Lady of The Realm Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 People are generally idiots in MK, chavwise. I don't think CM has outgrown the centre. Take it away from there it wouldn't be the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 : ( Sad times we live in. I say sorry even if it wasnt my fault :| Same! Then I wonder off muttering "why the F*ck did I just say that, their flippin fault.." LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ophelia Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 People are generally idiots in MK, chavwise. I don't think CM has outgrown the centre. Take it away from there it wouldn't be the same! As someone who lives in MK I find that comment rather offensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Beech Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 Ive been to 8 now at MK and i think that was one of the most crowded, i think the other 1 that worse was number 7. But i had just regular shoppers pushing me and past other people when going from one place to another, but thats what happens when your in a shopping centre envrionment i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychosis Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 As for childcare - I'm sure they can't do it, but just as a random matter of interest, I know there are some of the crew who are qualified and/or have CRB checks. I'm working in schools currently so I've been CRB checked too. True enough, but then those of us who work with kids during the week aren't necessarily going to want to at a con too :) True enough, which is why I said I know they won't do it I was just mentioning it purely randomly. I do that... a lot... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gidda1974 Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 People are generally idiots in MK, chavwise. I don't think CM has outgrown the centre. Take it away from there it wouldn't be the same! As someone who lives in MK I find that comment rather offensive. I think they are trying to say the chav s***e and not the general MK public..theres hell of a difference there!! the scum are everywhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fulcrum Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 People are generally idiots in MK, chavwise. I don't think CM has outgrown the centre. Take it away from there it wouldn't be the same! There are idiots and Chavs everywhere now, welcome to 2008! I bet there are idiots in "Las Vegas Crime Lab"? So....yeah, lets just blame the locals then shall we? That resolves everything! Ophelia as someone that does not come from anywhere near MK (Somerset to be precise) I can only vouch for MK and say the people and location are fine with me! And in 10+ Collectormanias I have had a good time and the people are friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortyAZK Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 (edited) I found the worst congestion issues weren't with people waiting to get autographs but more the general people who were just walking by stopping to go "ooh look, that's **** over there from ****" and then just standing there for 5/10 minutes to stare at them while completely blocking the path (this was worse on the costa coffee side as the walkway is smaller that side to begin with)!!! But I still think it was exceptional circumstances that made it so busy on the Sunday, usually it's not that bad so I think it's still all good at the centre!! Edited May 5, 2008 by ShortyAZK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starfighter Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 It hasn`t out grown the MK:Center. I`ve been doing cons for over 10 years and find that you get good days and bad days. I went to G-mex last year and it was quiet to say the least. i was in and out in less than half an hour. I`ve been to rival events with large halls to fill and found the same. how many of you would do the four days if you had to pay like at some other events £10 to get in £7.50 to park per day or bus fares from were you are staying. soon mounts up. Not many other places would allow an event like this to be free. Not everyone likes MK, but you are not there to like the place you are gonig to see people who you want to meet and friends who you may have made from the last time. You take the good with the bad thats what collecting is all about. If it was straight forward it wouldn`t be fun. Got talking to a lovley woman on sunday must have been about 70 two walking sticks slow on her feet and didn`t moan once about the crowds, she was willing to queue just like everyone else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARATZAT Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 It was busy sunday as opposed to sat, but i never expected it to be not busy The biggest prob i had was one guys had a rucksack on his back with a 'poster' tube stuck out at an angle and he moved nearly hitting me in the face with it, but what can i do ? 'scuse me sir, can u not have a full rucksack whist walking in here plse' lol......glad i doged it tho, it would have hurt lol U cant stop general shoppers stopping an noticing the guests, ok so they get in the way, but so do the ppl who go to Collectormania to get autos etc, so it everybody at some point that gets in the way and there is nothing we can do about it really. I had a good time, despite having a bad cold, and achy from that, and will be back again in sept. Although i ache so bad today, i couldnt even get up till this afternoon. But that will teach me to spend weekend wondering around when im not well lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I love Collectormania in the shopping centre. I go to every MK event because it is always the one I enjoy going to the most. I wouldn't always go if the venue changed. MK Centre rules. It makes it easy to get things if you need anything. It has restaurants, night spots and cinemas close by. And loads more...... Never ever take it away from the MK Centre. I'll be going until Collectormania 1000 if it stays at that venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_mk Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I