• Presentations

Alex : My name is Alex, I am 28 years old. Fan of TV shows, I attented multiple conventions. In fact, I met one of the organizers of Neverland Adventure at a convention seven years ago. We are friends since and I joined the association thanks to her.

Lou :My name is Lou and I am 27 years old. My favorite hobby is going to concerts, but it is unfortunately not possible at the moment… I’m someone who loves series and I’ve always watched a lot of them. I had already attended several conventions as a fan before joining the Neverland Adventure team as a volunteer.

• Joining the NA team in a few words

Alex : I always like the events which bring together people who share the same centers of interest and the atmosphere of conventions is always something I like. Participating to conventions while being part of the team was a golden opportunity. When I joined the team, I thought that I was only going to assist actors and translate during the autographs sessions when needed. Since then, the organizers assigned me more missions, such as animating or translating the Q&A sessions. At first, I was quite stressed to translate in front of many people, but slowly the Q&A sessions turned out to be very positive experiences as well as often unforgettable. The atmosphere of NA conventions is always warm and homelike. The online conventions allow the NA team to interact more, thus our conventions days are even more special. NA events have certainly become the most memorable days of the year, that I am always looking forward to.

Lou : I joined Neverland Adventure at the first edition of the Me
& My Idols, where I was in charge of the snack stand. In the meantime I have completely changed my mission! I didn’t really know what to expect at this first event as I had never been to a convention before from the ‘other side’. It was great for me to see behind the scenes and all the little details that allow an organisation to ensure the smooth running of an convention. During the course of the day, there is sometimes a lot of stress to manage but it’s worth the effort! And let’s not forget that it’s a real pleasure to work with the entire Neverland Adventure team. Gwen, Lucile and Neige do a great job!

• Your missions (real and virtual conventions)

Alex : In real conventions, I assist an actor all day. I accompany him to his different activites and assist him all day if he needs anything. I also take care of the translation for fans when it is needed. It happens during autograph sessions as well as photoshoots but mostly during meetings and Q&A sessions. In online conventions, I welcome some actors but also the fans, I explain to them how the activities will take place, stay at their disposal if there is a need for translation, I also host some games where actors play with fans. I am always in charge of Q&A sessions. We ask questions to the actors that were sent previously. Online conventions introduced a technical aspect with the different Zoom functions, which can be stressful at first but we get used to it pretty fast. All the NA team helps eachother if anything goes wrong. One of the best aspects of online conventions is the possibility to interact more: whether it is with the actors, the fans but also the members of the team, that we see even more than during a real convention.

Lou : During the real conventions, I take care of assisting an actor in all his activities of the day. I also take care of the French translation during the actor’s panels, meetings and autographs. For online conventions, my mission is quite different. I mainly animate the panels with my fantastic co-host Alex, during which we ask questions collected beforehand from the fans. Unlike the Q&A sessions at real conventions, we do not do consecutive interpreting at online events in order to optimise conference time. Instead, a member of our staff performs a written translation in the comments section of Zoom. Online, I also welcome guests and participants at various meetings and games, in pairs with another member of the NA team. The two types of conventions are therefore very different and my mission is not really the same in both cases. Furthermore, I was able to realise that online conventions allowed our team to interact more regularly during the day. This regular communication with the team is something I really enjoyed!

• Neverland Adventure team in 3 words ?

Alex : Generosity – Benevolence – Laughs

Lou : Warm – Devoted – Professionnal

• Your best memories from NA conventions?

Alex : all the conversations, video calls and laughs with the Neverland Adventure team. For our latest event the Me & My Idols Online, I would say the chaotic and funny Q&A session of George Blagden and Stuart Bowman.

Lou : at the Virtual Adventure online convention last June. I loved the fact that I was able to welcome guests from several series and films, and thus be able to interact with so many different people during the course of the day. There was a very friendly atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the fans present for the event also went a long way towards making the experience unforgettable.

Honourable Mention: the wonderfully chaotic panel of George Blagden and Stuart Bowman at the Me & My Idols Online!