Where are the Guests

[scojoe]

So working on the assumption that the big names for LFACC2 were "too late" as such, then even if they announce some big ones NOW for LFACC3 .. will it just be the same scenario?

 

I think the problem with big guests is that they can pull out, or only become available near the show, and I don't think that'll ever change unfortunately.

Don't think they were too late. People just decided to not go because they couldn't get there. It was a lot quieter than it should of been.

[samwise16]

I really wanna go, but if there is none tonight or tommorrow the person taking me wont go

 

really? on the basis of there being only a few Star Wars guests?

 

 

well if all they like is SW then they wont go for Star Trek

[GoldenGreen]

So working on the assumption that the big names for LFACC2 were "too late" as such, then even if they announce some big ones NOW for LFACC3 .. will it just be the same scenario?

 

I think the problem with big guests is that they can pull out, or only become available near the show, and I don't think that'll ever change unfortunately.

I agree to a point, but that shouldn't necessarily stop you advertising them, or making people aware of them. For example with Val Kilmer on the site, or Joss Whedon in the Buffy mag, it says they are hoping they will attend. At the end of the day this is the same with every guest, it is always subject to other work / acting commitments.

 

Presumably Val and Joss have at least signed provisional agreements to attend, or given a verbal contract that they will try and attend.

 

Other than that, by Showmasters own word, if they have not been announced they are not coming.

 

So, that leads to only one conclusion, as of 2.06 p.m. on Thursday 2 June no more guests are attending.

 

And yes, you are right, if they land some big names now, as with LFCC2, they are going to have trouble getting the word out there again, which could impact on the attendance for the event.

[Beaker.]

Perhaps that's where the problem lies.

 

If you're not attracting people with specific tastes, who are you attracting?

 

If you only get one or two guests from a specific genre, fans of that genre are unlikely to go to the event unless you get the Star Wars fans in with Mark Hamill or James Earl Jones, or the Trekkies with Shatner, Stewart or Brooks. The Trekkies will show up for Mulgrew as she's huge, but that's about the only specific group that LFCC is aiming at.

 

Aside from that, aiming at no one in particular is a huge risk. Con organisers in other countries don't hold events like this. They limit them to a specific show or genre and get in guests that appeal only to a large number of specific fans.

It's tricky because it works both ways I think?

 

If you get too specific with say Trek or whatever, then you'll not attract all the other fans from other areas, and yet if you DON'T get very specific then the Trek fans may not come?

 

I'm not sure what a good balance would be.

To even try to succesfully run an event like LFCC which appeals to no one particular group of fans, you have to get the biggest guests from all the different genres you're representing.

 

Star Trek fans for example will always turn up in their hundreds if you get a Captain or First Officer. You don't need other specific Trek guests to attract them. The problem with that is they'll see the Trek guests and then probably go home without seeing the other guests who they're not interested in.

 

In this situation, if all the guests were Star Trek guests (or Buffy, SW etc before you all yell), the fans would spend money on more or most of the guests thus generating more money for the organisers.

 

Financially, you can have 5000 people walking through the door, but if they all only see one or two guests and spend a minimal amount on signatures, you're probably gonna be in trouble.

 

You can work out what the balance has to be from that.

 

I feel that despite the guest list, this is where LFCC2 probably went wrong. That and a number of other factors.

[DavidB]

I guess the problem with all of us wanting BIG name guests, whether it be main characters from tv shows or Hollywood actors, is that we don't actually know who is available at the time, nor what the costs are. So I guess even though we know what WOULD make a successful event, unfortunately it's not as easy to put together as it is to discuss it

 

Say the LOTR fans for example .. after getting Elijah and his buddies, their expectations for future BIG LOTR guests were raised.

 

People who really liked the strong variety of LFACC2 would now like that at every event, even though we're realistic and know that it probably won't happen.

 

It's been proven that it's very difficult to deliver on that level constantly, circumstances change and while plans may be good in the beginning, they can easily fall apart. Then again, they could change for the better and improve, but no one knows what will happen. It's a very risky business!

[Mastersoftheshow]

David, I do agree with you, but only to a certain extent.

 

It is true that quite a few people on the forum take their dreams and wishes for granted and will only stop moaning if you would have every major actor who walked on this earth attend the show (including some dead ones ...).

