Stirling comic mart

[paw broon]

My pal, Vince, noticed that there is a mart in Stirling this Saturday. Noon to 5pm in the Golden Lion Hotel. That is all the info. I have at the moment. I'll look for more later and try to post it here.

[paw broon]

Full info. on the event here:-
http://stirlingcomicsfestival.com/

[paw broon]

The mart was poorly attended, in the main because there was almost no local publicity, either in local media or on the street. When I got off the train, I expected to see an A board, or fliers, at the entrance to Stirling Station, and the bus station, for that matter. This was part of the Stirling festival, after all. There wasn't an A board or fliers at the bottom of King Street at the main street. The only evidence of a mart were fliers affixed to the columns at the entrance to the hotel.
A bit sad as the hall in the hotel was very nice indeed.

[starscape]

Shame. Had I not had something earmarked, I'd have gone, so I hope there's another.

[colcool007]

We've been discussing it on FB as it had a FB page, but little publicity otherwise. I only knew it was happening by luck rather than informed guidance. I hope they are better prepared next year.

[paw broon]

And therein lies part of the problem. There are an awful lot of people who have nothing to do with facebook. Organisers cannot rely on social media alone to get word out to joe public that an event has been organised.

[colcool007]

To be fair, they did have a small bit on the Stirling Festival page too, but it looks like this has been a missed opportunity for the organisers relying on those attending to spread the word rather than making a concerted effort themselves to publicise it.

I was hoping to go, but I had to drive 800 miles in the two days preceding so I was in no fit state to attend, let alone drive there!

[paw broon]

This just in - as they seem to say on American news shows
It has been suggested to me that Black Hearted Press, who are closely connected to the organisers - being some of the same people, have suffered some kind of split with at least one person leaving. Note the lack of a couple of the bigger name books on the website. Also the absence of the usual faces among the organisers on Sat. There is now a story to that effect doing the rounds. I hope this will not be too damaging for future mart and cons, if it's true. Bear in mind that it is the same team who run the Glasgow Con.
A cetain reticence at the BHP table on Sat. to talk about the absence of School of the Damned now becomes more significant.