him and asked for one to be signed in blue “Pleaseâ€. This was greeted with a sigh and an instantaneous but nonchalant “We don’t have any blue pens.†Whilst the crew member was correct in assuming there were no blue pens located immediately under her nose there was, in fact, a blue pen on the then vacant desk of the guest to Brent’s left. I said “there’s one there†(pointing to said pen) but sitting on Brent’s right, the thought of getting up and walking over to pick it up must have seemed a horrifying and tiring prospect so she turned to her right and asked another crewmember to borrow their blue pen. I then said: “Thanks for obliging me, I really appreciate it.†Much like my encounter with Veronica’s crew member I was treated to silence and a look of disdain. I cannot believe how utterly disinterested she was (at 11 a.m. no less) and how she made me feel I was asking the earth when it was in reality a very simple and common request. Who would have though turning her head and looking for a pen would be such an ordeal? Thankfully the wonderful Brent wiped away the truly unpleasant interaction with his crew member. I had Brent sign two photos I had brought with me and getting carried away talking to him, like a div(!), I left my two free photos at the desk in a plastic wallet. I only realised once I had walked off with my autographed photos so went to the photo table and asked if anyone had handed in the photos in wallet. I was told they had not been and was told I could go back to the signing table to have a look. I could not see them but could not get a good look as I was unwilling to interrupt the guests talking to Brent, as that would be rude and selfish of me and deemed it utterly pointless to ask for help from the crew member with a dislike of blue pens. Fortunately (or unfortunately as it turns out) a red-shirt crew member was walking behind the table at this particular moment so I asked if there has been any photos left on the desk, she said “I don’t know†stared blankly and walked off. I got the impression it was all a bit ‘what do you want me to do about it?/why are you bothering me?’ and of course I didn’t expect her to “know†but surely she could have asked if anyone had left anything there moments before? Apparently not. Resigned to the general unhelpfulness I’d encountered at the hands of Showmasters crew for the 4th time that day I gave up. ~ Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment but I went back later and thought it might be worth asking another crew member if anyone had handed in the photos in wallet, in the vein hope someone might just be bothered. This particular crew member has not heard of anything being handed in so I asked if I could take another two free photos to replace them (I’ll add that I asked this question at 5:50 so that I would not be potentially taking photos away from the selection other attendees might want that day). Given this was my biggest ‘ask’ of the day, I could justifiably see it being refused however I can say that pit-boss KEVIN made they ‘executive’ decision to let me take another two photos to replace the ones I had lost. He could have thought I was trying it on, trying to get more photos, but he gave me the benefit of the doubt. That’s exceptional service. Good on him. ~ Unfortunately, despite Kevin almost redeeming his much less professional colleagues, afterward came another to dash his kind gesture to smithereens. Given that Brent’s photo shoot was postponed by 30mins his photos of course got delayed right up until the end of the day and I eventually got my photo at about 6:15. I made my way over to my girlfriend who was sitting in the talk area next right next to photo table A, and as she held open the bag into which I was trying to delicately place my photo, a crew member came over and burst out: “are you an attendee or a dealer?†I told her I was an attendee and she then said “All attendees need to leave by 6, the show has finished and the building is now closed.†At the risk of stating the obvious given she could see me fannying about with the photo, I said “Yes I know, I’m just putting this away.†Rather than leave it there, she had to have the last word and said “If you could make your way out as soon as possible, the building is now closed.†Funny that she thought interrupting me twice whilst I’m trying to put my stuff away so I can get out of there was the quickest way to move us on. I wouldn’t have minded if I was loitering about but I’m not deaf (I heard the tannoys announcing the closing times) and I was only there until that time (like a great many others) because of the photo delays. Nobody likes photo delays, I’ve come to expect them at these shows to be honest, but what I really don’t like is being heckled by staff because I’m there because of a delay I have no control over. Especially when it’s obvious I’m trying to pack up and GTFO. ~ I’m sorry this was so long, but in 5 years of Showmasters events I have never experienced such (generally) rude and unhelpful behaviour from crew and so much in one day was so unexpected and extremely disappointing. I don’t know if some of these crew members were new but in my opinion they were brand damaging and the worst part of the event by far. I hate to be so negative of the crew so much in one thread when up until this event I would have sung their praises but I had to get all this down as they were just breaking my balls ALL DAY LONG. Each crew member seeming to try and outdo the last (except Kevin)! Before the next event PLEASE have a word or give some sort of briefing about the importance of providing the correct information to attendees and the general etiquette when it comes to collecting autographs, and about being a bit more courteous in general. If you stuck with me thanks for reading, I hope it is some useful feedback even if it’s not all good. I still enjoyed the event itself and got to meet some fantastic guests so thanks for that.

