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[sicdedman]

Standby Line for Last year.

I don't think there was... I remember just being in a General Line for Maon Kurosaki. I lost my (Priority Ticket) earlier that day so i waited 2 half hours for her autograph in 1 line, other people i noticed that were with me when getting the (Priority Ticket) just went to the Staff at front of the line told them and were let in right at the front.

so i think that is a good question whether or not there will be a standby line this year? hmmm
perhaps they did do away with it....

[Shinigamiyoko]

Hmmm. I'm planning on LiSA's Day 2 session, so I guess I'll see how it goes.
Just a thought, I wonder how much panel attendance=priority autograph ticket (2009 system) improves the attendance at GoH panels.

Either way, it's got to be better than in past years, when AX sometimes scheduled GoH autograph sessions in dealer's hall right after the GoH's panel. If you want to see people run/shove/mow other people over...


I'm also surprised they listed who's attending the open session; usually I just skip it because I have no idea who's attending, and I don't want to risk it.

[El_Duque]

I'm not a big fan of the raffle because it's scary if it's a GoH you want to get an autograph so badly and you didn't get a ticket and they end up not showing up at the open session in the end. Let alone you brought something very important for them to sign and you come home in the same condition it was prior.

For me, the best way for autograph is still have priority ticketing and stand-by lines but have an hour long autograph session for the first three days and pending on the popularity come back on the last day for the open session. In that case everyone has a chance. I saw this happen with Morning Musume in 2009 when they had a "last call" autograph session for those who could not make it to their first two official sessions, but you had to have the a priority ticket. On the other hand, I felt bad in 2010 for GoHs like Yuu Asakawa and Mell who had hardly had lines by Day 4's open session. I'm all for it with a fixed schedule rather then have it after a panel or concert immediately.

[dcpoor]

There was a standby line last year and it worked fairly well from my experience and observation of it. If you showed/lined up early enough, you were pretty much guaranteed an autograph because they didn't raffle out that many priority tickets at the panels.

Oh, and they handed out numbered standby tickets too. That helped very much to maintain order. Good call on the part of the staff running the autograph lines.

[DrScorpio]

Do not trust any of AX's printed autograph policies. The 'real' policies vary panel to panel. They may do priority tickets, they may scan badges, they may do a raffle or they may do nothing! If you want the best odds of getting the autograph you want, make sure to attend the panel and all autograph sessions. Ive been getting autographs from AX since 1996 and have seen almost everything go wrong.

Originally Posted by El_Duque

IFor me, the best way for autograph is still have priority ticketing and stand-by lines but have an hour long autograph session for the first three days and pending on the popularity come back on the last day for the open session. In that case everyone has a chance. I saw this happen with Morning Musume in 2009 when they had a "last call" autograph session for those who could not make it to their first two official sessions, but you had to have the a priority ticket. On the other hand, I felt bad in 2010 for GoHs like Yuu Asakawa and Mell who had hardly had lines by Day 4's open session. I'm all for it with a fixed schedule rather then have it after a panel or concert immediately.

Let me fill you in on the Morning Musume situation as it was actually terrible for many many MM fans. From what I was aware of, there were 3 autograph sessions, 2 official and one held at the Japan Files (I think that was the name) booth. For the 2 official ones, you needed a priority ticket from the panel to have a chance at meeting MM. The panel was the 1st panel at AX on day 1 and they did a new policy where only the ppl near the front got the tickets while everyone else got screwed (this caught many people off guard as not everyone sits in the front). The Japan Files signing (which I think is the one you referred to as the "last call" one) was only for people who got a special pass for buying a MM CD at the Japan Files booth. They had limited numbers of these and it sold out in like 2 hours on the 1st day.

So basically for a shot at MM autographs you had to be at AX early on day 1 and either get a ticket at the panel or fight the line of madness in the dealers room. That meant MANY people who specifically flew in to LA for MM didnt get their autograph. To make thing worse, it was printed on several websites that the 2nd official autograph session was "1st come 1st serve". After waiting 6-8 hours in line, many people were told by AX staff that "oh its 1st come 1st server for people with tickets" which led to mass chaos.

