Okay, here's the deal. I'm very concerned about Jumpcon. I'm just going to share what I know.
I do believe it is a great idea and that the people putting it on really want to make the events awesome and successful. But I don't see that happening.
The implosion of FedConUSA today is a prime example of how hard it to start a new con. Jumpcon isn't just putting on one event. They are are doing 40+ this year.
You can check out their
website June 16th edit: Comment from
AltoTrek, who is a volunteer and not a paid employee. Also, there are no sockpuppets. I'll start with some posts from their forum. I love a good sense of humor and have no trouble with com runners joking around but it just rather unprofessional at this level.
Can tickets be purchased at the door? - Yes, no, maybe? Someone asks about buying tickets to the celebrity meals - The "comptessaofcontempt" is nice enough to post from her "Yacht". I note there are 8 seats available at each meal.
comptessaofcontempt can't " understand all the confusion about table seating, and, the Emperor has, as always, explained well." comptessaofcontempt has returned and it is very bright purple and
is thrilled to be going to Michigan and answers another meal ticket
question in capslock purple. I spotted something in there about an etiquite book but trying to read the text made my eyes hurt
The above mostly just falls under silly and would not really concern me. However, there is a lot more that does.
Logistical questions about the schedule are asked. comptessaofcontempt thinks everyone is getting too worked up. they are selling candles made by 'disabled people' - I love helping charity but the specifics are vague to the point of head scratching here.
The following I will quote entirely in addition to linking to.
http://jumpcon.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=368 JumpCon.com BBS Forum Index » Questions » A question about your history
A question about your history « View previous topic :: View next topic »
Author Message
Oona
PostPosted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:26 am Post subject: A question about your history
I just found out about you yesterday and am very excited to see all of the venues you have planned and how very organized it all has been set up.
As a Sci Fi fan I know that a good quality con is worth every penny. I have also been to less than stellar cons where you walk away dissapointed that what you paid for is not what you get.
I see jumpcon as very impressive in the guests booked, the packages available, the quality prices and the general origanzation of the advanced bookings of the venues.
From past experience I always make sure to ask about previous background before signing up to a new con because of the problems mentioned above.
I am very interested in purchasing packages for several of the planned venues but before I do that I'd like to ask about the history of Jumpcon, I could not find any information on the home page.
As with any purchase that calls for a substancial ammount of money I would like to make sure that I am booking with a professional establishment with a bit of background in the con industry.
Thank you,
Oona
Emperor
PostPosted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 12:12 pm Post subject: Our History Reply with quote
Very very simply -
Event Planner - 35 years of Experience from India to Dubai
Photographers - 25 years of bands and celebrity photo taking
Photo-Printers- 20 Years out of Vegas - Their other clients include Disney and Harrah's
Guest Booking Agent - 32 years in the Sci-Con industry
Myself - 18 Years in the travel industry
Other members of our staff that are waiting to come on board are from the hospitality industry or have other Sci-Con Experience
SO with these credentials I believe and a lot of others do also, that we are more than able to put on any type of event with the quality that is deserved for the amount of money spent.
AltoTrek
PostPosted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:38 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
Site Admin
I would like to add two cents if I may. I came to know the Emperor through the same questions Oona raises here. Just like you, I was hesitant to part with the money for an Emperor's Club ticket (or even my credit card info) before knowing something about the organization. It would be easy for an unscrupulous person or group to set up a website to take money and then mysteriously disappear before delivering the goods. Since then, I have come to be not just a friend but a loyal minion of the Emperor and his "Dark Side". I have contacted some of the talent he's booked and it's all quite legit.
Our glorious Emperor apparently became bored in the travel agent business and decided to pull together a dream-team of organizers, planners, and well, the pros of cons so to speak to celebrate his passion for sci-fi. You can contact the hotels if you'd like, email the talent, check out the forum to see how many people are planning to join us. This is only a con in the most positive form of the word! It only looks too good to be true, but it's not!
I too have been disappointed by cons that promise certain things and end up disappointing you without a refund. The only thing that might put a wrench in the works would be if something happened to our dear Emperor so I pray for his health and safety daily. LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR! He's working very hard.