I voted that I would pay £55 to meet Christopher Lee, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't also pay £55 to meet Hayden Christensen. Unfortunately the voting system does not reflect that sentiment so you have to wonder how the results will be interpreted when my vote for Lee may imply I'm not fussed meeting about Hayden. Forum comments are no doubt useful, hence why I'm making the effort to contribute, but it's hard to distill page after page of comments. It would have been clearer like this (if guests are not up against eachother)... Would you pay these amounts to meet the following guests? Stan Lee - £30 YES () NO () Ian Holm - £45 YES () NO () Christopher Lee - £55 YES () NO () Haden Christensen - £55 YES () NO () Christopher Lambert - £35 YES () NO () Ewan McGregor - £50 YES () NO ()

I wouldn't say that a third of the vote is holding his own. Thats a Stan Lee landslide in my book, but then I'm not surprised with the bargain price for such a LEGEND!!!!!! Even though I have voted I really don't understand the way the poll has been arranged... i.e. why are guests facing off against eachother when no doubt most people would happily meet all of them? Does it mean that all 6 guests are a good possibility to attend in future and Showmasters are just gauging prices people would pay, or is the guest fund limited so only 3 can attend and the 3 who lose out are the ones with the least votes? I think Showmasters really ought to help us out and clarify this. Given that Alien is one of my top 5 favourite films, Ian Holm gets my vote every day of the week and twice on Sunday's. As brilliant as he was in that film I imagine more the amount of fans who will want to see him for his Lord of The Rings work will be overwhelming, not to mention he will be in The Hobbit. I understand that Stan Lee is a legend in the comic book world, but I'm not into comics at all and would not pay any money to meet him. If you gave me his autograph for nothing I'd sell it or give it away. I would hate for Ian Holm to not attend because he lost this bizzare poll when he went up against someone the comic book geeks (and I say that affectionatley) who attend these shows would go gaga for, and at a much lower price no less. Ian Holm is the best actor out of the lot by a country mile but he appears to be working at a severe disadvantage in this particular poll which concerns me!

This wasn't the assistant sitting next to Robert who whispered to him, but rather one of the more senior crew who were overseeing the general area, they came up out of nowhere to the front of the queue. Doubt it was to whisper "it's going on eBay", that would seem a bit pointless and a bit of time suck given how busy he was.

I voted for Ian Holm, Christopher Lee and Ewan McGregor. Sure, £45+ is a lot more than we pay for most guests but if it's a decent guest people will still pay. They may only get 1 or 2 autos instead of the usual 3 or 4 but the big names will undoubtedly pull in the punters and make sure you get a decent quantity of fans visiting the guests regardless of price. I was just begging in the LFCC sub-forum for more Alien guests, so seeing Ian Holm would be a definate MUST for this fan. Can you imagine the people who would want to see him for his LOTR work though? There would be no shortage of people wanting his autograph. Same for everyone else listed. I hope that this list is not totally exclusive to these six names and is indicative of other big names that could be achieved. A real star I would like to see at a show at somepoint would be Sigourney Weaver who even at £50+ would have no shortage people wanting to get her autograph. Another AMAZING guest would be Roger Moore. If you can offer to donate a decent amount to UNICEF then I imagine there is a good chance he would do a show. I'm looking forward to future lineups already!

I'm assuming that you didn't see him on the Monday because I was his GA that day and he was personalising pretty much everything. He asked people what their favourite quotes were, he wrote character names and show titles without being asked and he thought nothing of spending a few moments trying to remember his own favourites before deciding what to write. I'm sorry that you thought the crew may have told him not to personalise, but I can promise you that it only happens when there's a large number of VTs waiting to join the queue. It is unfortunate that you weren't able to see him on a quieter day, he had great interactions with almost everyone who saw him on Monday and he and Robert Englund made a great double act, often chiming in on each other's conversations to talk smack about each other You were right in thinking there were a lot of VT waiting - this was in part because his flight was delayed and he got there late on Saturday morning. Nonetheless, if fans get there later in the day chances are you might miss out, that's just the way it goes. Your point about how accomodating he was on Monday underlines again what a good guest he was and I'd hate to be a fan who couldn't get a message when most of the time he was giving them out. Not every fan can hand about until the Monday when it's quiet and you shouldn't miss out purely because of what day it is! And no apologies necessary, I had a great time meeting Robert Patrick even though it was busy.

