Ok, real quick, I’m pissed off with ID-PR, the public relations firm WIRED hired to handle the promotions and booking for the WIRED Cafe at the Omni Hotel. Look, I don’t give a flying rats ass how many celebrities WIRED Cafe has, it’s plain wrong to 1) send me a press release asking for coverage and inviting me to visit, then 2) give me a confirmation, but then 3) when I arrive with my girl friend (Jen Friel, who’s just awesome) tell me that I should have sent a “plus-one” email, when there was no request for such a thing on the email itself.
I gave Jen my permission to go in, and said I wasn’t interested in the WIRED Cafe. That was on Thursday. They could have taken care of me. So on Friday, I get this CYA email:
Hi all,
Thanks again for your support of the Wired Cafe! Please note that with the level of interest in the event, if you were unable to pick up your badge today there is a possibility that we will not be able to admit you tomorrow or Saturday, but we will do our absolute best to accommodate you. If your confirmation email does NOT specify that you are confirmed with a guest, your guest will not be permitted. For those press who did attend today, please bring your press badge that you received at check-in if you would like to attend tomorrow or Saturday. Also note that your badge will not ensure admittance if we are already at capacity.
Thank you for your continued support of the Wired Cafe and we look forward to working with you in the future.
Best,
Wired Team
That email means I wasn’t the only person who experienced such a problem. Not cool.
Look, there are so many other places to go and things to do and people to see and meet at Comic Con, that no self-respecting person will put up with the treatment by ID-PR. WIRED Magazine should not have hired them.
Stay tuned.
Bill Carroll