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| RingCon in a nutshell: the best-organized and most entertaining convention I've ever been to. A highly professional event with a (mostly) well-behaved audience, friendly staff, a great variety of enter- and infotainment, interesting, approachable guests, held at a fantastic venue, and despite the 3000 people attending, there was a friendly, familiar atmosphere. I loved every second.
For those among you who are used to the conventions in the United States and the UK: RingCon doesn't only offer guest panels, autograph- and photo sessions and the mandatory auction, costume contest and art show. There were two live bands, Hobbit and Elf dance workshops, chainmail jewellery workshops, game sessions and lectures on just about everything Tolkien-related. From "Elven writing" to "Sex in Middle Earth", "Language and culture of the Rohirrim" to "Naming among Hobbits" and "Lord of the Rings, politically correct" to "Racism in Tolkien's works?". There were the two genies from WETA who transformed two fans live into Orcs. All this included in the ticket price, mind you. No extra fees for lectures or bands. We were literally running from one panel to the other, trying to catch some workshops and lectures in the process and not missing out on too much. In other words: more entertainment than you could possibly manage in three days. Even those hardcore Tolkien fans who bemoaned the presence of the actors and movie fans could have found a gazillion of other things to do during the panels. If all else failed, there was still the swimming pool or the bar. It really was a trip to Middle Earth – never before have I seen such a plethora of breathtaking costumes, crafted with skill and love, and though the one or other Elven maid ruined the effect by wearing heavy boots and rucksack with her robe (ouch eek ouch!), the overall impression was "wow". Elves (a lot of them), Dwarves, Hobbits, Orcs, Gondorians, Ents, Wizards, Nazgûl, Easterlings – I wish I had five pairs of eyes to see everything. My favourites, however, were the girl dressed up as "Grimá Wormtongue" and the clever lad who did a stunning "Peter Jackson" – those two were truly original spirits. At the risk of repeating myself: RingCon was a wonderful event. So I'm sure you can imagine my confusion upon reading quite a few negative comments posted after the events by a variety of visitors. Yes, some things went wrong, and every professional promoter worth his or her salt will be grateful for constructive criticism – you learn, you improve, and you will try to avoid repeating the mistakes next time. No event of this size could happen without some goofs, RingCon was no exception. There were staff members who felt compelled to chat all through a panel or natter away on the mobile. There were those who tried to get autographs where others didn't. There was queuing. And the costume contest debacle. But all in all, the organization was highly professional, and I know what I'm talking about here. I worked for many years for a concert agency; we were responsible for festivals with thousands of visitors, and I am well aware how much work goes into the planning and execution of such an event (and know about the costs, too). Comparing RingCon to other conventions, all I can say is: my compliments. The complaints voiced are just another example of the shift of values in our society. Take, take, take. More, more, more. Mine, mine, mine. People demand everything, and for free. Some even think that the actors are included in the fee. Autographs It is true: not all of the 3000 visitors got an autograph from John Rhys Davies. The reason is a simple one: he actually talked to those who came to have a picture signed, asked them their names, where they came from, what they did in life. He was genuinely interested in those who came to see him, and while I do understand the disappointment of those who didn't get an autograph, I have to ask you: what is an autograph for you? A signature on a picture which you will later sell on ebay? Just another piece for the collection? Or a memory of a special moment where you met a special person? For me, it's the later, and for John Rhys Davies obviously, too. Is a name, carelessly scribbled on a photo by somebody who doesn't even look at your face really all you want from a convention? "Rip-off! Rip-off! It's all so expensive!" Let me sum this up: John Rhys Davies, Craig Parker, Mark Ferguson, Bruce Hopkins, John Leigh, Lawrence Makoare, Sala Baker, Nathaniel Lees, Jørn Benzon, two bands, workshops, lectures and the two WETA genies for about $35 a day. $35. A Rolling Stones concert costs you $100 or more. It takes some guts to complain about this price. The stay at the "Maritim" hotel is expensive - it's a 5 star hotel. Five star hotels are not cheap. And comparing the normal rates of the "Maritim" to the prices you pay during the convention, one can reckon that the promoters get their share of the rates. But nobody is forced to stay at the Maritim. There are other hotels, and as for the (agreed) high food and drink prices: "bring your own." "RingCon make a lot of money on our expense!" RingCon is a business, and a business wants to make money, not lose it. Don't hold this against the promoters. They are not here to entertain you for a smile and a thank you, especially as both items are rare enough, anyway. Same goes for the dealers and