How did the show go?

[18blue78]

So lets start the what do you think thread.

 

For me (& I admit I left before 12:30) this event seemed at little under attended. I was surprised by the amount of room there was to walk around (maybe down to the size of the venue)...that was until the boxers arrived.

 

I think SM will acknowledge they underestimated the interest some of the boxers would attracted and there was a little bit of a scrum for the first hour or so.

Have to say this was mainly down to people who just wanted to take photos of the boxers and were not queuing for autographs (yes iPad dude I mean you). With hindsight it would have been better for the boxers to have been over where Dave Prowse was giving people more room to queue, but hey, these things happen.

All credit to the crew around the boxers having to deal with lots of people and very little space.

 

Michael Watson, James DeGale & Luke Campbell were great with all the fans they met, chatting and posing for photos.

I've met Nigel Benn before so didn't go to see him but he seemed to be attracting a lot of punters and looked to be having fun. The same with Frank Bruno who I managed to miss due to my own awful planning and those pesky photo shoots.

 

All in all another great SM event (even though I was only there for a bit).

Edited October 6, 2012 by 18blue78

[Count Fooku]

I was very surprised how quiet it seemed, I arrived about 8.40 and was expecting to see a large crowd but the queue was a lot smaller that I was expecting, the crowd certainly seemed to evaporate very quickly once we got inside. I left just after 11 as the standard entry people were coming in and even that didnt seem like the usual deluge. I was more surprised as although I am not a Who fan myself I assumed they would be queuing round the block for this so called Smith.

 

As Danny John Jules didn't show I cancelled the photoshoot and didn't bother with the Red Dwarf cast in the end, I kind of had an all or nothing head on today so in the end I only met Joss Ackland and Michael Carter (which wasn't even for me!) I know for my own part with Autographica next weekend and ST London the weekend after I was trying to keep costs down for this show and I wonder if maybe a few others were as well?

[Flibble]

I got back home and I left at about 11am too, after the Matt Smith photo shoot and autograph. It did seem quiet to me too, not as manic as LFCC.

I was very pleased that I got my Matt Smith photo so quickly but I was cursing myself as I was looking down in the photo. Nuts!

 

[BigSi13]

I got back home and I left at about 11am too, after the Matt Smith photo shoot and autograph. It did seem quiet to me too, not as manic as LFCC.

I was very pleased that I got my Matt Smith photo so quickly but I was cursing myself as I was looking down in the photo. Nuts!

 

Why were you cursing your photo?

[Graphic_Delusions]

For me the day was over far quicker than I had expected. Having already come to terms with the vast amount of cancellations I wasn't expecting more to not turn up (Hugh Ross, Robin Vidgeon, DJJ). It definitely felt 'quiet' today but overall I'm happy I finally got to meet Robert Englund and Bradley Gregg.

[UZI SUICIDE]

Yeah it was quiet, but thats good for those who did go...less queues, less push-in-people. Had a great time despite having to refund the RD Cast photoshoot, still met the three who attended, still glad I went. Special mention goes to 'Sugar' Shane Helms, and 'Mr DX' Billy Gunn, I really enjoyed meeting them both and want to thank showmasters for putting on more wrestling guests - keep them coming. Also, how good were the cosplayers this time round...Admiral Ackbar was Amazing, and Savage Opress looked 100% accurate. Another great show and the addition of the instant printing of photos made it even smoother than before. Bag check was flowing and everything seemed super well organised. No complaints at all.

Edited October 7, 2012 by UZI SUICIDE

[Rockstar6662]

Very, very quiet by other standards. Arrived 9:30, walked straight in, no one outside. If I want still here waiting for my Chris Heyerdahl photoshoot at 4:30 i'd have gone home at lunchtime have seen the 4 guests I wanted to, including Matt who was open queue around lunchtime.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Rockstar6662

[loops]

What are the stalls like this year? :)

[DavidB]

A nice relaxed event for me. Didn't have too much to get after a few guests - only Matt Smith photo and auto, and an undecided RD group shot. The latter was decided for me with DJJs cancellation luckily.

 

Have to say Matt was fantastic, making an effort with everyone. He is a credit to the show.

 

Thanks to all the crew. Everything ran very well as far as I was concerned.

[Flibble]

Very, very quiet by other standards. Arrived 9:30, walked straight in, no one outside. If I want still here waiting for my Chris Heyerdahl photoshoot at 4:30 i'd have gone home at lunchtime have seen the 4 guests I wanted to, including Matt who was open queue around lunchtime.

 

Wow! Matt was open queue at lunchtime?!!! I wish I had waited and gone round again!

[Flibble]

I got back home and I left at about 11am too, after the Matt Smith photo shoot and autograph. It did seem quiet to me too, not as manic as LFCC.

I was very pleased that I got my Matt Smith photo so quickly but I was cursing myself as I was looking down in the photo. Nuts!

 

Why were you cursing your photo?

No, I was cursing myself for being an idiot!

[Rockstar6662]

Very, very quiet by other standards. Arrived 9:30, walked straight in, no one outside. If I want still here waiting for my Chris Heyerdahl photoshoot at 4:30 i'd have gone home at lunchtime have seen the 4 guests I wanted to, including Matt who was open queue around lunchtime.

