Signing session problems

[Joe5now]

Hi, I would like to voice a few concerns I had about the signing sessions. During the lead up to the Nightwish signing things were just really crazy, I don't really mind a huge queue but a queue like that needs some kind of security. It was really disheartening to see that after queueing for almost 2 hours, people were just blatantly pushing in. It wasn't fun and very nearly killed the whole vibe of what was a very friendly festival last year and up to that point. It was also very annoying how the rock society members got 20 minutes of the whole signing session to themselves. I appriciate the fact that these people have paid for the privelage but it's not fair on those who were queuing and told the signing would start at time X when it ended up being 20 minutes late because of these people who were flooding in, and also coming out of the other end, giving their passes to friends who would then go through and make us wait even longer. Surely a totally seperate signing session could be organised for the rock society members so their time doesn't eat up other peoples'. Failing that, they at least need to get a steward to just watch the queue and stop all the people letting swarms of friends in or the people who form side queues.
Fortunately, getting say a few words to the Nightwish folks made up for the queuing, because they were such polite people! I swear Tuomas said 'Cheers' in broad yorkshire but maybe that was my hearing on the day...

 

[MentaLee]

Hi Joe5now,

Just to clear a few of your 'concerns' up for you............

The Rock Society members didn't get 20 mins of the signing to themselves......when they went in, they were actually waiting in that entrance corridor for the first 5-10 mins as the band weren't even in the signing room. When the band were brought up to the signing room, they spent around 5 mins signing the Bloodstock artwork before the doors were opened to the Rock Sciety members at around 18:20 and the band signed until 1900. As I remember it, there was only one Rock Society member who joined the queue way after you guys were being let in (hi Gary!!!!) and certainly I am not aware of any changing hands of passes so other people could join the queue. Unfortunately, this did leave only 30mins for the band to sign and when we made the decision to close the doors there were still around 120 people waiting in the queue. We did try to get as many people as possible through....if you'd been to any of the previous signings over the two days, you will know they were all very relaxed, everyone got plenty of time to chat with the bands, have everything they wanted signed, go behind and have photos taken with them etc. For the Nightwish signing however, we implemented a one item, no photos policy to ensure as many people came through as possible within our alloted timescale with them (and yes this did also apply to the Rock Society members)

As for the queuing, I do see what you're saying here. Maybe next year we should introduce a post office style "up and down" queueing system to try and alleviate the problems you've mentioned as well as keeping the queue in that one area.

Cheers,

Lee (in charge of the signing sessions)

 

[ironeagle]

Hey Lee, Remember Me, Got My Pass Nicked! Got You To Autograph My Program lol