Author Topic: Constructive suggestions for lines.... Hall H, Sails' Exclusives & Autographing  (Read 17584 times)

Offline chocolateshake

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Sounds like you need to send them a note and volunteer your services.  Why do they have to ask?

Simple. It's much easier if they ask for volunteers than me cold calling them and trying to convince them to take volunteers. Hm.... should have gone to talk back.

Offline chocolateshake

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I believe the 1:5 policy is a little excessive. 1:2 seems like a more reasonable number. But that all won't matter if they don't enforce the policy.

I also agree that all members of the party need to be there when the line starts. I will even go as far as saying they should need to stay there till wristbands are handed out and make things even more uncomfortable by enforcing the "no camping gear" policy. That might help with the excessive line problem.

As far as lotteries for Hall H, I don't think they will ever do it. To me, it seems they are selling more tickets so with the people in line for Hall H and the NDL it helps alleviate the traffic in the exhibit hall and offsites. Although the floor seemed crazy this year and the offsite line were ridiculously long.

I agree with everything you said. 1:5 for line waiting is crazy. I'm not even a fan of 1:2. I'd make it if you want to wait in line, then wait in line. I met someone that was part of a group of 20. If I had waited in line all night and then 19 people joined the one dude in front of me, I would be seriously pissed. It's about expectations. If I can see there are a 100 people in front of me and I don't get in, it is what it is. If I see 20 people in front of me and then a minute before the line is let in 100 other people get in front of me, that's a problem.

The floor was insane. I was hoping it would settle down Sunday afternoon. It was as bad as Saturday.

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Offline jontargaryen

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I believe the 1:5 policy is a little excessive. 1:2 seems like a more reasonable number. But that all won't matter if they don't enforce the policy.

I also agree that all members of the party need to be there when the line starts. I will even go as far as saying they should need to stay there till wristbands are handed out and make things even more uncomfortable by enforcing the "no camping gear" policy. That might help with the excessive line problem.

As far as lotteries for Hall H, I don't think they will ever do it. To me, it seems they are selling more tickets so with the people in line for Hall H and the NDL it helps alleviate the traffic in the exhibit hall and offsites. Although the floor seemed crazy this year and the offsite line were ridiculously long.

I agree. 1:5 is too much. 1:2 is reasonable but I think it should be one person one spot. You want in you wait. Make the line space small enough that only one chair/sleeping bag per person will fit. No more tent cities/full on living rooms on the marina. ENFORCE all of this and I think we'd see lines begin to form a little later in the day.

Offline FlamedLiquid

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This was the first year I did the Hall H Saturday line thing.....and it was shocking to me how little security there was back there and when there was, how little they did at all. They said and did just about nothing and the group of attendees did police themselves, though not super well. That is definitely an area CCI can improve. There just plain needs to be better oversight of that line and the process. It could be as simple as every group has a list of everyone's Member ID in their group and once the line forms CCI goes through and asks each group how many are showing in the morning and their Member ID (and makes sure the proper amount are there for the ratio). They input that into the system and your badge scans in the morning when they let you in the Hall. Yes, that could get screwed up. Literally EVERYTHING can get screwed up. There is always a margin of error. You can't not implement something b/c of what might go wrong. Nothing would ever change and nothing new would get implemented.

There are better ways. CCI has dedicated significant resources to the banding. The large group of workers who wristband are paid temps, not volunteers. So maybe instead of banding, this crew goes through the groups with a scanner and scans in each member of the group? It wouldn't be that hard if they actually enforced order when the line was forming and made it clear how the line was forming instead of changing their minds and how it's gonna be with each new breeze. Attendees don't know how to act either b/c they can't trust them to stick to policy and that creates half the mess right there.

I also understand where they are coming from too......it'd be enough to make me want to quit and just shut down Hall H.

this would be the best thing to do. at certain times of the day comic con could have someone go through the next day line and register each person in line and if they are saving spots to ask the member's name and ID for who they are holding a spot for and then they can register them in as well. then a few hours later then can start up where they stopped if the line is longer. if people joined people earlier in line they should already be accounted for. then when wristband ditribution finally goes through they get the persons name again and if you arent on the list from earlier you are obviously a line cutter and dont get a wristband.

But yes, the 1:5 ratio is a bit unfair.

Offline jristen

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It always seems to me that there's two different opposing views that go on: "CCI shouldn't make everyone wait in long lines and give up their con" and "CCI needs to make sure everyone is waiting in lines at all times"

CCI has chosen to do their best to follow the former by codifying a process where line waiting time can be shared so no one needs to give up a full day of SDCC.  It gets abused but I think it's better than the alternative and I really can't see CCI switching to a view that everyone must be in line always. What CCI really needs to do is have a better way to indicate through out the day how long the line actually is so people aren't waiting unnecessarily.

And also a better way to enforce the 1:5 ratio (or whatever ratio they pick). I like the idea of scanning badges as the line starts and then making each person count off whoever joined them throughout the day to ensure ratio.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2017, 10:23:32 AM by jristen »

Offline dkd

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It always seems to me that there's two different opposing views that go on: "CCI shouldn't make everyone wait in long lines and give up their con" and "CCI needs to make sure everyone is waiting in lines at all times"

CCI has chosen to do their best to follow the former by codifying a process where line waiting time can be shared so no one needs to give up a full day of SDCC.  It gets abused but I think it's better than the alternative and I really can't see CCI switching to a view that everyone must be in line always. What CCI really needs to do is have a better way to indicate through out the day how long the line actually is so people aren't waiting unnecessarily.

