6 FEBRUARY 2012
Yes, we finally have a solid date to circle on our calendars but it isn't for Registration Day. No, this is for that other exercise in anguish, Hotel Day. Hotel reservations will go live at 9:00 a.m. PST on March 29.
What we can safely deduce from this: Registration Day will occur in March (or on Leap Day), probably in the first two weeks. I say this because you have until 28 February to sign up for your Member ID, and it will definitely happen after that deadline, yet before Hotel Day. So there you have it, a rough time frame for online badge sales.
It's odd that CCI won't just come out and announce the actual date already, which leads me to wonder if they're going to announce it at the last second. That would definitely stagger the demand on their servers (or rather, Ticket Leap's or whoever they're using this year.) But it would also unleash howls of protest from everyone who didn't see the announcement email fast enough. Possibly CCI is waiting to see how many Member IDs are assigned before they pick the date. They could even be implementing a new system with multiple dates and limited badge sales on each one. Really anything is possible after the disasters of 2011.
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Update on 2012 registration
1 JANUARY 2012
Happy New Year, all. Let's hope 2012 brings us some good comic books and movies before we're all plunged into oblivion on December 21.
So here's the update on registration. I know it sounds needlessly complicated but this is CCI's idea of fulfilling their "hope to improve the efficiency and speed of the EPIC online registration system." Right. So then, if you didn't already know, you must register for your own personalized "Comic-Con Member ID". This allows you to buy a badge but according to CCI, also so much more:
"Your Comic-Con Member ID will act as your "login" to EPIC online registration during open online registration. Your Comic-Con Member ID will also add you to our verified special member "E-List." All year-round you'll get official updates, important registration announcements, access to early-bird or e-list presales, and other information about attending Comic-Con affiliated conventions and events. You may also receive e-mails from our registration partners regarding Comic-Con registration and from our hotel reservation partners regarding hotel information for Comic-Con conventions and events."
Happy New Year, all. Let's hope 2012 brings us some good comic books and movies before we're all plunged into oblivion on December 21.
So here's the update on registration. I know it sounds needlessly complicated but this is CCI's idea of fulfilling their "hope to improve the efficiency and speed of the EPIC online registration system." Right. So then, if you didn't already know, you must register for your own personalized "Comic-Con Member ID". This allows you to buy a badge but according to CCI, also so much more:
"Your Comic-Con Member ID will act as your "login" to EPIC online registration during open online registration. Your Comic-Con Member ID will also add you to our verified special member "E-List." All year-round you'll get official updates, important registration announcements, access to early-bird or e-list presales, and other information about attending Comic-Con affiliated conventions and events. You may also receive e-mails from our registration partners regarding Comic-Con registration and from our hotel reservation partners regarding hotel information for Comic-Con conventions and events."
Which sounds very exclusive and advantageous until you realize all 125,000+ people will be getting the same "early" information. Basically, you're subscribing to CCI's email list.
Who needs to register for this Member ID? Everyone. It doesn't matter if you're an exhibitor, an attendee, a volunteer, a journalist or what - you must do this if you hope to pass through the doors of the Convention Center.
When can you register? Sometime this month. That's all the information we've got right now. As always, the best way to stay on top of CCI's spontaneity is to follow them on Twitter. I'll do my best to monitor this and post immediately, but Twitter is going to be faster. I actually despise Twitter myself but just broke down and joined solely to keep on top of this.
I'm interested to hear any talk people have been hearing on plans for this year - among people I know locally, there seems to be a strong bias toward going for just one or two days this summer. Last year's crowds seemed to snap some final vestige of patience in a lot of my friends, but maybe we're all just getting too old and cantankerous to stand in line for a zillion hours. Is Comic Con a young person's game? Possibly.
2012 Registration Update
20 October 2011
Circle this date on your calendar: November 28. Beginning then, you will be able to register for a Member ID that you will later use to purchase a badge. Let me be clear. This November-December period where you can register for a Member ID is not going to allow you to actually buy a badge. This is just the first step toward that future phase. And if you need to buy multiple badges, each person must have their own Member ID, so make sure you prepare for that.
If you're asking how this is an improvement, the theory is that the demand for Comic Con badges is fueled by scalpers. Anyone who's actually stood in line for a popular panel at Comic Con knows this really isn't the full story, that there actually are more fans and geeks desperate to attend than can be accommodated. But I'll withhold (most of) my cynicism and see how it all plays out.
