Delux weekend pass question

[greenwolf]

Hello everybody, this will be my first Autographica and I'm seeking some advise regarding my delux weekend pass please.

 

As I understand the pass includes 10 photoshoots with guests.

As there are more than 10 guests doing photoshoots are we able to specify the photoshoots we would like?

 

(As a space fan I'm most interested in the astronaut photoshoots)

 

Thanks in advance and special thanks to Showmasters for organising the event, I'm really looking forward to October!

[showmasters]

Hi There

Yes you are able to pick the ones you want.

Dave Phillips

[CelticRob]

Wish other shows like LFCC introduced a pass of this nature.

 

Up to 10 shoots and up to 10 autos.

[Count Fooku]

Wish other shows like LFCC introduced a pass of this nature.

 

Up to 10 shoots and up to 10 autos.

 

I'm not sure the delux weekend pass includes any free autographs, I think it's just photoshoots

[adriangill]

Wish other shows like LFCC introduced a pass of this nature.

 

Up to 10 shoots and up to 10 autos.

 

I'm not sure the delux weekend pass includes any free autographs, I think it's just photoshoots

Correct, there are no free autographs included with the deluxe pass.

[timelord81r]

Hi There

Yes you are able to pick the ones you want.

Dave Phillips

 

 

but all shoots (unless specified and not including the same guest but on a different day) are included in the pass, but its upto you if you want to get them all isnt it.

 

I did the pass last time at my 1st autographica, its brilliant, Im probably 1 nice guest away from doing it again this time round.

 

 

autos are NOT included.

 

 

I also wish they included a photo shoot ticket at LFCC, CM ect, i mean they could put a clause not guarenteed cos of clashes ect, but id be fine with that

[adriangill]

Hi There

Yes you are able to pick the ones you want.

Dave Phillips

but all shoots (unless specified and not including the same guest but on a different day) are included in the pass, but its upto you if you want to get them all isnt it.

No they are not. This is about the Deluxe pass which allows photo shoots with up to a maximum of 10 different guests. You are thinking of the VIP Photo Pass which allows a photo shoot with every guest that is taking part.

[timelord81r]

Hi There

Yes you are able to pick the ones you want.

Dave Phillips

but all shoots (unless specified and not including the same guest but on a different day) are included in the pass, but its upto you if you want to get them all isnt it.

No they are not. This is about the Deluxe pass which allows photo shoots with up to a maximum of 10 different guests. You are thinking of the VIP Photo Pass which allows a photo shoot with every guest that is taking part.

 

 

 

hummm, thats very annoying, this used to read minimum of 10 guests! is this a typo or a change, if its a change then that puts more thinking into my choice weather to go with it or not.

I had the deluxe pass last time and there were no such limitations of max 10, granted there might not be more than 10 individual shoots, but its a bit off putting that in especially when It read last year minimum of 10, in fact im sure i have emails or posts on here supporting this. humm. i had 12 shoots last time and I think 1 or 2 I didnt, but could of had, so 14.

 

http://showmastersonline.com/forums/index....showtopic=61881

[adriangill]

Ah, my mistake. I thought (i.e. assumed, as it's you) that you went for the VIP photo pass last time

 

I am guessing it is a change rather than a typo. Hopefully Dave or Jason will clarify for you.

[timelord81r]

Ah, my mistake. I thought (i.e. assumed, as it's you) that you went for the VIP photo pass last time

 

I am guessing it is a change rather than a typo. Hopefully Dave or Jason will clarify for you.

 

 

im certain it used to say minimum of 10. the link prooves as much in different wording.

 

im not sure but I dont think that £300 vip photo pass was there last year.

 

if its now a max of 10, lets just say im very UPSET and disapointed.

(just as much as I am that in 20 shoots there still isnt a michael cochrane one! though this is more of a selfish personal complaint where as the above one is a proper complaint)

[Donkey]

I can't help but feel that generally the prices at this event seem to be rising.

 

The US v UK space prices.

 

The new £15.00 price for almost everybody.

 

The changes to ticket prices.

 

I almost expect the prices of drinks and hot dogs to have gone up too!

 

Edited September 3, 2011 by Donkey

[timelord81r]

i think the prices for this (entry anyway) have all gone up by a few quid, but what they include changing without announcement is disapointing, im not happy at all, a ticket that included all shoots was a massive draw for me and a few others, putting limitations in only alinates those few who were prepared to pay it. granted with buzz it still might be worth it, but at other events it wont be, taking the mick a little, especially unannounced, I guess more so for those of us who had it inclusive last year than new patrons

[adriangill]

I almost expect the prices of drinks and hot dogs to have gone up too!

No doubt they have.

 

Personally, I think that autographs prices have stayed fairly consistent over the last few years. A lot of other things have increased over the same period.

