Gatecon VS Official Stargate Convention

[ShadowMaat]

Let me explain something to you guys. So you can understand something much clearer. Instead of reacting when you are totally IGNORANT. (No offense)

Offense taken. And frankly I'm beginning to wonder if you work for Creation, you're so adamantly PRO about them.

Anyway, $360 is close enough to $400 for me to not care about the difference and your attitude is frankly doing more harm than good as I am getting increasingly LESS likely to consider Cretin Cons based solely on your intolerance of anything said against them. At least I'm willing to admit that Gatecon and other fan cons screw up.

But I digress. Gaters meeting in Sin City. What a scary concept. The city would never be the same...

[Webbgirl]

Have to pipe in here. I've been to 3 Creation cons this year. (Within the past 6 months in fact *sigh*) While none of them were the horror story I was expecting after hearing some folks talk about Creation, they were definitely far from perfect.

Pasadena - Nice but oooohh so crowded. No real issues with the Con itself for that one.

Burbank - They never delivered my ticket and my name wasn't on the list when I arrived and I spent a good 20 minutes going back and forth between the guy from my bank on the phone and the one and only person who seemed able to handle ticket issues. The chairs they sat us in for the photos with the actors were a joke. I'm a good foot away from Carmen A. in my pic with him. On the up-side, got to meet and spend time with the actors at the Dessert and Brunch. (Also got a kiss from Michael Shanks during the panel, but that was in no way Creation's doing.)

Sacramento - Overall a good experience, but they oversold the brunch (something about selling both a breakfast and brunch) and the actors were sent back to their rooms so they showed up late. Still ended up leaning against Michael Shanks arms so, not complaining too much.

The other downside on Sac was that they scheduled Michael Shanks and Don S Davis at both the Chicago and Sacramento cons the same weekend. I heard from a few Chicago goers who got short-changed at the Cocktail party because of bad organization and flight times.

Then again, I had a friend come home from Gatecon in tears because there were twice as many photo tickets sold as they could handle.

[Gategirl]

Well, for $80 we lucked up big time then. We got personal photos with MS, DD, & TM before they went into the cocktail party. And I could have spoken to them if I would have thought of anything intelliglble to say. LOL

But I was referring to the paid photo ops. And if those were included in the Gold, then something has changed very recently and not posted on Creation's website. I know there were 8 rows of Gold, 30 seats a row, so 240 in all. That seems like a lot of folks to squeeze in photos and conversation in one hour. Not that I'm dissing the extras that you get with Gold, I just think that it wasn' set up right. You guys did pay alot of money and it seems to me that with 2 conventions sceduled that same weekend, you may have not gotten the full benefits of Gold. I think for that kind of money ALL the actors should attend these special functions. Fri. night and Sat. morning.

But...isn't Stargate conventions NEW to Creation? They had their problems but I would in no way call is a disaster. Just some kinks.

Another thought...just how organzied can anything really be with these actors, whom we all LOVE and want to touch and talk to. I'm still neutral in this 'which is better' discussion. I'd go back to a Creation event but I want to go to Gatecon, too! I enjoy my fellow fans alot.

Vegas? OOOOOOO

Editing to say...I don't think anyone is trying to be offensive here. I don't think it's crazy to pay almost $400 to see your favorite actors if you've got that kind of money to spend. We did NOT. Would have been $740 for me and my hubby plus $500 in hotel/food/exp. Not to mention souveniers! If we coulda we woulda! LOL And I don't think it should be which is BETTER, but how are they DIFFERENT. And what your personal preferrence is.

[ShadowMaat]

I think that trying to say that one or the other is "better" is plain stupid- it's a matter of personal preference. Each operation has its own strengths AND failures and it depends a lot on your interests and personality (and budget) as to which is better suited to you as an individual (generally speaking). Me, I like fan-run stuff. Other people prefer the more... professional approach. No one is WRONG for liking one over the other and it would be incredibly rude for anyone to try and say so.

Maybe there should be a Vegas gathering anyway. There will probably be those who still won't make it to Gatecon and there could be some who'd like to do both.

