Too big perhaps?

[babygurl1853]

While I loved the venue, I do feel that perhaps bigger is not always better. I know other people have shared the same opinion as me - that this event was just too large and crowded this year. I know Showmasters is all about pushing the envelope, and is getting bigger every year, but I can't say I personally liked it. The whole place seemed too crowded, the queuing inside and outside was a nightmare, and the photo table was the worst I've seen it for a while. The layout seemed awkward, and the schedule seemed very disorganised - considering I have never had a major scheduling conflicts in the past, and managed to have about three today! I also know of people needing to rush between Brian and Holly - surely two guests from the same show shouldn't have been scheduled around the same time, considering many people would want photographs with both.

 

I normally enjoy LFCC, but I'm almost dreading going back tomorrow because of it. If I didn't have guests I wanted to see, or have photographs already paid for, I probably wouldn't be bothering at all.

Edited July 7, 2012 by JennJenn

[Clarkey]

I was there until 3:30pm and i didn't feel it was over crowded. The photo tables were a bit of a mess but it wasn't helped by the people standing in front of them. It was a bit silly splitting the Gillian Anderson photos up on to different desks. Come on lets think and have a bit of logic here. Displaying photos, it's a simple thing. Maybe decide beforehand were they are going to go then have a sign up to say which ones are where. As for the people standing in the way, well all hope is lost for them.

[Hammy Hamster]

While I loved the venue, I do feel that perhaps bigger is not always better. I know other people have shared the same opinion as me - that this event was just too large and crowded this year. I know Showmasters is all about pushing the envelope, and is getting bigger every year, but I can't say I personally liked it. The whole place seemed too crowded, the queuing inside and outside was a nightmare, and the photo table was the worst I've seen it for a while.

 

I don't think size is the problem, the venue to me was much better and brighter and generally a nicer place than Earls court. The problem appears to be that while the event has scaled the and organisation doe not appear to have stayed in line. More people means you need more control if you do it properly people will still be able to make the most of the day and get to things on time.

 

I am very disappointed this year with the management but this was not unexpected, I still remember 3 people trying to share my seat a couple of years ago during the William shatner talk as they had sold the seat multiple times.

 

Please sort this out or next year will be my last.

[discodiva]

Getting too big for me....time to re-evaluate my purse, back, feet & sanity.....

[babygurl1853]

The problem appears to be that while the event has scaled the and organisation doe not appear to have stayed in line. More people means you need more control if you do it properly people will still be able to make the most of the day and get to things on time.

 

I think this is probably a much better wording of what I meant, haha.

[Rainbowchazer]

Was busy but nowhere near as bad as Collectormania MK as there was enough space for everyone, their buggies, their children, their canes and their cosplay costumes.

 

Queuing for autographs seemed much more logical than the space at MK allows. Never used the photoshoots so have been spared that hell.

 

Much appreciated the chill out zone upstairs on the balcony as I was dead on my feet by about 4.30. (I find walking slowly very difficult and painful.)

[Hustler]

I was there until 3:30pm and i didn't feel it was over crowded. The photo tables were a bit of a mess but it wasn't helped by the people standing in front of them. It was a bit silly splitting the Gillian Anderson photos up on to different desks. Come on lets think and have a bit of logic here. Displaying photos, it's a simple thing. Maybe decide beforehand were they are going to go then have a sign up to say which ones are where. As for the people standing in the way, well all hope is lost for them.

 

Have to agree with Clarky and say we didnt think it was overcrowded... In fact we thought there was plenty of room to move about..

As for the photoshoot collection I was told to come back several times after so many minutes and then the photos would be back..... 4 hours 30 mins later they did eventually turn up, but what I hated was the crew had no Idea on what was going on with the photos.... A couple of time we were told they are at Collection Point B, got there and no photos. Asked staff on 'B' and response was 'No there not here'. Proceed to tell them Crew at 'A' said they are here 100%. Then I was told there still being printed in the back and finally we get them after they were actually printed off site in a certain brand photo packet.....

Why tell us a load of twaddle when they could just of said 'Aint got a clue, there being printed off site, shouldnt be too long'.. I could have accepted that but sending me back and forth and telling me to keep coming back 15 minutes after each time and telling me they were being printed in the back......

