Fan Expo Dallas 2018 and lines

It was the best of times…it was the worst of times…

This is from the view point of an autograph collector.  I have been attending conventions for more than 30 years. I’ve been to ComicCons, baseball card shows, and literary conventions. I’ve gone to new shows and established ones. I’ve been to small local affairs and large national events. I’ve seen chaos and organization, often at the same show. I’ve planned weeks ahead and carried a backpack full of stuff and I have just dropped by to check it out with the shirt on my back.  I’ve slept on sidewalks to get a good spot and I have rushed in an hour before closing on a Sunday.

I don’t attend panels. I don’t buy from the vendors.  I’m the guy that gets excited about the celeb guest list and gets autographs.

The lineup for Fax Expo Dallas begged me to come and hand over my hard earned cash. The show had Ben Affleck, Jeff Goldblum, Disney Princesses, Val Kilmer, and Princess Bride actors.  Even The Wife was intrigued.

My comments are about the lines at the 2018 Fan Expo Dallas at the Dallas Convention Center.

1. The volunteers did little in regard to manage the autograph queues.  The tape on the floor, to show the snaking path to the front of the line, was often ignored. I consistently had to ask where the back of the line was and once the volunteers figured it out, the other people in the line had to readjust. The fans were facing the wrong way, they created multiple lines when there was only one, or they were in the wrong line.
2. The celeb signed too fast.  In example, Jeff Goldblum. He was a machine when he signed.  I actually appreciate that. However, he was moving so fast that my photos were signed when I was 3 people away. My photos were signed and sitting on the table about 5 feet from me when another attendee picked them up. I had to call out that those were my photos.  They looked at me like I was crazy. Who else was going to get a photo signed from Buckeroo Banzi but me?
   Something similar happened with Ben Affleck. The lady in front of me picked up my photo.
   This is not the celeb’s fault. The celebs just know they need to sign what is front of them. The handlers should be ‘handling’ based how fast or slow the line is moving and adjust how quickly they place something in front of the celeb.
3. The celeb spent too much time with each fan. I experienced this too often at this convention. I do understand fans waiting some quality time as they paid their money. I do understand the celeb wanting to give that time.  
   You expect to spend 2 hours in line when there are hundreds of people in front of you. You do not expect to wait 2 hours when there are only 40 people in front of you.
   Besides the pain of standing on concrete for hours and having people bump into you as they fidget, you are spending time that could be used getting other autographs.  Between photos ops, panels, and bio breaks, there is less time at the signing table than it seems when the celeb is there ’all day’.
   Again, the handlers need to get involved. The slow signing celebs ‘left money on the table’. Meaning some people that were willing to spend money for an autograph did not have success. This could be because the fan could not endure the marathon wait. The fan had other obligations; mostly like they left the line to see a panel or do a photo op.
   While the celeb might not mind leaving money on the table, this impacts other celebs and the convention. That 2 hour wait prevents the fan from getting other autographs.  So their fellow actors miss out on money too. The celebs that do not find the show profitable will drop from the signing circuit or won't return to the show or tell their fellow celebs about their experience.
   That is also 2 less hours to browse the expo floor and shop with the vendors. If the vendors don’t make money they don’t buy booths.

There is an ‘art’ to giving fans their face time with the celeb and not making people wait hours. Some celebs have a talent and they can make 15 seconds seem like you just sat down and had coffee. Others need some help from the handlers to make sure the line doesn’t bog down or move too fast.  This convention needed to have better people in place to help with the lines.

 AH