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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

CJ25 Star Wars Celebration (social thread)

Discussion in 'Star Wars Celebrations' started by Disciple-of-Tython, Apr 16, 2017.

  1. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    You're not being negative, the pros and cons of selling panel access is a completely valid discussion (and one ReedPop & Lucasfilm have certainly had after the last Celebration judging by the survey question).

    Honestly, it's not an idea I like as I think paying for panel access is a very slippery slope and could very quickly lead to a 2-tier convention if not handled carefully. Hipacritically I'd still buy a hypothetical Jedi Knight/panel access ticket because, as much as I enjoyed the overnight queue (and would probably still do at least the first night just for the shared fan experience), I also like to sleep in a bed, and with over night now extending to multiple days and pre-dawn queues every day, the idea does appeal on a personal comfort and convenience level.

    In terms of managing it, I can only really think of 3 ways to handle it;
    1 - sell individual panel passes
    2 - sell a separate "Panel Pass" that gives reserved seating for all panels
    3 - bring back the mid-tier Jedi Knight pass for reserved seating & entry but without the other Master perks.

    1 would be a nightmare in terms of organization, especially as the panel schedule wouldn't be finalized (so passes couldn't be sold) until a few weeks before the event.

    2 & 3 are essentially the same but I'd put preference on 3 because I think it's less work from an organizational point of view. A separate panel pass would require an additional badge, potentially combining orders (if badges and passes are bought on separate dates). A separate panel pass would also presumably come in 4 day and single day, where as the Jedi Knight would just be a 3 day single badge.

    Plus with Jedi Knight you can include early entry and the dedicated entrance. You could probably do this with a separate panel pass as well but again it's more badges to check from a organizational POV (plus if they sell single day panel passes then people may have 3 day badges but only a single day panel pass which would require more vigilant checking at the VIP entrance). This is important because of the insane early morning entry queue. If you're charging for panel access you'd better be able to deliver it. Imagine how much worse the complaints would have been if people in that line had paid for the first panel, arrived hours in advance, and couldn't get to it.

    In terms of numbers....
    CV - 50 Masters, 250 Knights
    CVI - 50 Masters, 250 Knights
    CA2015 - 50 Masters, 250 Knights
    CO2017 - unknown number of Masters (single tier) (300 seems a reasonable assumption)

    So let's say they keep 300 Masters for 2019, if they add 500 Knights that would be 800 total.

    Organizationally I've never been a VIP so I'm not sure how this works but I'm assuming that the physical perks (t-shirts, posters, art prints, autograph fast passes etc.) are all picked up either with your badge or from the VIP lounge during Celebration.

    If you add a Jedi Knight level that is literally just reserved seating and dedicated entrance/early entry (rather than a lower level VIP like in the past) then none of that changes. Preview Night shopping, access to the lounge (and VIP meet & greets) would all remain Master exclusives and be based on badge checks as they are now.

    In terms of seating, either first come, first served for both Masters and Knights, or separate chutes and the Masters go in first. The former requires no more organization than they do now (just a badge check for Masters & Knights rather than just Masters), the later would require an extra chute for the main stages.

    If I remember right there are instructions for when VIPs must arrive before a panel starts. So they go in, then everyone with wristbands. Any left over seats can then be filled (I know in Europe a few people did wait in the panel queue and were allowed in once everyone with a wristband had entered).

    Like I said, not really advocating it, but it's the best way I could think of to handle paying for guaranteed panel access if they decide to go that way.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2018
  2. Padme501st

    Padme501st Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2006
    We'll considering they couldn't be bothered to not let people without a wristband into the main 40th panel, You may have a point
     
  3. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    Yeah, VIPs picked up their goodies (you had to give your name) on Wednesday night and then they walked us over for the early access to the Celebration store.

    Yeah, we had to be in the room before they started letting the general seating in the room. If you waited until after that, you weren't guaranteed to get in.

    It wouldn't be hard to have multiple tiers of VIPs. Wizard World does it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2018
    ChrisLyne likes this.
  4. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Here's a quick question for anyone who's booked convention rate rooms before. What type of date range do they offer? If I wanted to arrive a few days early and leave a few days late (say arrive the Monday before, leave the Thursday after, 10 nights total), would I be able to do that or are the rooms just for the convention weekend?
     
