GABIT attendees thread

[Skydiver]

MY OPINION

Gabit took an idea from Gatecon....fans arranging get togethers for other fans and succeeded where Gatecon failed. Don't get me wrong, I applaud what Gatecon did. However I also personally got beyond tired of watching some staff members schmooze with the guests instead of doing their jobs, the disorganization, not malicious, just...disorganized. Then the perpetual and constant 'don't you dare have an issue with this, we're not pros, we're just fans, give us a break'....FOR ME, worked for a while but after a few years and the 'we're just fans' excuse kept getting trotted out when fubars like hundreds of fans missing their photo and auto ops because the person in the main room stopped announcing numbers and no one would listen to us when we tried to complain. Or hundreds of fans missing a chance for a set tour lotto because they decided to hold it somewhere else at the last moment or other such things that resulted in fans literally losing out, I got sick of that excuse. When the number of events you're hosting enters the double digits and you're still making rookie mistakes and getting personally upset when people dare to complain, something just ain't right.

You'd go to one of those events on the lookout for miscommunication and mentally prepared to have it end with you not getting what you'd been promised or to have things change at the last minute.

Gabit isn't always perfect. Mistakes get made. But they're just that, mistakes. And they do their best to make it right instead of hiding behind the 'we're just fans' sign. They treat people the way they want to be treated instead of - as I witnessed - some members of the gatecon staff spending time with the actors instead of doing their jobs.

With Gabit there is no stress. There is no 'overpromises'.

IN MY OPINION, Gabit learned from Gatecon's mistakes and stepped up with an air of professionalism and honesty that creates a general open and positive atmosphere. They're not just there to boost their own egos setting up a con to get fans an experience but - at the same time - getting fans to pay for things. They're there to do everything practically and humanly possible to treat attendees like they'd like to be treated.

Creation....they're there to run a business and make money. It's nothing personal. It's their job. It's something they do several times a year and it's assembly line. They can't do it any other way, not to do as many cons as they have done in the time spans they do them in. It's a business and they're in there to make a profit because it's their full time jobs.

With creation, you will usually get what you're promised....just might take hours and hours and hours. Unless of course you're willing to shell out tons of money. You get to have the best experience you can pay for.

[ames]

*huge hugs to Mumsey b/c it won't let me green*

Is it strange to say that I almost feel like I'm missing some notch on my con-going belt because I *haven't* been to one of these? Even the one event I did attend that had such poorly organised elements it could make you cry had the two highlights of being the first time I met AT and the first time I was introduced to a sizeable chunk of the GABIT team Totally made up for the cattle prodding *ahem* queuing issues and lighting/sound issues when the Sanctuary clip aired for the first time ... although I never want to attend one of those events again. To anyone who's been to both Expo and Creation, are they similar? If so, I'm going to feel decidedly less left out on this issue

The Collectormania events in Milton Keynes are very different from anything else - you go expecting to spend money and snap a quick picture if possible, and that's what you get ... and sometimes a bit more, if you happen to be there at the same event as Chris Judge -- but I digress! *giggles at memories*

Other than those, I've been to GABIT events. I *love* GABIT events, as anyone who knows me in RL will attest to, regardless of whether they're involved in fandom to any extent or not. When I'm relating anecdotes, I get more bouncy and animated, my mood lifts, my accent often changes, and I know there's a huge grin on my face. Just reliving the good memories in my mind makes me smile, and I hope that never changes.

[Chelle DB]

Mumsey, you Gabiteers don't put on a "con", you put on a grand party and invite all your friends.

Well said.

[mthet]

And this is why I am determined to go to lots of different Cons - so I have the experience for the compare and contrast.

Collectormania - Organised BADLY
Chevron - Organised BADLY and the fact they couldn't name their 'charity' and have still failed to release a total raised makes me nervous. Also, they have a rule on their forum where you aren't allowed to mention another event by name - to me that just screams inadequacy issues Lol

Dragon Con - was what it was. Their organisation was pretty dire too. They should just put JCB in charge of EVERYTHING cus her lines moved rapidly and weren't wrapped around buildings. The first day when the D*C staff were running the lines - four different ones couldn't tell us where we should stand!

