location of weekend conventions

[fluterirl]

hi i was just thinking it would be nice to have the cons in a location closer to an airport as northhampton is quite a distance from london aitports so costs add up for flights, buses, trains, taxis as well as the accomadation and other bits. At least if they were closer to a main airport they costs for non mainland fans would be better :)

By the way im not complaining its a suggestion, i would love to go to eclipse but it would just cost too much

[chrismk]

hi i was just thinking it would be nice to have the cons in a location closer to an airport as northhampton is quite a distance from london aitports so costs add up for flights, buses, trains, taxis as well as the accomadation and other bits. At least if they were closer to a main airport they costs for non mainland fans would be better :)

By the way im not complaining its a suggestion, i would love to go to eclipse but it would just cost too much

 

Problem with heathrow hotels, is that they are generally more expensive. That might mean the difference between getting say 3 guests or 4 guests. There are also relatively few capable of seating 800 attendees and some of the ones that can are particularly naff!

[DavidB]

In all fairness, wherever you hold it there will always be people who have to travel somewhere to get there.

 

Holding it near ONE airport isn't going to be convenient for everyone arriving around the world, plus then there likely a lot more 'mainland fans' who then have to battle through airport travel etc to get there. And as mentioned above, there are higher costs.

[pez]

how about basing it somewhere thats not at the bottom of the country?

 

everyting always seames to be down near london or up in glasgow both are really expensive to get to !

 

i think seeing as the first eclipse was down south next should be up north. ( newcastle area ahem!) everythings cheeper in the north of england anyway full stop.

 

x pez

Edited December 8, 2007 by pez

[Lizzy]

since when is NORTHampton down south ?!?! Its more midlands than anything.

ok, the locations I can recall:

SouthSouth: None!!

Higher up South: London (Wembley/Earls Court);

More Midlandsy: Milton Keynes; Northampton; Coventry

North: Manchester; Glasgow

Other Countries: Florida (A while ago, but still!)

 

I don't know where Lockdown, Autographica, Empire or Aftermath are...

 

 

Thats quite a varied list compared to some other shows that are only in ONE location per year! I think thats pretty good to acommodate everyone... Manchester I can't really get to, or Glasgow, so not everywhere is perfect for everyone. People South South (Devon, Somerset etc) would struggle getting to London even, so the best thing to do is have them all in the middle ish- its fair. And before anyone says "oh you must live in Milton Keynes/ London then".. I'm at least an hour and a half from any show.

 

SM would have found the best location for the show- best for the guests to get to, or prices, or perhaps best available? I went to a stay over show in London, and it was so expensive in the hotel, I had to drive there and back each day, but Northampton, I can easily afford 2 nights.

[pez]

i know it's hard for everyone to get to anywhere easily but traviling 8 hours or so everytime i want to go to a convention is a nightmare!

even glasgow is a nightmare sometimes.milton keynes i've done a few times now...

but somewhere that was on a main train line or near a major airport would be easyer than somwhere difucult to find.

im from this country and northampton is difucult for me to get to let alone the mates i have coming over from germany and italy. at least english is my first language.

[Lenatalia]

Northampton is a weird place. It's either 3 trains or a coach + train to get to.

 

I'm all for a bigger city, though not London - it's a stressful place. Manchester or even Milton Keynes would work.

[Mr.Jones]

Like MK and Manchester aren't stressful? You need to get to MK, which isn't the easiet from some parts. And Manchester is a major city. Somewhere like Northampton is out of the way and unlikely to have the stresses of getting to the location like London - which can be a nightmare at the best of times to navigate.

[mousybrown]

What about Birmingham?

It's easy to train too, i think theres a airport (lol i cant remember) and it's pretty central : )

 

just my little suggestion

[Sofie]

Heathrow would be perfect, there are some great hotels not far from the airport, which makes travel real easy!!

[Mr.Jones]

I wouldn't exactly say travel in London is easy. I find it less stressful driving from Bristol to MK then I do London. And Birmingham is another big city like London and Manchester. Staging an event away from the hustle and bustle of a major metropolis would be ideal for people beign able to get to and from the location alot quicker than hitting city traffic. With London, you also have the congestion charge for people to worry about.

