Star Trek London - All 5 captains to be there!

[Rarewolf]

If all Shamasters are doing with Trek London is getting the guests, that should be enough of a worry in itself. Given that he twice *tried* to run Warp 10, eventually giving the excuse of not being able to get guests as the reason for cancelling the event, if we are to believe that he had the financial resources and best intention to run the event in the first place, his ability to attract anyone of worth from the Trek universe has been severely destroyed by his own excuses. Yet we are meant to believe that he's aquired the services of all 5 series Trek Captains for 3 days straight.

Heavens, I hate it that I'm defending him here, but...

He'd not admit it, but without a stellar lineup, the first time they were failing to sell many tickets. No tickets, no money to get big guests. The second time he planned to have it the same weekend as a major US event, so was struggling to get top rate guests.

With a major promotional company behind him, of course he has the contacts to book 4 Star Trek captains and Scott Bakula. They've all done events for him before.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Heavens, I hate it that I'm defending him here, but...

He'd not admit it, but without a stellar lineup, the first time they were failing to sell many tickets. No tickets, no money to get big guests.

This is what I have a big problem with. His whole weekend convention scam is built around announcing events and only running them if he sells enough tickets. He's been running this business model for years. It's unprofessional and unethical. If you advertise an event, you run it. Period. End of. Creation have been running every single event they advertise for 30 years. If they don't sell enough tickets to make an event or an event in a certain location viable, they don't run it again. This is exactly why they stopped running a yearly Trek event in London. Joiner didn't help himself one jot by going on his forum two weeks after first announcing Warp 10 and slagging off the world and his dog for not buying tickets.

Even in its current death throes, the SF Ball is still getting about 250 people turn up. Joiner's problem is that most UK Star Trek convention attendees are well past the age of 30 and have enough between their ears to not have anything to do with him, unlike most of the Shamasters fan base who are about 16-25 and don't care about being ripped off as long as they think they're having a good time. Not difficult since most of them seem to be very easily pleased. But then if you hang around with Joiner, you're not allowed to be anything else. You'll also probably get fleas.

The second time he planned to have it the same weekend as a major US event, so was struggling to get top rate guests.

Something which he was repeatedly told about from the start and yet refused to move the date so that he stood a chance of getting a couple of quality guests.

 

[Rarewolf]

[Joiner didn't help himself one jot by going on his forum two weeks after first announcing Warp 10 and slagging off the world and his dog for not buying tickets.

I thought it was closer to two days (after it went online) way too soon for panic stations, but yes that 'surely there must be more Trekies than this' was a classic.

 

[Admiral Bear]

I thought it was closer to two days

It probably was! Memory isn't what it used to be, and AB's not getting any younger.

 

[AxelFoley]

While I agree that the forum is run pretty strictly, not liking negative comments etc, I have mostly good things to say about Showmasters events. I've been to three of them so far (Collectormania 15, LFCC 2010 & LFCC 2011) and am going on my fourth (Collectormania) in two weeks to meet Nichelle Nichols. So far I've managed to meet Nimoy, Shatner & Koenig and I'll be forever grateful for making them available to us in Europe.

I'm 99% sure of going to Destination Star Trek London, mostly for the experience so far, but if George Takei is scheduled it will be mainly for him as I have then met the remaining five main cast members of TOS.

 

[Admiral Bear]

While I agree that the forum is run pretty strictly, not liking negative comments etc, I have mostly good things to say about Showmasters events. I've been to three of them so far (Collectormania 15, LFCC 2010 & LFCC 2011) and am going on my fourth (Collectormania) in two weeks to meet Nichelle Nichols. So far I've managed to meet Nimoy, Shatner & Koenig and I'll be forever grateful for making them available to us in Europe.

Germany's Fedcon have been making these people available in Europe for years. You'd be better off going there once a year.

The problem with the Shamasters forum isn't that it's run strictly as such, it's the fact that it's run by moderators who let their friends say what they like while bullying and threatening people they don't like, and deleting pefectly non offensive posts made by those people.

Most of the mods make sarcastic, crass, and usually pointless responses to many questions. They're only there to try and stop the public fron finding out the truth, which is why so much stuff gets deleted. Two mods in particular have been going after people for years with their own personal vendettas.

Did you notice Tim Russ was recently cancelled for LFCC? Newsflash! He was already booked for an event in the US long before Joiner announced him. Joiner was well aware of this. He said he didn't care because he had a "signed contract".

Welcome to Shamasters.

 

[AxelFoley]

I know of Fednon, but flight and hotel expenses are much lower when I've gone to England, plus the costs at Fedcon are pretty high, if I remember correctly. Also, I guess I'm just more comfortable going to England since you can ask anyone anything and they'll understand you. No such luck when I was in Germany some years ago. Most important though, my friend who has gone with me all of these times is not a Trekkie, so it's been a natural choice to choose Showmasters.