It's sort of not fair to compare them all now though. There are too many reasons for going to Gabit that aren't 'convention' related, so they have a head start Lol

[Jumble]

I can't tell you how happy it makes me to read your comments. This is a fabulous reward for what we aim for in our events. It looks like we are doing it right, and it makes me very proud to be a part of it.

Huggles

Mumsey

I've never been to any of the other cons so I can't make any comparisons, but from what I've read here and other places I count myself very lucky that my first experiences were GABIT ones. At TSE I remember asking people 'Is it always like this?' because the whole 'family' feel of it was a huge surprise to me, and was instrumental in convincing me that I HAD to go to AT5. I will admit that I had previously not considered it worth going to a con where there was 'just' one guest (*ducks* ), but Amanda and the GABIT team put in a huge amount of effort to make the whole week-end thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable - definitely 'worth' every penny and every minute spent.

So yes Mumsey, you're doing it right

[Fresh_Horse]

And this is why I am determined to go to lots of different Cons - so I have the experience for the compare and contrast.

I've been to enough cons to know that I don't care anymore about *regular* cons.
Gabit's events are the only ones I still go to.
I did go to a couple of the Londonexpo shows but I don't really see those as sci-fi cons. It's much more about anime and toys or at least it was when I attended. I love Japanese toys (Godzilla figures and such) so I was pretty much like a kid in a candy store at LE.

No matter how badly organized some of the cons were that I have been to, I don't regret going to a single one. I always found something that made it worth going.

[EH-T]

What is a dragon boat team?

A team which races against other dragon boats.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7271/dragonboat.jpg

Ooh, you've not been to a dragon boat race before? They're very cool ... we have races on the Grand (the river running through our city) every year at Riverfest ... boats are very colourful, usually with a dragon's head at the front They hold many pairs of rowers, one drummer to keep the stroke beat, and one person steering. I'll leave it to Eh-T to give the inside view (didn't know you did that - geesh woman, you are just full of hidden surprises!)


As to the Chicago trip ... IF I'm still on this shift, I can swing a weekend trip, depending on how early on the Friday things kickoff. (I finish work at 2am, and it's a 9 or so hour drive from here... sleep might possibly be a thought in there as well, at some point...)
Definite potential for doability ... and then I can see for myself whether I agree or disagree with the various comments about Creation events!

Thanks for stepping up and explaining in my absence ladies. Well done. The purpose of the dragon boat race is to raise money for cancer research. Last year our team won the womens' division but, even better, our team was among the top 5 fundraising teams (out of something like 140 teams) and we do it all without a sponsor so we pay our own way. Not sure how we will end up this year overall but we did beat all the teams we raced against in our heats (including mixed teams).

As for the Gabit/Creation discussion, I don't mean this as just a Creation bashing exercise but I will relate my experiences.

I thought about going to a con for quite a while before I took the plunge with AT3 and I am thankful that I started with Gabit. There are many reasons for my feeling that way. First, let me comment on the Cocktail Party. Yes, it is an added expense like the Dessert party is exclusive to gold ticket holders at Creation events. These events are like night and day. The cocktail party is, first of all, a great way to get to know your fellow attendees. At AT3 I didn't know anyone but had a wonderful time having dinner with a table of interesting women from all over the world. The dinners are excellent as well. AT is the added bonus. She is at your table for a reasonable period of time, enough time to actually speak with everyone there. At a Creation Dessert Party my experience is that most of the guests don't even sit down at your table because they aren't there long enough to sit! Oh, and unless you get in the dessert line early there isn't enough food for you. We joke about Julia timing things and all the trouble she has moving AT along but the bottom line is that every fan gets fair and equal access. One of the lovliest parts of the CP is the charm. It blew my mind (and still does) that Becky takes the time to find out something about each person attending and makes them a charm. Such a personal touch is...well...touching.