Given that Jonathan Frakes cancelled at last year's LFCC, I'd love to see you persuade him to attend this year. Similarly, if that were not possible, I'd love to see more of the main crew from Star Trek The Next Generation in attendance. Obviously not Gates and LeVar who have just attended CM MK17, but rather Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis who haven't done a UK event in a good few years. And even though Patrick Stewart did CM MK16 last year, he's still go down a treat with fans. It would be fantastic if another main TNG guest could accompany Brent Spiner - when there are two of them, they usually seem to enjoy themselves more too. Also, more Alien guests to accompnay Veronica Cartwright would be spectacular given the quality of the cast: Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton, and Sigourney Weaver of course!

Met Brent at Collectormania Midlands a few years back. Can't wait to meet him again to get some stills signed. Great guest!

A little late to the party but here goes... GUESTS I only went to meet 3 guests and to put it simply, they were all superb. LeVar Burton was about as enthusiastic as is humanly possible, a very friendly and approachable guy who made fans feel at ease, nice and chatty too. He was a real pro at the photoshoot too: despite the fact Malcolm took several pics (I always manage to stuff them up) LeVar was enthusuastic throughout and seemed to genuinely enjoy himself really made the effort with everyone I saw. And he scores extra points for remembering me from the photoshoot when I went to get his signature afterwards. Gates McFadden was a more reserved, but again was friendly nonetheless. Like LeVar she commented upon the photo I had brought with me for her to sign. Lovely at the photo shoot too despite I needed more than one attempt! Robert Patrick was a real surprise. Given he was a 'bigger' guest I expected a certain amount of aloofness but what I got was someone who was really down to earth. He made unique conversation with everyone I heard and was very obliging with inscription requests. The paycheck may have got him to Milton Keynes but he really seemed to try his utmost to make sure each fan went away happy. A class act. PERSONALISATIONS I understand that busy guests may need to limit the personalisations they offer but I do take issue when the organisers can get a bit heavy handed with the guests. For instance, the person in front of me for Robert Patrick asked for the date; film/series name; signature; printed name; and character name. Robert looked a little bemused but did oblige. Personally I thought the guy in front was taking advantage of a guest willing to accomodate his fans, the majority of which aren't as brazen. All that detail was unncessary and a bit OTT. After the guy in front had got every last inscription he wanted, one of the crew leaned over the desk to whisper in his ear, afterwhich Robert looked a little crestfallen. He proceeded to sign my autograph, addressed to me, and I asked if he was able to put a character name given I thought he'd been told off for personalising. Seems my guess was correct, and whilst I would have gone away without anything more than the signature, Robert decided to circumvent the 'rules' by putting "J.D." in exchange for "John Doggett" on my X-Files pic which I thought was very nice of him. Then he went to sign my T2 photo which I was getting for a friend. Turns out my friend's name is the same as Robert's son, and after addressing the photo, Robert took the time to add "All my best" and "T-1000" under his signature, again without me asking for it. My feeling is that if a guest clearly wants to have a bit of fun by adding extras to the signature, then just let them get on with it. It doesn't take a guest 2 seconds to write something like "T-1000" and makes the signature all the more special. I loved meeting Robert Patrick because he showed me in no uncertain terms that he wanted me to walk away from meeting him a happy fan. Had the organiser's had their way, or had Robert allowed his arm to be twisted then neither autograph would have been as cool as the one's I got. I understand Showmaster's needs more signatures to recoup their costs and that they don't want fans to miss the chance to meet him, but please don't ruin the experience by making it more like a conveyor belt when you've been fortunate enough to land a guest who is amazing enough to try and make it fun for every fan they meet. THE VENUE This was my second Collectormania at the MK Dons stadium and whilst I don't want to be negative I still think it is a very bad venue. I went on the Saturday and thankfully, unlike last year, there was barely any rain. There was however lots of wind and it was again very cold. The dealer room is way too cramped for the footfall of the show and the smell emanating from the bar area nearby was atrocious. The smell really did hit you and my first thought was 'bus station toilet'. Not good. Finally when I went to pick up my Gates photoshoot pic, a gust of wind blew some crusty old birdmuck on me from the metal girders overhead. Thankfully all my photos and autograpghs were packed away, but I was not happy to say the least. A really bad way to end the day. (Unbeknownst to me, the famous winds messed up my hair for one of my photoshoots earlier in the day also). I keep hearing the line "it's better to have the show here than none at all" but whilst I did really enjoy meeting the aforementioned guests I simply can't agree with that sentiment, and I'm seriously considering not going to future Collectormanias held at the Stadium. It's ok for a footie game but not for walking around for up to 8 hours when you have to carry around autographs and other items (from the dealer room) whilst being exposed to the elements. Additionally I think it's a bit niave to assume that guests will simply put up with the elements regardless. I was on my feet all day and was cold. I can't imagine how ucomfortable it was for signers who still still all day. LeVar specifically said he was freezing and Gate's looked like she was frozen stiff (not surprising given the dear is 62 years old!). If the guests don't like the venue I don't think it's too far fetched to imagine they may hesitate to attend future Showmaster events. Bad word of mouth may even prevent other guests attending as well. And none of us want great guests to stop attending. I'll thank Showmasters for allowing me to meet some fantastic guests but the venue really needs to be changed as its flaws are many and significant.

