Fanfest Las Vegas 2018: Merchandise Considerations and Feedback

[NarikoStar]

Dear Community Team and Event Planners,

With the recent announcement of Encyclopedia Eorzea II debuting at NA Fanfest, I would like to know if there will be an exclusive merchandise pre-purchases for NA Fanfest ticket holders?

And if there are not currently plans in place, I highly suggest a pre-order system of sorts be taken into consideration to avoid past pitfalls and make this year's Fanfest experience a better one.


As many may remember, 2016's merchandising line was quite the experience and the Encyclopedia debute being the main driving force of that (this also was the first item to sell out). As the second edition is debuting here again this time around I believe we will see a similar outcome if not a higher demand.

While the other regional fanfests that came after learned from mistakes of the first, the EU adaptation was very straight forward, and would be very beneficial to those of us attending in Vegas. Seen here. And here.

Based off the high demand and quick sell out of NA 2018 Fan Fest event ticket sales, it would be common to see attendees buying or purchasing items for their fellow FC mates or friends who were not able to be in attendance. This system, in addition, would help to gauge specific item demand and avoid sending incorrect inventory to the event. Of course, if specific items have limited quantities a maximum purchase of certain items could always be put in place.


Additionally, during 2016, one of the other issues that arose with the merchandise line was fire code and public safety due to the line size and people congregated within one place (specifically the massive line of people against the back wall in the Paris which blocked the emergency fire exits due to the line wrapping multiple times in that area). For convention attendees the last thing we'd like to see is the whole event shut down.

I'd like to suggest if pre-orders for merchandise is conducted, adapting what was sort of done in 2014 and what was the band-aid fix day 2 for 2016 for pre-purchased merchandise pick up. For those un-aware 2014 VIP ticket holders were able to enter the event room 1 hour prior to regular attendees. Merchandise line was open at this time and this helped ease flow of people at one point in time.

If a pre-purchase merchandise sale is conducted prior to the event then having a pick up time issued to each pre-purchase order at a later time, but prior to event weekend would ease traffic flow tremendously. Further more, having separate lines for 'pre-purchase pick up' and 'on-site sales' will ensure line flow is more regulated.

That way when doors open you do not have a influx flow or massive congregation of pre-purchases attempting to all pick up their items at once.


In closing, as it has been stated here,

We made more tickets available this year than ever before

and as many of the community has experienced first hand when trying to obtain tickets, the demand and attendee size is greater than ever before. This year the process and flow for obtaining merchandise needs to be addressed, handled, and supervised more than ever to ensure a favorable and pleasant experience for adventurers and attendees alike. Thank you for reading!



Edit:
Edited wording to be a little more clear. I do not think time slots as others have stated is an acceptable solution by itself or an alternative fix. But I do believe it would prevent a vast majority of attendees who all pre-purchased attempting to pick up their items at one time (ex: the approximate 1 hour prior to keynote or 1 hour prior to convention doors shut down.) I simply see it as a solution so everyone is not present in line at once trying to pick up their pre-purchase orders causing confusion for on site sales or having another public safety issue occur with the fire marshal.

[Itara]

I agree completely! But why not expand it to all the merch in the store? The people attending Fan Fest already had enough to go through to get the tickets, let them pre-order what they want and just pick it up the day of the festival! That way we don't have to worry about running out of anything and no one feels like they missed out on anything.

[Wolftamer]

Listen to this SE! You lost at least 3 potential tickets from my family because of the lack of information on improving the Merchandise line. We went 2016 and refuse to spend that money again to just wait in line half of the convention.

[Kalinas]

I was actually popping in to see if anyone had brought up the merch line savage from the last fanfest and glad to see such a well thought out post. I sincerely hope that event organizers pay attention. I know I was one of the ones let down by the selling out of the first book at fanfest and wasn't told until I got to the front of the line hours later. Not too mention Koji saying to buy it in his panel, but it being sold out...such salt levels were had that day. There are so many other things I'd rather do at fanfest than wait in a line for no reason. Please, please let us pre-order things like EU fanfest did.

[Lhasya]

Yes, please! I want to go to fanfest to meet friends, not sit in line.

[Vastyne]

It looks like the EU updated site includes preordered purchases in their FAQ. It shouldn't be hard for the NA Fanfest to do the same thing especially given the demand for tickets this year and the fact they are debuting the second lore book at the event. I don't think those tickets they gave out in 2016 for coming back at a later time will work well this time unless everyone gets a ticket for a timeslot in their goodie bag or something.

[Wolftamer]

It looks like the EU updated site includes preordered purchases in their FAQ. It shouldn't be hard for the NA Fanfest to do the same thing especially given the demand for tickets this year and the fact they are debuting the second lore book at the event. I don't think those tickets they gave out in 2016 for coming back at a later time will work well this time unless everyone gets a ticket for a timeslot in their goodie bag or something.

