Feedback

[Firecracker]

What's the problem with having VT? If only 100 have been given out, then the board can say 1-100. If there's no-one there and you have ticket 99, you can go up.

 

Yes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it - but if people are underestimated in terms of popularity (and with the best will in the world, SM aren't psychic), then maybe it is broken. Surely it's better to be prepared and not need it?

 

If people knew every guest was VT, they'd get tickets when they arrive. Better that (even if it's low demand) than starting out open Q and then switching to VT during the day, where people might not have seen the switch and then miss out. With low demand people, you can walk up and it would be no different to open Q. As some people here have said, their first sweep saw open Qs so you think you can go back later no problem, then on a later sweep you find it's VT and you're now ticket 300. VTs for everyone would mean a greater chance of getting the person you wanted. I had this with Kristian Nairn - open Q for ages but with long lines, then switched to VT. I got ticket 81, and just before lunch they were 1-80. In the afternoon, I was too busy with photoshoots to see him, and then he left early. Saved myself £10, but some people might have really wanted autographs.

 

Completely agree, I have been caught out several times in the past when people were on open queue when I arrived and when I went back later they had been on VTs for a couple of hours and I ended up with a high number. It defeats the point of queuing up outside for an hour and a half in order to get low VTs! As far as I'm concerned its far better if guests start off with VTs and then go open queue later if they are not busy.

It's a lovely idea but we can't simply take on an extra 30 crew just in case. It costs about £150 per crew member over a weekend, hotel, food, t-shirts, expences etc, that's £4500. Also in all fairness we took on 260 crew for this event more than ever before and would have struggled to have found 30 more, we took on pretty much everyone that applied.

 

We do our best and we have VTs on a lot more guests than previously. But having them on everyone that might be busy "just in case" really isn't an option.

 

On Saturday we had next to no issues and had all of the busy guests covered. At the last couple of MK shows we didn't have an issue with the minor GoT guests and so had no reason to think it would be different at LFCC Sunday. OK we needed them in the end but as someone said we're not pyschic.

 

If people have mentioned missing guests, maybe there were issues - half probably not reported on the forums. I understand you have financial and logistic considerations though :).

 

End of the day I made sure I got the one auto I wanted, and missing another wasn't any fuss to me, it's SM that got less money. Not that £10 would break your bank!

[MrsEllacott]

I forgot about the Gaming Bus! Loved that, but my only complaint on that is there only one console in use with a suitable game for younger children! So if they were to come back, they need to widen their variety of games and make it more family friendly! Typically my son figured out how to complete a level the kids before him could not and he was only on the game ten minutes!

[Avengers7]

Only had 3 issues all weekend.

 

1. Ray Park on Sunday?

 

2. Lack of water in Gold Pass Room.

 

3. Not being able to get a photoshoot with Alexander Siddig on Sunday.

[amber08]

Having had a few days to digest here's my feedback...

 

Overall, as always, a joyful weekend, by and large run well and the guests were pretty much all great, however there are a few little areas that need looking at in my opinion.

 

Photoshoots - I agree with most of the posts regarding the differences in quality of the photos between the 3 shoot areas, whether this is down to the photographers or the print settings I'm not qualified to say but I had 3 shoots on Sunday, 1 in each shoot area and my purple T-shirt looks black in C, dark purple in B and lighter purple in A!

Also, the queues for photoshoots really need to be manned by people with a bit of gusto! I only had Sunday shoots but at none of them were we called by number and only the lady on Area A sorting out the queues amalgamating for Sylvester, Catrin, Eve and Norman was making her presence felt and shouting instructions.

Finally regarding photoshoots, 5 minutes between shoots is not long enough. OK, if only 10 people want a shoot you can probably get away with it but it only takes the smallest delay and it throws the whole schedule out (like on Sunday).

 

That would have been me shouting and in the Eve queue getting a group of people to shout for me as I got a little confused between the Eve and Norman as Norman queue had tagged on the end! I must admit I didn't call by number (only calling out for Gold first and then everyone else) as ether the queues where small enough that no one was really missing out or in the case of Norman there was 2 queues and because I didn't want people who had queued for a while and miss out, plus not knowing which side had started first, I took a little from each side and it ended up being the largest but fasted queue of the day! But only possible because you guys listened, asked questions if unsure and were just fantastic.