|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 23, 2015 18:49:18 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by inflatabledalek on Jul 23, 2015 20:07:15 GMT
One of their tweets proclaims they're not associated with any other convention, I don't know if that's a letter of the law kind of a truth (I'll be amazed if there's not some crossover of senior staff) or if this is genuinely an entirely new group that have just seen a gap and jumped in it. The later might explain why the name hasn't been carried over though (or indeed, why this is being announced now when it feels more like the sort of thing that a fuss would be made of at the end of AA).
Have to see how it goes, I know, especially after all the hotel trouble this year, that a lot of people were hoping for a new venue for whatever succeeded AA. As it's still local to me and means signing up for the Hilton rewards scheme wasn't a total waste of time I'm fine with that for I am a git.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jul 23, 2015 20:24:20 GMT
So no real information yet. This is the equivalent of annoucing a toy with a silhouette.
|
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 23, 2015 20:49:09 GMT
Pretty much. Annoyed that it's at the blooming Hilton again though. It's enough to make me wary of saying I'll be going. Unless my art takes off in the next few month, I can't afford the place.
I'm pretty much slitting my wrists just over the room costs this year...
|
|
|
|
Post by Andy Turnbull on Jul 23, 2015 20:53:50 GMT
Speaking as someone involved in the behind the scenes of AA, the Hilton is one of the better options, especially for conventions the size of AA. It doesn't have the massive footfall of a memorabilia so can't hire out things like the NEC, but is far too big for the likes of the Holiday Inn.
I'd much rather conventions went on tour (but the practicalities are something else) and it was something regularly discussed by the AA team.
Andy
|
|
primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
|
Post by primenova on Jul 24, 2015 6:59:05 GMT
From that first page - its London based group of fans picking a central UK location for the convention which just happens to be the same location for AA. They might have a deal on the rooms if it is a more than one day event. After signing up on facebook & confirm e-mail takes you to home page - with map & photos of the hotel. www.tfnation.com/ |
|
primenova
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
Posts: 6,057
|
Post by primenova on Jul 24, 2015 11:35:58 GMT
This is a daft question - but can you get that car in the pic to come drop you off in the car park because it looks like the drivers got a hat on. Nothing to do with the convention & that image must just be company stock images. (that's Hilton hotels)
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jul 24, 2015 12:02:03 GMT
I would like a hat like that.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by inflatabledalek on Jul 24, 2015 14:31:23 GMT
Thinking on it: There's a practical reason for them keeping at the Hilton: it's a known quantity with staff who are already used to putting on Transformers conventions. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if one of the AA people they do try to get onboard (if not already) is the one who worked with the hotel so they can take advantage of an already established relationship.
The downside is, by having it at the same venue with no gap between the last AA and the start of this new convention, is that it's basically going to be treated by people as AA under a new name. Which might be to their disadvantage as that means attendees are going to hold them to the standard of an event that's been running for a decade and was pretty well oiled by that point. Rough edges, a smaller scale (and I certainly would expect a lot less people to go, I can see many sitting this one out to see what the word of mouth is like before committing in 2017) and perhaps less impressive imported guests-- though I suspect the other person they'd be keen to get from AA would be the one with the best connections in the VA community-- are I think understandable but they might be setting themselves up for a fall in comparison.
Starting at a smaller venue and building up to the bigger one over a couple of years might have been a safer bet so as to make a firm clean break (all speculation and armchair quaterbacking of course, I'm certainly happy to give it a chance assuming that everything we hear as more is revealed sounds solid).
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Jul 24, 2015 16:20:09 GMT
I would personally have preferred a new venue. After two trips to AA when it was at the Hilton and finding it hideously expensive, isolated and with rude and insulting treatment from staff I decided to sit out TF cons until they were somewhere else. This however is something new so I will wait and see what is on offer but I can't see myself going to any TF cons at that venue, regardless of whoever runs them. I just deeply dislike the venue, sorry.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 24, 2015 16:22:03 GMT
Starting at a smaller venue and building up to the bigger one over a couple of years might have been a safer bet so as to make a firm clean break (all speculation and armchair quaterbacking of course, I'm certainly happy to give it a chance assuming that everything we hear as more is revealed sounds solid). This would have been the route I'd of chosen. It'd be a good move to try and grab a few folks from AA with connections, but the reason AA has finished was because the people running it could no longer put the time and energy in, so if those people were the people with all the connections... I dunno. It's possible that my current life state and the fact I've never really liked the Hilton is making me judge this more harshly than I should. |
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 24, 2015 16:27:30 GMT
I liked the previous venue. Close to the station and the town if you wanted to get out. All it needed were the Panels and selling separated into two rooms and the eggs off the breakfast menu.