Out of curioisty, which moderators make these sarcastic, crass and pointless responses? Most responses to questions I see are helpful and respectful to the one asking them.

 

[Rarewolf]

Interesting they have had a complete U-turn about digital copies of the photoshoots now, after GSITG showed it can be done. So the Masters can learn from newbies after all.

Mind you they are charging for it, it was free at that event.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Interesting they have had a complete U-turn about digital copies of the photoshoots now, after GSITG showed it can be done. So the Masters can learn from newbies after all.

Mind you they are charging for it, it was free at that event.

Shamasters has been copying its competition for years. Joiner's always 6-12 months behind what's popular and what everyone else is doing at events. He waits for everyone else to take the risk of trying new things. If those things work, then he does them.

If I wanted to pay for photoshoots at a Shamasters event, I'd give the photographer my own camera and go to my local photography shop and get a 10x8 done instead of waiting for the 5pm scrum. I certainly wouldn't pay over the odds for these instantly printed photos. From what I've seen, the quality is terrible, and the paper doesn't hold Sharpie ink if you get them signed. Given the complete balls up that was GSITG, with its fraudulent advertising, zero admittance queue planning, and little content once you got in, I think the instant photo printers were the only thing Joiner learnt anything about. Although had he not allegedly been kicked out by security, who knows what else he might have found out.

 

[Rarewolf]

Given the complete balls up that was GSITG, with its fraudulent advertising, zero admittance queue planning, and little content once you got in

No real complaints from anyone I know, or those on the Who forums.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Given the complete balls up that was GSITG, with its fraudulent advertising, zero admittance queue planning, and little content once you got in

No real complaints from anyone I know, or those on the Who forums.

You didn't see the vitriol that was being posted on Twitter early on the Saturday morning then? Best advertising in the world. .not! Unsurprisingly (or surprisingly since you're not supposed to be able to do it) all the posts have vanished.

Anyway, back on track. Apparantly some sort of guest announcement tomorrow. Perhaps Media 10 are introducing the right hand to the left hand. Might be a good idea as it's all starting to kick off a bit on the Shamasters forum with the announcement that if you've already bought one of the stupidly priced non day specific "all in" tickets, you'll be told which day you'll be allowed in to the Captains talk, and hard fcuking luck if it's on a day you're not there.

 

[Rarewolf]

You didn't see the vitriol that was being posted on Twitter early on the Saturday morning then? Best advertising in the world. .not! Unsurprisingly (or surprisingly since you're not supposed to be able to do it) all the posts have vanished.

No I'm not on Twitter. Besides I was at a Doctor Who covention that weekend, with rather limited access to the outside world!

That was the only thing a lot of us were unhappy about beforehand - that there was a clash!.

Of course if you are saying people like GSITG are wasting their time, and shouldn't be supported either, you don't give a lot of other options for people to support and meet stars at.

A case of better the devil you know for Jason?
I just tend to think of him as a necessary evil. I have no choice if I want to meet certain actors.

 

[Admiral Bear]

Of course if you are saying people like GSITG are wasting their time, and shouldn't be supported either, you don't give a lot of other options for people to support and meet stars at.

I haven't said Treble Ace are wasting their time. . yet. But they certainly will be if they continue with the deceitful and illegal business practices, the less than honest advertising of the talk admittance policy and many other parts of the event, the shambles that was the entry system, and a lack of anything to do once inside. If you want to do well, it's not hard to tell the truth.

I'm also seeing reports surfacing that nearly 2 weeks on, people are still waiting for refunds for missed photoshoots, and that emails are going unanswered, plus refund requests for the Voyager cast shoot dating back to just after Kate Mulgrew cancelled (2 1/2 months ago?) are still unanswered. And it looks like Mark Ambler, who was exceptionally talkative before the event, has now got nothing to say for himself in response to people's complaints, and has gone dark.

I think the damage has been done to GSITG. Assuming this event made a huge loss (assumption based on the withdrawal of the 4 for 3 offer on the Sunday despite the place being relatively empty), it probably won't be around much longer, and TBH it doesn't derserve to be when it's run by the type of people who think nothing of pulling a fast one.

A case of better the devil you know for Jason?
I just tend to think of him as a necessary evil. I have no choice if I want to meet certain actors.

Quite true. The saving grace about Joiner is that he's usually entirely predictable. Did you seen his latest hysterical meltdown? Sadly it's all been cleaned up. I think there might be a cut and paste somewhere.

