Poll Destination Star Trek Europe Convention 2016

[Admiral Bear]

the ultimate Trek Generations movie lol
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLQyHeYBSHr/

No sign of Wil Wheaton or Siddig anywhere so far. Gates probably not there today either, and no sign of RDM even having got on a plane to the UK. His twitter has been dead for the last week. That photo shows just how poor the guest list is. I'm assuming the guy in the white shirt with the zimmer frame is the prop guy?

Judging by photos on twitter, the whole event looks like a huge empty warehouse. People already on social media complaining that the organisation is non existent, and the event's essentially a load of empty space.

 

[inflatabledalek]

It's turning into something of a big reunion for me as a few friends I don't see very often are going, so that will be nice at least.

I think Admiral Bear may actually be running a very clever reverse psychology scheme on their behalf, whatever the event is like it'll seem positively brilliant compared to how he's been painting it

 

[Admiral Bear]

I think Admiral Bear may actually be running a very clever reverse psychology scheme on their behalf, whatever the event is like it'll seem positively brilliant compared to how he's been painting it

All that reverse psychology stuff is far to convoluted for me. Here at Bear Central, I just tell it how it is. Spoke to someone on twitter who was there today. They were at the 5 Captains DSTL and found that a masterstroke compared to DSTE.

And newly in at Bear Central, this is the event floor plan. Seriously. I shit you not.

http://s227.photobucket.com/user/kittkkarr/media/CuLLGJ-XgAA0T7P_zps10kzfier.jpg.html

 

[Admiral Bear]

Event has been called " a barren offering" on the Goon Squad forum by someone who was there today. Won't be long until it gets deleted.

 

[Starkers]

Well I'm having a great time so far. Gates was lovely, just waiting for my classic bridge photo now

 

[Khan 2.0]

http://www.startrek.com/article/destination-star-trek-europe-day-1

 

[cultcross]

Had a fun day today, a few photos, got all the autographs I wanted from some very pleasant actors. Siddig and Terry Farrell were particularly energetic and talkative, and Gates was charming.
Got a few bits left for the morning but won't be there for all of Sunday.

Good things -
Guest list is full and entertaining, the talks were well hosted and interesting with the bigger names gracing some smaller free stages, busy with a good atmosphere, some good cosplay, the day seemed well organised and planned with things running efficiently and to time. The art and costumes displays were interesting and the prop guy was really knowledgeable and full of anecdotes. Good venue too, the NEC is better equipped than the Olympia and you don't feel you're queuing with 7000 other people for one hot dog stand.

Less good things -
These things get more expensive every bloody time, the latest trick is to withdraw the practice of providing a free photo for the actors to sign which I think is just tight.
Nothing about Discovery at all, not even a poster...
Photoshoots, especially with Shatner, last the amount of time for a camera click. I know they have to balance the experience of each guest with the number of people wanting to do it, but at least a brief interaction would be nice.
There could have been more stalls, dealers, etc. and more to see for free once inside to justify the entrance fee. Or, if you're going to charge for everything, have free entrance.
Security was an issue, no bag search and no check of prop weapons, something I also noticed about LFCC this year.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Free photos for signing have never been provided by Shitemasters at DST events. Everything has to be licenced and paid for. Joiner can't give away his home produced DVD screen grabs when he's got CBS monitoring him.

Got in the entry queue at 8.30am this morning. Not many people there at all for the 9am start. I was the first person in Terry Farrell's autograph queue this morning, got a VQ in the 50s for Shatner, and one in the mid 100s for Wheaton. Got all my autographs by 10.45am, including taking pity on Eddie Paskey who I don't think had had a customer in nearly 2 hours. Him and Eric whatshisface were twiddling their thumbs looking utterly bored. I then had to kill over 2 and a half hours. I'm actually surprised I didn't think "sod it " to my Terry photoshoot at 1.15pm and go home. Thank God for free wi-fi in the foyer.

Whole event was appalling. No content at all other than a very small art exhibition in an area that was so dark, I could barely see it. The audio from the free talks was unitelligible due to the awful sound system and all the ambient noise in the hall, and the free talks themselves were massively over subscribed.

Event crew actually did a decent job for the most part despite being given nothing to work with by Joiner's usual piss poor organisation. Staff didn't look look like usual Shitemasters crew. Most of them were far too competent. Must give credit to the Brian Blessed clone on photoshoot area B who was doing a sterling job.

Many people who got in to the main hall about 11am were stuffing/drinking themselves stupid at the food outlets within 10 mins when they found out that's all there was to do. Lighting in the hall is dark orange/brown making it impossible to take photos in many areas without flash. Not that there's much to take photos off.

The whole thing was like witnessing the March of the Dispossed combined with The Walking Dead.

And the stench of BO in the place by 10am was sickening. Jesus wept.

 

[Khan 2.0]

Free photos for signing have never been provided by Shitemasters at DST events. Everything has to be licenced and paid for. Joiner can't give away his home produced DVD screen grabs when he's got CBS monitoring him.