Birmingham as a location makes sense. It's one of the easier locations in the country for people to get to.
|
|
|
|
Post by legios on Jul 24, 2015 16:33:03 GMT
At this point I don't know if I am going to be in a position to go to an event next year for two simple practical reasons - I don't know what I will be doing after about June next year. Until that point I have a fair idea, but after that I could be, or be in the process of relocating to, pretty much anywhere in the UK and I don't know what my financial status would be so I can't tell if the budget will support it.
(And the very responsible Leopard I have put in charge of budgetary control is very clear that if she can't replace her Battlemech with a Timber Wolf then similar "expensive luxuries" strictures will be applied to all concerned...)
Karl
|
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 24, 2015 16:39:34 GMT
Birmingham is a probably the most sensible choice to hold a UK convention. It's just the Hilton I don't like.
I think I'm in a minority in that I actually quite like Birmingham as a place.
|
|
|
|
Post by Philip Ayres on Jul 24, 2015 17:03:21 GMT
I quite like it too. Been often enoughto have a favourite Chinese there :-)
Apart from the walking that time. You Know Who You Are!
|
|
|
|
Post by Kingoji on Jul 25, 2015 8:48:26 GMT
The fact that many don't seem to realise is that the Hilton is the only venue of the size and capacity to hold Auto Assembly any more. They didn't relocate just to be new and different (although the old hotel earned far more complaints than the Hilton ever has, regardless of expense), it was done as a necessity.
I guess if the new show is confident of pulling in similar numbers of attendees then the Hilton is sensible, it's proven, and international fans are now getting familiar with it. Even a drop in attendance back to what it was even a few years ago would still require a venue of this size.
|
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 25, 2015 9:06:31 GMT
I wouldn't deny that. I am just stating my own personal opinion that I have never liked the Hilton.
I accept that a convention the size of AA can't be held just anywhere, and that suitable venues are thin on the ground. But simply put, the Hilton Metropole is out of my current price range, even with discount rates, especially taking into account the fact you're held hostage to the hotel prices for food and drink.
|
|
|
|
Post by Kingoji on Jul 25, 2015 9:56:06 GMT
Not anymore. A new place has been built that's as close as the NEC that's supposed to be a full entertainment complex complete with bars and eateries.
|
|
|
|
Post by inflatabledalek on Jul 25, 2015 10:34:51 GMT
The fact that many don't seem to realise is that the Hilton is the only venue of the size and capacity to hold Auto Assembly any more. They didn't relocate just to be new and different (although the old hotel earned far more complaints than the Hilton ever has, regardless of expense), it was done as a necessity. I guess if the new show is confident of pulling in similar numbers of attendees then the Hilton is sensible, it's proven, and international fans are now getting familiar with it. Even a drop in attendance back to what it was even a few years ago would still require a venue of this size. Ironically I suspect that if AA had continued it would have eventually moved to Wales as Simon and his family relocated there last year (I don't know the area very well but there must a Hilton style venue in or around Cardiff at least). Considering how... tense (probably as fraught as public messages could be without ruining the still-needed-at-that-point Hilton relationship) tweets and website posts about the room situation were this year I suspect they might have looked into more seriously for 2016 than they might otherwise have. I never had any issues with the Holiday Inn, though I only stayed there the last year (I was in the IBIS down the road for the other two), but it was very clear there were a lot of behind the scenes issues once there was no longer any need to be polite. IIRC a lot of the podcasts put out after the last HI one were like a pressure valve being released. My main memory of the Holiday Inn itself was being in a line for food and the cheerful man behind the counter going "So what do you transform into?" to every single person as they put their plate out. |
|
|
|
Post by Andy Turnbull on Jul 25, 2015 10:41:15 GMT
I had generally not too many bad experiences with the Holiday Inn until the last year, where the staff were rude and deliberate obstructive not just to me as a punter, which they were but me in my role as AA official when doing some set up and take down. More than a few times we each had to act as a restraining influence on one another to avoid an incident. Soured me immensely.
