Author Topic: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already  (Read 24639 times)

Offline Trev

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SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« on: February 28, 2012, 07:50:47 AM »
I'm new to these boards and wanted to say I think it's a great project to take on. People are already talking about what will happen for 2013 at the Con this year. On one board I frequent, a boardie was putting out fud saying that there would be no on-site pre-reg this year.

That got me to want to see if anything had been announced since last year when a CCI Board Member mentioned this and CCI kind of retracted it. I found a comment I had made on The Beat where I quoted the CCI response on their FB page directly and realized that there was no great way to search out this info -- until I found this board!

Anyway, what do folks think? I'm very much hoping that they leverage the member ID system and the process they are trying this year with general ticket sales to allow folks at the con this year to re-up for next year with less standing in line. Last year I encouraged them to just allow re-ups when you pick up your badge, which would have been super easy for 80% of the use cases, but no luck.

Offline alyssa

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2012, 09:53:34 AM »
Can you do us a favor and post the actual information you found, like from the CC I board member etc all in this thread? Don't just post links cuz they go bad...;)
I set the board up so we could find and reference that exact type of info.

I gotta think they'll do pre-reg....but CC I has faked me out before
« Last Edit: March 05, 2012, 04:02:12 PM by alyssa »
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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #2 on: Today at 01:30:26 AM »

Offline Trev

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2012, 10:51:41 AM »
The original post was on The Beat. I'll link to it and pull relevant info. Heidi's stuff tends to stay up quite a while.

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Basically, during the highly tense times of 2012 pre-reg last year, CCI Board Member Mark Yturralde said something that got picked up in blogs. Heidi quotes it as:

Quote
Yturralde says Comic-Con has a solution for 2013: “There will be no pre-registration…. All sales for the 2013 convention will be done online.”

After which, the CCI FB page posted:

Quote
“Regarding pre-sale onsite next year. We really are trying to best we can to make this work as best as possible. Thank you for your input. It really does help us. So, as of right now, no decision has been made on pre-reg for next year.”

Which doesn't specifically say that there *will* be pre-reg for 2013 either. You can read it as some light damage control. They've changed the pre-reg process every year the past 3 years, so no reason not to think they won't change it again this year.

If you read the doc about tix for this year, it is pretty clear that with Member ID they have the ability to partition people electronically, so it should be possible for them to open pre-reg electronically during the show or even after the show but before the general sales to people who hold 2012 badges. Either way works as long as they give some option for 2012 ticket holders to buy 2013 tickets ahead of the general public.

I know a lot of people were pissed about the lines for pre-reg last year, which was a direct result of the complete meltdown of the general sales last year.

They need to figure out a way to curb camping. It is getting out of hand. But that's a topic for another thread. :)

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2012, 08:42:30 AM »
I think the whole member ID thing could potentially change this. Since everyone attending has a unique and traceable member ID, it would be easy for CCI to sell people passes at this year's con... but ONLY a pass for YOURSELF (i.e. the person attending). If CCI is interested in keeping out scalpers, then this is the best way to do it. After all, scalpers aren't actually going to be attending the Con - they're trying to sell their badges. And people who have purchased a badge from a scalper aren't going to renew on the scalper's member ID.

Offline Trev

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2012, 12:17:59 PM »
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I think the whole member ID thing could potentially change this. Since everyone attending has a unique and traceable member ID, it would be easy for CCI to sell people passes at this year's con... but ONLY a pass for YOURSELF (i.e. the person attending). If CCI is interested in keeping out scalpers, then this is the best way to do it. After all, scalpers aren't actually going to be attending the Con - they're trying to sell their badges. And people who have purchased a badge from a scalper aren't going to renew on the scalper's member ID.

Yep, completely agree! Really hoping they do this.

Offline andrewbrowning

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2012, 02:15:45 PM »
I totally agree with that plan! I think that, no matter how much people complain, there will always be those that are willing to absorb the cost of waiting in line for one day to insure that they get the passes that they want for the next year.

If they limited the badges to one per person, then it would streamline the Pre-Reg process to make sure that people aren't waiting in line for no good reason. Or, if they were somehow able to check for Member ID's, limiting it to maybe two or three.

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2012, 05:55:02 AM »
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I totally agree with that plan! I think that, no matter how much people complain, there will always be those that are willing to absorb the cost of waiting in line for one day to insure that they get the passes that they want for the next year.

If they limited the badges to one per person, then it would streamline the Pre-Reg process to make sure that people aren't waiting in line for no good reason. Or, if they were somehow able to check for Member ID's, limiting it to maybe two or three.
Seriously. I third this.  At-con badge purchases for yourself only--it would also make things so much easier for registration for attendees and staffers alike.
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Offline Sprzout

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2012, 12:46:08 PM »
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I totally agree with that plan! I think that, no matter how much people complain, there will always be those that are willing to absorb the cost of waiting in line for one day to insure that they get the passes that they want for the next year.

If they limited the badges to one per person, then it would streamline the Pre-Reg process to make sure that people aren't waiting in line for no good reason. Or, if they were somehow able to check for Member ID's, limiting it to maybe two or three.

There I have a problem. I spent $175 on tickets this year. I can't justify spending money to stand in line to spend MORE money for the following year's Con.