Got in the entry queue at 8.30am this morning. Not many people there at all for the 9am start. I was the first person in Terry Farrell's autograph queue this morning, got a VQ in the 50s for Shatner, and one in the mid 100s for Wheaton. Got all my autographs by 10.45am, including taking pity on Eddie Paskey who I don't think had had a customer in nearly 2 hours. Him and Eric whatshisface were twiddling their thumbs looking utterly bored. I then had to kill over 2 and a half hours. I'm actually surprised I didn't think "sod it " to my Terry photoshoot at 1.15pm and go home. Thank God for free wi-fi in the foyer.

Whole event was appalling. No content at all other than a very small art exhibition in an area that was so dark, I could barely see it. The audio from the free talks was unitelligible due to the awful sound system and all the ambient noise in the hall, and the free talks themselves were massively over subscribed.

Event crew actually did a decent job for the most part despite being given nothing to work with by Joiner's usual piss poor organisation. Staff didn't look look like usual Shitemasters crew. Most of them were far too competent. Must give credit to the Brian Blessed clone on photoshoot area B who was doing a sterling job.

Many people who got in to the main hall about 11am were stuffing/drinking themselves stupid at the food outlets within 10 mins when they found out that's all there was to do. Lighting in the hall is dark orange/brown making it impossible to take photos in many areas without flash. Not that there's much to take photos off.

The whole thing was like witnessing the March of the Dispossed combined with The Walking Dead.

And the stench of BO in the place by 10am was sickening. Jesus wept.

you make it sound so appealing lol. what about the main event (shatner)? you get photos with him on the Ent bridge or Klingon bridge?

 

[inflatabledalek]

Hang on a second Admiral, you've spent this entire thread bemoaning this event, decrying the organisers, pretty much saying only mugs would go and just stopping short of accusing everyone involved of injecting kittens with AIDS...

And you still went? That's seems pretty odd if you knew with such strength that you'd really hate it.

Myself, I'm glad it was on my doorstep, I had a fun day with friends and met some cool actors. Nicole de Boar was especially unexpectedly cool.

Had fun on the D bridge as well.

But if I'd come further or paid more it would have felt like a let down, and if I'd bought a weekend ticket it would feel like a rip off. There was not anything like enough to do to fill a entire day unless you really threw yourself into queuing (a desire not to do stopped me getting a couple of extra autographs). Needed more stalls and displays.

Shame it wasn't a bigger thing, but for what I went in for it was fine.

Some pics:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154224976794219.1073741865.611524218&type=1&l=2db69b1380

 

[Admiral Bear]

Hang on a second Admiral, you've spent this entire thread bemoaning this event, decrying the organisers, pretty much saying only mugs would go and just stopping short of accusing everyone involved of injecting kittens with AIDS...

And you still went? That's seems pretty odd if you knew with such strength that you'd really hate it.

Myself, I'm glad it was on my doorstep, I had a fun day with friends and met some cool actors. Nicole de Boar was especially unexpectedly cool.

Had fun on the D bridge as well.

But if I'd come further or paid more it would have felt like a let down, and if I'd bought a weekend ticket it would feel like a rip off. There was not anything like enough to do to fill a entire day unless you really threw yourself into queuing (a desire not to do stopped me getting a couple of extra autographs). Needed more stalls and displays.

Shame it wasn't a bigger thing, but for what I went in for it was fine.

Some pics:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154224976794219.1073741865.611524218&type=1&l=2db69b1380

I went for Farell and Wheaton. Never met either of them, and the Wheton opportunity will likely never present itself again. The event is/was supposed to be a convention, not just Kleptomania in the MK centre with either paid talks, or unintelligible free ones which is exactly was this event was. I knew I'd hate it because I knew it would be crap and not what was promised. Met a long term Trek con attendee I see occasionally and who goes to Vegas nearly every year. Has met just about every actor who's ever been in the franchise. He said DSTE was "shit". Quote unquote.

I treated the whole thing as an autograph gathering process and got out as quickly as possible. At 2pm, there were plenty of people in Trek uniforms on the buses back to the car parks.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

I went today, and the guests were great, but the organisation was a complete shambles, and there was virtually no content at all. Really poor information, almost impossible to actually find out what was where , what was going on, and how to get a ticket to anything - not a single price on display, one small stand for tickets, horrendous queuing, and people just shouting unintelligibly. Nothing started on time, so everything was truncated. The sound setup was terrible, and during the "two daxes" talk, they didn't even give Nicole DeBoer a microphone for the first part. Not that it helped, as the sound was so poor, we couldn't hear anything, and they couldn't properly hear the questions.

The best bit was the enterprise panel hosted by Garrett Wang, by which time the sound was *slightly* better - Dominic Keating is hilarious. Had it not been for enjoying this session, I would have felt totally disappointed, instead of just let down.

There was just nowhere near enough content to warrant a show, let alone promoting a "big event". Several of the advertised things on the website just aren't there.

Aside from that, the facilities were really poor, and it took almost an hour to get a coffee and a sandwich for lunch. And don't get me started on the bathrooms.