Kenny Baker: Hello! + R2-D2 Nicki Clyne: You motherfrakker! All the best + Cally Michelle Forbes: Frak you! (I should probably add that the last two were tongue in cheek messages for a friend!)

She sounds like she was nothing short of being a fantastic guest. Good to hear everyone that met her had a good experience.

Is Katie doing a photoshoot on the Sunday (I thought she was but couldn't find it in the online shop). Thanks.

I've seen some posts in the Guest Experiences bit, but it takes some wading through(!) so thought I'd make a thread for Patrick Stewart. I had attempted to see Patrick at the LFCC back in '07 but after problem after problem with the trains, a two hour journey turned into a 6 hour one, meaning I arrived about half an hour after he had left (he was only doing a couple of hours as I recall). I was gutted to say the least. People had also mentioned that whilst he was a polite, pretty much all he said was 'you're welcome' (after being thanks), so expected a conveyer belt-esque experience this time as well. Adamant I would not miss him at this show I queued up at about 7:15 on Saturday and got VT no.44 so say him within about 30 mins of him coming down at 10am. Before I had my stuff signed I could hear and see that he was being very pleasant and jovial with everyone, full of beans if you will, so a good start. I wanted to an 8x10 signed and my First Contact film poster. This is how it went: Patrick: Hello. Me: Hello. How are you? Patrick: I'm fine thankyou. Me: Thankyou for coming. Patrick: I'm very glad to be here. (I unroll poster) Patrick: Where would you like me to sign? Patrick: Anywhere you please. Actually... how about under the Enterprise? (He signs where I ask. He then looks over the other signatures I have so far i.e. Brent Spiner & Marina Sirtis and smiles at them.) Me: It was a pleasure to meet you. Patrick: Thankyou. (Patrick looks at poster again) Patrick: Good luck! I was surprised at so much interaction and maybe it helped that I was one of the first in, but for such a big star, with massive queues and who was in a rush, he had no ego on show and really put the effort in with everyone I saw. He was a thoroughly enjoyable guest and well worth travelling to see. The only minor criticism was my 8x10 reached Patrick Stewart before I did, and as such I had no opportunity request the kind of pen I wanted him to sign in (i.e. silver or gold) and he just signed in the black pen he was already holding before I had chance to say anything. Frankly, on the image the black sig did not look great and I hate black signatures anyway. The thought of paying to have another go didn't seem too appealing so I spoke to a member of the crew and explained what had happend and she offered to swap it over and have him do another. She wisked the fresh photo off and interruped the queue momentarily and whisked it back in under 60 seconds. That's service! If you are reading this, thankyou Simone you helped make the event an event more enjoyable one. I also had a photo shoot done and whilst he was static (I'm sure to keep things running quickly) he was again polite and greeted everyone. I tried to shake his hand (not knowing this was a faux par) and he was stumbling to say he couldn't in a way that wouldn't offend, before Malcolm interfected and said it was his (Malcolm's) rule. I just said to "ok don't worry about it" to Patrick and he smiled and continued on. As with the autographs, he but in effort with everyone and looked much more cheery/smiley than in previous photoshoot pictures I have seen. Big thanks to Showmasters for getting back such a great guest - I've been waiting 3 years and was not dissappointed!