[Psychosis]

'City traffic' only counts for those travelling by car. A LOT of us are coming by bus/rail - and it's better to have it in a major city than somewhere random. There are far more services for me to get to London or Manchester than there are for Northampton.

[chris_mk]

 

but somewhere that was on a main train line

 

Northampton is on the Birmingham-London mainline... there aren't many busier train lines!!

 

Heathrow would be perfect, there are some great hotels not far from the airport, which makes travel real easy!!

 

For the record, have you actually read the other posts in this thread? Heathrow is not perfect because it's WAY expensive (which means less guests as overheads are higher) and there are very few hotels there that can (and want to) host an event for 800+.

 

'City traffic' only counts for those travelling by car. A LOT of us are coming by bus/rail - and it's better to have it in a major city than somewhere random. There are far more services for me to get to London or Manchester than there are for Northampton.

 

Northampton is on the trainline between Manchester and London? (via Birmingham)

 

 

i think seeing as the first eclipse was down south next should be up north. ( newcastle area ahem!) everythings cheeper in the north of england anyway full stop.

 

 

I won't deny things are cheaper up North for the attendees, but if you're running an event, you have to find a way to get the guests from Heathrow (coming from the US, it's likely they will come in there) to Newcastle. That extra travel alone DOES put off some guests and is an increased expense that could mean less guests. In addition, the Northern events never sell as well as the Southern ones. Compare attendances at the last two G Mex events with attendances at London Comic Con or MK Collectormanias. It seems that a LOT more people can make those locations.

[Mr.Jones]

'City traffic' only counts for those travelling by car. A LOT of us are coming by bus/rail - and it's better to have it in a major city than somewhere random. There are far more services for me to get to London or Manchester than there are for Northampton.

Hi Bec....

 

I also travel by Bus and the Railway, but still have found it a nightmare to get from London Paddington to a Heathrow hotel. Whether it be the Hotel Hoppa Bus Service, or a taxi, you still get mullered by traffic.

[Psychosis]

But that's one train line. A lot of services skip those cities entirely and just go from A - Z without stopping at B, C, D.... in the middle. It's not a major city, therefore there are less trains stopping there. I take the Manchester-London train a lot and have rarely known it to stop at Northampton.

 

'City traffic' only counts for those travelling by car. A LOT of us are coming by bus/rail - and it's better to have it in a major city than somewhere random. There are far more services for me to get to London or Manchester than there are for Northampton.

Hi Bec....

 

I also travel by Bus and the Railway, but still have found it a nightmare to get from London Paddington to a Heathrow hotel. Whether it be the Hotel Hoppa Bus Service, or a taxi, you still get mullered by traffic.

 

Really? I've never had a problem.

 

Well, except for when some inconsiderate sod jumped in front of a train and brought the picadilly line to a grounding halt But I tend to take the underground, which, granted, can get busy, but is usually tolerable.

Edited December 13, 2007 by Psychosis

[Mr.Jones]

But that's one train line. A lot of services skip those cities entirely and just go from A - Z without stopping at B, C, D.... in the middle. It's not a major city, therefore there are less trains stopping there. I take the Manchester-London train a lot and have rarely known it to stop at Northampton.

 

'City traffic' only counts for those travelling by car. A LOT of us are coming by bus/rail - and it's better to have it in a major city than somewhere random. There are far more services for me to get to London or Manchester than there are for Northampton.

Hi Bec....

 

I also travel by Bus and the Railway, but still have found it a nightmare to get from London Paddington to a Heathrow hotel. Whether it be the Hotel Hoppa Bus Service, or a taxi, you still get mullered by traffic.

 

Really? I've never had a problem.

 

Well, except for when some inconsiderate sod jumped in front of a train and brought the picadilly line to a grounding halt But I tend to take the underground, which, granted, can get busy, but is usually tolerable.