There was never really a problem for buying pre-sale badges in years previous to 2011; you walked up, filled out a form, and gave them your money. I honestly never had to wait in line to buy them until last year, when they announced that they would be limiting badge sales; people either bought them onsite or gambled to buy them online when they went on sale.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #8 on: March 07, 2012, 12:50:56 PM »
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There was never really a problem for buying pre-sale badges in years previous to 2011; you walked up, filled out a form, and gave them your money. I honestly never had to wait in line to buy them until last year, when they announced that they would be limiting badge sales; people either bought them onsite or gambled to buy them online when they went on sale.

That's exactly my point. The only reason there was a problem last year was because they were limiting the badge sales instead of just selling as many as people wanted to buy. I'm suggesting that they don't limit it this year either, except in that people can only buy ONE badge for themselves.

Offline alyssa

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #9 on: March 07, 2012, 01:08:53 PM »
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That's exactly my point. The only reason there was a problem last year was because they were limiting the badge sales instead of just selling as many as people wanted to buy. I'm suggesting that they don't limit it this year either, except in that people can only buy ONE badge for themselves.

I wouldn't mind the one/person idea but if cci wants to maintain their family friendly mission, some accommodation  has to be made-  like,
if a 12 yo child badge stands in line, they should be able to buy their jr badge for next year and
maybe,
you can buy another badge if a)you have their official ID and b) ALL the addresses match. This way a family could buy badges.
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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #10 on: March 07, 2012, 01:36:47 PM »
I do hope CCI does some onsite pre-reg for 2012 attendees. I also waited last year in line to purchase my badge for 2012. It is the least CCI could do for 2012 attendees to give as a choice to pre-reg on site or later through on line ticket sales. We the attendees do make up the bulk of the Con and endure the most through long lines,massive crowds, b.o. and terrible convention food.
 As for scalpers there is no 100% way to stop them.  They can still sell their badge after picking it up and selling it right outside the convention center.  Also CCI should enforce a no transfer of badge rule which would help reduce scalpers.

Offline Trev

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2012, 03:00:03 PM »
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I totally agree with that plan! I think that, no matter how much people complain, there will always be those that are willing to absorb the cost of waiting in line for one day to insure that they get the passes that they want for the next year.

If they limited the badges to one per person, then it would streamline the Pre-Reg process to make sure that people aren't waiting in line for no good reason. Or, if they were somehow able to check for Member ID's, limiting it to maybe two or three.

There I have a problem. I spent $175 on tickets this year. I can't justify spending money to stand in line to spend MORE money for the following year's Con.

There was never really a problem for buying pre-sale badges in years previous to 2011; you walked up, filled out a form, and gave them your money. I honestly never had to wait in line to buy them until last year, when they announced that they would be limiting badge sales; people either bought them onsite or gambled to buy them online when they went on sale.

That's what I think it is needed -- a price that makes people walk away.

2011 was chaos bec so many people were pissed off that 4 day + preview completely sold out at the con in 2010 for the 2011 con. Thus the limiting -- and the epic fail of registration for 2011.

I really think at this point they need to split off the media stuff from the comic stuff. When it started SDCC was a way to leverage geek culture to get a read on some movies or generally 'give back' to the fans. Now it is probably 60% or more of the show.

I'd love to see a 40k person comics centric show AND a 120k person media/game/culture show on different dates. Don't know that we'll ever get there, but I think that's what's needed if they want to keep ticket prices remotely reasonable.

Otherwise, IMO tickets should be priced at roughly the equivalent of 1 night in a hotel close in or about $250 for 4 day + preview.

Offline andrewbrowning

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #12 on: March 07, 2012, 05:49:51 PM »
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That's exactly my point. The only reason there was a problem last year was because they were limiting the badge sales instead of just selling as many as people wanted to buy. I'm suggesting that they don't limit it this year either, except in that people can only buy ONE badge for themselves.

I wouldn't mind the one/person idea but if cci wants to maintain their family friendly mission, some accommodation  has to be made-  like,
if a 12 yo child badge stands in line, they should be able to buy their jr badge for next year and
maybe,
you can buy another badge if a)you have their official ID and b) ALL the addresses match. This way a family could buy badges.

That's the thing though, isn't it? Most people would agree that a parent getting a badge for their child would be acceptable so long as they can bring proof along that they child is theirs (Having been to Comiket it's actually somewhat of a problem). At that point, though, all the people have to do is look at your ID, look at your child's ID (which, every child should have a passport. That's just common sense), and make the deduction of: "Oh, they really are related. Huh."

Anyway, I just think that it should be one adult badge and two Jr badges per every paying adult. Having all these people that can just absorb not going to one day of Comic Con out of their savings account so that they can buy a 4 Day+Preview night for everyone and their dog is simply not okay.

Offline hikanteki

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #13 on: March 08, 2012, 12:00:34 PM »
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I'd love to see a 40k person comics centric show AND a 120k person media/game/culture show on different dates. Don't know that we'll ever get there, but I think that's what's needed if they want to keep ticket prices remotely reasonable.

There are certainly 40k-ish comics centric shows around -- WonderCon and Emerald City ComicCon come to mind. 
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Offline Trev

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Re: SDCC 2013 On-Site Pre-Reg -- Yes people are talking already
« Reply #14 on: March 08, 2012, 12:38:45 PM »
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I'd love to see a 40k person comics centric show AND a 120k person media/game/culture show on different dates. Don't know that we'll ever get there, but I think that's what's needed if they want to keep ticket prices remotely reasonable.

There are certainly 40k-ish comics centric shows around -- WonderCon and Emerald City ComicCon come to mind.

Yep. I think those are in the ballpark. The problem is that they aren't in San Diego. :)

I love those other cities but especially love a con in San Diego.