 

Obviously, that would not be possible - be it only from a financial point of view.

 

The thing is that SM have announced a huge/major show and that raised everyone's expectations. So, to a certain extent, SM are "guilty" of (at least part of) the moaning which has been going on recently. It would have been much wiser to announce nothing and then surprise everyone with huge guest announcements, lots of special acts, premieres, and the likes. That would have nailed everyone down.

 

By announcing the "big one" they would lose on all counts : either they wouldn't live up to the expectations and people would start moaning (like is happening now) or they would actually have a great show and everyone would just say "oh well,nice work, just as you announced it" without being too enthusiastic.

 

Oh well, I can only guess / hope that SM are working day and night to improve the show. Me thinks they need to address three issues :

 

1) comic artists - none announced, but it still is supposed to be the LFCC

2) more guest stars

3) some special acts / premieres / etc. to make it a really "big" show

[Beaker.]

I guess the problem with all of us wanting BIG name guests, whether it be main characters from tv shows or Hollywood actors, is that we don't actually know who is available at the time, nor what the costs are. So I guess even though we know what WOULD make a successful event, unfortunately it's not as easy to put together as it is to discuss it 

 

Say the LOTR fans for example .. after getting Elijah and his buddies, their expectations for future BIG LOTR guests were raised.

 

People who really liked the strong variety of LFACC2 would now like that at every event, even though we're realistic and know that it probably won't happen.

 

It's been proven that it's very difficult to deliver on that level constantly, circumstances change and while plans may be good in the beginning, they can easily fall apart. Then again, they could change for the better and improve, but no one knows what will happen. It's a very risky business!

Very risky indeed.

 

 

But I think there's a lot to be said for not setting your stall out to the extent to which Showmasters did when they announced the "new and improved" LFCC.

 

All the annoucement did was to create difficulties for them from minute one, both with the weight of fan expectation and their ability to actually deliver enough people of the required standard.

 

The answer probably lies in scaling back the size of the event and not letting everyone know in advance what you're going to give them long before you've got it to give.

 

 

Hehe, Sorry Masteroftheshow. Think we were both typing at the same time!

Edited June 2, 2005 by Beaker.

[GoldenGreen]

It's been proven that it's very difficult to deliver on that level constantly, circumstances change and while plans may be good in the beginning, they can easily fall apart. Then again, they could change for the better and improve, but no one knows what will happen. It's a very risky business!

Which is one of the reasons why it is not a good idea to over promise in your event advertising and then under deliver in the actual event.

 

I agree in that the Elijah Wood appearance set a high benchmark, and it has become both a success and a level to judge them on.

 

The guest list for LFCC2 was superb, I have said it loads of times, but it has to be the best ever line-up for this type of event in Europe.

 

Perhaps they need to change tack and go down the route for Val Kilmer and not having the guests appearing every day for example. They could try and theme the days, so Saturday could be Star Wars and then Sunday could be LOTR (Or Star Trek, or Buffy , whatever). And then slot in any other names around this, such as a Burt Reynolds.

[Mastersoftheshow]

Hehe, Sorry Masteroftheshow. Think we were both typing at the same time!

Great minds think alike

[DavidB]

There's certainly room in Earls Court to do some mini-events as such to bring in the crowds - maybe workshops with comic artists or presentations for summer movies etc, I do think that's what needs to be done. You're never going to fill a place that big with just guests (unless u go down the Prowse route ..) and there's only a limited amount of dealers you can get because they'll get repetitive.

 

Even if some guests were not signing, and just did panels or something - I'm sure that's what they do in America right? I know a lot of people just want to get the autographs, but there are also a lot that are just interested in the guests themselves, so it WOULD bring people in. Problem with that is finance .. just doing a presentation or whatever wouldn't make much money.

 

But if the names were big enough, it'd encourage people to attend, and then impulse purchasing is always a factor and lots of people spend more than they originally intended.

 

I like meeting the guests, but I'd certainly like to see something different too in order for this to be "big" in more ways than just the size of the building. And no, not manga or wrestling or whatever.

[Beaker.]

Hehe, Sorry Masteroftheshow. Think we were both typing at the same time! 

