 |
|
| Dave ticket sales confusing, discouraging |
Carrie Baker
Business Affairs Beat
|
Someone is doing
a pretty good job over at Appalachian Popular Programming Society
(A.P.P.S.).
Along with the constant Legends shows and other events sponsored
by A.P.P.S., Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will visit Appalachian
State University to perform in the George M. Holmes Convocation
Center.
Finally, something exciting to do in Boone!
And you can come enjoy the show if you have $49.50, and you managed
to decipher the ticket purchasing process.
There is usually more than one way to get from point A to point
B.
You can take the straightforward chaos-minimizing path or the more
complicated confusion-maximizing course.
Or even better, you can take the most complex route and then attempt
to explain the chosen path to a bunch of people.
If you attempted to purchase Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds tickets
last week, then you know what I’m talking about.
A.P.P.S. chose the more complicated direction for selling Dave and
Tim tickets.
The ticket process began last Thursday asking all interested students
to come pick up a numbered wristband.
After showing proper ID and receiving a wristband, students waited
for the random number. That lucky number was first in line for student
ticket sales that began last Friday.
Student ticket sales began Thursday at 4 p.m. You had to be there
in line to receive your ticket. If not, then too bad, back to the
end of the line.
Or maybe no ticket at all since you missed your chance. Also cash
is preferred.
The whole system with those little wristbands and then the tickets
began again with general public wristbands at 6 p.m.
Confusing? Just a little.
The confusing process (and perhaps the price) managed to scare the
number of those pursuing wristbands down to 959. A disappointing
turnout from the 1,300 expected.
While the process worked fine for those who could make it to the
convocation center at 4 p.m., those who had class or had to work
were just out of luck. If you were not there to take your place
in line, then too bad. You would have to wait for another chance
to buy and probably end up with not so great seats.
The process worked well for those who could make it to the convocation
center on time. The A.P.P.S. staff worked efficiently inside to
make sure lines moved quickly and in order. So if you could be there,
in line and ready with your money, then you could receive tickets.
Is it always going to work this way when a big name artist or band
comes to Appalachian State?
Will we have to plan two days in a row around waiting in line for
wristbands and tickets every time a popular artist makes his or
her way to little Boone?
There has to be a different, less complicated method to deal with
a heavy demand for tickets.
Perhaps it was the price or maybe we do not have as many Dave Matthews
fans in Boone as people have concluded in the past.
Whatever the reason, tickets did not sell as well as expected. Out
of the 3,600 – 4,000 tickets Appalachian has set aside to sell
in Boone, only 2,500 sold this past weekend. The rest will be on
sale this week.
A possible factor for these disappointing sales might be that the
ticket sales method was a bit much and kept potential buyers away.
Hopefully more popular artists like Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds
will be drawn to Boone.
And if they are, maybe the ticket purchasing process will be a little
less complicated. |
|
 |
 |