was actually being a little facetious with this comment ;-) Im not aware of what amenities/facilities MK has going for it and this wouldn't actually matter (where I live in Worcestersihre probably has even less in terms of facilities and things to do). It is more the 'feel' of the place that i am not a fan of (As another poster said its like LEGO town). It just doesn't have any soul; probably because it hasn't been around long enough so its not rooted in any kind of history. Maybe if i got in my Delorean and came back in 500 years it might be different but for now I won't look forward to visiting again. Sorry, but that's monumentally naive! I suspect you are confusing Milton Keynes with Milton Keynes City Centre. There are parts of MK that have tons of history, lots of old churches, pubs and the like, not forgetting that Milton keynes is built an the A5, aka Watling Street (one of the surviving Roman Roads.) I agree, I hate MK. It drives me crazy how you could drive around for miles and EVERY ROAD LOOKS THE SAME! It's like being in a computer simulation where the creator got lazy and just hit copy and paste on a 500 metre stretch of road. As for childcare - I'm sure they can't do it, but just as a random matter of interest, I know there are some of the crew who are qualified and/or have CRB checks. I'm working in schools currently so I've been CRB checked too. I don;t know how long you've been driving, but MK roads don't look at the same!! (For a start, they are all named differently and well sign posted, to make navigation easy) The roadabaouts (also named to help you navigate) look diifferent and motoring wise, the centre looks no different from any other major town. As for the creche, well, there's already one available in the Shopping Centre. IMO, yes it has outgrown The Centre MK. I had the chance to go to Gmex, and I have to say that I really preferred the layout of this, much easier to move around! I also suspect that there would be advantages to showmasters if they moved to a bigger venue, since there would be more room for stallholders == more money for TSM. Anyway! so Yes! Gmex had a (small) fraction of the visitors that CMK gets for Collectormania. Speaking AS a stall holder, we much prefer the centre location because not only do we get custom from con goers, but we also get some casual trade from passers by. The problem this time, was solely that John Barrowman was only available to sign for one day. This meant that the vast majority of attendees came on Sunday, as opposed to being more evenly spread over the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charisma Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I love it at the MK centre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leigh_thomas Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 One possibility could be to have the larger guests (John Barrowman, Eve Myles) located somewhere else other than in thecentre. Maybe a function room in a hotel or something like that, obviously as close to thecentre as possible. Just to help ease the amount of people cramming in to what can seem like a very small area. I don't know how practical this is as I’m not that familiar with the surrounding area and what buildings are there. I think the stalls and smaller guests are fine where they are and should stay in thecentre, as other people have said, at least there's other things to do while waiting to meet guests. It's all part of what makes Collectormania what it is. At London, Coventry and Manchester I seem to spend all day going backwards and forwards to my car while waiting. BORING! I also think there are just a few people who really need to take a shower before leaving home in the morning!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gebes Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 There's no need for the bigger guests to be situated in a function room, for one it would prove a nightmare to setup as people would moan about having to get to the other location. As for people cramming into a small area, that's the whole point of the virtual ticket system, you get your VT then leave that area for a period of time, as there's plenty whiteboards around the event advising what the VT numbers are up to. I myself got a VT number in the 800's on Sunday for Eve Myles when I arrived at 10pm, so I just basically left the event till later on in the afternoon, as I had met the guests I wanted to meet ! Saying that London, Manchester and Coventry are boring is a little silly, At LFCC once I got my VT's first thing in the morning, and then went to another signing with friends elsewhere in London. Manchester has a large shopping precinct within 10 mins walk of the GMEX. Coventry, I'll grant you that the Ricoh is a little out of the way, but that's mainly because I don't know the area well enough to know what's within walking distance. Regarding the comment about people taking a shower, when you're walking around a venue with several other like minded attendees in warm weather it can get very warm, so you're bound to get warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crippsy_99 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Personally I dont think it has. Theres plenty to do, and only reason it was so busy sunday is because of the torchwood guests and everyone deciding to all come on the same day. Rest of the weekend was virtually empty! Never seen so many empty lines! How about starting a showmasters creche so that parents dont have to take kids into the show (im assuming a kid young enough for a pushchair wouldn't be interested in the show itself). The center already has one..walked past it many times all weekend on the way to the photoshoots area and was open most of the time. Couldnt see a price for an all you can eat buffet One possibility could be to have the larger guests (John Barrowman, Eve Myles) located somewhere else other than in thecentre. Maybe a function room in a hotel or something like that, obviously as close to thecentre as possible. Not possible. Theres just no-where nearby that it can be done. When there used to be talks, it was hard enough to hire somewhere