Happy Halloween, all.
Circle this date on your calendar: November 28. Beginning then, you will be able to register for a Member ID that you will later use to purchase a badge. Let me be clear. This November-December period where you can register for a Member ID is not going to allow you to actually buy a badge. This is just the first step toward that future phase. And if you need to buy multiple badges, each person must have their own Member ID, so make sure you prepare for that.
If you're asking how this is an improvement, the theory is that the demand for Comic Con badges is fueled by scalpers. Anyone who's actually stood in line for a popular panel at Comic Con knows this really isn't the full story, that there actually are more fans and geeks desperate to attend than can be accommodated. But I'll withhold (most of) my cynicism and see how it all plays out.
Happy Halloween, all.
Pre-registration for 2012
15 JULY 2011
You knew that all of this year's registration snafus would spook CCI into changing the process, and sure enough, they have. 2012 Pre-registration has changed.
Location: it's no longer upstairs at the convention center. It's now in the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
Timing: Destroying the plans of every Preview Night badge-holding person, including myself, it doesn't begin until Thursday morning at 8:00 am. It will be open Thursday - Sunday from 8:00 am - 11:00.
Number of badges available: Limited. Clearly CCI is trying to avoid creating an effect where future attendance is limited to we 2011 attendees. So there will only be a percentage of badges available and unlike last year, where Preview Night sold out in advance for the first time ever, they may hold back some Preview Night badges.
Here's the pricing:
4-day with Preview Night — $175
4 day without Preview Night — $150
4 day Junior ((ages 12–17) and Senior (60 and older) and military badges with previews night — $87; without Preview Night — $75
1-day pass — $40
1 day pass for juniors, seniors and military — $20
Sunday only — $23
Sunday only juniors, seniors and military — $11
Also of interest: 2012 is happening from July 12-15. This is a week earlier than usual and while I can't see any negative repercussions from this, it's inexplicably unsettling.
I really can't guess how panicked pre-reg is going to be this year. It never has been in the past; last year I thought it would be, but the pre-reg worker I spoke to said it never went beyond a steady trickle. Will there be a colossal line outside the Hyatt Thursday morning? I just don't know. That depends on whether they'll let people without badges but with their confirmation letters pre-reg (i.e., will a person with a Saturday badge still be able to pre-reg on Thursday) and whether paying $175 up front will be a hardship for many people.
It's another good reason to pick up your 4-day/Thursday badge on Wednesday night at the Town and Country, though.
You knew that all of this year's registration snafus would spook CCI into changing the process, and sure enough, they have. 2012 Pre-registration has changed.
Location: it's no longer upstairs at the convention center. It's now in the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
Timing: Destroying the plans of every Preview Night badge-holding person, including myself, it doesn't begin until Thursday morning at 8:00 am. It will be open Thursday - Sunday from 8:00 am - 11:00.
Number of badges available: Limited. Clearly CCI is trying to avoid creating an effect where future attendance is limited to we 2011 attendees. So there will only be a percentage of badges available and unlike last year, where Preview Night sold out in advance for the first time ever, they may hold back some Preview Night badges.
Here's the pricing:
4-day with Preview Night — $175
4 day without Preview Night — $150
4 day Junior ((ages 12–17) and Senior (60 and older) and military badges with previews night — $87; without Preview Night — $75
1-day pass — $40
1 day pass for juniors, seniors and military — $20
Sunday only — $23
Sunday only juniors, seniors and military — $11
Also of interest: 2012 is happening from July 12-15. This is a week earlier than usual and while I can't see any negative repercussions from this, it's inexplicably unsettling.
I really can't guess how panicked pre-reg is going to be this year. It never has been in the past; last year I thought it would be, but the pre-reg worker I spoke to said it never went beyond a steady trickle. Will there be a colossal line outside the Hyatt Thursday morning? I just don't know. That depends on whether they'll let people without badges but with their confirmation letters pre-reg (i.e., will a person with a Saturday badge still be able to pre-reg on Thursday) and whether paying $175 up front will be a hardship for many people.
It's another good reason to pick up your 4-day/Thursday badge on Wednesday night at the Town and Country, though.
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