Author Topic: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?  (Read 40873 times)

Offline epicaz

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2012
  • Posts: 742
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 264
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #300 on: May 17, 2018, 10:26:22 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
I wonder if this is actually SDCC's way of reducing lines so they don't have to deal with the onsite demands this always entails.  They're pretty bad keeping things in order with the normal Everything Else line.  By doing the online lottery, they eliminate so many of the small autograph/exclusive lines that fill up the Sails in the early part of the morning.  By eliminating the need to staff these, they can put more of their staff, security and other resources to maintaining the Hall H and Everything Else lines.

Just a thought anyways.

I like this theory actually.. There was always so much human error with the external security/line forces with secret lines and cutters.. at least this lowers the chance of that (at a price, I suppose).

The more I think about it, it'll be nice to only have the EE line be for panels/exhibit hall. Though I'm still bummed about having that choice taken from us.

Also hoping this includes exclusives that took place in sails, though again, that does take the choice from those who were willing to put in the work to ensure them. The hard thing about all of this is just accepting that some changes *should* be made to improve how sdcc runs, even though we're people who typically prefer to master the rules in place ;) . There are too many accidents and complaints of unfairness, and as Kerry said, the lines have only been getting earlier and longer. There are a good amount of people thrilled about the change simply because they would have never have made that choice/stood a chance before (did you all see the blog poll on twitter? Just wow).
« Last Edit: May 17, 2018, 03:48:40 PM by epicaz »

Offline Transmute Jun

  • Stan Lee's Hospitality Suite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Mar 2012
  • Posts: 23720
  • Karma: 5
  • Queen of the Bird Missiles
  • Liked: 9714
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #301 on: May 17, 2018, 10:35:54 AM »
I don't do the autograph lotteries at SDCC, because I prioritize my time elsewhere. But sure, I'll be entering the lotteries online, to see if I win anything. So my chances of getting an autograph have improved.

But am I happy about this? No. Because SDCC is a line culture. If people aren't lined up for the Sails in the morning, they're going to be lined up elsewhere. The Hall H lines will get longer, the offsite lines will get longer. Lines for everything else are going to go nuts.

And those are the lines in which I will be stuck. Whee. :-\

Friends of Comic Cons

  • Guest
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #302 on: Today at 04:06:50 PM »

Offline Angel_

  • Volunteer HQ
  • ******
  • Join Date: Dec 2012
  • Posts: 4328
  • Karma: 0
  • Aizawa Enthusiast
    • The Geekiary
  • Liked: 1537
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #302 on: May 17, 2018, 10:40:02 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
I don't do the autograph lotteries at SDCC, because I prioritize my time elsewhere. But sure, I'll be entering the lotteries online, to see if I win anything. So my chances of getting an autograph have improved.

But am I happy about this? No. Because SDCC is a line culture. If people aren't lined up for the Sails in the morning, they're going to be lined up elsewhere. The Hall H lines will get longer, the offsite lines will get longer. Lines for everything else are going to go nuts.

And those are the lines in which I will be stuck. Whee. :-\

This is a darn good point and now I'm a little worried.  The only plus side for me personally is that I don't currently have plans for Hall H this year since there's no Marvel so I may get to skip that beast.  But if this effects B20 line I'm screwed.  If they put Legion in B20 again (which would make sense) I know I'll be in B20 line for at least one day.  UGH.

I know I'm a broken record about Legion and I apologize lmao.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

Offline rabbitwarren

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2012
  • Posts: 856
  • Karma: 1
  • Liked: 399
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #303 on: May 17, 2018, 10:43:06 AM »
 NYCC had a system where people were limited to 2 major events and 2 minor events a day and half of the spots at panels were still first come first serve.  It wasn't perfect by any means but I got almost everything I really wanted eventually (even the lego exclusive). 

Offline puppy

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 675
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 251
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #304 on: May 17, 2018, 10:46:16 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
This is a darn good point and now I'm a little worried.  The only plus side for me personally is that I don't currently have plans for Hall H this year since there's no Marvel so I may get to skip that beast.  But if this effects B20 line I'm screwed.  If they put Legion in B20 again (which would make sense) I know I'll be in B20 line for at least one day.  UGH.

I know I'm a broken record about Legion and I apologize lmao.

The biggest problem I see is CCI won't anticipate the increase in other lines.  For instance, getting in that first day used to be so efficient.  Even with that long line to get our badge, it was fast.  Then, last year we got the mailed badges.  They thought, hey, no more need for workers to check people in.  Well, they forgot about the legions of folks who couldn't get mailed badges.  We were in line for hours just to pick up child badges, along with everyone else who needed child badges.