like the easycinema out for a few hours for that, but now their gone anyway, and just no-where it would be possible for the entire day. Plus, what difference would it make, if you charged entry, no-one would pay given how the rest of the events free..if it was free entry, everyone would still go over to have a look and all that. At London, Coventry and Manchester I seem to spend all day going backwards and forwards to my car while waiting. BORING! Ive always found plenty of things to do there..except Coventry that is, but then was only there for one day, and spent most of the day in talks anyway, which is the great thing about those events, you can go sit down and watch someone on stage for a bit..I find even if im not interested in say Harry Potter, the guests can still be interesting to listen too. I also think there are just a few people who really need to take a shower before leaving home in the morning!! Perhaps they do but there are many things that could make someone smell, like heavy/thick costumes, or carrying a heavy bag, or being in the sun all day..sometimes its not everyones fault, well except chav's who dont seem to understand the concept, but lets not get into that.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_mk Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 One possibility could be to have the larger guests (John Barrowman, Eve Myles) located somewhere else other than in thecentre. Maybe a function room in a hotel or something like that, obviously as close to thecentre as possible. Just to help ease the amount of people cramming in to what can seem like a very small area. I don't know how practical this is as I’m not that familiar with the surrounding area and what buildings are there. I think the stalls and smaller guests are fine where they are and should stay in thecentre, as other people have said, at least there's other things to do while waiting to meet guests. It's all part of what makes Collectormania what it is. At London, Coventry and Manchester I seem to spend all day going backwards and forwards to my car while waiting. BORING! I also think there are just a few people who really need to take a shower before leaving home in the morning!! But if the biggest guests were elsewhere, you'd STILL have to spend the entire day waiting, except you'd be waiting at a hotel, where there would be LESS to do and see.... Also, the stall holders would be pretty annoyed at this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicky Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I don't think SM will ever consider moving from the MK Centre - "if it aint broke don't fix it" and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captainkibble Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I agree, I hate MK. It drives me crazy how you could drive around for miles and EVERY ROAD LOOKS THE SAME! It's like being in a computer simulation where the creator got lazy and just hit copy and paste on a 500 metre stretch of road. Tell me about it! I've been a regular visitor for going on 10 years and I still can't find my way around the place. Your computer analogy is spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charmer Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 CM definitely has to stay were it is. Anyone with any sense can get around the crowds and be safe etc. It's like the home of CM now in my opinion. It's the same as not playing the FA Cup Final at Wembley! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzy Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 "if it aint broke don't fix it" and all. Deffo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_mk Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 "if it aint broke don't fix it" and all. Deffo! Whilst I'm obviously a fan of CMK as a venue, I'd alter this slightly... if it's broke, fix it... but don't throw it away just because something isn't right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess83 Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 (edited) There's no need for the bigger guests to be situated in a function room, for one it would prove a nightmare to setup as people would moan about having to get to the other location. I agree with you. I'd find that a million times worse than the Centre being so crammed with people. I hated having to travel to the seperate venue for James Marsters talk at CM11. Had to cough up extra money for a cab that I could have done with saving. The less travelling the better. A lot of attendees have already travelled quite a distance to get to MK in the first place, I doubt many would be thrilled at having to trek around the city just to access their must-see guests on top of that. Edited May 6, 2008 by Princess83 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lala Collins Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 In order to stop the debate about kids. There is a creche already - it is a permanent fixture in the Centre as it is where the shoppers leave their kids. SM does not need to provide one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil_Faith Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I love the fact that Collectormania is held in the Centre MK. It makes the event completely unique plus you don’t have to pay a cover charge to get in. Most of all I love the fact that you never get bored. There’s plenty of options in regards to food and if you’re waiting for your VT to be called, you can wonder around the shops or the market outside. Venues like Earl’s Court can get extremely claustrophobic when you have to spend the entire day in the same setting so I for one don’t think Collectormania should move. As someone pointed out earlier, if you have big name guests, crowds are inevitable. I have been to 7 Collectormania’s in MK and a few other SM events and the worst experience in regards to congestion was by far at the last LFCC, which is held away from any shoppers or gawkers. The fact is, if you want big names, you have to be prepared to put up with the crowds that they will attract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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