We had some teething issues with the Hilton (and rather sadly people didn't report a lot of them until after the fact) but last year (where it all went swimmingly we had a fantastic (and new) event coordinator who was so easy to deal with and helpful. It did go off without any major hitches.
Andy
|
|
|
|
Post by Kingoji on Jul 25, 2015 10:43:20 GMT
Yeah, I still don't really know what happened with the rooms this year. We were assigned so many blocks to be released gradually as they filled, but it seemed like they were all released at once and so they filled stupid fast.
|
|
|
|
Post by inflatabledalek on Jul 25, 2015 10:48:31 GMT
Yes, last year did feel like the Hilton were handling their side of things better. The big problem the year before was-- despite clearly knowing how many people had booked rooms at their hotel-- they were completely surprised by how many people had booked rooms at their hotel and things like breakfast and the number of staff generally were a mess. I felt sorry for the people working behind the bar having to do what should have been the job of about three people each and its no wonder there were some frayed tempers on both sides. The Hilton should have hired in some agency staff/offered overtime that weekend. Any money saved by not doing so was countered by the sales lost, certainly there were times I was at the bar so long they basically lost another drink sale. Multiply that by everyone standing there...
But, as said, they seemed to have learnt that lesson and the staff/paying punter interaction was much more cheerful last year.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jul 25, 2015 11:34:10 GMT
I generally had a decent experience with the Holiday inn, though I'm sure there were problems I have since forgotten and I like the city centre location (I like Birmingham fine as long as I dont have to drive to much).
But I also like the Hilton, I've thankfully not had any issues with the staff or rooms. Price isnt bad especially if sharing. £33 each with an all you can eat breakfast is actually very good. Swerves bar went some way to provding a semi reasonable alternative to the burnt £10 fish finger sandwiches.
The location is the only problem. The Crowne Plaza is the only really walking distance hotel. I stayed at the Arden which is very near, but the best and quickest way to walk to and from it is via the station and through the NEC, but the NEC shuts early and then the walk is long if you try to follow the roads and paths.
The resort World thats being built should improve options for food and add another hotel once its open. Though looking at the website, it will provide options I'm doubting it will provide many cheaper ones.
At least there will be a Cineworld in walking distance.
|
|
|
|
Post by duffism1981 on Jul 26, 2015 14:27:09 GMT
I am disappointed on the name. It comes across more as a fan site or website name rather than a convention, but then I was hoping for something along the lines of Gobo-Con.
|
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 26, 2015 19:16:04 GMT
CyberCon? Has that been taken?
|
|
|
|
Post by Benn on Jul 26, 2015 19:20:25 GMT
IaCon!
|
|
|
|
Post by Bogatan on Jul 26, 2015 20:25:40 GMT
CyberCon sounds familiar.
IaCon is pretty good.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Aug 16, 2015 13:26:00 GMT
Having sat out both this years and last years AA for various reasons I may give this a go next year depending on how this new venture looks, pricing, whoever is running it, whether I feel I've had enough time away from these type of events, etc.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by The Doctor on Aug 17, 2015 11:37:35 GMT
I'll kindly ask folk to keep rumours about who is or isn't involved running this convention off the board until the folk involved in TF Nation reveal themselves. Any posts speculating about specific people will be removed. I'm sure no-one would mean anything untoward but we all know how such comments can be misconstrued in personal ways on the information superhighway.
Thanks all.
-Ralph
|
|
|
|
Post by Marc Graham on Aug 17, 2015 12:01:16 GMT
I am finding the whole ambiguity a little bizarre as far as announcing a new convention goes. But there is plenty of time to go until next year. FYI - anyone thinking TFNation are London based - their address is that of a "virtual office": www.gardenstudios.com/The website has a lot of disclaimers and notices (and many broken links), which made me curious enough to look up the company number (https://www.gov.uk/get-information-about-a-company) Date of Incorporation: 04/06/2015 Country of Origin: United Kingdom Company Type: Private Limited Company Nature of Business (SIC): None Supplied Let them be mysterious for a while I suppose. I think it might've been more sensible for them to wait until after this years Auto Assembly before announcing themselves, but they may see it as pre-empting announcements of any other potential new conventions designed to fill the void. |
|