Very little to no information on how the autographs were handled was ever printed anywhere beforehand. Many people didnt know how AX worked so they got screwed. I was able to get their autograph cuz I was familiar with the terrible AX system of leaving you in the dark. To make things more interesting, AX announced the wrong autograph location for the 1st official signing causing a mass of people running to the middle of nowhere only to eventually realize they were at the end of the line and screwed.

Just in case anyone wants a more detailed description of my MM experience, you can find it here:
http://drscorpio.rubberslug.com/gall...?ItemID=319286

[Hakaider]

Let me fill you in on the Morning Musume situation as it was actually terrible for many many MM fans. From what I was aware of, there were 3 autograph sessions, 2 official and one held at the Japan Files (I think that was the name) booth. For the 2 official ones, you needed a priority ticket from the panel to have a chance at meeting MM. The panel was the 1st panel at AX on day 1 and they did a new policy where only the ppl near the front got the tickets while everyone else got screwed (this caught many people off guard as not everyone sits in the front). The Japan Files signing (which I think is the one you referred to as the "last call" one) was only for people who got a special pass for buying a MM CD at the Japan Files booth. They had limited numbers of these and it sold out in like 2 hours on the 1st day.

So basically for a shot at MM autographs you had to be at AX early on day 1 and either get a ticket at the panel or fight the line of madness in the dealers room. That meant MANY people who specifically flew in to LA for MM didnt get their autograph. To make thing worse, it was printed on several websites that the 2nd official autograph session was "1st come 1st serve". After waiting 6-8 hours in line, many people were told by AX staff that "oh its 1st come 1st server for people with tickets" which led to mass chaos.

Very little to no information on how the autographs were handled was ever printed anywhere beforehand. Many people didnt know how AX worked so they got screwed. I was able to get their autograph cuz I was familiar with the terrible AX system of leaving you in the dark. To make things more interesting, AX announced the wrong autograph location for the 1st official signing causing a mass of people running to the middle of nowhere only to eventually realize they were at the end of the line and screwed.

Wow...That kind of reminds me of what happened in 2007 when AX was at the Long Beach Convention Center. It was announced during the panel of the SOS Brigade- "The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya" that, there will be an autograph session for the 3 Japanese seiyuus at a certain time & location. (I was at the panel, and they even repeated it several times. One of the Japnese seiyuus faced the audience & even repeated it 2 times at the panel.) The following day, people lined up as early as 6 am at that location, (Some hardcore Otakus from Japan even camped out the night before) and by 10 am, there was a HUGE line outside of the convention center. By noon time, there was a HUGE line going around the corner block. A few of the AX staffers then suddenly showed up and announced that that the signing was only for 300 people.

There were thousands of people who stood in the hot sun, and they were not happy to hear the news. It took several minutes for the AX staffers to disperse everyone, because people were still hesitant to move after standing in line for hours. (And yes, I was one of those people who stood in line for hours.) Noone had ever mentioned that it was only for 300 people, and it would have helped & saved everyone's time, if they had announced that at the panel.

Apparently, someone had made that last minute decision, but noone came out & took any real responsibility for that decision. There was a lot of finger pointing after the con ended, as to who had made that decision, but we never got a real answer as to who had made that last minute decision. (I heard conflicting reports that it was AX staffer, and the other story that it was the seiyuu's manager's decision.)

[DrScorpio]

Originally Posted by Hakaider

Wow...That kind of reminds me of what happened in 2007 when AX was at the Long Beach Convention Center. It was announced during the panel of the SOS Brigade- "The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya" that, there will be an autograph session for the 3 Japanese seiyuus at a certain time & location. (I was at the panel, and they even repeated it several times. One of the Japnese seiyuus faced the audience & even repeated it 2 times at the panel.) The following day, people lined up as early as 6 am at that location, (Some hardcore Otakus from Japan even camped out the night before) and by 10 am, there was a HUGE line outside of the convention center. By noon time, there was a HUGE line going around the corner block. A few of the AX staffers then suddenly showed up and announced that that the signing was only for 300 people.

There were thousands of people who stood in the hot sun, and they were not happy to hear the news. It took several minutes for the AX staffers to disperse everyone, because people were still hesitant to move after standing in line for hours. (And yes, I was one of those people who stood in line for hours.) Noone had ever mentioned that it was only for 300 people, and it would have helped & saved everyone's time, if they had announced that at the panel.