 

[Admiral Bear]

There was just nowhere near enough content to warrant a show, let alone promoting a "big event". Several of the advertised things on the website just aren't there.

Aside from that, the facilities were really poor, and it took almost an hour to get a coffee and a sandwich for lunch. And don't get me started on the bathrooms.

There was supposed to be some sort of PC gaming area that didn't exist. And as for the mens toilets. I was nearly ill. Some of the stalls had blood on the floor, and the whole place stank like 100 people with Gagh poisoning had just been in and done the deed.

Mass of complaints now building up on Facebook. Looks like the Sat night party was shite as well.

 

[Khan 2.0]

reading some of the FB comments - dosnt sound too great at all

 

[Admiral Bear]

FB post from someone who went to Shatner's World. Said there was no tiered seating, and that they couldn't hear the show because the sound system was so poor. Having seen the Shatner's World stage today, if you were more than 15 rows back, you wern't gonna see or hear shit. If you were at the back, you'd need binoculars.

It also seems that Shatner walked out of his second Saturday photoshoot half way through.

 

[Astra]

FB post from someone who went to Shatner's World. Said there was no tiered seating, and that they couldn't hear the show because the sound system was so poor. Having seen the Shatner's World stage today, if you were more than 15 rows back, you wern't gonna see or hear shit. If you were at the back, you'd need binoculars.

It's so sad that this is basically our only shot at this in Europe Which is why I was at first so eager to go and if it had been only for this and nothing else.
I hope it will come to DVD at least.

 

[Admiral Bear]

It's so sad that this is basically our only shot at this in Europe Which is why I was at first so eager to go and if it had been only for this and nothing else.
I hope it will come to DVD at least.

Fedcon could've put on a far better event with the help of CBS. Sadly it seems that CBS, Media 10, and Shitmasters are living in a world of brown envelopes. It's the only reason why Joiner was allowed to continue running this event by using Media 10 as a proxy when CBS would've been well aware that he was planning on running a convention with no content, especially since CBS seem to have been issuing orders about the event.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Sundy lunchtime, and the negativity and complaints just keep on coming.

 

[Starkers]

Had a fun day today, a few photos, got all the autographs I wanted from some very pleasant actors. Siddig and Terry Farrell were particularly energetic and talkative, and Gates was charming.
Got a few bits left for the morning but won't be there for all of Sunday.

Good things -
Guest list is full and entertaining, the talks were well hosted and interesting with the bigger names gracing some smaller free stages, busy with a good atmosphere, some good cosplay, the day seemed well organised and planned with things running efficiently and to time. The art and costumes displays were interesting and the prop guy was really knowledgeable and full of anecdotes. Good venue too, the NEC is better equipped than the Olympia and you don't feel you're queuing with 7000 other people for one hot dog stand.

Less good things -
These things get more expensive every bloody time, the latest trick is to withdraw the practice of providing a free photo for the actors to sign which I think is just tight.
Nothing about Discovery at all, not even a poster...
Photoshoots, especially with Shatner, last the amount of time for a camera click. I know they have to balance the experience of each guest with the number of people wanting to do it, but at least a brief interaction would be nice.
There could have been more stalls, dealers, etc. and more to see for free once inside to justify the entrance fee. Or, if you're going to charge for everything, have free entrance.
Security was an issue, no bag search and no check of prop weapons, something I also noticed about LFCC this year.

I think that's a fair assessment. I only went Saturday. I half expected a bag/gun check as they had been doing that when we went into LFCC?

Wasn't too fussed about the talks and not sure we'd have had the time anyway. Got there about 8.45, didn't seem too long a wait to get in. Huge queue for the photo desk when we got in but friend I was with just went online, booked a ticket for the Grunberg photoshoot and went straight in.

Their organisation is pretty poor at times, it's amazing some of the shoots work all right, possibly much of this is down to most people being honest about batch numbers. I don't know why they don't have batch number signs, would be a cheap solution. Queuing for Alexander Siddig was a nightmare given he hadn't been there Friday so they had to do the Friday batches first! I was not happy (abd not alone) but worth it.

Gates was lovely but Sid was amazing, so friendly shook every persons hand and exchanged a few words before the photo was taken. One of the highlights of the day. Shatner was much quicker/more impersonal but I knew it would be going in. Only got one autograph which was Martha Hackett and had a nice chat with her and got a selfie (or as she called it an ussie) that was another highlight.

My classic bridge shoot was fun and the CBS action transporter shoot provided a great pic if me and two friends, took a hell of a time waiting for it though

Liked the props and the art display. Agree there needed to be more vendors, that really surprised me.

NEC was easy to get to, plenty of toilets and food outlets, yes they were busy but that's down to the NEC rather than the organisers surely.

Yeah it was expensive and it is a bit of a money milking exercise but much like the cave on Dagobah I thing you get out what you take in. We went to have a fun day and had a fun day

 

[FrankT]

Oh yes, I was there! I got autographs on my TOS box set from Bill, George and Walter! Best time I've had in a while!