Ah, here we are. Subspace communique coming in to the Admiral's office right now. . .Apologies for the appalling English, it's all Joiner speak.

if a doctor or two has to drop op then we will not refun the total ticket price we will deduct the cost of the doctore that is not attending the shoot , if more that two doctors do not attend then the shoot will be canceled and a full refund will take place .

one or two of you seem to have a bee in your bonit about this matter and as such we will just tighten our small print as it seems the odd person on here feels the need to create some drama over nothing , its funny how we get asked by one or to people over and over again to put gurop shoots on and then we get all this over it .

well i do not feel i just cant be bothered to try again if this is the drama that come of this , i could just do with out this realy .

so for the one of two of you thats going to go off on one again you have 24 hours to cancel your order for the 5 doctors shoot if you do not like the rules that you have now been informed of .

after 24 hours the tickets are sold under this agreement and if a doctor or two drop out you will just get there cost of a photo op refunded of the total price anf if more than 2 drop out then the shoot will just be canceled and you will then receve a full refund .

sorry to all the fans out there that are happy we are tryoing to put this rare chance photo op together we lookforward to seeing you enjoy this on the day

jason

 

[Admiral Bear]

Latest announcement:

Bob O'Reilly, JG, and Barbara March in full costume.

Sorry, but

Can't you just tell Shamasters are getting all the guests for this event. Given the crazy ticket prices, there's no value for money here so far.

 

[nacelle]

I guess he must have seen the posts here cause both LFCC and DSTL have now appeared on the olympia and excel sites!

 

[Cakemonster]

I agree with jasons policy however I do not feel that it was a meltdown as you have described. The amount of times people asked for said photoshoot, and now that he has given them the opportunity, they are asking about refunds, in the highly unlikely situation that a guest would pull out. I don't think that any other company would talk about refunds in a group shot prior to a guest pulling out. And atleast Jason is open enough to questions to have a forum where you get a reply. The replies may come a little slower than usual at the moment but he has two of the biggest conventions in the UK to deal with across the next two months. So he will be busy.
I know I would be a little more than annoyed if I had to put up with half the flack he has.

 

[Cakemonster]

I guess he must have seen the posts here cause both LFCC and DSTL have now appeared on the olympia and excel sites!

They have to do the adverts for the websites, and because its an official event I'm sure that even the images on the adverts, and then the adverts themselves have to be a-ok'd, which I'm sure could take a while since they go through two other groups of people

 

[Cakemonster]

Latest announcement:

Bob O'Reilly, JG, and Barbara March in full costume.

Sorry, but

Can't you just tell Shamasters are getting all the guests for this event. Given the crazy ticket prices, there's no value for money here so far.

It's Gwynyth Walsh not Barbara March, as you posted earlier in the year, Barbara March isn't doing any events this year...

 

[Admiral Bear]

I guess he must have seen the posts here cause both LFCC and DSTL have now appeared on the olympia and excel sites!

It's amazing what a few sharp jabs in places the Shamasters propaganda machine has no control over can achieve.

After reading the DSTL twitter feed last night, I became so depressed at Media 10's revelations they went to Fedcon to "get ideas" for their event, I was really starting to lose interest. I hope the quality of the guests announcements improve. Bob and JG are a good laugh, but they're a bit "will be signing all day in the dealers room" quality when you're trying to sell £900 tickets. If Media 10 just want to run Fedcon in the UK, then they're in serious trouble given the prices.

 

[Rarewolf]

I agree with jasons policy however I do not feel that it was a meltdown as you have described.

Trouble is he wasn't having a go at the usual troublemakers, he was having a go at some of his biggest supporters, who'd already paid £75.

I didn't get involved, it was too tempting.

But it was certainly an error in PR, hence him editing it, and not even mentioning it's been edited I note.

I'm curious to know where people would stand legally though. Giving people 24 hours of then to change their minds, I assume he emailed everyone to tell them?

He's certianly not impressed some people I know who are dedicated photo people. Not the best of results when a potentially credible alternate is now on the scene.

Not that Doctors pull out.

Shamasters has been copying its competition for years.

Certainly amusing that a 5 Doctors photoshoot is 'something he's wanted to do for years' when he's always been against charging such fees for big cast shoots before, that other shows do.

Latest announcement:

Bob O'Reilly, JG, and Gwynyth Walsh in full costume.

Sorry, but

Can't you just tell Shamasters are getting all the guests for this event. Given the crazy ticket prices, there's no value for money here so far.

Don't see anything wrong with them. It's the appeal of them being in costume that's the draw here.

They had the guys over last year. Can't remember if they said at the time it would be the only chance people would have to get that chance in the UK or not now. He certainly says things like that.

I'd imagine there shall be at least 3 dozen guests, daft not to have that many. That's where they will make the real money after all.

Trouble I noted with his last (failed) Trek events - they are their own rivals. Why spend money going to expensive weekends when they get the guests at the regular shows? It would certainly be a stronger line up if they could add Frakes and Ryan, but they are doing their other event.