Hoho! I was also in that line. You forgot the part where they made us wait 1 hour past the scheduled autograph time only to tell us to come back tomorrow! The next day the line was even crazier! Nothing like waiting a combined 8 hours for nothing!

[Hakaider]

Hoho! I was also in that line. You forgot the part where they made us wait 1 hour past the scheduled autograph time only to tell us to come back tomorrow! The next day the line was even crazier! Nothing like waiting a combined 8 hours for nothing!

Wow...You were in that line too? Yup...When it went past one hour after the scheduled autograph time, we were all like..Isn't the autograph supposed to start already? I asked one of the AX staffer, who walking on the sidelines a few times after the hour had passed, and the answer that I got every time was, "They aren't here yet."

Yeah, when they announced it the second time, I didn't try for it again after being burned. (Literally)

[Mirai Noah]

As much as I love getting autographs, getting them at AX is... horrendous. In 2009 I even had a priority ticket for Morning Musume, and I still didn't get their autographs. Last year with the raffle, I ended up being ineligible because I had an industry badge that didn't specify my name. One of my biggest problems I've had with this convention is not explaining how exactly autographs are going to work beforehand (on the website) nor at the actual convention (in the program guide and at the panels themselves). I've also had trouble when asking staff/volunteers there because they either do not know the answer, or I get a really snooty reply that doesn't make matters any easier. I've gotten to the point where it is not really worth the hassle.

[DrScorpio]

Originally Posted by Hakaider

Wow...You were in that line too? Yup...When it went past one hour after the scheduled autograph time, we were all like..Isn't the autograph supposed to start already? I asked one of the AX staffer, who walking on the sidelines a few times after the hour had passed, and the answer that I got every time was, "They aren't here yet."

Yeah, when they announced it the second time, I didn't try for it again after being burned. (Literally)

I was able to get an autograph on the 2nd day, but it definitely didnt look like they did 300. Keep in mind I only saw part of it, but I think they only gave out 50 autographs to people in line. The 2nd day started late and they let ppl in front who had "guaranteed autograph passes" that were given out at the bandai booth literally 30min before the scheduled signing time. I believe it was 50 "guaranteed autographs" and 50 autographs to the people in line. Thats it!

Your were only allowed to have a poster they provided to be signed, nothing else (which sucks). We were also told not to talk to them, but they spoke to me so I guess thats one way to get around the rule.

[dcpoor]

Just chiming in agreeing on how bad the Morning Musume autographs were handled.

AX staff/volunteers mangled the lines at the JapanFiles booth. There were several lines spiraling around that and the neighboring booth because there were 3 points of purchase for different goods/merchandise. If I remember correctly there was one line for MM shirts/posters/photos/concert merchandise, one line for MM and Hangry & Angry CD's, and one other line for JapanFiles merchandise for other non-Hello!Project music. AX personnel tried to re-arrange the lines and stuck the line I was in to the end of another line. They ran out of autograph tickets 3 people in front of me.

Autograph tickets from the panel. They announce at the end that they'll be handing out tickets from front rows to the back, lots of angry folks. Then they are unable to tell us the correct location to be at for the autograph session. Several people including myself tried repeatedly to get an exact, confirmed location and we were told different answers from different people. Then everyone stampedes into the exhibit hall running around looking for the autograph location. I ended up at an info booth with some Japanese fans and was trying to get the info for all of us, no help there either. Eventually we find the autograph line upstairs but the line is already very long. I wait in line and eventually make it into the waiting room, and then the session ends early when there's about 10 people in front of me.

I luckily managed to get autographs from the second AX-run session. But I wish there would've been some more supervision as one particular loud and annoying guy in line was verbally harassing, laughing at, and yelling down from the walkway area at Japanese fans that didn't have priority tickets and couldn't get line. They weren't very happy with the AX handling of everything.

Line handling at the final JapanFiles session in the exhibit hall. The typical "NO LINING UP IN ADVANCE" and "NO CROWDS, IT'S A FIRE HAZARD" type of stuff. Lots of fans angry at being pushed around and dispersed only to have their spots in line taken by someone else.

