There are so many wonderful con reports out there; I couldn't bring myself to write another. Instead, I thought I'd offer you a comparison of the two cons this novice has attended.

My first convention was Wolf 359 the Legacy, Adrian's first European con. It was held at the Heathrow Park Hotel in London, England.

My second convention was The Gathering 5. It was held at the Renaissance in Denver, Co.

Hotel comparison:

Heathrow Park
It seemed to be quite old, with lots of stairs and fire doors that weighed a ton. (Not very appealing when you only have two hands and lots of luggage.) The food was adequate, priced right and plentiful. The service on a whole was very good.
The only problem I encountered was changing my American currency for pound sterling. (Which could be considered a plus, as I saved a lot of money.) <g>

The Renaissance
This hotel seemed rather new with two beautiful glass elevators, which gave you a view of the lobby and restaurant area. My first thought was yea no more stairs. After waiting for an elevator that wasn't to full, my second thought was where the heck are the stairs. The food was always cold but plentiful. The service was horrendous. Although I did feel very sorry for the waiters as it was the job from Hades.

Rubbing elbows with Adrian:

Wolf 359
The first one hundred ticket holders attended a cocktail party with Adrian and other guests. (You lucky devils you.)

The Gathering
Eight people received the opportunity to sit with Adrian for breakfast. This was achieved by bidding for the honor, or being the lucky holder of a winning ticket number. This event also featured the other guests of honor. (Stan, Liz, Bob, F. Braun and Gillian.)

Security comparison:

Wolf 359
The security was rather lax, allowing you to drink and chat with the guests of honor who chose to do so. Adrian was given two bodyguards who proved to be very friendly and enjoyable when not on duty. The majority of security personnel were con attendees who volunteered for the duty. Each and every one of them was very helpful and pleasant.

The Gathering
Security in Denver was much tighter, or so it seemed. All security members, volunteer and other wise dressed in black from head to toe. Even thought their appearance was daunting, they were very pleasant and extremely helpful.
The one thing I found irksome, was that security personal were placed in front of the stage during the Q&A's and the auction.
This was not conducive to photo opportunities. (Many photos have the head of the person in front of you, or a great shot of the very tall security people.) lol

Autograph lines:

Wolf 359
Wolf had approximately 685 con attendees. The autograph lines were kept small by having people line up by their ticket number in lots of fifty. This was the first time in my life that I didn't mind standing in a line. (One of my pet peeves.) The line was arranged so that you faced Adrian or who ever the signing guest was. It was very entertaining watching the guest of honor interact with the fans. I could have stood on this line all day. (And night.) <G>

The Gathering
The Gathering had approximately 865 con attendees.
It seems that The Gathering has had many problems in the past with con attendees not receiving autographs. So apparently, it was decided that this year the autograph sessions be run by Peace-APFC. Inasmuch as it was their first attempt at setting up this type of session I will say thank you for your effort.

Unfortunately I found that effort to be quite poor. (At least in my humble opinion.) The guests of honor all had a small room in which they graciously personalized the autographed item. They chatted and allowed some photos to be taken. This was all wonderful. The problem lies in the lengthy lines and the lack of con  attendee knowledge as to when the signings would occur. First you had to wait in line to purchase a Peace item. (Adrian would only sign Peace items.) Then you had to wait in line again to
receive an autograph. Many people waited on line for as long as three hours causing them to miss a large part of the other scheduled events. I realize the decision to stand and wait is up to the individual. (Most seemed pleased to do so.) But, I do feel the timing was horrible. Adrian's signing coincided with Stan's and Elizabeth's Q&A, this left you with the difficult choice of deciding on which you should miss. (I opted to miss the signing.) I realize no matter what you do, someone will be unhappy with the way things are run. I also hate to criticize and offer no solution.

So may I offer this humble suggestion? When announcing a con, make a statement that the autograph sessions will be by ticket number. The autograph seeker will be given an allotted time with the guest. (Such as two minutes.) This would give the con representatives a viable timetable to present to the con goers. The first day of signing, ticket holders 1 through 30 would fill the first hour time slot and so on. Only the first 30 would be allowed on line. If the signing takes place at 11:00, ticket holders 31 through 60 would know to line up at 12:00. This would take some of the burden off the security personal and allow the higher number ticket holders to attend the other events. This in no way is a perfect solution, but it may make life a little easier all around. (Plus, being able to see the guest of honor makes a world of difference.)

The Peace Table:

Wolf 359
The ladies at the Peace table were wonderful, I asked many questions, and I must admit. It really wasn't for the answers. It was to hear those lovely accents. They were warm, friendly and very helpful. I enjoyed their company further at my first Peace meeting. It was a riot, especially when a gentlemen arrived. It wasn't long before he fled due to all the discussions pertaining to Adrian's beauty.

The Gathering
Once again I have to say how wonderful these ladies were. Extremely sweet, courteous and so helpful. Bless them, it can't be easy.

Dealers Tables:

Wolf 359
Wolf had lots of tables but very little in the way of Highlander items. (All I can say is: Movie, movie, and movie!) I hope Highlander End Game produces a ton of new items.

The Gathering
Not as many tables, but some tables had wonderful items. Two tables in particular cost me the kitchen sink. I was never so happy to spend my husbands hard earned money in my life. (I think this was a plus. <G>)


I guess this is where I'll stop, after all, you can't compare the guests. All the guests are always wonderful. They're one of the main reasons we attend cons.
With two cons attended and thoroughly enjoyed, I can state the best reason for cons are the old friends you get to see and the new friends you get to meet.
Thank goodness people like Bryan and Krystmas are willing to run these mind boggling events, and thank you Highlander the series for opening up a New World of friends and intelligent entertainment. Last but not least, a big thank you to all the Highlander actors for bringing us the characters we've come to love.

Jinny aka [email protected]