Ever wonder whether or not the meet and greets sold through the convention circuit, and more specifically, the Supernatural conventions are worth it? Let me be the first to tell you, I was skeptical, but after purchasing a meet and greet at Creation Entertainment’s Supernatural convention in Las Vegas I can tell you they are worth every penny.
Fans may be hesitant to spend the money not knowing what kind of interaction they will get from their favorite actors. Meeting these people in person can be terrifying. Will they live up to your expectations or will they fall short of the image you have created in your head?
The first thing to remember is that, no matter who you choose to do a meet and greet with, they are human. It is best to not set expectations too high to ensure that you enjoy the time you are paying for to its fullest. The average meet and greet sold for Supernatural Conventions include openings for 10 to 20 people and last for 30 to 45 minutes depending on the actor and whether or not activities are involved. The auctions for most Creation Entertainment Supernatural conventions open a few weeks prior to each convention on Creation Entertainment’s website. The bidding can escalate quickly, especially if you do not fully understand the auction process.
When bidding on a meet and greet for the first time, there are a few things you may want to be aware of.
- Once you’ve decided on the meet and greet you want to bid on, you need to create a username and password for your current and future auction bids.
- You then select the number of tickets you would like to bid on.
- For example, if you wanted to bid on a ticket for you and a friend, you would select 2 tickets for that one auction.
- Then, once you’ve selected the number of tickets you will be bidding on, you will enter the maximum amount you are willing to bid for each ticket.
- If your highest bid amount is outbid by other fans and you are interested in increasing your bid amount, you will need to log back in and increase your bid amount prior to the auction closing.
- Keep in mind that each meet and greet for each actor will be sold separately, therefore you will have to put a max bit for each meet and greet you are looking to purchase.
- For example if you want to bid on a Matt Cohen meet and greet and a Rob Benedict meet and greet, you will have to put a bid in for each auction.
At most Supernatural conventions, each actor or guest will have their own meet and greet available at the auction. There are group meet and greets, and those are generally available for R2M (Richard Speight Jr, Rob Benedict and Matt Cohen) and Louden Swain, if all members are attending the convention.
Until recently, I had never considered purchasing a meet and greet because I had all of the previously mentioned concerns. I knew that every member of the Supernatural cast had a personality of their own that they’d shown us on stage at conventions throughout the years, but I wasn’t sure their personalities would transfer from the convention stage to a small meet and greet room, where all the focus was completely on them. I also had anxiety about how I would act in the situation. Would I sit quietly and be too nervous to ask questions? Would I word vomit everywhere, making the whole thing uncomfortable for everyone involved?
In a very (not so thoroughly) thought out plan, myself and three of my friends bid on Matt Cohen’s meet and greet. In the last thirty seconds of the auction, two of my friends were out bid, leaving tickets for my sister and I. We were excited, but still very hesitant about the whole thing. I quickly learned, that what I thought was going to be an awkward exchange between a group of fans and one of their favorite actors turned out to be a full on group therapy session allowing each of the attendees to feel equally as important. As a group, prior to Matt entering the room, all meet and greet attendees agreed we would try to be inclusive and allow everyone there time to ask a question if they chose too.
Now, I don’t think it can be expected that every group of meet and greet participants will be as easy going and friendly as my first meet and greet group was. However, as a fan and a member of the SPN Family, I would hope that everyone understands that each attendee of any meet and greet at most conventions have chosen to be there because of their love of the character or actor.
Personally, I was quite nervous waiting for Matt to join the meet and greet, even more than my sister who has loved Matt for years. That all changed when Matt walked in the room, literally with open arms. He immediately sat down and opened the floor for conversation, making sure to make it a safe space for all attendees. The room was filled with jokes and laughter for the full 45 minute event. We were each allowed one selfie to commemorate our time spent learning more about Matt Cohen and the genuinely wonderful human being that he is.
Given the chance in the future, I would definitely spend the money on a meet and greet, especially with a member of the Supernatural cast, because my first experience surpassed all expectations! Huge shout out to Matt Cohen for being open and allowing all of us to enjoy his company!