So get this. I'm doing this convention in Vancouver this weekend and i had my 3 pallets of comics shipped. It arrives and because the Vancouver Convention Center is unionized, they refuse to let me or my shippers move it 50 feet from the loading dock to my booth!! They have to do it..... for a small measly sum of $1800!!!! effing thieves.
I can totally see how unions and the mafia are so closely linked.
So it took them 10 minutes to move my 3 pallets which works out roughly to $10,800 an hour. I should have just stayed home and gotten hookers and blow.
Oh yeah, and no where did it say or did I receive an email or notice about this charge beforehand.
Welcome to Vancouver. I believe the convention center is a teamster locale, tied to the docks. Which by most accounts is pretty much organized crime. We see the same thing with the teamsters (drivers) on sets. That driver has to physically touch whatever it is you came to pick up or drop even if you walk right up to the person you want to deal with. Union rules.
I told my workers to do that. They threatened a lawsuit against us or the volunteers that are there to help us.
I'm not a lawyer but that sounds like a bull#### bluff to me. How can they force you, the owner of the comic books, to hire them to move your own property, if you are willing to do the labour yourself.
Any lawyers on here?
P.S. Does this mean you will have to fork out another $1800 to move the stuff back to the loading dock? I'd get some legal advice on this if I were you.
i deal with trade show logistics and you should check your exhbitor contract agreement, it will be in there.
if its not, i dont know on what grounds they could sue you but im no lawyer.
ps .. make sure you get your stuff out of the show floor before the cutoff or you will be facing another large fee. and if you dont ship it within a defined period, they will use their own house shipping firm and it will be very expensive for you.
again, all this will be in yuor agreement and if its not, call the show organizers.
if they arent capable of acting professional and taking care of their client (you) then I would reconsider your investment in this particular show for next season.
He hasn't seemed to realize that he'll have to pay another $1800 when he leaves.
Maybe I won't mention it.....
Blah stupid plane got delayed and by the time i got in the convention was closed.
The plan all along was to rent 2 mini vans and bring my stuff to the shippers to pack up on Monday so leaving isn't a problem.
Yeah so if i come and bring my stuff in a big ass uhaul there is not charge...
i deal with trade show logistics and you should check your exhbitor contract agreement, it will be in there.
if its not, i dont know on what grounds they could sue you but im no lawyer.
ps .. make sure you get your stuff out of the show floor before the cutoff or you will be facing another large fee. and if you dont ship it within a defined period, they will use their own house shipping firm and it will be very expensive for you.
again, all this will be in yuor agreement and if its not, call the show organizers.
if they arent capable of acting professional and taking care of their client (you) then I would reconsider your investment in this particular show for next season.
Oh it's in the contract, in very small print. the thing is I never received a copy of that contract. I paid for my booths in person at the Vancouver comic expo in April. I filled whatever paper work they had at the time and got a receipt but never got their package at that time because it wasn't ready.
Oh i plan on never doing this show again, no matter if i sell $25 or $30k this weekend. It's a total dog and pony show.
We can rag on Edmonton all we want because it is a hell hole,but they sure know how to run an Anime convention.
wow what a weekend. Ended up paying $1000 to the Vancouver mafia for their 8 minutes of hard work! The Anime show was a disaster. Organizers didn't know crap all. This was my first comic or anime convention where i didn't make any money!!!
I feel so sorry for those poor poor vancouver people. They are such cheap asses but i guess when 90% of your income goes towards your rent or mortgage, you will have nothing left over to spend. I have never seen such a sad group of people. No disposable income at all.
And then moving out I decided not to get raped by the union again so i rented minivans to cart my stuff off to my shippers on the outskirst of Richmond. Budget gave me a flipping Ford Flex! that is not an effing minivan! I had to make 2 trips to my shippers and i had to hide all my panel shelving and 15 boxes of comics in their bushes until the next day!!
The only thing that made up for the entire weekend was the food. Nao Sushi in Buranaby is prob the best japanese restaurant in all of canada.
I wonder what it is like to try to get a booth in San Diego? It is crazy expensive or with a waiting list or something? I'd imagine there is a ton of money on that floor.
Vancouver Unions..... THIEVES!!!!
