Minecraft meet-up in Peterborough described as 'awful'
14 September 2015
Parents of Minecraft gamers are angry at the lack of activities and queues at an unofficial convention.
On the Saturday, about 4,100 people were at MineVention at Peterborough Arena to meet stars and take part in games.
However, dozens of people claimed to have had to wait for hours to see idols or eat meals and demanded refunds.
Organiser Lisa O'Brien said the queues were too long, and she would issue a statement regarding refunds in the near future.
The event, which isn't endorsed or associated with Minecraft developer Mojang, started in Ireland and this was the first time it was held in the UK.
TV presenter
Fans of Minecraft the world-wide gaming phenomenon, had the chance to meet "Youtubers", take photos, and play games.
The event was hosted by Jason Bradbury, TV's Gadget Show host, and urged viewers to dress up as Steve, the game's protagonist, to attempt a world record.
However, it was criticized on social media for the long lines, the absence of food and merchandise stalls and other issues.
Vicky Abraham shared on Facebook that she waited with her five-year-old son for more than an hour and just 30 seconds on the computer.
minecraftservers
Another parent reported waiting 45 minutes to buy an ice-cold bottle and said the experience was "appalling" with "naff-all to do". Another parent contacted the BBC to inform them that they had were able to leave after about half an hour because the lines were so long, and her son was "crying all the way to home".
Some posted on Facebook, however, that they were happy and left with one comment: "I thought you put on a great event for PS15."
Lisa O'Brien of O'Brien Event Management said she felt with parents because we all have children. She claimed that the queues were over 45 minutes due to a large amount of people who turned up on the day rather than buying tickets in advance.
She said that the convention was unprecedented in its size and that some official items were not delivered in time for the event to be held.
She said the organisers had "taken all feedback and suggestions" and were set to meet to work out what went wrong, adding that a second statement would be issued on Monday evening.
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MineVention
Peterborough Arena
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