Great minds think alike

Well, you've got a great mind. Not sure where the other one is though.

[fugaziuk]

Even if they did have 'big' announcements pretty much all the magazines they advertise in , Empire, SFX Star trek etc will not have another copy out in advance of LFCC, or if it is in advance not enough for people to make the necesary travel arrangements.

 

 

whats to stop them from advertising in the events section of the sunday mirror, evening standard, news of the world etc etc! papers that are read by many, many people.

 

Even if some guests were not signing, and just did panels or something - I'm sure that's what they do in America right? I know a lot of people just want to get the autographs, but there are also a lot that are just interested in the guests themselves, so it WOULD bring people in. Problem with that is finance .. just doing a presentation or whatever wouldn't make much money.

 

Thats what i believe will happen if they get joss whedon - i doubt he will be signing.

 

I would like it if they did that tho. A talk with val kilmer would be better than an auto in my eyes- i imagine he has some very interesting storys t tell of his movies and look at the greats he has worked with brando, de niro, pacino etc etc

[Dom]

So what you are all saying is that SM made a bold statement and failed to deliver?

 

Im still very conflicted about the whole thing!

 

It aint over till the fat lady sings or SMG learns how to act

[GoldenGreen]

So what you are all saying is that SM made a bold statement and failed to deliver?

 

Im still very conflicted about the whole thing!

 

It aint over till the fat lady sings or SMG learns how to act

There is still time to deliver on the guests, but it is more of time is running out to advertise the potential guest announcements for the event between now and 25 June, although this is in terms of advertising in Sci-Fi / Film related magazines due to their publishing schedules.

 

This was certainly a factor for LFCC2, as big guests like Burt Reynolds were announced late in the day so did not feature in the publications.

 

However, as someone else said in the thread, if the guest is big enough they could advertise elsewhere.

 

For example, in papers like the Metro for London they announced some of the film premieres, or on a smaller scale signings in shops.

 

Just imagine based on the number of attendees that showed up at the recent Kingdom of Heaven Premiere, if they announced Orlando Bloom, it would be worth taking out an ad in a national paper.

[Beaker.]

There's certainly room in Earls Court to do some mini-events as such to bring in the crowds - maybe workshops with comic artists or presentations for summer movies etc, I do think that's what needs to be done. You're never going to fill a place that big with just guests (unless u go down the Prowse route ..) and there's only a limited amount of dealers you can get because they'll get repetitive.

 

Even if some guests were not signing, and just did panels or something - I'm sure that's what they do in America right? I know a lot of people just want to get the autographs, but there are also a lot that are just interested in the guests themselves, so it WOULD bring people in. Problem with that is finance .. just doing a presentation or whatever wouldn't make much money.

 

But if the names were big enough, it'd encourage people to attend, and then impulse purchasing is always a factor and lots of people spend more than they originally intended.

 

I like meeting the guests, but I'd certainly like to see something different too in order for this to be "big" in more ways than just the size of the building. And no, not manga or wrestling or whatever.

Totally agree with this.

 

SM need to have something to entertain and interest the people who attend. Just queing for guests isn't doing it for a lot of people anymore.

 

I don't know if more talks are the answer, but it's something that other events do quite successfully. I don't know what it would take cost wise to get a big actor to do some sort of an acting workshop or something like during the day, but something is needed to pull people to the event.

 

I've seen Patrick Stewart recite Shakespeare on stage during a Q&A, and it was quite something seeing and hearing an actor of his calibre delivering the lines. If someone of his calibre could do an acting workshop for an hour or so, it would be really good.

[dufresne]

I don't think a non-specific show creates problems. Look at the big bad Brum one ! Most successful in europe !! Sureley we, the fans, are just that ! FANS of entertainment - can any of us really say we are ONLY fans of SW, or ST, or LOTR, or Buffy etc etc ?

 

Add to that the crossover appeal of people who have been in several shows / films (Reynolds, Biehn, Ironside, Kotto) and you can see the appeal of a show covering pop culture at a general level ! Yes, a lot of people will always say "oh god, I must go to this ... I have wanted to meet for ages", but I still think the show as a (dare I say it) "experience" appeals to a lot of people ......

[dufresne]

it would be worth taking out an ad in a national paper.