[bruces]

The best event I have ever been to in regard to size and space. LFCC last year at Earls Court was terrible, the Milton Keynes Stadium last month also terrible, but the Olympia so much better. The whole event just seemed calmer and more relaxed due to its larger size.

[discodiva]

The venue was great...lighter (for better spur of the moment photos), more air circulating, larger, and with that balcony, even if the floor was bloody hard for a 54 yr old to sit down on for her lunch...

 

 

Too many guests imho, loads more fans (ok, more money, but sometimes "less" is more "fun" )...too much going on and too many photo shoots, not enough crew to cope with increased numbers of said guests and photo shoot processing...

 

 

But venue = great....I didn't sweat half as much as I normally do, except for Milton Keynes where even in 40+degs C I think I'd still freeze!

[sirjim]

I think the nail has been hit on the head. I don't think the venue or event was too big. The hall was certainly able to take the crowds from what I could see. I think the only major logjams were the photo shoot areas because they are also main thoroughfares especially when the stalls get busy. Passing traffic plus two photo areas next door to each other = jams.

 

I think there was a post on the forum previously or on the website saying the event space was 40% bigger than Earls Court. But the number of staff/volunteers has not noticeably changed. I don't think this is necessarily SM's fault - if people are not willing to volunteer then they cannot invent them (I can't talk on this by the way, I've never volunteered for various reasons).

 

EDIT - Agree with the comments about people hogging the photo despatch area. Every now and again, I basically had a look at the photos on the table, (which does take time when looking for a Gillian photo amongst hundreds), but once I had been around once and seen what was or wasn't available I went elsewhere - got an auto, had a walk around, browsed the stalls or took a couple of minutes break in the gallery area. The gallery area despite the hard floor has to be the best thing I have seen at one of these type of events in many moons!

Edited July 8, 2012 by Sir Jim

[StarryKat]

I'd pay extra £2 per day if it meant it would be more organised. for an event this size, if it's getting more and more professional with big guests, promotional talks and excellent things like the throne photoshoot, you cannot recruit volunteers the week before it starts. Also get things sorted behind the scenes too. Jason saying he had three thousand press requests to approve wednesday night was ridiculous. he never got back to me either even after my boss called.

 

Venue itself is great... really like the lighting.

 

For someone whose eyesight is getting worse. YOU NEED AT LEAST FOUR CENTRAL HUGE A0 WALL PLANNERS with people's VT NUMBERS ON to be updated every half an hour. I CANNOT read those tiny numbers that people put on the end of a stick, and they get smeared with different colour inks so you can no idea what numbers they are saying.There are pillars around the guest areas, USE THEM.

 

Love the range of guests and audience today. These events will keep getting bigger and I look forward to seeing who else they can get.

[DavidB]

I liked the venue personally, and felt there was more room to walk around etc. The guest area was good, and I certainly took more of a chance to look at dealers etc. But yes there's definitely stuff that can be worked on.

 

If the venue is used again going forward (which I think someone said it was) then everything will be analysed with what worked and what didn't, and hopefully next time we'll get the full benefits of the venue.

[dragonmate1]

I also liked the venue, but it still got very crowded at times, but can you imagine what it would have been like at a smaller venue. Best of all was the balcony area which allowed a moment or two of rest. Liked the layout with the autograph section at one end. Nice large aisles in the dealers area.

[scifisteve]

Too Big Venue wise, no nice to have space (we are generally Sci Fi fans and love space) although the sweating buckets in the Photo shoot ques was still a problem. The issue with then Venue is the Transportation, trains every 20 Min's that don't start running until virtually the time the event opens. with the Overground already down this weekend and with groups of people waiting for the "First Tube, was cancelled due to a signal failure.

 

However I do think it could be getting a little to large Guest wise, purely at a logistical level.

[Elspeth]

I thought the venue was great! Just the right size for the weeked. Earls court last year was too small for the crowds on the Saturday. Yes, the venue was really busy yesterday but imagine how crazy it would have been if it were in Earls court!!!

Today was much quieter, which was lovely, it was still busy, but you could actually move around.

The light was good for photo (not the yellow tint of Earls Court) and the balcony was grear and actually gave people somewhere to go.

I for one would love to see this venue used again!

[Malius]

The only thing I can comment on the venue would be to have more or better signage.