[Skydiver]

Then again, I had a friend come home from Gatecon in tears because there were twice as many photo tickets sold as they could handle.

Just to clarify. Photo tickets aren't sole per se. Super pass members have first dibs on buying however many photos they want at a specific price per actor. This last year, it was AT, CJ and MS for 25, the rest for 15.

Some chose individual shots, others group shots, some didn't get pictures at all.

gatecon was sold out for the first time ever, pictures took forever. I was in the second hundred and still waited almost 3 hours to get my pictures. (I bought one amanda/chris/corin and one amanda/teryl)

Others behindme waited even longer and those at the end were given a choice of one huge group pic with everyone (all 15 or so actors that were there) or nothing. It ws something done because it took them 8-10 hours for pictures (not quite sure when it all ended, but i know it was LATE)

I do know that getting the group pic was disappointing to some, and maybe i woulda felt that way too. Then again, as much as i like my smaller pics, i woudla loved pics with all the actors, but did NOT have that kind of money to spend on a photo. (and i've been trying for a pic with amanda for four years....finally got it )

No promises, and i don't work for gatecon in any way, but, presuming there is a GC 2005, i'm sure something will be done or discussed to get the photos moving faster.

I guess my main point is, there weren't any photo tickets sold, but individual photos. It's a bit of a difference to sell one person 2 photos with one actor than it is to sell one person 15 individual shots with every actor in the room.

this was the first time they ever had this many attendees and as such, it was definitely a learning experience for all involved. There was also a huge number of 'virgins'...folks going to thier first gatecon.

[Skydiver]

I think that trying to say that one or the other is "better" is plain stupid- it's a matter of personal preference. Each operation has its own strengths AND failures and it depends a lot on your interests and personality (and budget) as to which is better suited to you as an individual (generally speaking). Me, I like fan-run stuff. Other people prefer the more... professional approach. No one is WRONG for liking one over the other and it would be incredibly rude for anyone to try and say so.

Exactly. which is why i hope fan run cons never go away. Different levels of organization and different attitudes create different experiences for all involved. Some prefer the atmosphere of a creation con, some don't

It doesn't have to be 'right' for anyone but the person involved.

[Gategirl]

I would be VERY happy to take a group photo with all the actors! That is a very good idea that should definately be considered by the organizers of all the conventions. Not sure how they would price that though. I'd pay more for it than for a single actor photo but I wouldn't want to pay full price like I were getting several pics.

HEY...there's an idea!!! Let's come up with suggestions on how to improve/extend/speed up/make more enjoyable conventions!!!!! Think that thread would fly??

[Shivan]

I think some of you guys are reading between the lines when you don't have to. Read my recent posts, I never said which one was better or worse. I even told you guys outright that I haven't even been to a Gatecon. So why would I try to argue which was better? The only thing I argued on was the price which someone was mistaken on. You do get your $360.00 worth. And that is all I was trying to say.

I also never said that the con I went to was perfect, but it didn't have any hiccups at all.

A lot of you guys are coming on here saying how horrible a creation con is, which is alirght. All I'm trying ot say is that this creation con was good. We got our tickets in advance, and everything else went by schedule and smoothly. The only thing I can complain about is Happy Hour, because the ACTORS were backed up signing stuff. But they still came at the end, even though they only had like 20 minutes, they still came and allowed people to take pictures.

I think Gategirl is right when she says we should just share experiences of both cons discussing the likes and dislikes.

[Replicarter]

, I wouldn’t know, I cannot afforded to go to any convention, even though id do anything to get there like sell an arm and a leg, as long as i could give it afterwards, I don’t really want to go to one looking like that.

[Skydiver]

I think suggestions is a good idea. I know that I sent gatecon some observations/suggestions after last year. I was a volunteer and worked the auditorium all 3 days and i had some things that i thought of. I sent them in and they'll either read them or ignore them.

I do think that suggestions are more productive than just complaining. Complaing doesn't solve anything. It makes a person feel better in the short term, but that's all.