I was just thinking that ! Say they DO come up with Roger Moore, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mark Hamill, The Shatner and the Calcium kid at this late stage ...... they can have a full page spread in as many national newspapers as they want at pretty short notice, can't they ?

 

Even if "fans" don't read it, we've all had people come to us and say "i suppose you're going to that thing I saw in the paper yesterday?"

[Beaker.]

I don't think a non-specific show creates problems. Look at the big bad Brum one !    Most successful in europe !! Sureley we, the fans, are just that ! FANS of entertainment - can any of us really say we are ONLY fans of SW, or ST, or LOTR, or Buffy etc etc ?

 

Add to that the crossover appeal of people who have been in several shows / films (Reynolds, Biehn, Ironside, Kotto) and you can see the appeal of a show covering pop culture at a general level ! Yes, a lot of people will always say "oh god, I must go to this ... I have wanted to meet for ages", but I still think the show as a (dare I say it) "experience" appeals to a lot of people ......

 

The NEC has the advantage of being a lot more accessible for a lot more people than anywhere in London. That's probably why a lot more people show up.

 

Where the NEC scores highly is guest recognition. You can look at the lineups and immediately know who around 95% of the guests are even if you don't want to meet them.

 

I look at the average Showmasters event lineup and often have no idea about every third or fourth guest.

Edited June 2, 2005 by Beaker.

[porkfat]

it would be worth taking out an ad in a national paper.

I was just thinking that ! Say they DO come up with Roger Moore, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mark Hamill, The Shatner and the Calcium kid at this late stage ...... they can have a full page spread in as many national newspapers as they want at pretty short notice, can't they ?

 

Even if "fans" don't read it, we've all had people come to us and say "i suppose you're going to that thing I saw in the paper yesterday?"

 

They used to take full-page ads in the Daily Mirror during Collectormania.

 

It can be done again for LFCC3.

[Dom]

I'm sure Matthew Wood's a lovely chap, but many casual SW fans won't know who he is and probably won't care.

 

The real problems could start if Showmasters consider Wood to be a "big" guest purely on the basis of his "voice" being in a Star Wars movie. And please don't all start going on about James Earl Jones. He's a totally different ballpark! 

Yeah but he is a Star Wars villan and therefor cool!

 

While we are on the subject of balls and parks do you think Grace would help me out with mine?

Edited June 2, 2005 by Dom

[13rufus]

I'm sure Matthew Wood's a lovely chap, but many casual SW fans won't know who he is and probably won't care.

 

The real problems could start if Showmasters consider Wood to be a "big" guest purely on the basis of his "voice" being in a Star Wars movie. And please don't all start going on about James Earl Jones. He's a totally different ballpark! 

Yeah but he is a Star Wars villan and therefor cool!

 

While we are on the subject of balls and parks do you think Grace would help me out with mine?

clearly she'll be far too busy with me

[Beaker.]

I'm sure Matthew Wood's a lovely chap, but many casual SW fans won't know who he is and probably won't care.

 

The real problems could start if Showmasters consider Wood to be a "big" guest purely on the basis of his "voice" being in a Star Wars movie. And please don't all start going on about James Earl Jones. He's a totally different ballpark! 

Yeah but he is a Star Wars villan and therefor cool!

 

While we are on the subject of balls and parks do you think Grace would help me out with mine?

Well Wimbledon's in a few weeks. .. That is what you meant, isn't it?

[Dom]

I'm sure Matthew Wood's a lovely chap, but many casual SW fans won't know who he is and probably won't care.

 

The real problems could start if Showmasters consider Wood to be a "big" guest purely on the basis of his "voice" being in a Star Wars movie. And please don't all start going on about James Earl Jones. He's a totally different ballpark! 

Yeah but he is a Star Wars villan and therefor cool!

 

While we are on the subject of balls and parks do you think Grace would help me out with mine?

Well Wimbledon's in a few weeks. .. That is what you meant, isn't it?

Guys if you have seen the begining of Romeo Must Die you know the deal! I don`t care if she can act or is a good person! DAM

[dufresne]

You can look at the lineups and immediately know who around 95% of the guests are even if you don't want to meet them.

How does THAT benefit us ? I know who is, but I wouldn't buy an auto ???? Quick SMs - sign those people !