twinzz Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 With LFCC done (and dusted) and everyone having about a week to recompose themselves and gather their thoughts, with its history at Earl's Court and the re-use of the Olympia, what to you were the pros & cons of each location? Understandably, there won't be another event at Earl's Court, we just want to see people's views, which do they prefer & why; are there things from one venue you'd like to transplant into the other Personally, we liked the fact that Earl's Court only had a single, open-plan floor; but the lighting inside was pretty dreadful. Olympia may be bigger in size, but we feel the multiple floors is a bit of a downside & can make the overall FEEL smaller while it's actually not would be interesting to see how the promised 40% extra space for next year willl open the venue or influence the feeling of..Full..ness 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyromie Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 The summer LFCC in 2012 was held in Olympia Grand Hall and it was basically just one big hall filled with stuff, like it used to be done in Earl's Court. I liked it best because it had what I liked about Earl's Court and it had good light due to the glass roof, not the horrid yellow one from EC. This year There were more floors used in Olympia, the light stayed good, but the fact that Grand hall couldn't be used did not help. So I like Olympia better, as long as the event is not hold on four floors. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerie Tanith Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I never went to the ones in Earls Court... are there pics for comparison? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewrolar Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Keep the capacity as it was this year, but with the 40%extra space and you will have a much better experience than this year or last year at EC. Also, sell less diamond tickets, or at least stop people using them for every guest rather than just the guest their ticket is for 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveamyadams Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Olympia is just another tired worn out old building unfit for purpose. It would be nice to be housed in a proper modern convention centre instead of a place from the 1880's which over the decades has had most of its toilets, stairs,air conditioning etc added to it as it stumbled along . Hopelessly out of date just like Earls court and we all know what happened to that. I was told by a member of Olympia that they have been informed its due for redevelopment in 2018 and final plans to the local council will be submitted in 2016 so don't get too comfortable with Olympia. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyfilm_1 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 As mentioned, I liked that everyone was on one floor which meant that finding people was easy. Olympia did feel much cooler than Earl's Court though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katjafin Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Olympia hands down, especially when they get the Grand Hall. The light was natural light and not that awful yellow tone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewillow Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Earl's Court had the advantage of being all on one floor, so you didn't have to go up and down all the time. But Olympia was bigger and therefore could accomodate more people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissShell Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I feel like that 40% more space means that Jason will release 40% more tickets so we won't feel the benefit at all 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerraHawk Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Olympia is just another tired worn out old building unfit for purpose. It would be nice to be housed in a proper modern convention centre instead of a place from the 1880's which over the decades has had most of its toilets, stairs,air conditioning etc added to it as it stumbled along . Hopelessly out of date just like Earls court and we all know what happened to that. I was told by a member of Olympia that they have been informed its due for redevelopment in 2018 and final plans to the local council will be submitted in 2016 so don't get too comfortable with Olympia. It reminded me of the current venue at Milton Keynes, which at least had the excuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinking71 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Everything on one floor is so much easier to get around & have to say a seating area would be good as you do a lot of walking & not nice when you have to sit around on the floor for a time out or something to eat.. Also a hazzard for walk ways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grantweiler Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Put everything related on the one floor. Ground: Merchants 1st: Photo Area 2nd: Autographs 3rd: Talks Going up and down between floors for photo shoots that in some cases were 5 minutes apart was brutal 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOTR-Auto-Hunter Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I was actually going to start a dedicated topic around this theme myself - I for one think both Earls Court and Olympia are truly awful venues. They are both outdated and were never designed for these sorts of events where potentially rushed movement between levels is apparently essential. Olympia simply does not 'look nice'. The look and feel of a show (of any nature really) is incredibly important for getting people in a positive mood, helping them feel relaxed and giving them a sense of control and calm - this being achieved through clear, sensible layouts, plenty of space and a modern building. I know cost plays a significant part in determining where a show should be held, as does location. I would much rather LFCC be held in the Excel arena - the fact that SM have held other shows there but not LFCC leaves me somewhat puzzled. The place is vast and all on one level to name but a couple of areas it trumps both Olympia and the old Earls Court... I live in hope :) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen_Sindel Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 The ExCel is out due to the contract situation. Sherlocked and Star Trek were an exception as those were official events focusing on one show. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveamyadams Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I was actually going to start a dedicated topic around this theme myself - I for one think both Earls Court and Olympia are truly awful venues. They are both outdated and were never designed for these sorts of events where potentially rushed movement between levels is apparently essential. Olympia simply does not 'look nice'. The look and feel of a show (of any nature really) is incredibly important for getting people in a positive mood, helping them feel relaxed and giving them a sense of control and calm - this being achieved through clear, sensible layouts, plenty of space and a modern building. I know cost plays a significant part in determining where a show should be held, as does location. I would much rather LFCC be held in the Excel arena - the fact that SM have held other shows there but not LFCC leaves me somewhat puzzled. The place is vast and all on one level to name but a couple of areas it trumps both Olympia and the old Earls Court... I live in hope :) agree with all the above.Its why Earls court and now Olympia are losing so much trade to other venues, not just in london but up to Birminghams NEC and convention centre and similars ones in Manchester etc. Olympia and EC weren't built for this kind of thing and being old buildings there's not much they can do.I will say its easy enough to get to and its proberbly cheaper to rent but hopefully we'll see a change of venue sometime soon.As much as i loved the guests the whole 2 days were an ordeal and a major test of my patience. Queuing to use the stairs in 2015. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerraHawk Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 . Queuing to use the stairs in 2015. Better than queuing on the stairs. I feared a domino effect. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LOTR-Auto-Hunter Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 The ExCel is out due to the contract situation. Sherlocked and Star Trek were an exception as those were official events focusing on one show. I seeeee... thanks QS! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defender05 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Both venues are out of date, with Earls Court now out of the picture and Olympai not up to standard I feel that Showmasters should be looking for a completely new venue. As it stands you might be ablt to have 40% more space next year but as other people have said this will mean more ticket sales so that won't help. The air conditioning is not upto the standard that it needs to be and the toilet facilities are not good enough either, the glass roof might mean it's better for pictures but it also gives you a green house effect in the summer. While the events were on a smaller scale the buildings got away with it but as the showing is growing a new modern venue needs to be found. I understand that people have said the the excel can't be used so maybe it's time to move out of London and find somewhere else to host the show. On a side note I also feel that MK Stadium is also starting to become too small for that show too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerraHawk Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Off topic, but whatever happened to that Bluewater event? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swissangel4616 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 People will hate me but I prefer Earls Court - everything is on one floor (and no Levels). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teabelly83 Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 This is a point many have posted about and ive heard many many people commenting on at the shows, why is it so difficult to put all the photoboots in 1 area? It would make the whole event so much easier to get around, find what you need and hopefully help in stopping people criss crossing all the time when your stood in a photo line Put everything related on the one floor. Ground: Merchants 1st: Photo Area 2nd: Autographs 3rd: Talks Going up and down between floors for photo shoots that in some cases were 5 minutes apart was brutal Exactly, too early to say really but i feel come next yr, that 40% more space from the other hall will be pointless because they will just up the ticket sales and sell more passes so it will end up being rammed in there too so there wont be much difference. we live in hope. would be ideal if they sold the same sort of number of tickets as this yr and keep the NO ON THE DOOR TKTS and have that other hall..so there would be alot more space overall and not more people. I feel like that 40% more space means that Jason will release 40% more tickets so we won't feel the benefit at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eccheetham Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Keep the capacity as it was this year, but with the 40%extra space and you will have a much better experience than this year or last year at EC. Also, sell less diamond tickets, or at least stop people using them for every guest rather than just the guest their ticket is for I TOTALY agree. if they keep the same amount of tickets sold this year but add the extra halls and then we will have a good capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewrolar Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 With the extra Friday now being 7 hours this year and potentially 9 next year, added to having a 3 hour preview on the Thursday, and 40% more capacity, there really is no need to sell more than we had each day this year. I'd pay a bit extra for standard entry if it meant a more pleasurable experience (couple this with less diamond and gold ticket availability, so that exclusive really means exclusive) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenomorph Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Personally I preferred Earl's Court. If both halls had been used plus the auditorium upstairs, I think that would've been fine. The Olympia was a little disorientating at first due to the layout, but I got used to it quickly. There were just too many choke points and issues getting around the venue, which have been discussed at length already. I'm confident that if SM make sensible changes to the layout and provide dedicated seating areas along with using the entire venue, next year will be very awesome indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinzz Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 thanks for all your input, guys! Very interesting to see what everyone else thinks on the venues & their layouts! :) we have no idea about UK venues, but are there - in fact - (London area) venues that would be large enough to support the capacity of LFCC crowd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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