So there.  They will cut back staff for autograph lines, but they won't allocate them somewhere else.  Reduced staff.  Bigger lines.  More chaos.

Offline puppy

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 675
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 251
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #305 on: May 17, 2018, 10:50:38 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
OK, just not sure how we (lower case we representing all members who don't know you) are suppose to know that! That being said I know keeping rack of which pronouns people prefer to use these days is getting trickier and trickier!

Don't feel bad.  I didn't know, either.

Offline puppy

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2018
  • Posts: 675
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 251
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #306 on: May 17, 2018, 10:53:28 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
I can't stand the people that keep saying well it was always a lottery.
It makes zero sense to compare me pulling a ticket in the morning at WB then also getting to pull at Fox where I'd have above a 50/50 chance of getting a autograph signing each day. To me having probably less than 1 percent chance now.
Make the huge Hall H line which has people camping for days, a lottery, that's the worst of all the lines anyway.
Last year I was late trying to get from my hotel the Hilton Bayfront to the Sails pavilion, I was walking quickly along the boardwalk but there were people camped out everywhere, and this was around noon. Some guy shouted not to walk through their camp, I didn't know that was a no go camp area I'm just seeing a mess of stuff and people and I'm just trying to walk.
Make everything a lottery then it's fair. But I see some people are happy as long as their favorite thing is not a lottery.

Even if you think it was a 50/50 chance, it was always zero for me.  I've never won that drawing.  After hours in line, I think I should more of a guarantee of something.  If it's hours in line to get nothing versus online lottery, I'll take the lottery.

Offline Godolphin

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2014
  • Posts: 548
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 191
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #307 on: May 17, 2018, 10:57:48 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Even if you think it was a 50/50 chance, it was always zero for me.  I've never won that drawing.  After hours in line, I think I should more of a guarantee of something.  If it's hours in line to get nothing versus online lottery, I'll take the lottery.
WB was above 50/50 chance not sure about Fox.
Everyone has different opinions and I understand that.

Offline Vapors

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Feb 2013
  • Posts: 837
  • Karma: 0
  • 1999-current
  • Liked: 268
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #308 on: May 17, 2018, 11:02:44 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
I don't do the autograph lotteries at SDCC, because I prioritize my time elsewhere. But sure, I'll be entering the lotteries online, to see if I win anything. So my chances of getting an autograph have improved.

But am I happy about this? No. Because SDCC is a line culture. If people aren't lined up for the Sails in the morning, they're going to be lined up elsewhere. The Hall H lines will get longer, the offsite lines will get longer. Lines for everything else are going to go nuts.

And those are the lines in which I will be stuck. Whee. :-\

Realistically, how many people are are we talking about?  I did a limited signing draw on Friday last year (the big names were RL Stine, The Tick Cast, Steven Universe, Tobin Bell and Voltron Cast), there were maybe a few hundred in that line (between 400-500, maybe?) would be my guess (and someone may need to check on that for me as my memory can be hazy).  What numbers are people thinking try out for the WB/Fox signings?  500? 1,000? 5,000?

That Everything Else line is obscenely long whenever I line up (usually I'm lined up all the way to that little park that juts out into the Bay, one year, the line made a whole loop around it). So if people transfer to another line inside the convention center, I probably wouldn't notice.

Offline nootheroptions

  • Gaming Lounge
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2015
  • Posts: 442
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 77
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #309 on: May 17, 2018, 01:42:46 PM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
At WonderCon it was strictly WonderCon merch, but WonderCon doesn't have exclusive madness like SDCC. What screenshot made you think they would not include things like Funko or Lego? Was it the one with the old verbiage leftover from WonderCon that hasn't been updated?

What made you think it would include Lego or Funko? That logic cuts both ways. You say  “updated language” I say the language is already updated since the portal shouldn’t have been open at all. It also didn’t say wondercon. It said comic con 2018. 🤷‍♂️ only the terms and conditions weren’t updated. There’s nothing indicating all exclusives will be going lotto.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline jamiesugah

  • Hall H
  • *****
  • Join Date: Apr 2014
  • Posts: 1016
  • Karma: 0
    • The Geekiary
  • Liked: 494
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #310 on: May 17, 2018, 05:15:58 PM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
NYCC had a system where people were limited to 2 major events and 2 minor events a day and half of the spots at panels were still first come first serve.  It wasn't perfect by any means but I got almost everything I really wanted eventually (even the lego exclusive).

I got nothing in the lotteries. I was able to get into the Main Stage panels I wanted by lining up. Granted, Main Stage is about half the size of Hall H. But I got nothing in the lotteries. Still better than waiting in line.