There is quite a renowned railway bridge just outside Bristol Temple Meads that people take a dive off of. I have been on a train twice that has been delayed. On both occasions the announcement on the tanoy was "I am sorry about the delay, but I must ask you to remain seated and not look out of the window (like that is going to stop people) when we start moving again as there has been an accident just outside the station."

 

As soon as we started moving, everyone was face to the window and saw the covered up body with Police etc there. On another occasion when I worked for the old British Rail, we got news of another jumper (I worked at the depot around the corner) and the fact that his head was found yards away from the torso.

[chrismk]

But that's one train line. A lot of services skip those cities entirely and just go from A - Z without stopping at B, C, D.... in the middle. It's not a major city, therefore there are less trains stopping there. I take the Manchester-London train a lot and have rarely known it to stop at Northampton.

 

It's true that not all the fast trains stop at Northampton, but a lot of them stop at Milton Keynes and all stop at Birmingham, so you could change there. Surely having one change is better than having to carry all your con luggage round London on the underground?

[selby]

I like Birmingham that be a good place to have it.

[Psychosis]

But that's one train line. A lot of services skip those cities entirely and just go from A - Z without stopping at B, C, D.... in the middle. It's not a major city, therefore there are less trains stopping there. I take the Manchester-London train a lot and have rarely known it to stop at Northampton.

 

It's true that not all the fast trains stop at Northampton, but a lot of them stop at Milton Keynes and all stop at Birmingham, so you could change there. Surely having one change is better than having to carry all your con luggage round London on the underground?

 

I thought that too. Until I was going from Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent via Derby, with 'only one change', the first train was delayed in the middle, I missed the train back from Derby, and the next (and incidentally last of the evening) train back from Derby was cancelled. I'd rather try the underground than be stranded overnight in a city in between my home and my destination.

[chrismk]

I thought that too. Until I was going from Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent via Derby, with 'only one change', the first train was delayed in the middle, I missed the train back from Derby, and the next (and incidentally last of the evening) train back from Derby was cancelled. I'd rather try the underground than be stranded overnight in a city in between my home and my destination.

 

Trains get cancelled in and out of London too! There are trains from Birmingham to Northampton roughly every 1/2 hour during the week. If you miss one, that's not too long a wait for the next.

 

I like Birmingham that be a good place to have it.

 

 

Where in Birmingham? Do you know of any reasonably priced hotel that has a room that can seat 800+ attendees (and has several hundred rooms) that is willing to host a Sci Fi convention?

[ShineLikeStars75]

Coming from Germany, I would also prefer it if the location was closer to an airport and not in the middle of nowhere. No offense to the Midlands!!

But travelling to Northampton is quite a hassle if the nearest airports are Birmingham or Manchester. The low-cost airline TuiFly has just cancelled their flight connections to Birmingham (!) but flying to Manchester is too far for me frankly.

[chris_mk]

Coming from Germany, I would also prefer it if the location was closer to an airport and not in the middle of nowhere. No offense to the Midlands!!

But travelling to Northampton is quite a hassle if the nearest airports are Birmingham or Manchester. The low-cost airline TuiFly has just cancelled their flight connections to Birmingham (!) but flying to Manchester is too far for me frankly.

 

What about Luton?

[pez]

birmingham is the reason i'm dreding travel to northampton i have to change there, last two times i've got hopelessly lost. as for london that would be worse than northampton i physicaly couldn't cope with that on my own not if i was on crutches at the time( i spend a lot of time on them and im now stuck going to con's on my own) bags me backpack and crutches equlels sitting target for bag theives and stuff

 

 

and thanks for answering, ( most major airlines fly to newcastle and mancester aswell though so guest transportation wouldn't be a problem )

[Wyn]

i'm prob one of the only people it's pretty perfect for 40-50 mins away. But i wouldn't mind if it was around london either.

[chris_mk]

i'm prob one of the only people it's pretty perfect for 40-50 mins away. But i wouldn't mind if it was around london either.

 

I don't mind. I'll go where ever the guests are. But Northampton is pretty much in the middle of England, on all main train and car routes, so it works for me. I don;t know of many venues capable of holding an event like this either.