SWC19 Constructive Criticism & Suggestions for Improvements for 2019

You need to talk to Reed, I got it from them. at first, I couldn't believe it, but it's true. just watch how fast the VIPs go tomorrow.

 

Indeed. It's not a shock that at a convention geared towards Star Wars fans, the VIP passes, limited in quantity, sell out within minutes. Just a few weeks ago, a funko pop for the Mudtrooper, limited to 10,000, sold out in six minutes from the funko site. VIP tickets are far less than that. I don't believe that's a conspiracy. It's just demand.

 

Does anyone have an idea how many VIP tickets there may be? estimate? Here is a shocker, I attended the Star Trek 50th Anniversary con. in Las Vegas. I was able to get the equivalent of a Jedi Knight VIP ticket, this was mostly for seating and was well worth it! But, while in line to get an autograph, they called for a super exclusive group to come up to the area first, this group was quite large,(VIPs) I asked some people around me about it, they said" those guys were regular VIP holders,within that group, the Con.managers hold a lottery, if your number is drawn, you can pay pays $25,000 and get, every autograph, breakfast and dinner with all of the celebrities, early this and that and the list went on! I could not believe it! Then they held an auction at the end of the con. there were 4 people there who spent over $10,000 on items and more! I wonder what would happen if this occurred at a Cele.! amazing.

 

Up to Anaheim it was 50 Masters, 250 Knights, London was 300 Masters, Orlando was Masters only but they didn't announce the number (it was believed to be around 300 but never confirmed). There's definitely no $25k group for Celebration.

 

When I was told that at the Star trek 50th, I couldn't believe it! the Star Trek conventions have been going on for 50 years now! Can Star Wars catch up? I've been thinking about the Star Wars 50th Cele. lately. I will be old then but will attend if there is one! I'll need one of those Imperial walkers!

 

ST was 50 Anniversary not 50th convention. Celebration 2027 will be Star Wars' 50th

 

Anyone brought up don't have a second line start at the other end of the building after people have been in one line for hours upon hours and then just let the other line in first? Because that was messed up!

 

That sounds awfully specific...

 

Happened in Orlando last year. There were some insanely strange and upsetting line setups.

 

I know. I'm just messing with you.

 

Was that an official line inside the building or was that the group of jerks who basically said "it's before 8pm, your line doesn't count" and tried to queue jump?

 

That's something that even as an attendee you often have to bring up to the volunteer to make sure they don't let that happen. I see it time and time again where two lines start forming in opposite directions outside a panel room door and both lines think they are the official line. And a lot of times the volunteer isn't all that much more in the loop as anyone else, and they can't really tell the difference either. And it just becomes a big cluster duck. So in order to prevent that, people definitely should not be shy about making sure the volunteer is aware of what is going on and moving people in the right place.

 

I just want the space available to be utilized wisely because in the recent past it seems like that hasn’t been their strong point. Also limit the amount of press passes and be more selective about it. When you have random youtubers or vlogs that have nothing to do with SW getting one of the many seat reserved up front to panels while fans who waited hours upon hours are stuck in the back or not at all... I’m sorry but that’s nonsense. I get they want press, but they aren’t being smart about it. Also some of these “press” people aren’t even press. So limit that and leave more room for fans

 

Just looking at the floor plans of the West Building, it seems so much smaller than Orlando.

 

It's plainly obvious when you are there that a lot of those people in press seats are only there because they knew somebody who gave them a press pass. That really irritated me seeing that in Orlando given the small room the big panels were held in.

I'm just curious, do you know of any specific examples of random youtubers and bloggers being issues press passes at Celebration? From the chatter I've had at conventions, a lot of them are cracking down on people doing that because it's become so rampant in recent years. I hope that isn't the case for Celebration.

 

It does. Which kills me that they can’t, don’t want or don’t think they need to utilize either North or South buildings as well.

And since they picked dates that coincide with another con it doesn’t help at all

 

There's going to be another convention in the other buildings at the same time? Ugh, that sounds awful.

 

The one example I know of is this youtuber my husband showed me. He didn’t attend Celebration last time with me so to “support” he thought I would enjoy watching that guy’s video. I think his name is Jesse, he used to be a prank channel with his gf and I think now doesn’t and I know he went to E3. Anyways, his 15-20 minute video was him at the Mandalorians Mercs table with his friends calling them “the Boba Fett people” the entire time even though they kept telling him they were Mandalorian Mercs. He then bragged about his press pass for about 5 Minutes, spent 2 Minutes on the Battlefront panel he attended as press and then went back to the staircase where the Mercs were getting their group pics taken and continued with the “there is so many Boba Fett people here in one place!”

And I was really? This guy got deserved a spot at the Battlefront panel over a fan who loves the game franchise? How did that help the brand in any way? And that doesn’t even represent Celebration as a whole so it still does nothing except limit fan spots

 

Sure does. I think both Celebrations had Excel to themselves in London.

 

I think an auto con is finishing on Thursday. Which means they could use the buildings during the weekend but nope

 

@Padme501st: Wow, that sounds pretty bad. I wonder what we aren't seeing in that situation that he's making out to be some legit means of being able to do what he did. A lot of people do that, when in reality they have some kind of connection that grants them that kind of access to things. Like if he knows somebody that was able to fudge his credentials and make them look more valid. Because that's a pretty blatant example you described. And I have to hope the people at ReedPop who manage press badges aren't that incompetent so as to let someone like that get one through legitimate means.

 

I mentioned awhile ago about the promise Reed had made, over the phone concerning the last Orlando Cele. they told me that EVERYONE in the camp out line would make it into the live theater, I called the day before I left for the con, to verify this. they apparently knew there were going to be hundreds of fans camping out or they would not have set up the huge room for the "campers". As you know, all the campers DID NOT get in as promised, Would I be wrong to say valuable fan space was taken up by the Media and Press? I went to an adjacent room for viewing and was looking for the media and press spaces.

 

No you aren't wrong. @MotivateR5D4 and I were in line for the 40th panel and did get in (we sat in different areas) but we were reasonably near the front of the waiting line and still got mid to 2/3 from the stage seats cause the first 1/3 of the room was reserved. At least that's my experience. He may have to clarify his if it's different.

And honestly I saw that complaint a lot from panel goers throughout the last Celebration.

 

Maybe there should bee a lottery for the media and limited space too! I met a lucky but poor exhausted fan on the way back to my hotel room last Cele. he was so tired I got worried about his safety! he said he camped out for both days in the big room! I didn't ask him where he sat, but I hope he had a good view. I was considering camping out for a 3rd time,but after seeing the line outside the day before and aching feet(bad sandles!) I said no, to myself and wished the very best for fellow fans! this Cele. no camping since I have to be 2 miles away from the fun.