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Signs, signs, signs ---Please more signs - digital too


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Personally, I think it's just another large expense with potential IT issues. I think most would be satisfied with a large White Board on Velcro that they can just pull down and update. Either that or give them PA's so they can be heard by everyone.

They certainly need some help. Being a pit crew boss must be one of the most challenging jobs at the event.

Edited by Xenomorph
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Some of the VQ boards could definitely have done with being higher up - some were stuck onto the fuzzy boards where the crew were stood so totally obscured most of the time.

Agree with a central "this is what's going on at the biggest people's queue's" board - like the stars along the back wall and those in the boxes - updated with the latest and slightly away from where they are might reduce a bit of the crowding.

 

And once again, and I will say it until it happens... YOU ARE HERE stars on the maps. Trying to figure out which hall is which by stair placement (and where that is in comparison to where you are and want to be) is a pain in the rump when you're trying to get to a certain photo area in time for a shoot.

 

(slightly unrelated but the screens above the door in YALC were showing "no access" for floors 0 and 1 at lunchtime Saturday, I was worried for a stressy moment I was stranded up there with no way out!!)

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4 minutes ago, fissijo said:

And once again, and I will say it until it happens... YOU ARE HERE stars on the maps. Trying to figure out which hall is which by stair placement (and where that is in comparison to where you are and want to be) is a pain in the rump when you're trying to get to a certain photo area in time for a shoot.

They had been written on at CollectorMania. Somebody remind me to bring a bag of star stickers next year and I'll stick them on myself.

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3 minutes ago, natedammit said:

They had been written on at CollectorMania. Somebody remind me to bring a bag of star stickers next year and I'll stick them on myself.

I was just thinking that too! Now we have to see which one of us is first to put a sticker on them next year.

 

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The real challenge with digital signage and displays for this type of show is to make the system simple enough that anyone can be shown how to use it in 5 minutes, but also be flexible enough to cope with changes to plans, schedules etc.  For the VQ idea, there then is the issue of having something that anyone can update, which would be a nightmare to control, or having dedicated people updating it which would require extra staff.  I also don't want to be around when a mistake gets made and 200 people turn up expecting to get in the autograph queue.

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14 minutes ago, VikingGrrrl said:

I was just thinking that too! Now we have to see which one of us is first to put a sticker on them next year.

 

We obviously have that twin psychic link thing going on. I'll just bring really big stickers and stick them over the top of yours.

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22 minutes ago, natedammit said:

They had been written on at CollectorMania. Somebody remind me to bring a bag of star stickers next year and I'll stick them on myself.

If I'd had a sharpie in my bag I would have written it once I got my bearings! 

(HOW can I go to a con and not take a pen!!)

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9 minutes ago, natedammit said:

We obviously have that twin psychic link thing going on. I'll just bring really big stickers and stick them over the top of yours.

<_< then I'll bring even bigger stickers and put them on top of your

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Both digital board and app will require a lot of extra work for SM. They would have to have someone running around checking and updating the numbers. But do you know who does that? We, the attendes. So here is a quick and easy solution: We make a google sheet where we can update the batches being called for photo shoots, what VQ ticket the auto queues are on, as well as if there are any changes or delays. Obviusly you would have to take the information with a grain of salt.

Why didn't I think of that before the con!! *Facepalm*

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38 minutes ago, natedammit said:

I work for a signage company, I can get some pretty big stickers.

 

32 minutes ago, VikingGrrrl said:

If the sticker covers the entire floor plan, what's the point? :P

New plan

Viking puts small stickers on the floor plan

Nate puts big stickers on the floor under the floor plan

That way, people will be literally standing on the star which says - You Are Here

:thumbup:

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Totally agree with what's being said about the queuing for photos and autographs, particularly the more popular guests.   On Sunday at shoot F, with Aidan Turner arriving late there were a lot of people standing around waiting - then the Jason Mamoa people started to arrive as well and were getting confused when they eventually started calling out "diamond passes" assuming it was for them.   Same with the afternoon shoot, lots of people with late batch numbers crowding round and those of us with lower batch numbers that didn't get through in the AM session had to fight through.  The girl shouting just couldn't be heard but the crowd did try to help with shouting.   There needs to be tall signs that are clearly visible and regularly updated so people know exactly which batch is currently queuing and maybe move away to allow the early batch number space to get through.  

Maybe the more popular guests need to be in larger space? The queuing area on the balcony/gallery is too small and people are trying to get past to get to other areas as well.  It did strike me that in some places, the stalls barely had anyone looking at them but had a lot of space whilst we were crammed into a small area to wait.  Perhaps the ground floor could be used for photos etc and some of the stalls moved up onto the balcony?  

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1 hour ago, Astro_Nut said:

The real challenge with digital signage and displays for this type of show is to make the system simple enough that anyone can be shown how to use it in 5 minutes, but also be flexible enough to cope with changes to plans, schedules etc.  For the VQ idea, there then is the issue of having something that anyone can update, which would be a nightmare to control, or having dedicated people updating it which would require extra staff.  I also don't want to be around when a mistake gets made and 200 people turn up expecting to get in the autograph queue.

What extra staff? There’s already a crew member at each guest table updating the VQ sign. Whether that person types on a physical board or on a digital device (say a phone or tablet) makes no difference. If anything a digital update would be faster to make.

If they don’t want to make the investment, updating a Twitter account as someone suggest, or even this very forum with the latest guest info (VQ number, “on break”, “at shoot”) would require minimal effort. 

Indeed, if one person had to update this info on all guests it would be impossible. But as I said, there is already crew at each guest table and each photo session doing this exact job, just in a very old fashioned and somewhat ineffecient way.

The potential for a mistake is the exact same regardless of transmission medium and can be quickly rectified.

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I see quite a few comments regarding apps and the like. It sounds good, but data coverage is a major issue at these events. Not only is your signal weak or non existent whilst indoors, but network congestion is a nightmare. 

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13 minutes ago, Xenomorph said:

I see quite a few comments regarding apps and the like. It sounds good, but data coverage is a major issue at these events. Not only is your signal weak or non existent whilst indoors, but network congestion is a nightmare. 

And yet Tennant sold out within minutes of him being announced :)

You’re right that the Wi-Fi at the Olympia was not consistent. But it worked for the most part for me, and my phone signal was fine throughout the weekend.

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