RBW Alternative Plans

[slycat]

As I had decided that my bank account really can't stretch to pay for RBW (or any other furry cons for a while), this left my options open to the alternatives of the weekend RBW is happening, the Halloween weekend. Obviously there's timduru's Disneyland Paris thingy but that would probably cost even more than going to RBW. However what's also happening that weekend is the Eurogamer Expo which is a smallish exhibition for upcoming games and stuff. I've not been to something like that since ECTS was still going and was held at the London EXCEL. I doubt that the Eurogamer thing will be anything like that size but will make for part of a fun day out in London.

Then looking further into the Eurogamer Expo, initially to see if Video Games Live would be on at the same time, I found the Expo is part of the London Games Festival week. While there's no announcement for Video Games Live, I did find that another event in the festival is the London MCM Expo, something which doesn't just cater for games but also comic, anime and movies. Effectively an event (big enough to fill the EXCEL) like the San Diego Comic Con but obviously on a far smaller scale. I know a number of people on my friends list may have been to this event before but I've never been to something like that, could well be worth checking out either in addition to or as an alternative to the Eurogamer thing.

At the moment, I'm leaning towards just checking out the Eurogamer Expo but part of me is rather curious about the MCM Expo. Obviously the San Diego Comic Con happened very recently and I remember wanting to have had the opportunity to check it out but I doubt the London event's anything like the San Diego one. Comic Con is used for launching major films and stuff which is more what I'd be interested in than the comic/anime side of the thing but I dunno if the MCM Expo does that.

Anyway, just thinking things through for the moment. Potentially the MCM Expo would mean there's no need to do the Eurogamer Expo as stuff which is due to be at the latter could also be at the former. I should go to bed now though, I'm supposed to wake up for work in 5 hours.

Comments

[baby-carlie.livejournal.com]

If you decide to go to Comic Con this year, let me know. There's a part of me that's going 'Maybe I could...' Its dependant on whether I go to AC10 (And that's dependant on if Stormdragon Blue goes) But if you do, and I can, we should try to hook up :)

[slycat.livejournal.com]

As much as I'd like to, it'a unlikely I will. It's a long way to go to spend a lot of time in queues. Could be fun tho but I'd want to make it a full holiday. Shame there aren't any furcons I could do on the same trip.

[moshiicake.livejournal.com]

MCM Expo is AWFUL. Do not give them your money. Only go if you hppen to have a free ticket.

[slycat.livejournal.com]

What's so bad about it?

[moshiicake.livejournal.com]

Many, many things:


1) Queues well over 2 miles long to get in, even if you purchase their "fast track" ticket. I waited for about 2 hours to enter last time.
2) Essentially it's a giant dealers room, with more screaming children and cosplayers stopping in the middle of the floor for photography, even where inappropriate/ inconvenient. Most of the items for sale are available online for far cheaper. Expo dealers push their price up because the clientelle don't realise their products are easily available elsewhere.
3) "Panels" (AKA promotions for whoever's paying Wolf events the most money) are heavily ticketed. Don't expect to get in. They're not too interesting once in.
4) The only event there is the masquerade, which is boring enough if you don't like cosplay, but even more so if you DO, since it's just KH fangirls doing yaoi skits and people with fucky costumes doing the hare hare yukai.
5) The sci fi part has been mostly sidelined. You are better served by the london film abd comic con.
6) They let kids go in for free. You will not walk a metre without a pushchair running you over.
7) The paid staff are rude towards attendees.
8) The company treats their gophers/voluntary workers abysmally, and has sacked some of its hardest working members for attended conventions elsewhere in the UK.
9) The company goes out of its way to crush any other convention possible. They have told dealers that if they attend the london film and comic con they will not be allowed to attend expo. They purposefully book Expo dates over the same weekends as conventions elsewhere in the UK (as evidenced this year when they suddenly pulled their expo a week back to be on the same weekend as Fuyucon).
10) The company refuse to listen to criticism. For example, they banned me from their forum when I noted that I tripped on their stage because of some dodgy steps they'd put up without safety tape covering wires, etc. People making any complaints are ignored. When I volunteered for them, I said that I'd seen carpet that was loose and some trailing wires and they completely ignored it. Rubbish people skills tbh.


All in all, they are a really nasty company, and it's not worth going to anyway due to the money involved (invariably you'll stay at the local hotels, which are expensive, because of the awful bloody queues meaning you need to get there early and the inevitable train engineering works) and the time you give to them to do very little.
10) The company refus

[slycat.livejournal.com]

Ah, I knew you had gone before so was hoping you would comment. I didn't expect to see such a negative response tho, that really quite sucks. I think what I'd be interested in may be better catered for by the London Movie and Comic Con so maybe I'll hold off until that happens next year. In the meantime, you've helped me with my decision on this so I'll just check out the Eurogamer Expo :)

[moshiicake.livejournal.com]

No worries. I think Eurogamer is going to be pretty good tbh. I was going, except I can't get the time off work! grr. which is ironic considering what we do here.

I'm hoping to go to one of the Comic Cons in the US next year - let's do a group together :D

[slycat.livejournal.com]

Like I said earlier, as much as I'd love to do a US Comic Con, I'd need to tie it in with other stuff, cos as cool as Comic Con would be, I'm not seeing friends and places and stuff.

Also from watching the reports from this year's SD Comic Con, if you thought the queues were bad at the London Expo, they're longer at Comic Con... I'm sure it's worth the wait tho, and queueing is what us British do best after all ;)