[ericsdonor]

I liked the venue to be honest, I did however find that there were a lot of younger crew members there who didn't seem to know anything when you asked them a question or were too busy laughing and joking amongst themselves to even want to help, I literally had to grab someone on photo distribution today to ask him something after 5 times of saying excuse me to him as he was to busy viewing the assets of the female cosplayers that we're walking by!!

 

Those poor people in red must have been so fed up by the end of the day as all we were told was ask someone in a red tshirt!!!

 

Also not calling photoshoots by number seems totally pointless to me and just makes for a massive free for all and I agree with the Holly and Brian scheduling together that was an actual nightmare, also moving Brian's shoot twice from its original time was crazy, fair enough I get there were probably valid reasons but it was only changed on a few of the posters and even the crew at the photo areas didn't know he'd been changed half of the time!!!

 

I did have a great weekend but feel it is maybe getting a little big now and I do think they maybe struggling to cope with an event this size, why favour quantity over quality, Showmasters have nothing to prove so please keep it smaller :-)

Edited July 8, 2012 by ericsdonor

[UZI SUICIDE]

NO. Not too big at all. I want more guests not less. Who would turn up to a convention with five guests? Most of the vendors wouldn't bother so keep reducing the scale and LFCC 2015 will be in the Hammersmith public library.

 

When are the people who attend going to ask themselves what they can do to make it easier on everyone? Keep your kids from running round, stop pushing in and line up like everyone else, stop crowding the photo tables. Every single time there is an event we get the same old complaints about everyone crowding the photo tables !!

 

If we all acted more like adults, then the staff (VOLUNTEERS) would not be having to run around after us and could get on with their jobs, and we would all have a less-stress time.

 

Keep growing, and improving. Don't backslide.

[CHEEKYBIRD]

_{I have to agree with most of the above posts as the venue was good but the organisation just didnt match the quality of the venue! I'm just glad I went gold this year as the photoshoots would have awful otherwise. I thought waiting 35 minutes to get my gold pass was a bit slow on saturday morning. I dont know why we had to send a photo in of ourselves as all we got was a gold strap round our wrist!}

[thewizard]

I don't really share the opinions of all of you, I thought it was fine and managed fine on Saturday for the time I was there. Then again I wasn't going to meet lots of people or attend a lot of photoshoots so I never felt like I had to rush anywhere or get things done by a certain time. A few times I walked past some of the photo areas and people were qued up just fine outside them. The people I was meeting had no VTs so it was just like a crowd around them but it also meant people were just standing chatting to each other. I'm not saying signing areas should just be for people actually wanting something signed and i'm no fan of VTs either, I'd rather go in an open que because I know I can say what I want and I don't need to worry about being moaned at to hurry along but if you're with your friends or you're chatting to fellow fans, don't stand around where the rest of us are queing up, give us a bit of space and there was plenty of space for people to go and chat.

[chrismk]

I agree with the majority who are saying that the bigger venue was fantastic and the bigger scale of the event with the guests was also amazing. In my mind, this has been the greatest LFCC so far, by some distance (and I've been a big fan of previous ones!)

 

The Dredd panel especially was the closest thing the UK (or Europe) has ever had to a large, famous US event (whose name I cannot mention). Exclusives for a major film, with the star, director and related people in a free panel... hell yes, more please!

[Newbie]

I didn't feel like the place was too crowded, I could move around easier. I wish there was more seating, and that the volunteers were more organised but other than that it was a breeze. I also think people who are twice my age and push into lines really need to go back to primary school.

[Murph]

Why would people want a smaller event? I thought LFCC was awesome and just had the best 3 days ever! Bigger and better next year I could certainly settle for. Although after meeting Gillian they'd need to get David to keep the level

[Count Fooku]

I'm not sure it's that people want a smaller event, more that maybe the infrastructure, for want of a better word, wasn't quite in place for an event of this scale.

[discodiva]

I'm not sure it's that people want a smaller event, more that maybe the infrastructure, for want of a better word, wasn't quite in place for an event of this scale.

 

 

Seconded for complete sense..

 

 

The event was awesome...the venue is great, much larger, more comfortable and less camped and hot...the amazing talent that is now signing and the services offered to the fans are fantastic...

 

But the organisation and infrastructure does need to be reviewed and changed with increased staff to cope with all these increased facilities I'm afraid...

 

 

Imho of course..

Edited July 9, 2012 by discodiva