B+ good but could do better

[Geekzania]

I'm not going to add to the numerous posts listing everything that was 'wrong' with this weekend - for some people almost everything was a 'disaster' - for others it was the best weekend of their life.

I did though want to congratulate the Showmasters team for an incredible event. Yes it wasn't perfect, SM will be fully aware of that and what they need to improve on. Yes there were some issues that were annoying/stressful for many people, but actually, you know what, there doesn't need to be much 'tweaking' for those issues to be addressed, I genuinely believe now that SM are on the verge of putting on a truly 'world class' and potentially 'world leading' event.

 

Yes, the size and scale of the event now, which is always going to lead to crowds, and the escalating costs, are never going to be to everyone's taste, there will be many who 'yearn' for the LFCC of old, but there are plenty of smaller events now that offer that quieter, more relaxed, con experience, there is nothing though, certainly not in the UK, to offer what SM now give us, and they deserve a huge vote of thanks for giving us that choice.

 

In a wide and varying career I have some experience of event planning (though on a much, much smaller scale) and am involved in a few small cons, so I know, perhaps more than many, what is involved in putting on an event of this scale, of the costs and effort involved in getting the level of and number of guests that they now attract, of the fact that the 'public' don't always behave as you expect them to and that you can't plan for every possible eventuality, even though that's exactly what you try to do.

 

There are numerous areas that need improvement, but each of those areas only needs small improvement to make the event truly amazing. It was also good to see that there were areas which had clearly and obviously been improved from last year. SM DO take note and listen. Jason really does want these events to be the best that they can possibly be. Yes SM is a business but NO it's NOT all about the money. There are risks involved with putting on an event this size, for SM to be able to continue, they need to be sure of covering those risks, so there won't ever be big changes to the pricing, number of tickets sold etc. if we want the big name guests that we are now getting.

 

It's also worth saying that I'm nothing to do with SM and have been a very clear critic where criticism has been deserved, but you have to recognise just what SM have pulled off with this event and give them massive, massive praise for it so a huge huge WELL DONE and thank you to the whole team, volunteers and all, take a rest and then start making sure the next one is even better :)

Edited July 20, 2015 by Geekzania