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Gold pass confusion


jimbox2804
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To answer about the talks, when you collect your gold pass you will be given 2 tokens for the talks. You just turn up to the talk you want to go to and will be let in. SM know that there will be gold pass holders with tokens turning up at any of the diamond talks so will have prepared for it.

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On 2/28/2017 at 11:04 AM, jimbox2804 said:

After missing out on Rutger Hauer's autograph last year thinking of going gold pass this year. Am confused over whether or not this means I can join any autograph queue when I like and without a vq ticket. Particularly confused over what it says about platinum guests. Can anyone help

Only if the queue for non-diamond guest hasn't been capped, it doesn't override the capping of the queue.

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On 18/05/2017 at 6:01 PM, Raylenth said:

Gold pass holders are allowed into the venue 5 minutes before the rest of us rabble, so you have the advantage in that you should be able to get to the autograph floor first to collect the VQ's for the diamond pass guests.

VQ tickets are required by non gold pass holders for all busy guests.  That translates to any guest costing £20 and above usually, though smaller guests may still require them if they are busy.

If you have a gold pass you don't need VQ tickets for any non Diamond pass guests, you can just join the back of the auto queue.  It's easier to think of Diamond pass guests a bit differently - they are either expected to be exceptionally busy or rare, so the only way, even with a gold pass, to guarantee getting to see them is to buy the Diamond pass for them.  In practice, most diamond pass guests do manage to see a lot of VQ ticket holders but it can't be predicted or guaranteed.  To date most D Pass guests have done a lot of VQ ticket holders but not all.  The older guests tend to be slower signers and some are very busy with talks and photo's as well.

Last year I had a gold pass but still needed a vq ticket when queuing up to get Michelle Gomez auto but didn't think she was diamond pass or was she? Last year seems along while ago now maybe she was :huh:

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Yes, and it was reported a couple of times. We got it fixed as soon as we were made aware of it. But unfortunately if someone posts here (especially  when they do so only after they got back) I have to get hold of crew at the show first, and information takes a while to travel.

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 minute ago, robertderidder said:

So who are diamond pass guests? Anyone that has a Diamond Pass option? Considering how much there are of those now, I'm not sure what the advantage of the Gold Pass is, since most guests that you'd think you need a Gold Pass for, now have the Diamond Pass option.

Yes, all guests who do have a Diamond Pass on sale are Diamond Pass guests.

The Gold Pass still offers an advantage even for Diamond Pass guests because it gets you in the venue earlier. This gets you a lower VQ ticket number.

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And with 94 guests currently attending, 15 of which are Diamonds, that still leaves a lot of guests to use the pass on.  But it really depends on how you value the benefits.  It also allows you to go through the photo shoots first (second for Diamond guests) whatever batch number you have saving you time there as well.

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Sorry I must have missed this when purchasing my tickets, so as a Gold Pass holder, could you help me to better understand this differential now between Gold and Diamond:

I can't just join the autograph queue if they are a 'diamond' guest I have to go VQ I thought Gold holders could join any queue without having to go VQ?

I thought for Gold you can join any talk, but now there's only 2 tokens to choose between the possible 10+ 'diamond' guest talks, again I thought I could go to any talk now I can only go to the free ones and two tokened talks by diamond guests?

I'm in the dark so to speak as to know who are the 'diamond' guests, so I can work out who I have to miss, but forgive me for saying at £261 for a gold pass I thought that I'd have more perks for that price, how I read this forum is that now I'm feeling quite limited in my options.

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18 minutes ago, carlosvanvegas said:

Sorry I must have missed this when purchasing my tickets, so as a Gold Pass holder, could you help me to better understand this differential now between Gold and Diamond:

I can't just join the autograph queue if they are a 'diamond' guest I have to go VQ I thought Gold holders could join any queue without having to go VQ? Yes for all guests except for Diamond guest - it does say that in the T's & C's of the Gold pass

I thought for Gold you can join any talk, but now there's only 2 tokens to choose between the possible 10+ 'diamond' guest talks, again I thought I could go to any talk now I can only go to the free ones and two tokened talks by diamond guests?  It has changed since the introduction of the Diamond guests, it's better to consider the Diamond as Bonus guests (as some conventions class them) they are separate from the other guests.  You also get to go to go to any paid, non Diamond pass talk - Diamond pass talks are listed at the bottom of the ticket page if you want to have a look and as you say you can pick 2 diamond talks of up to £30 each.