If they don't guarantee 100% stock of every item (and size) for every attendee then the timeslot tickets are still very crappy. Take two years ago. I spent between the two days a total of about 16 hours in lines related to Merchandise and by the time I got to the booth they were out of 90% of the stuff I wanted. That was literally hundreds of dollars I wanted to give SE that instead went to the blackjack tables. It also ruined my Fan Fest spending so much time in line, missing a lot, and walking away with practically nothing. It's the reason I didn't even bother with this year's ticket fiasco because they didn't announce any pre-sale before hand. I refuse to give SE my money for another Merchandise Line Savage.

[Avenger]

It was my understanding that after the horrible Merch Line Savage disaster of NA FanFest 2016 (including 5+ 16 hour waits (see above) wasting time during the actual FanFest, hundreds of people cutting in line, a failed ticket system where they gave out (and ran out of) all tickets hours before the appointed time, being sold out of lore books - and almost everything else - on the first day, closing merch purchases the second day, and everything else that went horribly wrong) they figured out that a preorder system was a much better idea, and switched to a preorder system for subsequent FanFests.

But now I'm worried, because apparently the FanFests are organized by the local community teams rather than the mother ship, and the NA FanFest might not be guaranteed to be run as well as the others apparently are - certainly ticketing was a mess as demand was vastly underestimated, ShowClix melted down, and the code system did not operate properly, resulting in a great deal of unhappiness and disappointment.

Could someone from SE/Community Team confirm officially that there will be a MERCHANDISE PREORDER SYSTEM for the 2018 NA FanFest (and presumably the others as well) and that it will apply not just to the new lore book but to all items?

Given that the euro FanFest has merch preorders, the awful disaster of non-preorders demonstrated in 2016, and the fact that a new lore book is being rolled out, it would be insane and horrible to not have merchandise preorders for the Las Vegas FanFest 2018, so I really, really hope they will be happening!!

(But given the ticketing disaster, there are no guarantees....)

[Avenger]

If they don't guarantee 100% stock of every item (and size) for every attendee then the timeslot tickets are still very crappy. Take two years ago. I spent between the two days a total of about 16 hours in lines related to Merchandise and by the time I got to the booth they were out of 90% of the stuff I wanted. That was literally hundreds of dollars I wanted to give SE that instead went to the blackjack tables. It also ruined my Fan Fest spending so much time in line, missing a lot, and walking away with practically nothing. It's the reason I didn't even bother with this year's ticket fiasco because they didn't announce any pre-sale before hand. I refuse to give SE my money for another Merchandise Line Savage.

Wow, this is shocking and completely unacceptable - even worse than I thought it was.

Time slots really do not work.

Preorders are the only way.

[ExKage]

The purpose for this forum category is for players to discuss the upcoming FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2018 in Las Vegas with other players.

I hope that this does not mean that they just opened up the forums and walked away. Otherwise I may revive the other General Discussion threads about the topic.

I want to open up with slight disappointment that the NA FanFest site already seems more bare-boned in comparison to the EU's FanFest site. Going along with the theme of wanting to avoid Merchandise Line Con, EU FanFest's FAQ page already mentions that they will open up merchandise pre-orders.

WHAT WILL I BE ABLE TO BUY AT FINAL FANTASY XIV FAN FESTIVAL?
A wide range of FFXIV merchandise will be available at the venue. You will also be able to pre-purchase items (pending availability) and save time on queuing on the days of the event.
We will publicly post the merchandise page at a later date.

As one of those who lined up immediately on Day 1 of 2016 Las Vegas FanFest I had huge regrets that I had listened to the staff who suggested to sit down for the Keynote. Isn't that strange? Shouldn't I actually -enjoy- the Keynote? Yes, I should have. I regretted it because the merchandise line was mismanaged and people continued to fill it. I regretted it because I am absolutely the same type that will do whatever is possible to line up to do my very best to get that Lore Book. There was even a line to get into the line. I was in a section where the line didn't exist but we had already stood in line for over four (4) hours before we were told. I can attest to the absolute stubbornness that having been there for that long and then being told such a thing, it doesn't fly. People were lined up at the hall at 10pm of the first day so that they could get into the merchandise line for the second day.


With the announcement of Encyclopaedia Eorzea II, I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would do the same thing. I can also tell you with absolute certainty that I would -really prefer not to have to do it-. I want to enjoy the Keynote. I want to enjoy the panels. I want to enjoy the little games. I wanted to take a picture on the Fat Chocobo. Please, please. I want to enjoy the event and get the wonderful merchandise (LORE BOOK!!!!!) both. If you make me pick, I will pick the line and that really really sucks.


The simplest way to ensure that? Follow the EU 2017 FanFest Merchandise protocols (and as it appears, the 2019 one). Pre-order site.