[TommyT]

i think the prices for this (entry anyway) have all gone up by a few quid, but what they include changing without announcement is disapointing, im not happy at all, a ticket that included all shoots was a massive draw for me and a few others, putting limitations in only alinates those few who were prepared to pay it. granted with buzz it still might be worth it, but at other events it wont be, taking the mick a little, especially unannounced, I guess more so for those of us who had it inclusive last year than new patrons

Let's be fair, the Autographica website lists 18 photoshoots at an average of about £15, plus Buzz at £50.

If you were expecting to get photoshoots with everybody on a £125 ticket (which also includes £30 worth of earlybird entry), then you were expecting to get all your photoshoots at about a fiver each, which I'm sure you'll appreciate probably doesn't really work for the organisers.

£315 for the VIP photopass arguably only saves you a fiver on the photoshoots, so no great bargain - although again it also saves you £30 on admission. Throw in some other free stuff you get with it, and it's still a reasonable offer. (I won't say it's a worldbeater, and it's probably not that enticing if you don't want at least 15 or so of the guests, but I don't think you can moan too much about limiting a £125 ticket to 10 photoshoots - especially when one of those can be Buzz).

[timelord81r]

i think the prices for this (entry anyway) have all gone up by a few quid, but what they include changing without announcement is disapointing, im not happy at all, a ticket that included all shoots was a massive draw for me and a few others, putting limitations in only alinates those few who were prepared to pay it. granted with buzz it still might be worth it, but at other events it wont be, taking the mick a little, especially unannounced, I guess more so for those of us who had it inclusive last year than new patrons

Let's be fair, the Autographica website lists 18 photoshoots at an average of about £15, plus Buzz at £50.

If you were expecting to get photoshoots with everybody on a £125 ticket (which also includes £30 worth of earlybird entry), then you were expecting to get all your photoshoots at about a fiver each, which I'm sure you'll appreciate probably doesn't really work for the organisers.

£315 for the VIP photopass arguably only saves you a fiver on the photoshoots, so no great bargain - although again it also saves you £30 on admission. Throw in some other free stuff you get with it, and it's still a reasonable offer. (I won't say it's a worldbeater, and it's probably not that enticing if you don't want at least 15 or so of the guests, but I don't think you can moan too much about limiting a £125 ticket to 10 photoshoots - especially when one of those can be Buzz).

 

 

my issue isnt if its worth it at this show or not really, my issue is this ticket last year included shoots with all guests doing a shoot, with a minimum of 10! and there were at least 14 individual shoots.

this has now been changed (it appears) to a maximum of 10 without even telling us, which is very disapointing. especially for those of us who had this ticket last year, its like buying a silver ticket for A ME con which includes all photo shoots and without telling anyone putting on the website, maxumum of 3 guests, when there might be 6.

[TommyT]

I can't help but feel that generally the prices at this event seem to be rising.

The US v UK space prices.

The new £15.00 price for almost everybody.

The changes to ticket prices.

I assume that you are familiar with the concept of inflation. This means that prices have a tendency to rise. We're currently having the highest inflation we've seen for around two decades. The retail price index has gone up about 5% over the last year, around 10% over the last two, and about 20% over the past five and a quarter years. That's an upward pressure on prices which has been building for some years. At the same time, the pound@dollar exchange rate has moved adversely - it's about 15% lower than it was three years ago, and about 20% lower than what it was three and ahalf and four years ago. That means that if Mr Astronaut wants paying X doillars for his weekend here (and he will want paying in dollars, it's the money that he spends at home), then it takes more pounds than it used to a few years back to make that dollar amount. That's another significant upward pressure on prices in the long-term. Airfares are all effectively priced in dollars, so the coasts of bringing American guests have gone up with the currency shift. Also oil prices, which govern avaition fuel prices, a major component of airfare costs have gone up, and whilst airlines can usually "hedge against" such rises by advance purchasing, pretty much all those deals have run out and the full effects of aviation fuel increases are now being felt.

All this means that there have bbeen several factors pushing the orgainsiers costs up over the past few years. In somewhere like a supermarket, these things are filtered in as they happen - things go up a few pence here and there, weekly or monthly as necessary. However, at these events, there isn't quite the scope for that, due to the desire to hold price points at figures ending in a 5 or a 0. This means that somethiung which has been sold at £10 for a number of years has proibably been gettuing less and less profitable, and since they can't or won't (and I understand why - the need to provide thosuands of pounds of pound copins as float for change for a start) increase prices by a pound here or there, then you get the situatioon where sooner or later a guest will go from £10 to £15. Yes, it's a big change, but it's probably a reflection that thaey've been a bit of a bargain for the last few years.