So, those that have been to cons, what were problems and what are your suggestions?

Please bear in mind that, we're just doing this. There's no guarantee that anyone from gatecon or creation or any other con will ever read it

[prion]

I think suggestions is a good idea. I know that I sent gatecon some observations/suggestions after last year. I was a volunteer and worked the auditorium all 3 days and i had some things that i thought of. I sent them in and they'll either read them or ignore them.

I do think that suggestions are more productive than just complaining. Complaing doesn't solve anything. It makes a person feel better in the short term, but that's all.

So, those that have been to cons, what were problems and what are your suggestions?

Please bear in mind that, we're just doing this. There's no guarantee that anyone from gatecon or creation or any other con will ever read it

There's nothing wrong with pointing out what you enjoyed about a con - or hated about it - in a public forum. Sometimes it's the only way to get action from a concon IS to talk about it publicly, as some concoms might ignore any negative comments they receive (yes, some do).

What both Gatecon and Creation need are simple easy to read FAQS that are linked to the front page - an idiot's guide to their convention. Stuff like - where is the con located, hours, dates, photography allowed? video allowed? what do you wear to 'formal' functions, etc.

I also love reading detailed postings on cons after the fact. I know Creation won't bother, but gatecon should have a links section where fans can add links to photos taken at hte con, live journals, etc.

[GateGipsy]

I would be VERY happy to take a group photo with all the actors! That is a very good idea that should definately be considered by the organizers of all the conventions. Not sure how they would price that though. I'd pay more for it than for a single actor photo but I wouldn't want to pay full price like I were getting several pics.

HEY...there's an idea!!! Let's come up with suggestions on how to improve/extend/speed up/make more enjoyable conventions!!!!! Think that thread would fly??

Wolf Cons in the UK do allow group photos. However, you still have to pay the same amount per guest as you would with individual photos. That is, if guests are charging £25 for a photo, and you get a photo taken with four guests, then you will have to pay £100 for the picture. The reason for this is that the photos are where the guests get their money for going to a con. It might be different for other cons where the guests are paid in a different way.

[Skydiver]

Wolf Cons in the UK do allow group photos. However, you still have to pay the same amount per guest as you would with individual photos. That is, if guests are charging £25 for a photo, and you get a photo taken with four guests, then you will have to pay £100 for the picture. The reason for this is that the photos are where the guests get their money for going to a con. It might be different for other cons where the guests are paid in a different way.

that's how gatecon does it as well. I paid per actor, no matter how many photos i got.

teryl and amanda cost me 40 together, chris, amanda and corin cost me 65 (25+25+15)

Personally? I like group shots. How many photos can one person hang on the wall????

And i think they tend to go faster too.

One thing i think gatecon needs to consider is limiting the number of photos. If someone wants 10 actors in a photo, cool, but they get 2 photos total, with as many actors in it that they are willign to pay for.

One person taht i know of got a pic with every single actor. Good for her. I'm glad that she got it. but i know that it took her over an hour in the room to get the pictures.

Maybe if she'd have gotten two group shots, it would have taken her a lot less time than that, thus making room for othres to come in

As to the FAQ, there are guidelines on gatecon's site. THere is a mailing list for announcements, and the gategoers group. But while you can put info out there, you can't make folks read it

[Rowan Green]

Saw this in the 'similar threads' and thought it made interesting reading...

[Dana_Jeanne]

But I was referring to the paid photo ops. And if those were included in the Gold, then something has changed very recently and not posted on Creation's website.

The Gold ticket price for Creation Cons does NOT include photos with the stars. What it does include is a cocktail party and sometimes a breakfast, seats in the first how-ever-many rows it takes, free autographs from the main guests and being first in line for the autographs which are called row-by-row. If you want a photo, you buy one for $30-$50 depending on who it is, and stand in line with everyone else.

Fans are told NOT to try and start a conversation with the actor during either the photo session or the autograph session, and the actor is NOT allowed to personalise anything. For the photos, you walk in, sit down, smile and the photographer yells NEXT.

Dana Jeanne