And also a better way to enforce the 1:5 ratio (or whatever ratio they pick). I like the idea of scanning badges as the line starts and then making each person count off whoever joined them throughout the day to ensure ratio.

This process may not work for Hall H, but the ATX TV Festival gives you a "boarding pass" when you get in line.  It has a number (number you are in line) and a letter.  The letter is either A, B, or C.  An A means you are pretty much guaranteed to make it.  A "B" is a "maybe".  A "C" means give it up.  The number/letter combos are different for each venue based on the venue size.

They use a piece of paper, which could be counterfeited easily, but I guess it could be electronic like an electronic boarding pass on your phone.  Even if counterfeited, though, it would be obvious if two people had the same number in line that one of those boarding passes is fake.

Maybe something like this can be incorporated either for Hall H or other types of lines.

(BTW--they call them boarding passes because Southwest Airlines is a sponsor)

Offline alyssa

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This process may not work for Hall H, but the ATX TV Festival gives you a "boarding pass" when you get in line.  It has a number (number you are in line) and a letter.  The letter is either A, B, or C.  An A means you are pretty much guaranteed to make it.  A "B" is a "maybe".  A "C" means give it up.  The number/letter combos are different for each venue based on the venue size.

They use a piece of paper, which could be counterfeited easily, but I guess it could be electronic like an electronic boarding pass on your phone.  Even if counterfeited, though, it would be obvious if two people had the same number in line that one of those boarding passes is fake.

Maybe something like this can be incorporated either for Hall H or other types of lines.

(BTW--they call them boarding passes because Southwest Airlines is a sponsor)

essentially what you are suggesting is to Tap in with your RFID badge [get a boarding pass/line assignment].  That process requires everyone in the group to be present when the group beginings regardless of the ratio's decided on by cci.
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Offline Transmute Jun

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That process requires everyone in the group to be present when the group beginings regardless of the ratio's decided on by cci.

Which is fair, as long as everyone knows this in advance. If everyone can show up for wristband time, they can show up for check-in.

Offline alyssa

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Which is fair, as long as everyone knows this in advance. If everyone can show up for wristband time, they can show up for check-in.
I don't have a problem with showing up at the beginning of the line to tap in. It may cause some logistical issues.
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Offline cabler30

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Alot of mixed comments, but if they can keep tabs on how many enter or leave a place by us tapping the badge at anytime then cant they have it to where if they got ur id for a panel that it would say if room is maxed and not allow any more entries to even try to tap in for a panel if u was able to arrive like a few mins before it started and get rid of bands and no more waiting in lines all day where u can try check out more and not waste time in a line for like ever lol. hope that all makes sense lol

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Alot of mixed comments, but if they can keep tabs on how many enter or leave a place by us tapping the badge at anytime then cant they have it to where if they got ur id for a panel that it would say if room is maxed and not allow any more entries to even try to tap in for a panel if u was able to arrive like a few mins before it started and get rid of bands and no more waiting in lines all day where u can try check out more and not waste time in a line for like ever lol. hope that all makes sense lol
...but, what is to stop everyone from lining up to be first in the "check in"? You will always have those that are willing to show up extremely early to try to guarantee themselves a seat.


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Offline jujubaSD

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I agree with everything you said. 1:5 for line waiting is crazy. I'm not even a fan of 1:2. I'd make it if you want to wait in line, then wait in line. I met someone that was part of a group of 20. If I had waited in line all night and then 19 people joined the one dude in front of me, I would be seriously pissed. It's about expectations. If I can see there are a 100 people in front of me and I don't get in, it is what it is. If I see 20 people in front of me and then a minute before the line is let in 100 other people get in front of me, that's a problem.

The floor was insane. I was hoping it would settle down Sunday afternoon. It was as bad as Saturday.

Sundays on the floor have been as bad or worse than Fri/Sat for quite a while. There's no Ballroom 20 to absorb some of the attendees.

Maybe if they reduce the number of people you can hold a spot for, it will allow for some of those numbers to be reabsorbed back into the waiting lines at least on Thu-Sat.


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Offline cabler30

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...but, what is to stop everyone from lining up to be first in the "check in"? You will always have those that are willing to show up extremely early to try to guarantee themselves a seat.


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I guess if not already mentioned, gotta have like a mini group who dont mind wasting time in line and then rotate so everyone can go and get food , or shower. cause as i seen people find way to sleep in line. but all the tech now a days gotta be a way where u can see panel but not waste a day seating in line all day and nite really. so much to see and do at con, i just see waiting in line so much that so many chances are lost cause gotta wait in line every year just sux. but they choose to do so for watever reason at time i guess. so i hope they find an answer so nobody gotta waste time in line ever outside or in and still get what they want at time.

Offline chocolateshake

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Sundays on the floor have been as bad or worse than Fri/Sat for quite a while. There's no Ballroom 20 to absorb some of the attendees.

Maybe if they reduce the number of people you can hold a spot for, it will allow for some of those numbers to be reabsorbed back into the waiting lines at least on Thu-Sat.

I was hoping that the whole getting back to work on Monday thing would soak up a lot of people.

Offline jimy

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I was hoping that the whole getting back to work on Monday thing would soak up a lot of people.

I walked through under the Sails on Sunday afternoon and was amazed at how many people were still newly coming through the Bag/Books/Lanyards lines (were all those people really just getting there for the first time?), although they were out of Bags (so sad for those attendees, how did that happen; and they were freely handing out as many of the badge boxes with the pin included as you wanted (extras?).
Who gets to Comic-con on Sunday late afternoon with just a couple of hours left to hit the floor, wow the floor might've been even more crowded on Sunday afternoon than other days/times.