Oddly, someone else later has similar concerns.
http://jumpcon.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1088&highlight=#1088 Ambereliz
PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: Jumpcon future - need reasurance *g* Reply with quote
I have seen it posted on a couple of message boards and lists that people are starting rumors how it is impossible for that many guests to be invited and a convention to still even stay in business. This is the latest I received in a Google alert yesterday Shocked
"If this convention actually happens, I'm planning on being there, and
wouldn't mind sharing a hotel room.
I am, however, of the opinion that unless he has really deep pockets,
he's not going to make it this far into his roster of cons. To the
best of my knowledge Jumpcon is owned and run by a guy named
Shane Senter. His My Space page is interesting, but not exactly
reassuring:
http://www.myspace.com/cwtnh I know what he's offered the guests as appearance fees, and I've
crunched a few numbers, and I just don't see how he will be able to
break even let alone turn a profit."
Now I am not saying I believe any of this but it would be reassuring if someone in the know (the Emperor of the dark side?!) posted and let us know that all is well
AltoTrek
PostPosted: Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
Site Admin
Dear Ambereliz:
Your concerns are certainly not new as I direct your attention to a previous post here:
http://jumpcon.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=368 where the Emperor expounded a little on his background and we minions tossed in our two credits worth on his behalf. As the launch date for JumpCon draws near, the Emperor is EXTREMELY busy sewing up all the little details that go into making such an undertaking a success. He is aware of your concern and sends you his regards.
Any time an upstart company appears on a scene such as this, naturally there will be doubts about its validity, its sincerity, and of course its resources. Therefore it relies on fans like you to spread the word to other like-minded fans, as well as the traditional marketing methods, such as mailing, television commercials, and Internet banner ads. All of which you will be seeing shortly if you haven't already. Nevertheless, the response received to date, even with a limited marketing roll-out so far has been nothing short of phenomenal. Everyone, from fans to celebrities to the JumpCon staff is very excited about the launch this coming summer. What started as a low rumble is building to a roar and tells us that the industry has been waiting for something like this for a long long time. Yes, it's ambitious, yes, it's unprecedented, and as such is bound to have doubters
Also rest assured that the future of JumpCon is in very good hands, as our beloved Emperor has created several highly successful (and profitable) business ventures in his storied career. He is no fool and you needn't be concerned about the depth of his pockets. The guests are signed (and still signing!), the venues are booked, the fans are coming. Just sit back and enjoy the ride that is and shall be: JUMPCON!
_________________
"This thing you call language, though--most remarkable. You depend on it for so very much, but is any one of you really its master?" -Leonard Nimoy as Kollos
comptessaofcontempt
PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:29 pm Post subject: [color=violet]JumpCon Future[/color]
Dahlings....
Am I hearing rumblings of....insecurity????
Please rest assured that the Emperor, though STILL recovering from the nasty winter, (I even told him to join me in warmer climes!), is doing a wonderful job of overseeing the Kingdom...er, Darkside!
I would like to address the subject of the constituency's speculation of the stability of the coffers. It is very bad manners to inquire of these matters, that is a UNIVERSAL civility point. You will be learning of these things in our upcoming "Rules of the Kingdom" release (June, 2008).
It is my humble opinion (and those of you who know me know, there is LITTLE that is humble about me!) that you are all buying into the MEDIA circus of recession....don't you realize here on your planet that you all BELIEVE what you are told...so the Universe just gives you a great big bag of what you BELIEVE...so if you believe you will not prosper, you will not....if you believe you will succeed and enjoy, you WILL!!!!
Your media is controlling you, what once was science fiction is, indeed, now fact.
I enjoin you to worry not about how things progress here, and to pay attention to your selves, your positive ions and energies...control yourselves to control your reality!
If you are attending JumpCon in one of your earthly locations, congratulations, if you have yet to commit, please remember to do so now for we will be making great strides in the next two weeks in the endeavor of solidifying your Kingdom! Those of you who KNOW are groundbreaking spirits and those of you who need to know may be left behind!