The simple fact is that prices almost always rise - from memory I think there have only been something like ten months in the last 40 years where the retail price index didn't show an increase over the last twelve months. I don't see why these shows should be exempt.

[TommyT]

i think the prices for this (entry anyway) have all gone up by a few quid, but what they include changing without announcement is disapointing, im not happy at all, a ticket that included all shoots was a massive draw for me and a few others, putting limitations in only alinates those few who were prepared to pay it. granted with buzz it still might be worth it, but at other events it wont be, taking the mick a little, especially unannounced, I guess more so for those of us who had it inclusive last year than new patrons

Let's be fair, the Autographica website lists 18 photoshoots at an average of about £15, plus Buzz at £50.

If you were expecting to get photoshoots with everybody on a £125 ticket (which also includes £30 worth of earlybird entry), then you were expecting to get all your photoshoots at about a fiver each, which I'm sure you'll appreciate probably doesn't really work for the organisers.

£315 for the VIP photopass arguably only saves you a fiver on the photoshoots, so no great bargain - although again it also saves you £30 on admission. Throw in some other free stuff you get with it, and it's still a reasonable offer. (I won't say it's a worldbeater, and it's probably not that enticing if you don't want at least 15 or so of the guests, but I don't think you can moan too much about limiting a £125 ticket to 10 photoshoots - especially when one of those can be Buzz).

my issue isnt if its worth it at this show or not really, my issue is this ticket last year included shoots with all guests doing a shoot, with a minimum of 10! and there were at least 14 individual shoots.

Stop for a moment and think - what did a minimum of 10 actually mean? Did they refuse to allow you to leave the hotel until you had actually had ten photoshoots? Was there a man at the desk saying "no, you can't have any of your photos back because you only had 9 taken, you miserable sinner!"? I don't think so. A minimum of 10 was in fact meaningless and pointless - so consider the possibility that it was in fact a typo last year and should have said a maximum of 10 then as well. But having incorrectly advertised it, they couldn't disadvantage you, so swallowed the loss. Basically it looks like you got a bargain last year by mistake, and now you're complaining that they won't give you an even bigger bargain this time around! (If you're not complaining about this year not being value for money, then why compare it to last year?)

this has now been changed (it appears) to a maximum of 10 without even telling us, which is very disapointing. especially for those of us who had this ticket last year, its like buying a silver ticket for A ME con which includes all photo shoots and without telling anyone putting on the website, maxumum of 3 guests, when there might be 6.

It seems quite clear to me from looking at http://autographica.co.uk/tickets.htm that the Deluxe Weekend Pass is limited to 10 photoshoots. Granted, it would have been nice to see a clear post explaining what the ticket options this year were (or perhaps there was and I missed it), but it doesn't strike me as being as underhand and dastardly as you imply. (I would agree that clear communication of all details isn't always SM's greatest strength).

[timelord81r]

it wouldnt, had we not bought the exact same ticket last year where it was a MINIMUM of 10.

 

its disapointing its changed, that was its USP, but more than that had this thread not of been brought up again, how many of us from last year would of bought the same ticket not seen this small print change and turned up looking like fools demanding/expecting all shoots.

 

also how can you say assume last year it was a typo? see my link which quite clearly says all photoshoots with all doing a shoot, from dave, I have a similar email, I know, as I asked alot lol, to make sure I knew what I was buying, it was my first autographica.

 

it wasnt a bargain by a mistake, it was a bargain by design, and this year without saying so its changed, thats why I was upset.

 

I COMPARE IT BECAUSE ITS THE SAME BLOODY TICKET!!!! its just had minimum replaced with maximum.

 

sorry for shouting, its just I was upset about a sly change to a ticket which was a great ticket, and now you are trying to make out like Im a greedy, cheap ungreatful punter making a fuss over nothing.

Edited September 3, 2011 by timelord81r

[Donkey]

I assume that you are familiar with the concept of inflation. This means that prices have a tendency to rise. We're currently having the highest inflation we've seen for around two decades. The retail price index has gone up about 5% over the last year, around 10% over the last two, and about 20% over the past five and a quarter years. That's an upward pressure on prices which has been building for some years. At the same time, the pound@dollar exchange rate has moved adversely - it's about 15% lower than it was three years ago, and about 20% lower than what it was three and ahalf and four years ago. That means that if Mr Astronaut wants paying X doillars for his weekend here (and he will want paying in dollars, it's the money that he spends at home), then it takes more pounds than it used to a few years back to make that dollar amount. That's another significant upward pressure on prices in the long-term. Airfares are all effectively priced in dollars, so the coasts of bringing American guests have gone up with the currency shift. Also oil prices, which govern avaition fuel prices, a major component of airfare costs have gone up, and whilst airlines can usually "hedge against" such rises by advance purchasing, pretty much all those deals have run out and the full effects of aviation fuel increases are now being felt.