  5. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    I know last year, each hotel had a different range of dates that you could apply the Celebration discount for. As I recall, for some of them, there was like a 2-3 week window that you could book during that allowed use of the discount. So I think you'd be okay booking a few days before and a few days after. But again, it depends on each individual hotel.

    Also, you make a good point about having a separate chute exclusively for VIPs and just allowing that chute to go ahead of all the others. That could be a really good solution and wouldn't even require reserved seating for VIPs since they could all just choose their own seats. And then they wouldn't have to worry about keeping a section of reserved seats open, determining when to open it up to regulars prior to the start of the panel, etc. And if it's clear to everyone waiting in the overnight that there is a VIP chute and that most of them will be arriving closer to the panel start time, if that's already the expectation, then nobody would have an issue with it.

    I'm really against the idea of selling specific panel access. For one, the confusion it will cause at the time. And secondly, it just doesn't seem right to do that.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2018
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  6. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    How does it work there?
     
  7. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    They do celeb VIPs. For something where they have a group of big names (like Marvel people) that have a panel together, they'll sometimes have like a platinum VIP that gets first seating at their panel along with autographs and a photo with all of them. Then they'll do individual celeb VIPs that gets you an auto and photo with that one person and second seating at the group panel. Then after that is the general public.

    You don't need to tie it to certain celebs (I would prefer they didn't), but it's not hard to have separate queues for each tier and let them in one at a time. You just have to be in your queue by a set time or you lose your right.
     
  8. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    Has anything been confirmed yet?
     
  9. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    No. Everything is speculation except that there will be a Celebration in 2019.
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2018
  10. firesaber

    firesaber Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 5, 2006
    Orlando was my first Celebration and we rolled into a Disney vacation. We rented a home in Kissimee, 15 minutes away from the convention center and easily half the price of hotels. I was looking at doing something similar for Anaheim if that's the way it goes. I miss any vibes/atmosphere NOT being in a convention hotel?
     
  11. Jedi Knight Fett

    Jedi Knight Fett Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2014
    That’s what I thought.
     
  12. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    Sounds like they've got it pretty down pat. Hopefully if Celebration does something similar they can utilize an example like that to model it after.

    But I'm not so sure a lot of this can be rolled out by the next one when they still haven't figured out basic entry line issues.

    I do think being in a hotel that is within a 5-10 minute walk from where the convention is being held lends itself to feeling like your immersed in the whole experience much more so than being a 5-10 minute drive away. In the morning you wake up and walk to it, and at night you just walk back. During the day as well, nothing beats being able to leave the convention and come back within a short time frame if you have to drop something off, or even just to rest and recharge for a minute. And just generally being surrounded by everyone else doing the exact the same thing, with all the bars and restaurants and anywhere outside the convention being occupied by attendees as well, it really feels like you're living it the entire time.

    Frankly, it's an experience you wouldn't get if you didn't stay close to it all. And you wouldn't have to necessarily be in an officially discounted hotel to get that experience either. Just find one that is within no more than a 2 mile radius. I would absolutely recommend paying a little more for that experience than to not pay as much and stay a bit further out. It's entirely worth it.
     
  13. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Thanks :)

    Totally agree. Selling individual panels just seems like a recipe for disaster and organisational chaos!
     
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  14. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    We stayed in a hotel for the last UK celebration. We weren't near the venue, however. We were in Southwark and had to catch the Jubilee Line and then the DLR to get to Excel. That kinda killed any idea of queuing at night for armbands. So if you think you will want to be queuing it's probably the closer the better.
     
  15. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    This shouldn't be so hard. Haha.
     
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  16. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
  17. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Yikes! The $595 John Boyega VIP ticket doesn't even include priority panel seats, just first access to panel tickets!