 

Wow! Matt was open queue at lunchtime?!!! I wish I had waited and gone round again!

 

I'm sure it was around 1 or 1:30 when we noticed. He was fast but people were grabbing the photos and moving them out the way almost before he was finished. Bit of the conveyor belt of old but he did personalise and I asked him something and had a brief conversation which was nice.

 

No complaints. Seems like a nice guy but it was a little bit heads-down and let's see how many we can get through.

 

On the plus side you could take photos right up to him signing and every I could see was doing desk photos apart from Dean Cain.

 

Biggest surprise of the day. Ethan Phillips had a few Voyager scripts for only £20 and included a signature by him. These are his personal ones and contain notes he's written against various scenes. Bargain. Only had sbout 5 or 6 i think and they went very quickly.

[Kuato_Lives]

Although lacking in people that I'd consider to be big guests, I can't complain about the people I did meet. Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Dean Cain, Bradley Gregg & Billy Gunn all very nice people and a pleasure to meet.

 

Bit dissapointed about the Ludo puppet, was really looking forward to the photo op with that. Shame there was no talks in the morning, I finished my autograph collecting by 10am and my 2 phootoshoots were between 2pm-3pm leaving me with a lot of spare time and nothing to do except endlessly wander around the stalls.

 

Kudos to the new photoshoot system where you get the photo near enough straight away. Not having to wait 3 hours & not having to partake in the scramble for photos was a godsend.

[MrsEllacott]

I have to admit I was shocked not to find queues coming in just before 10am. But I didn't mind as it made mine and Mattie's day really relaxed. We met all the guests we wanted and left about an hour earlier than planned.

 

Henry Davies was amazing to meet, drew an amazing picture of Mattie and Dennis the Menace. Matt Smith was worth every penny! Mattie loved meeting Dean Cain, cos he was Superman! Red Dwarf cast were fantastic and really grateful they agreed to pose with Mattie's monkey! Billy Gunn had Mattie in hysterics and Robert Englund was really great too!

 

The thing I was most impressed with was the printing on site! So much easier and quicker!

[BACYLON]

So quiet it was almost embarassing - but fun for those who turned up as all guests were able to spend time to chat and have desk photos (apart from dean cain)

[Matt Effect]

Yep it was quiet. I thought it would be busy so I got there slightly after 11am to avoid the que and early-bird/standard confusion but walked straight in, paid my entry (although it looks like I could have walked straight into the venue if I was determined as it didn't look like there was anyone checking tickets at the door)...

 

I only wanted to meet Mark Rolston who was an open Q so I met him, looked at the stalls then had some lunch and was ready to leave just after noon. Was a nice if weird change of pace and atmosphere after LFCC!

[jellyman]

I thought it went well very quiet, tyson and bruno were the best for me today....

[claire316]

Very surprised how quiet it was but I know a lot of people decided not to attend due to all the cancellations. Unfortunately there were just not enough big name guests to make up for it.

 

I love love love the fact that you have the new photo printing system installed, it made things quicker, slicker and stress free. I got home the earliest time ever today, and for once was not having the venue locked up around me while I refuse to leave until my missing photo batch turns up!!

I thought Showmasters said they would never implement this system, so must have missed the announcement that they had changed their minds, but SOOOO glad they did!

[giuseppe1969]

Thanks for sharing your experience; I couldn't go but I will be attend Autographica next week. I believe that three MASSIVE events in a month can be a bit money-consuming. On the other hand, this is the Season Finale and I am glad that Showmasters have catered for all tastes.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Bergman

[TerraHawk]

I was more surprised as although I am not a Who fan myself I assumed they would be queuing round the block for this so called Smith.

 

A lot of us had met him before, so didn't need to go this time. David was different, we had to wait years for him. Add the fact you could get his autograph in advance without queuing early, that never needed to swell up the queues outside.

 

Seemed strange sitting out this one - I was all ready to leap on train at a moments notice - but there was no one announced to make it worth my while. I'd have spent more getting than than on guests I'd met before. Still the bank balance isn't complaining.

[Indestructible]

Enjoyed it, top guests and got what I wanted. I guess being quiet is a double edged sword, great to have smaller queues but stalls wouldn't have done so well and some guests would have done very few signings.

[Kuato_Lives]

I'm nicknaming this Cancellation Con. Even a puppet cancelled!

[spgyid]

good day for me. got to meet -

 

Luke Campbell

Mark Rolston

Stephen Berkoff

Michael Carter

Red Dwarf cast

Game of Thrones cast

 

in at 9, out by 12.

 

drive back home to Cheltenham to round off the day by meeting JK Rowling.

[Nottravis]

I'm nicknaming this Cancellation Con. Even a puppet cancelled!

Nice one.

[Daniel]

I have just got home now, its been a very long day. I had a great time though.

 

I met Mark Rolston, Nigel Benn and Vaughn Armstrong. Mark and Vaughn seemed happily surprised that I was meeting them for their small parts on Buffy and Angel. Nigel Benn was also a real gent and seemed very happy to meet fans.

 

All in all it was an enjoyable day. Looking forwards to next years already.