I'm in the dark so to speak as to know who are the 'diamond' guests, so I can work out who I have to miss, but forgive me for saying at £261 for a gold pass I thought that I'd have more perks for that price, how I read this forum is that now I'm feeling quite limited in my options. Click on the link on the website to the ticket page and underneath all the entry tickets the Diamond guests are all listed together

See above

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There has been discussion on the value of the Gold pass but like I said before it depends what you want it for. 

Photo shoots - you get to go through first whatever your batch number, and second for Diamond guests as Diamond pass holders go first

Talks - you get the front rows, except Diamond pass talks, as long as you are there before the main queue is let into the talk.

Auto Queue's - Except for Diamond guests you get to join the back of any queue with ought the need for a VQ ticket.  For Diamond guests you do need a VQ but you get in the venue first so get a good chance to get the low numbered VQ tickets.

All of the above saves a lot of time as it means you can join queue's when it suits you, people who intend to see a lot of the guests over the weekend find them invaluable for getting a lot done in the least stressful way.

I feel people have the wrong impression of the Diamond pass guests sometimes, especially when they are the big names.  They were always intended as a way to afford the big name stars and therefore were going to be outside of and above the main guests rules.  It's best to consider them 'extra' or however you want to phrase it - SM have always said that there was no guarantee of meeting them outside of the Diamond Passes and so for that reason mainly they are not included as part of the Gold Pass access.

Edited by Raylenth
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Quick question, I bought just a regular ticket for saturday but if I decide to also go on friday and sunday and I would want to upgrade to a gold pass, is that possible? If that's a yes, is it possible to switch days of photo ops that I already bought?

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4 minutes ago, The_batflash123 said:

Quick question, I bought just a regular ticket for saturday but if I decide to also go on friday and sunday and I would want to upgrade to a gold pass, is that possible? If that's a yes, is it possible to switch days of photo ops that I already bought?

You can upgrade your entry to gold, you just have to email the shop and ask them, but photoshoot tickets are non transferable I'm afraid (you can ask the shop that as well if you wish but it does say in the T's & C's when you bough it they are non transferable).

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If I would buy a gold pass but I can't come on friday, how do I get in 5-10 minutes in advance? Do I need to speak to someone who works at the entrance? I didn't really pay attention to other entrances, I only saw the regular entrance line. Also, did the doors open before 10 am last year? I remember I was inside the convention (so not the waiting line) at like 09.58 or something.

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21 minutes ago, The_batflash123 said:

If I would buy a gold pass but I can't come on friday, how do I get in 5-10 minutes in advance? Do I need to speak to someone who works at the entrance? I didn't really pay attention to other entrances, I only saw the regular entrance line. Also, did the doors open before 10 am last year? I remember I was inside the convention (so not the waiting line) at like 09.58 or something.

The pick up procedures have not been confirmed yet, sorry.

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2 minutes ago, The_batflash123 said:

I just bought myself a gold pass and decided to go all 3 days YOLO. One more question, I still haven't figured out what YALC is exactly but can I visit that part of the convention with my gold pass?

Yes, you can.

Which reminds me that this might be a good FAQ update...

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1 hour ago, wjbleming said:

It's the Young Adult Literacy Club, where young adult authors attend. :smile:

Thanks, is it worth a visit if you're not that interested in young adult books? Maybe if I wanna take a break from the convention, it seems like there won't be a lot of people attending YALC or am I wrong?

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8 minutes ago, CatherineRice said:

Is there still the gold pass "chill out room" ? Only it's not mentioned this year

 I'd appreciate an official response if possible.

It has been said before that as one is not mentioned, it is unlikely to be there.

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I appreciate your thoughts, but it's not the first time something has been simply overlooked, and it's something of a deciding factor on whether I buy the gold pass. Could QS or SM possibly give official info please ? Its hard to imagine why it would be discontinued, especially when the use of the pass has been diluted by it not working for diamond guests.

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