their merchandise - we are all free to decide whether we want to buy a product or not. You don't have to buy the exquisite Elrond tea-pot warmer. "Those greedy wannabe-celebs!" Welcome to reality, dear friends. I strongly advise you never to attend a convention in the UK where you are kindly asked to pay £ 20 or more for one autograph. And let me introduce you to the concept of the "signer contract": this means that food and accommodation for the guest is provided, but no fee is paid. The only money he or she can make is by selling autographs. You might think that being an extra on "Lord of the Rings" makes you automatically a millionaire, but sadly enough, this is not the case. For all I know, they don't even get anything for the Decipher cards with their faces on (a rotten trout to whoever is responsible for this. THAT is greed, my dears.) Even extras or "minor characters" have to make a living, and as far as I can tell, neither Sala Baker nor Jørn Benzon nor any other guest kept anybody at gunpoint and forced them to buy autographs. If I should be wrong here and you were forced to get Sauron's autograph while Rúmil threatened you with a loaded arrow, keep us posted. "The actors were acting!" It can't have come as a big surprise. It's what actors do. What did you expect? French can-can? Oh, wait a moment – Bruce Hopkins did that. So Craig Parker and Mark Ferguson were not serious enough? Thanks god for this! The two were funny, crazy and just the thing the majority of the audience wanted. For crying out loud – lighten up, folks! Agreed, humour does travel badly at times, and what gets people howling in Wellington might not be as funny in Bonn but hey – the guests certainly showed the audience more respect than certain parts of the audience showed them in return. Young Master Parker especially had more patience with some of his fans than they deserved. He was ironic with the woman who felt compelled to criticize his weight? Great! My compliments! If I had been in his place, I would have tarred and feathered her personally. Yes, I rolled my eyes too over the hormone brigade, but this was really completely harmless compared to other conventions. Nobody asked "boxers or briefs" – Marc B. Lee, the excellent MC of the event, made it crystal clear that such naffness would not be tolerated (could somebody book the man for a Stargate convention, please?) People are different – c'est la vie. Is it really asking too much to show some tolerance? A panel at a convention is not a lecture at university. There were plenty enough alternatives for those who were not interested in the panels. "The actors were not socializing!" "Fun" is something you have to find in yourself, it will not be delivered by the local pizza boy, and it's not included in the ticket fee, either. Nor are the actors. At most other conventions, the "stars" are kept behind locked doors. Either for security reasons or, at certain fan-run events, because the organizers don't want to share the preciousss guests. Show me another event of this size where you meet the actors at the bar or see them on the dance floor. They were in the main hall. They were in the dealer's room. They were everywhere. All of the guest were, as far as I could see, very generous with their time and attention, friendly and warm towards the fans. What more could they have done? Have a private, intimate dinner - with 3000 people? "They ruin our con!" Is it possible that those who attended the first RingCon felt that "their" convention had been taken away from them? Felt overwhelmed by all those "greenhorns", threatened by fans who were "only" interested in the movies but haven't read Tolkien's work so far? I could understand it – but why not see the positive in it? Meeting new people is a wonderful thing; you can broaden your horizon, make new friends – and conventions are about people, not about merchandise and autographs. And if I may add: I find it hard to take seriously a "real" Tolkien fan who boasts that she hasn't seen the "crappy movies" and has no intention of doing so, moans about the presence of the actors who "ruin" the convention, all this while wearing – yes, you guessed it – a dress which looked suspiciously like Arwen's. The one Arwen wore in THE MOVIE. Meh. "Staff, thou evil fiend!" There is a rotten egg in every basket. Yes, there were folks among the staff who were obviously more interested in sneaking behind the stage or getting a dozen pictures signed than doing their job. So what? The vast majority of them worked all weekend, despite having paid for their tickets, just like you and me. Sometimes, a friendly word and a smile can go a long way. Have we already booked our tickets for next year? You bet. Eleven months of eager anticipation are ahead of us. And the Fellowship of the sourly Grumblers, I'm absolutely sure about this, has already booked their tickets, too. They love to suffer. |
| If not, you better do so now! |
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| RING CON 2003 |
| 14.-16.11.2003 Bonn/Germany Hotel Maritim |
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| Have you already booked your tickets? |
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| Not all who wander are lost. Only a few. The Ed. about one of the finest conventions. |
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| (c) Mäkka/Pink Khaki 2004 |
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