Let's talk about the talks. While Gabit talks are entertaining and funny, they are also serious and personal. I think part of that is that our ultimate purpose is to raise money for some very worthwhile causes. Honestly, I have been surprised at some of the honest and personal answers AT sometimes gives to questions. I think part of that is due to the fact that she also has a sense of family at these events.

There is a special vibe at Gabit events that I haven't felt at Creation cons. I think Chelle described it well--it is a feeling of family. I have made friends at Gabit events and I expect we will remain friends long after these events end (although we all hope they don't end ). Again, I think part of that difference has to do with our purpose in being there. It is not just a holiday or a chance to meet someone you admire, it really is a chance to give back through the charitable endeavours. I think the Gabit creed of helping others attracts like-minded people.

I have to get back to work and may continue this further as time allows but I think I can basically sum it up with the following:

As Sky said, Creation is a business. Creation is about money. Gabit is about love.

[penjab]

Oh he hasn't calmed down that much...in fact I would say he's calmed up. He's definitely nothing like Teal'c...and yes, leave the kids at home.

CJ was great at Shore Leave. Extremely friendly, very warm and chatty. I think he has calmed down a bit since his older days. He seems more of a family man. He talked quite a bit about spending time with his kids. He still told a lot of stories but they were relatively clean.

[MidwifeOnBoard]

Dragon Con - was what it was. Their organisation was pretty dire too. They should just put JCB in charge of EVERYTHING cus her lines moved rapidly and weren't wrapped around buildings. The first day when the D*C staff were running the lines - four different ones couldn't tell us where we should stand!

It's sort of not fair to compare them all now though. There are too many reasons for going to Gabit that aren't 'convention' related, so they have a head start Lol

I didn't have that experience with D*C either time I went. I though that for a con with 40K attendees, it was amazingly well organized. And I never had a problem with a staffer or fellow-guest pointing me in the right direction for lines or anything else I had questions about. GABIT is definitely a totally different experience. Like someone else mentioned, more like a family party than a con.

[Celandine]

I didn't have that experience with D*C either time I went. I though that for a con with 40K attendees, it was amazingly well organized. And I never had a problem with a staffer or fellow-guest pointing me in the right direction for lines or anything else I had questions about. GABIT is definitely a totally different experience. Like someone else mentioned, more like a family party than a con.

I think that's the definite difference between AT events and any con out there, past or present. Size. Before I went to my first one, everyone was telling me how much I would love it because they were smaller, more intimate. And they are. They are usually no more than 300 guests and that's probably including the staff and stewards. If another con was to trim down their attendance (like that would happen), I wonder if they would match the organization in every way that AT events are known for?

[Skydiver]

maybe, maybe not. Most cons pay their staff, so while it would be smaller, they'd still need to raise enough money to:

pay the guest(s)
pay the venue
pay the photographer
pay the staff
supplies and sundry

with that kinda overhead that's why they usually go for lots of attendees, cause professional companies are also expected to turn a profit after paying all that

[ScifigirlSG]

Speaking of the "other" company, tickets went on sale for Vancouver and Chicago with no guests announced for either event. So, many folks went ahead and bought tickets. I find it co-incidental that there have been a slew of guests just added for the LA event. I'd be pi$$ed off if the guest(s) I would want to see, at the event paid for, can't be contracted because the money collected was spent on some other event.

[llp]

Boy it's been very quiet on the Gabit thread recently....where did everyone disappear to?

[lame moose (mocha)]

i've been busy editing my 800+ photos from dragon con. and doing -stuff- like, stuff. i'm still suffering from jet lag from my trip to atlanta which is a whole hour different from my time zone. yes, it's been a week and a half, but i'm slow to recover. maybe i should increase my starbucks intake.

[Chelle DB]

Boy it's been very quiet on the Gabit thread recently....where did everyone disappear to?

I blame work...even though I'm still on light duties, I seem to be working more days than I normally do so I'm kinda tired. Only bonus is I get the weekends off but for that I have to work extra week days...can't wait to get back to normal duty!