location of weekend conventions

[chris_mk]

Well, this is what I think about this whole thing after reading all these posts;

 

Heathrow - it is expensive and can be VERY hard to get to.

Birmingham - around the National Ex. Arena area, quite good (had to write it like this because SM are petty when it comes to talking about anywhere that may even hint about a different event not organised by themselves).

Milton Keynes - I enjoy Collectormania, but it can get WAY too busy.

Manchester - Terrible for getting into the City.

 

Everything DOES seem to happen in the South of the UK.

 

Maybe it is because of the North/South divide that is STILL there and will always be there???

 

Why nobody has thought about holding a Special Event or something in Newcastle is beyond me.

 

The event could easily be staged at either the Metro Radio Arena, St. James Park (which has the biggest Meeting/Conference room (at a football club) in Europe), or even at the Hilton Hotel.

 

You can also drive straight into newcastle off the A1, get the train straight into the City Centre or fly to Newcastle Airport then get a train directly to the City Centre!

 

Newcastle also has the best night out . . . in the world . . . FACT!

There are some REALLY classy bars & restaurants to take the guests to also. You cant lose.

 

What really annoys me, however, is that things just dont get marketed as well up north as they do down south. That is fact. Ask anyone on this forum who lives up my way.

 

Its a huge shame, because Newcastle is one of the most vibrant cities going and those down south couldnt give a flying . . . er, I wont say that word lol!

 

Anyway, I think if Showmasters got someone to work for them who could market and promote such an event in Newcastle . . . they could be onto a winner.

 

Ad

 

Have you actually read this thread?!? There's a fine post (I think it was by TommyT) on page two that explains why Newcastle (lovely city as it may be) is not going to be suitable for an event like this. It has to do with population denisty (and nothing to do with marketting). These events are marketed in National press (such as SFX) and at other events. The population denisty in and around Newcastle is too low to be cost effective. You only have to look at the huge difference in attendance figures between Manchester or Glasgow and London or MK to see that Southern events just attract a LOT more people.

[I P Freely]

Have you actually read this thread?!? There's a fine post (I think it was by TommyT) on page two that explains why Newcastle (lovely city as it may be) is not going to be suitable for an event like this. It has to do with population denisty (and nothing to do with marketting). These events are marketed in National press (such as SFX) and at other events. The population denisty in and around Newcastle is too low to be cost effective. You only have to look at the huge difference in attendance figures between Manchester or Glasgow and London or MK to see that Southern events just attract a LOT more people.

 

I suspect disposable income might be a factor too in that case!

 

You southerners are loaded! lol

[Emma_Adams]

to be honest i wouldnt go if it was in birmingham bacause it's not a city i would want to walk about in on my own, it was scary enougth when i was there with friends, this also goes for london fine when your with others but not so good on your lonesome.

 

 

neither is northampton XD

I wanted to go to a concert there a few months ago, and my mum bribed me out of going, as she didnt want me coming out of the concert on my own that late at night, as northampton town center is quite dodgy and grotty, and is very scary at night, and im 18, and can take care of my self XD *no offence to anyone that lives there, this is just my interpretation, and i only live 20 minutes away, and have been to the center countless times*

alas, i took the bribe *is now enjoying her new DS game* XD

[babygurl1853]

I agree it should be Park Inn again.

[TommyT]

Heathrow - ... can be VERY hard to get to.

thousands of airline pilots would disagree :-)

I still fail to see how a tube from central London followed by a free bus for the last mile or so is difficult, but each to their own.

Heathrow does also have the advantage for those driving that don't like the idea od driving in London - you don't need to go into London if you don't want to; you just wander round the M25 to the appropriate spot and follow the directions. Granted the M25 isn't the Daytona Speedway, but it's a lot better than it used to be and is a reasonably efficient way of getting around London most of the time.

 

 

Have you actually read this thread?!? There's a fine post (I think it was by TommyT) on page two

Thank you.

[Bozo]

I've been to conventions all over the country in the last 12 years, and I must admit that even though I live just outside of Leeds, I prefer to travel all the way to Heathrow for a convention. I can't say why this is, as it's not the easiest place to get to for me and the venues down there aren't brilliant but it just feels the right to place to hold convention, more so than any other venue I've been to.

 

One thing I'm looking forward to with Eclipse is returning to Northampton as I haven't been there since the very first Autographica, and it's a new venue to tryout.

 

I think from the organisers point of view though, they tend to favour venues from the Midlands to the south as most of the time they get a better turnout than events have in the North. Plus I believe it helps keep travelling costs down, as the majority of guests fly into Heathrow. Another thing I was once told by an event organiser is that the guests like to stay in London, some of them sometimes combine their appearance with a holiday or even like to see a play or a show in the evening whilst we're all partying.