In universal prosperity,
Comptessa
Emperor
PostPosted: Sat May 03, 2008 7:55 pm Post subject: opinions
Just getting tired of repeating ourselves
keith
PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:21 pm Post subject: Re: opinions
I just found out about Jumpcon and figured I'd come here to check it out. It will be nice to finally get a con other than Wizard World here in Chicago. I have read through the concerns of some of the posters here as I had some of the same ones. I read the credentials of the Event Planner, Photographers, Booking Agent, etc and it seems they all have some very deep background and professionalism in the industry. However, from reading the replies to some of the messages on the forums and the organizer referring to himself as "The Emperor" it all comes off as a little childish and unprofessional. This is a brand new convention and your replies here actually make people want to run the other way. If someone asks a question, just answer it or point the person to where it was answered before. Silly replies and "Just getting tired of repeating ourselves" are uncalled for and unprofessional.
AltoTrek
PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject:
Thanks for your input Keith. This is the purpose of having the forum, to hear fans' opinions and reply to them. It's true that some of our higher members might come off as a little "imperial" as is the case with the Emperor or "contemptuous" as with our lovely Comptessa of Contempt, and it's truly unfortunate if some folks misinterpret this and "run the other way" as you put it. It's kind of like having a stable full of frisky race horses who at present are hitched to a plow in the field. They are doing the mundane set up work, dealing with those devilish details, dealing with fickle celebrities or their unpredictable agents. Once the events begin I am sure you'll see our highly capable staff charge from the gate and accomplish what most of us know them to be capable of. I think you'll also find that these personas are a bit tongue-in-cheek.
Plus I think if you notice, the questions above were addressed to the poster's satisfaction and she's happily spreading the good word for us. We've also noticed that not everyone is "run(ning) the other way" since we're selling tickets at a furious rate. We don't take that for granted, however and are supremely grateful to all the fans who've taken a chance on a fledgling organization and assure them they'll be rewarded when they attend an event unlike any they ever have. I hope that includes you Keith, you sound like an intelligent and discerning individual. Not to mention fans of sci-fi and anime need each other and this will be a great venue to hang out. Feel free to drop by any time and don't hesitate to make suggestions or ask questions and we'll do our best to get satisfactory answers for you. Just remember, much will be revealed once the events start...and check out or new podcast (link posted in forum)!
Jumpcon had an event scheduled for Hampton, Va. Tickets weren't selling well so they elected to move it to Atlanta.
http://jumpcon.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=1662&highlight=#1662 Emperor
PostPosted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 2:00 am Post subject: The Move to Atlanta
After my recent visit to Atlanta on a site inspection and the wonderful and down home feeling I got from the Sheraton property and the welcome by the city for the JumpCon Experience I had no choice but to move around the schedule and move this event to The Sheraton Downtown Atlanta
We will refund you if you do not want to wait for the NKY event that we are scheduling for a few weeks later we are working on getting the schedule of the same guests for this time period and for our Emperors Club and higher tickets that have been sold already for this event look for an email fromt he sales department in regards to a special offer to join us in Atlanta
I live in Atlanta and we sure are...welcoming. :) The date of this event? The weekend of September 5th. Yes, the weekend after
Dragoncon and at one of the con hotels at that. Well, maybe there will be a few hungover exhausted stragglers left to attend. I'm always thrilled to see another con here but I'm thinking this is not best time they could have selected.
http://jumpcon.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=579 Yet another ticket question
ursulaandolive
PostPosted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:46 pm Post subject: Yet another ticket question
Hello,
I purchased my tickets for the Boston con last month. I signed up for all our meals, but notice that when you look on the ticket purchasing page the guest meals they still say 10 available. Example - I have 2 tickets for dinner on Friday night with Adrian Paul, but when I look at what is still available for purchase it says 10 left. Shouldn't it say 8 to reflect the 2 I have reserved? How does that work?
Thanks!
comptessaofcontempt
PostPosted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:11 pm Post subject: [color=violet]MEAL TICKET INFORMATION[/color] Reply with quote
Good Morning Dahlings!