I can tell you this. I'll definitely enter autograph lotteries, and I'll be happy about it. I've not lined up for the autograph draw since my first con because I'm poor and spending an obscene amount of money for my hotel room and I'm sleeping in it. So this is one person who won't be using the opportunity to line up anywhere else, because I don't line up anyway.
Author/Editor at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
Twitter: @jamiesugah

Offline cabler30

  • Ballroom 20
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2017
  • Posts: 948
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 62
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #311 on: May 17, 2018, 07:33:05 PM »
Just guessing if they do the lottery for any or all things then i be kinda shocked i see no lines in back cause it has basically removed the need for any long lines to see or get anything. and it does make or give everyone more time to check out what is at the con for the year. and hope con goers are happier if not already that they was able to see more and get more swag/ freebies they may have missed cause they was waiting in line all day for anything.

Offline lmm3787

  • Sails Pavilion
  • *
  • Join Date: Mar 2015
  • Posts: 20
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 11
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #312 on: May 18, 2018, 10:09:27 AM »
From a business standpoint-- a lot of the same people go for signings, while tens of thousands of people either do not know about it or do not want to deal with the headache.  This is bad business as your not marketing to your full potential audience. All of these signings and even panels are marketing ploys by an organization or television/movie studio. If the same people continue to receive the benefit (i.e. signing or viewing) then the marketing is ineffective as no new consumers are being reached. Hence, by creating the online lottery new individuals are able to receive the benefit thus potentially broadening the audience for the company.

For example, I would never have gone for the Black Lightning signing at WonderCon normally. However, I did and was unsuccessful. Even though I was unsuccessful I wanted to know more about the show and am now watching it.  If I won the lottery and got the benefit of the signing-- I probably would be an even bigger fan.

I recognize that the online lottery system flat out sucks for the people that know how to do signings and have been doing it for years. However, it does present a better opportunity for others. I would not be surprised that this is just a trial run for what is to come for Hall H.

Offline mark

  • Volunteer HQ
  • ******
  • Join Date: Mar 2015
  • Posts: 3917
  • Karma: 0
  • Liked: 2023
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #313 on: May 18, 2018, 10:25:17 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
From a business standpoint-- a lot of the same people go for signings, while tens of thousands of people either do not know about it or do not want to deal with the headache.  This is bad business as your not marketing to your full potential audience. All of these signings and even panels are marketing ploys by an organization or television/movie studio. If the same people continue to receive the benefit (i.e. signing or viewing) then the marketing is ineffective as no new consumers are being reached. Hence, by creating the online lottery new individuals are able to receive the benefit thus potentially broadening the audience for the company.

For example, I would never have gone for the Black Lightning signing at WonderCon normally. However, I did and was unsuccessful. Even though I was unsuccessful I wanted to know more about the show and am now watching it.  If I won the lottery and got the benefit of the signing-- I probably would be an even bigger fan.

I recognize that the online lottery system flat out sucks for the people that know how to do signings and have been doing it for years. However, it does present a better opportunity for others. I would not be surprised that this is just a trial run for what is to come for Hall H.

That's an interesting point about the marketing aspects to different approaches, and makes me wonder how the pitch was made to get a new process in place.

Personally I'm mixed on the whole thing. As others have pointed out the lines are such a part of the sdcc culture, and I hate to see things like that go away. I just hope whatever they end up with works and is done fairly.

Offline Mel

  • Volunteer HQ
  • ******
  • Join Date: Feb 2014
  • Posts: 4599
  • Karma: 0
    • Flickr
  • Liked: 1923
Re: A new auto signing procedure for the WB at SDCC?
« Reply #314 on: May 18, 2018, 10:27:20 AM »
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
What made you think it would include Lego or Funko? That logic cuts both ways. You say  “updated language” I say the language is already updated since the portal shouldn’t have been open at all. It also didn’t say wondercon. It said comic con 2018. 🤷‍♂️ only the terms and conditions weren’t updated. There’s nothing indicating all exclusives will be going lotto.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What makes me think it is because they call it the "exclusives" portal and they never called it that when all they sold was their preorder merch did they? Also, because none of these companies enjoy having to staff Sails distribution and come up with ticketing solutions and have been asking CCI for lottery for years. These companies have been handling their business at the other big Cons with lotteries for a couple years now.

As an aside, I don't think this necessarily increases Hall H lines. You pretty much have to choose autograph or panel since the autograph sessions are either immediately before or immediately after a panel and take long enough that I wouldn't personally feel comfy risking it with a bathroom pass as they can often be delayed making you late or they get cut off and people who show up late don't get in even with a wristband.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

Formerly cracksback

My Flickr
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login
-----------------------------
My Twitter
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login