All this means that there have bbeen several factors pushing the orgainsiers costs up over the past few years. In somewhere like a supermarket, these things are filtered in as they happen - things go up a few pence here and there, weekly or monthly as necessary. However, at these events, there isn't quite the scope for that, due to the desire to hold price points at figures ending in a 5 or a 0. This means that somethiung which has been sold at £10 for a number of years has proibably been gettuing less and less profitable, and since they can't or won't (and I understand why - the need to provide thosuands of pounds of pound copins as float for change for a start) increase prices by a pound here or there, then you get the situatioon where sooner or later a guest will go from £10 to £15. Yes, it's a big change, but it's probably a reflection that thaey've been a bit of a bargain for the last few years.

The simple fact is that prices almost always rise - from memory I think there have only been something like ten months in the last 40 years where the retail price index didn't show an increase over the last twelve months. I don't see why these shows should be exempt.

 

Whilst I agree with much of what you say, and achknowledge that these presures do exist.

 

But what I do question is the size of the increases.

 

50% on 'normal guests', and in some cases I believe 50% higher US to UK space prices.

 

Last time we mentioned it we were told 'if you don't like it, don't buy it'. This isn't the fan-friendly old Autographica?!?!. See my other post about the atmosphere about the event this time.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Donkey

[adriangill]

sorry for shouting, its just I was upset about a sly change to a ticket which was a great ticket, and now you are trying to make out like Im a greedy, cheap ungreatful punter making a fuss over nothing.

It's okay for you to accuse SM of making a change on the sly though? That can not be the case though when it is clearly stated on the website - the exact place where you have to go to purchase the ticket. To be honest, is it not more a case of you (the generic 'you') assuming that it would offer the same things as at the previous event? Personally with any potential repeat purchase I always check all of the details rather than making such an assumption.

 

In hindsight an additional notice on the forum would have been helpful to people as well.

[timelord81r]

sorry for shouting, its just I was upset about a sly change to a ticket which was a great ticket, and now you are trying to make out like Im a greedy, cheap ungreatful punter making a fuss over nothing.

It's okay for you to accuse SM of making a change on the sly though? That can not be the case though when it is clearly stated on the website - the exact place where you have to go to purchase the ticket. To be honest, is it not more a case of you (the generic 'you') assuming that it would offer the same things as at the previous event? Personally with any potential repeat purchase I always check all of the details rather than making such an assumption.

 

In hindsight an additional notice on the forum would have been helpful to people as well.

 

 

like when the hub prices went up you mean, yep that would of been nice, and you are right technically its there, but come on, its also so easy to miss if you have bought that ticket before, minimum replaced with maximim, all else exactly the same, includeing 1 shoot per guest (which if interprited one way contradicts the maximum bit lol)

 

I will probably still buy the ticket, but without buzz i probably would not with the new restriction.

 

and you know what i cant be sure but I think this is a recent change, cos I remember looking at the tickets when the new vip photo pass went up and Im sure it still said minimum. in fact I was copy and pasting it to reply to u to state this when I noticed it now said maximum.

[DavidB]

Last time we mentioned it we were told 'if you don't like it, don't buy it'. This isn't the fan-friendly old Autographica?!?!. See my other post about the atmosphere about the event this time.

There has to be a sensible balance between 'being fan friendly' and running a business though. Putting prices up doesn't really mean they're not 'fan friendly' anymore, and while feedback is always appreciated, it does always come down to that choice - either buy it or don't. That's not being rude but a simple fact that as attendees we weigh up whether it's worth it or not and make that choice.

 

Personally I've seen the prices charged in the US, and that's without the extravagant overseas flights etc, so taking everything into consideration I think prices across the board here are pretty fair.

[greenwolf]

Hi There

Yes you are able to pick the ones you want.

Dave Phillips

 

Thanks for your reply, only 6 weeks to compile my shortlist!

 

As it my first Autographica I can't comment on the differences between this years and last years tickets.

However for me and the photoshoots I would like, the delux pass looks great value.

 

Thanks for everyones comments and I hope everyone attending has a great time!

 

Oh one more question, are the guests generally up for striking a specifc pose on request?

[timelord81r]

ive recently been to a big us event, some things are done much better but showmasters prices are very very fair overall in comparrison.

 

for example we got shatner £10-£20 cheaper than they currently do in the us.

[adriangill]

Oh one more question, are the guests generally up for striking a specifc pose on request?

Generally speaking if a guest is not up for poses/arms around sholuders/etc, then you will be informed before entering the photoshoto area. Most of the times guests are more than happy to pose. Enjoy