Sorry the reflection has not yet occurred in the "store". All of the meal tickets are adjusted as your method of payment confirms and will be entered today or tomorrow! Integration with our accounting software is handled directly from JumpCon World Headquarters and is entered by our trusted staff as clearance is provided. You should see the table availability reduced by early this week!
Don't fear, you are secure!
Best regards,
The Comptessa
Well, that's interesting. I went and checked that in their
web store. It was adjusted as it now says their are 20 tickets for dinner with Adrian Paul Friday night in Boston Hope Adrian is very hungry.
At least all of the meals with Jamie Bamber only have 8 tickets left. - if someone has purchased a ticket, the website has not been updated to reflect that.
http://jumpcon.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=834 Some questions
Author Message
greycoupon
PostPosted: Tue May 27, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject: Some questions
I have a few questions and a suggestion.
1. Question/Suggestion - How can I tell when guests have been added and what cities they will be appearing at? Right now you have to review each convention page to look for changes or check the message boards here for every city. That's rather cumbersome. Can I suggest you add a message on the 'news' page when a guest is added and include which cons they will be at?
2. The 'dinner with' with the various guests. How long will they be sitting at your table? The entire meal? I just was worried it might be for 5-10 minutes (ala Creation cons)
3. Is seating at the panels assigned?
4. I have read some of the previous threads on this subject but I was wondering what cons you and your staff have worked on before?
5. How long before each con will a schedule be posted?
Thanks for your time. The concept here is neat and I am looking forwarding to attending one or two cons this summer.
AltoTrek
PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject: Reply with quote
I am told the celebrities will be present throughout the meals. Schedules will be solidified within the last few weeks before the event.
I found that less than helpful.
I'm not the only one with concerns. con-news.com has published a few articles about this. The Emporer's (aka Shane Senter)
myspace page I'll go ahead and quote the 'companies' he has listed ver batem.
Shane Emperor of the Darkside's Companies
QLI
Plaistow, NH US
owner
all
NHGTA
Milford, NH US
Manager
Travel
www.nhgeneral.com
Bassetts Tours
Haverhill, Massachusetts US
Agent
Travel
June 1988
Malmberg Travel Group
Boston, Massachusetts US
Agent
Travel
Wendy International
Haverhill, Massachusetts US
Manager
Store
Summervilles
Riggins, Idaho US
Kitchen Staff
Food
Travel Connection
Plaistow, NH US
Owner/Manager
Travel
July 1999
Prestige Travel Connection
Plaistow, NH US
Owner/Manager
Travel
August 2000
JumpCon
Milford, NH US
Manager
Conventions
April 2006
Airport Connection
Plaistow, NH US
Driver
Limo's
unknown
From his about me blurb
Shane has had many business ventures over the years in the travel and entertainment industries, so he has a lot of experience under his belt. JumpCon is his current project and is being run to his perfectionist standards. His own grand flair of taste and style will be shown to each person at the event. They will be treated as honored guests with each person given the amenities they deserve. His way of doing things is out of this world, giving the customer more then they would have ever expected. That is what you will experience when you attend any of his events.
The writing in third person is a nice touch.
Here's one interesting rumor about where the funding for all this comes from. But wait.
Jumpcon has been looking for investors... and has 1 million dollars capital and 12 full time employees Shane Senter's real estate venture also looking for funding Doctor Who: Podshock interviewed
Shane on March 2nd. He explains his Jumpcon plans and makes some dubious claims.
And
Jumpcon has some guests listed on the website at several cons when they haven't confirmed that with the guest in question. As I said at the start, I think this is a cool concept and I am sure Shane Senter whomever else are on staff want this to be a great. But this is just way to ambitious for a start up with a lack of history. I do have tickets to the Boston event which I still may be trying to attend. I just would not feel comfortable giving this company any of my money until I have seen some of the events come off successfully. I would love to be wrong. Getting to meet Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell would be so cool. I just wanted to share all this as I know many fans are planning on attending.