    Those prices just remind me how crazy autograph prices have gone in recent years. I mean look at Mark Hamill, $125 in Anaheim 2015, $250 in Orlando 2017 (where Felicity Jones was also $200). I dread to imagine what the 2019 prices will be. If the new stars are finally signing then I can picture some crazy prices being charged (imagine a group photo with Daisy, John & Oscar... throw in BB-8 for good measure)

    Speaking of group photos! Wish I lived close enough to go to Awesome Con, I'd love to do that Smallville Reunion Welling/Rosenbaum photo!
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2018
  18. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    Yeah, the $199 they are charging for Boyega for autos and photo ops are in line with what you'd expect these days. Hamill and Jones both sold out at Celebration, so they aren't out pricing themselves.

    I'm doing Indiana Comic Con that same weekend. I was excited about that guest list, but Awesome Con is really strong.
     
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2018
  19. Grand Admiral Strife

    Grand Admiral Strife RSA Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 21, 2001
    and sadly, pricing for autographs has to be this way, a> for crowd control purposes, and b> because for secondary market forces (one of the reasons MH tries to personalize everything he signs. Early ebay days had people getting his auto free/cheap then turning around and selling for $50-100 a pop)
     
  20. ChrisLyne

    ChrisLyne Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 29, 2002
    Crowd control's not really an issue, they do pre-sale so they just cap the number available and then they can open it up to walk ups later in the day if they get through everyone (you just move the complaints from the price to people who missed out on a ticket). But secondary market is definitely a big factor for autographs. I'd rather the money go to (for example) Mark Hamill than someone flipping an autograph on ebay. Secondary market also doesn't justify the high prices of the photo ops (no one wants to buy a photo of me and Mark except me [face_laugh]). I mean, I get it. They have X number of tickets to sell and if they can sell out at $200 then they'll charge $200 because that's what the market is willing to pay but it's not a price they have to charge.

    Also, love your Ewok Stitch avatar!:D
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2018
  21. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    It has nothing to do with crowd control (if it did, it's not working). It's just capitalism.
     
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  22. Padme501st

    Padme501st Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 4, 2006
    I will tell you from experience, Daisy's price for a private signing (since she's not doing cons yet) is $300-$350 for a 8x10 no personalization. Anything bigger or personalized (even just writing Rey) is extra cost. I don't expect her to be less in person, especially with TOPPS running the contract.
    Adam Driver is around $200-$250 but is expected to rise prior to 2019. And with him going up, I don't see why Daisy and the others wouldn't increase as well

    Also in Anaheim, Disney is so close (I walked to it just like the con) I don't think picking a Disney hotel will make that much of a difference unlike Orlando
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2018
  23. star_wars_is_good

    star_wars_is_good Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2002
    Yup. And if she signs at Celebration, she'll sell out in about an hour.
     
  24. MotivateR5D4

    MotivateR5D4 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2015
    I can see why lesser known actors would charge anywhere from $20-$100 for an autograph. Or even for old time iconic actors like Mark Hamill or William Shatner to charge, because they've earned being able to do that. They're people who have to make a living just like everyone else. Not to mention the whole re-sale argument if they were to be giving out autographs for free just so that other people can make a profit off of it.

    But for the higher profile actors who are already being paid millions, these prices just seem exorbitant. I wonder how much of that is actually going to the actor versus how much is going to their representatives and the company they work for. I have to think if the actor is the primary determinant for what is being charged then it wouldn't be so high. Most of these modern actors actually seem pretty down to earth and wanting to connect with their fans, so I don't see how they would justify in their own minds charging so much for each individual to get an autograph. I don't doubt that in a lot of their contracts that it's just simply out of their control and that they aren't even allowed to hold signings without their handlers being the ones who dictate the terms. I'm sure the big name Marvel actors would cost a good amount nowadays as well.

    I was surprised that a lot of the Rogue One cast turned around so quickly and made appearances at last year's Celebration. I wonder why they're holding out on John, Daisy, Oscar, and Adam to do the same. They'll sell out almost immediately once they announce signings and photo-ops for them. Can you imagine the chaos at the signing areas if they're all there at once?
     
  25. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    It might be a scheduling issue with the TLJ actors since they are now better known due to TFA. The Rogue One actors also weren't shooting a sequel.