Yikes!! The 4-day passes are sold out. I don't think I've seen them sell this fast. Usually, it's sometime in April when they sell out. Luckily, I got on last night and bought tickets for me and my kids.

Cripes, I would have thought with the economic climate that attendance would be a bit off this year, with 4 days selling out so quickly I doubt we will see any drop in attendance. The madness continues!

The madness was too much for me last year, having a break this year

Hey all-

Sheri & I are in again this year. We'll be there for the whole enchilada. We need to have a dinner get together again.

Sounds good, Chris!

I was told today on pretty good authority that Topps won't be showing this year. Can anyone out there confirm this? If so, the poor show from manufacturers will be even slimmer

I think that will be the case, everyone is cutting back, could be a tough year for us non-sports types.

quote:

Originally posted by Batman:
I think that will be the case, everyone is cutting back, could be a tough year for us non-sports types.

So you think this means we probably won't be seeing a third Heroes set or those Terminator sets?

Not necessarily, my understanding is that they are cutting back on attending shows only, which is part of the marketing budget. I certainly think we will see new sets from Topps.

quote:

Originally posted by Batman:
I certainly think we will see new sets from Topps.

Gawd I hope they do or the only thing I'll be looking towards to is from RA since Inkworks is questionable at the moment.

Though it would be a nice break for my bank account and I could play catch up with older sets.

quote:

Originally posted by Graham:
I was told today on pretty good authority that Topps won't be showing this year. Can anyone out there confirm this? If so, the poor show from manufacturers will be even slimmer

I sure hope this isn't true

quote:

Originally posted by Graham:
I was told today on pretty good authority that Topps won't be showing this year. Can anyone out there confirm this? If so, the poor show from manufacturers will be even slimmer

It will be just like attending a UK show then

Hopefully we'll see Inkworks and Topps there. I don't spend a ton of time at these booths, but I love the special events they do during the con. I spend more time checking out/walking the rest of the floor, chatting in artist alley and trying to make deals at the vendor tables though.

The biggest problem that companies face if they decide to stop exhibiting at Comic Con is that the demand for booth space is so high that it's almost impossible to get the booth back again. Mind you, if the economy stays bad and there's a mass exodus of exhibitors that may not be a problem.

-Bob-

The local news says there is way more demand than there is space and are thinking of expanding the convention center again to satisfy it. If not the convention might move to LA. Scare tactics if you ask me.
Ace

quote:

Originally posted by Ace of Hearts:
The local news says there is way more demand than there is space and are thinking of expanding the convention center again to satisfy it. If not the convention might move to LA. Scare tactics if you ask me.
Ace

Surely Comic Con is San Diego, it would be shame if it were moved. I'm looking forward to this years show even if Inkworks are not there. Perhaps it may be the last?? Me thinks not!!!!

Did anyone try and get rooms today through Travel Planners??? Oh man, what a nightmare. On the plus side, I think we will have a positive outcome but it's taken several calls to get there.

Wow....Comic-Con without Inkworks. Whoda thunk it?

The Inkworks booth was THE hub of activity for us. That's where we always said we'd meet.

What now?

quote:

Did anyone try and get rooms today through Travel Planners??? Oh man, what a nightmare. On the plus side, I think we will have a positive outcome but it's taken several calls to get there.

I was ready to throw my computer through the window, I got all the way up to the "confirm" phase and then after I waited for over 10 minutes I got an "error" message. Fortunately, my secretary got through at the same time on the phone and I was able to at least give the woman my information, which she said was in the "system", and I would hear about my confirmation "real soon", no later than today, as things were a bit hectic. I waited all day and nothing, I figured I was screwed again by Travel Planners. I called back around 6:30 EDT and was told that I did indeed have a reservation, and I was able to get my confirm and now all is well, but they are clearly not prepared to handle things in an orderly manner. There's always next year!

Batman:

Nearly the same story here. I was calling the toll-free number and waiting online in their queue while my father was calling on different phone line.

He gave up 35 minutes in to which was at exactly at the moment I got through on the phone. When I did make it through, they were only taking down a list of what you wanted but not yet putting into the system. They told me too they would contact me back. I when and she says "I would think within the hour" but didn't give me any confidence.

They asked for up to 6 hotel choices. I was only prepared with four. I gave them the four and she asked if I wanted others. Figuring I'd have a better shot, I said ok and she chose two more. When I did get the e-mail confirmation several hours later, it was for one of her choices and one of the most expensive choices. We'd never pay that a nite. So I called back and explained this, figuring that it was my fault after all for allowing her to tack on those two choices and amazingly, the guy switched us to the hotel we wanted. I couldn't beleive it. But when I looked at the e-mail confirmation closer, I realized the stay was one night shorter then the original reservation.

So I called back and got a woman this time (this is around 4:45) and she said they were not booking for CC now as they were now booking for another big show and she didn't have access to the reservation system. I told her that I had just spoke to them and the gentleman I talked to had access 20 minutes ago. She put me on hold for a few minutes and said yes, they do have access now. And amazingly, she straightened it out and got us the final night.

I was just amazed that I was able to fix this. When I saw the first confirmation come though for the Taj Mahal, I thought that was the end so I am pleased that I was able to make changes (and do so twice no less).

Ah well, in the scheme of things, these problem pale in comparison to so much else.

Harris

PS I left for lunch at about 1:45 and still hadn't make it through the online thing. When I came back, it said I was in. And for the heck of it, I tried to book but the only thing left were the far away hotels.