[pez]

( i posted newcastle at the begining of the thread and as much as i love my home town tommyt is right.... for the simple fact that we dont all live in flats and have these things called mines that make most of newcastle unsafe to build on we are logisticaly a nightmare for a convention...

 

although we do have several rather fantablouse venues.. not the arena though that place is a dump....( they havent redecorated in the last 10 years the same 98Digrees and *nsync stickers are still stuck in the ladys loo's from when i was 14.)

 

 

you see when all the posh southeners realise that a pint is way more cheeper up here they will migrate and then we will have our day!

[Emma_Adams]

at Midlands, i asked Andrea and she said it is to be held in northampton again, hope this is true

[chris_mk]

you see when all the posh southeners realise that a pint is way more cheeper up here they will migrate and then we will have our day!

 

I will completely concede the pint point! (which is why I...er...no..not me...why 'people I know'... yeah, that sounds better... why 'people I know' take their own booze to events - discretely of course)

[Miss_G]

at Midlands, i asked Andrea and she said it is to be held in northampton again, hope this is true

 

I suspect this is true, since the Park Inn is unavailable for those dates (possibly due to being reserved for an event??????)

[paulschaefer]

I would say you could have it on my Farm in Cambridge!!!

 

But i am not sure if my Horses would like to share their field with celebs. or their grass.

 

Maybe a University would have the facilities you need ????

 

I have in my sullen world of trying to educate myself, found that alot of universities do have the space and allow computer conventions!!!

 

my Old Uni (hertfordshire) did have a great setup!! with parking and a hotel nearby.

 

BUT i am not sure how UP TO DATE it is........... last time i was there it needed some tlc. but that had jst been given a 20 million pound grant for expansion.....

 

maybe worth a try!!

 

then again my current university the essex uni in chelmsford has good facilities and a close train station..... with stansted airport only 20 mins away

Edited March 4, 2008 by paulschaefer

[Catmoo]

I would say you could have it on my Farm in Cambridge!!!

 

But i am not sure if my Horses would like to share their field with celebs. or their grass.

 

Maybe a University would have the facilities you need ????

 

I have in my sullen world of trying to educate myself, found that alot of universities do have the space and allow computer conventions!!!

 

my Old Uni (hertfordshire) did have a great setup!! with parking and a hotel nearby.

 

BUT i am not sure how UP TO DATE it is........... last time i was there it needed some tlc. but that had jst been given a 20 million pound grant for expansion.....

 

maybe worth a try!!

 

then again my current university the essex uni in chelmsford has good facilities and a close train station..... with stansted airport only 20 mins away

 

Haven't actually been inside the ARU at all, although I will just agree and say chelmsford is great, but there's not that much in the way of places to stay, except I could be at home and get a bus to town for the con

 

As much as I'd love a con to be in chelmsford (of all places ) or in Cardiff I can't see it happening.

 

I'm happy its taking place in northampton again as even though it was annoying with lots of changes and having to get a coach to leave there, it was an ok place, and the hotel was nice :)

[chris_mk]

The venue gets a big thumbs up from me <--there you go

 

It was clean, cheap, the staff were mostly pretty friendly (and in some cases, just plain pretty )

 

Obviously I live close to it, but I didn't hear too many issues with people getting there (bar the M1 issues, but that's going to be a problem where ever an event is held.)

[paul]

Pretty staff always win me over!!

[babygurl1853]

It was clean, cheap, the staff were mostly pretty friendly

 

Not really. I found the receptionists moody with me, and the chef for the lunch time buffet just plain rude. I had a slice of pizza, and he suggested that I shouldn't have any more. He also moaned that we had too much on our plates.

[mousybrown]

Yeah he moaned at my friends for that ^^

 

Its such a good job i wasnt staying there or he may of had some fit cause i eat loads.

[Rivaan]

Weird..

 

For lunch, I went for pizza and was given 4 slices, as well as chips, salad, beans, and pasta.. And the strange thing is that I was encouraged to have that much! I wasn't planning to originally.

[pez]

i liked the venue and it's great if your not traveling alone or if you can get a drect train , me i was totaly dead on the way back as i had to manage brum train station on my own and had to get a total stranger to help me with my bag cause the lift to the platfor is a nightmare to find.....and in november im posibly going to be on crutches to .....so if anyone is loverly and traviling from newcastle and would like to help a copleat idiot on crutches with there case then please let me know!