[Hakaider]

I was able to get an autograph on the 2nd day, but it definitely didnt look like they did 300. Keep in mind I only saw part of it, but I think they only gave out 50 autographs to people in line. The 2nd day started late and they let ppl in front who had "guaranteed autograph passes" that were given out at the bandai booth literally 30min before the scheduled signing time. I believe it was 50 "guaranteed autographs" and 50 autographs to the people in line. Thats it!

Your were only allowed to have a poster they provided to be signed, nothing else (which sucks). We were also told not to talk to them, but they spoke to me so I guess thats one way to get around the rule.

What? They only opened it to 100 people? Wow...Good thing I didn't stand in line for the 2nd time.

Yeah, we were told not to talk to them too, or even say "Thank you" to them for the signing.

Line handling at the final JapanFiles session in the exhibit hall. The typical "NO LINING UP IN ADVANCE" and "NO CROWDS, IT'S A FIRE HAZARD" type of stuff. Lots of fans angry at being pushed around and dispersed only to have their spots in line taken by someone else.

That reminds me of that time when a friend of mine was vacationing at AX, (He works for the Fire Department) and he was told by a overzealous AX staffer that he was blocking & creating a "Fire Hazard". My friend left because he didn't want to cause a scene, and he was like.."Who the hell is this kid, telling me what my job is? I do this for a living!"




On things of a different note...

Maybe they could use this classic Dragon Con video for the "Bad Jokes By The CEO" panel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odzth...feature=relmfu

[ElCapitan]

Originally Posted by Hakaider

Apparently, someone had made that last minute decision, but noone came out & took any real responsibility for that decision. There was a lot of finger pointing after the con ended, as to who had made that decision, but we never got a real answer as to who had made that last minute decision. (I heard conflicting reports that it was AX staffer, and the other story that it was the seiyuu's manager's decision.)

Sorry you never got a real answer back then. I can tell you it was the GoH managment's decision. Staff just typically gets the fun job of breaking the bad news to attendees. I was manager of the department overseeing autographs in '07, so I can tell you for a fact that it was never my call.

As a general rule, here's how it works at AX (or at least how used to work):

• The convention controls the broad admission policy and the GoH management controls the session policy.
• That means the convention has power over what happens leading up to the door. They get to determine if tickets have priority, how you get tickets (attend panel, raffle at panel, buy from ticket booth, etc).
• That also means the GoH management team has power over what happens once you're inside the room. How many people will they sign for? (We can let you in the door, but we can't make them sign your stuff). Are photos okay? If yes, are they of the guest only, or is with the guest as well? Handshakes? Personalization? Recordings? (typically English VAs only, obv) What will they sign? Anything? Just their own merch? Just merch from the latest thing they worked on? Only merch you buy on the spot? Sketches? For everyone, or just the first X people?
• There are certainly exceptions to this. For example, during the SOS Brigade autographs, a certain number of people that went to their booth and bought something (first 30 to buy a CD, I think) were given priority over all others. Staff didn't find out about this until people started showing up saying that people at the booth promised them autographs.
• Any signing outside of the officially scheduled ones is typically an exception. The Morning Musume deal in the Exhibit Hall was largely out of our control, and we just had to do what we could to keep it from being pure chaos.

I realize that the signing process often doesn't take place in a physically distinct room, but I think the metaphor makes it easier to remember who makes the call on what.

[Hakaider]

Sorry you never got a real answer back then. I can tell you it was the GoH managment's decision. Staff just typically gets the fun job of breaking the bad news to attendees. I was manager of the department overseeing autographs in '07, so I can tell you for a fact that it was never my call.

Thank you for finally answering that question. I sure wish someone answered that question back in 2007. After spending hours in the hot sun, I can tell you that the attendees were not happy with what had happened back then, and they couldn't get a straight answer. (I think they would have appreciated it, and understand the last minute situation more if they had gotten an answer back in 2007.)

[ZeoH]

Mmm, I figured it had something to do with the Guest of Honor's managements. AX's staff is often the scapegoat for a lot of rage but... it's kind of expected considering all of this happens within AX.