Spokane 2007 tickets

[jkl]

http://www.spokane2007.com (http://)


As I read this I think it says that we won't know how much tickets for Spokane will be until they go on sale on March 12. Did I read this correctly?
I have two college degrees but can't get the hang of posting links so bear with me.

Thanks

[Aaron W]

Ok, so they're going to be selling tickets soon, but they won't tell us how much those tickets are going to cost until the day they go on sale??? :roll:

www.spokane2007.com

(just to note, you don't have to do anything special to make a link work, just put the link in your post and it will automatically become activated once you post) :)

[SkateFan123]

Originally posted by Aaron W
Ok, so they're going to be selling tickets soon, but they won't tell us how much those tickets are going to cost until the day they go on sale??? :roll:

www.spokane2007.com

(just to note, you don't have to do anything special to make a link work, just put the link in your post and it will automatically become activated once you post) :)

http://www.spokane2007.com/ Try this. It works.

Not only do you not know how much, but you don't any other details either.

This year, I'm not jumping on the day one tickets. I am going to try to avoid the nightmare of Atlanta. I'll wait until all contracts are signed so I know what I am buying before I front money interest free for three years! If I decide to go and don't get a good seat at that time, I'll stay home. I found out I can live quite well without going to Nationals. And I won't have the stress of dealing with last minute changes that annoy the heck out of me.

[jkl]

Tickets go on sale this Friday. I still have not been able to find out any information about prices. Does anyone have an idea what type of packages the Spokane LOC is putting together? I am thinking like SkateFan123. Why rush to buy when you don't know the details?
The arena is smaller than most but three years is a long time.

[Oracle]

This is an interesting thread. All event tickets to Spokane Nationals '07 will be $495.00. The competition begins on Jan. 21 & ends Jan. 28, '07 with the exhibition. That ticket is separate & will cost $60.00.

[SkateFan123]

Originally posted by Oracle
This is an interesting thread. All event tickets to Spokane Nationals '07 will be $495.00. The competition begins on Jan. 21 & ends Jan. 28, '07 with the exhibition. That ticket is separate & will cost $60.00.

a. Much cheaper than past years!
b. How do you know? Their website has no details other than tickets go on sale the 12th. Do you have a link?

[jkl]

Are all tickets $495? That is a very reasonable price from previous years. I hope we go back to one price tickets but I am having a hard time believing it. Paying ahead for 3 years should get you something.

[Oracle]

I'm on their mailing list (snail mail & E-mail). This info came via a large postcard type advertisement, with pix of Michelle & Tanith & Ben on one side & the advance sale prices on the reverse. If in fact these prices are less than in recent years it could be because a smaller arena is less expensive to rent than one that seats 20,000. Having attended both COI & SOI at the Spokane arena I can tell you it is a great venue for skating & it has always been packed. They are, also, building a 2nd arena as an extension to the Convention Center. Spokane Arena draws people from Wa., Ore., Idaho, Montana, B.C. & Alberta.

[dr.frog]

Originally posted by jkl
Are all tickets $495? That is a very reasonable price from previous years.

I don't see $495 as being significantly less expensive than past years. I paid $500 for VIP tickets to Dallas Nationals, which was also a post-Olympic year.

[SkateFan123]

Originally posted by dr.frog
I don't see $495 as being significantly less expensive than past years. I paid $500 for VIP tickets to Dallas Nationals, which was also a post-Olympic year.

Here's what I paid:

$765 Atlanta 2004
$795 plus $75 for exhibition / Portland 2005
$775 plus $75 for exhibition / St Louis 2006
I skipped Dallas and went to two international events instead but Boston and Cleveland were over $600 too if memory serves me right. I think Cleveland was $695 but I just can't remember.

So in comparison, I think $495 is pretty cheap! I'm still not purchasing tickets anymore until I know what I am buying! And that won't happen until all contracts are signed for venues, busing, etc.

[lilwish]

Oracle, is there a way to get on that mailing list you are on?

[jkl]

Oracle,
Is $495 the only price they are offering this year or the only one offered to previous customers? I am curious as to whether that includes the Exhibition. Do you have a phone number to call for info? Thanks.

[Oracle]

You get on their mailing list by buying tickets to their various events as far as I know. You might be able to do it through their website. The mailing address for the arena is:
Spokane Arena Box Office
720 W. Mallon Ave.
Spokane, Wa. 99201

website:www.spokanearena.com/arenainfo.htm

The only phone # I seem to have is for SelectASeat which handles the SOI & COI ticket sales for them. It is:1-800-325-SEAT. You can try them for info.

The exhibition tickets are $60.00 & are separate. $495.00 is the only price offered to me & it says seating is on a 1st come, 1st served basis. Oh, just saw a handling fee of $10.00 to be added to payment.

[jkl]

Thanks so much Oracle. I used the website to get the phone number. ALL tickets are $495 for an all event ticket. That does not include the Exhibition. There is no extra price for front row etc. Maybe going to a smaller venue will pay off for spectators.

[lilwish]

thanks for all of the information. Tickets are much less money but I would rather pay a bit more for guaranteed seating where I want it to be...

[dr.frog]

According to the ticket order form posted today on the 2007 web site, there *will* be an extra charge for the first few rows -- they just haven't figured out how many seats they will have available so they will be selling "upgrades" later. So instead of turning out to be cheaper than past nationals, this one is going to be more expensive for many people, since even the "cheap seats" are $495. By contrast, the upper-level Dallas tickets were only $195, Atlanta had $325 and $200 tickets, Portland has $195/$295/$395 tickets in addition to the $495 lower level seats, etc.

[lilwish]

yes, I ordered tickets today. The website was overwhelmed and kept timing out. I tried to place the order about 10 times before I decided to call. It took me 11 minutes to get through...not too bad really BUT the first few rows, when they DO go on sale through upgrade will be made available based on when you placed your order. They did not give me a confirmation number on the phone which makes me nervous. They said they would email it to me or call me. I guess my Visa charge will be proof of order if there is a problem. The woman on the phone was very nice and said she was putting in my record the time and date of my order for upgrading in the future...I think this is very odd since it has never happened in the past. They say ABC has not released the first few rows yet...perhaps they should have waited to sell the tickets until they got this worked out.

[SkateFan123]

Originally posted by lilwish
yes, I ordered tickets today. The website was overwhelmed and kept timing out. I tried to place the order about 10 times before I decided to call. It took me 11 minutes to get through...not too bad really BUT the first few rows, when they DO go on sale through upgrade will be made available based on when you placed your order. They did not give me a confirmation number on the phone which makes me nervous. They said they would email it to me or call me. I guess my Visa charge will be proof of order if there is a problem. The woman on the phone was very nice and said she was putting in my record the time and date of my order for upgrading in the future...I think this is very odd since it has never happened in the past. They say ABC has not released the first few rows yet...perhaps they should have waited to sell the tickets until they got this worked out.

ABC controls seating. They never do a final arena release until late which is why you don't get tickets or seating until just prior to the event.

If they waited to sell tickets until all details are worked out, tickets would go on sale a few weeks before the event.

Additionally, the form does not say that there will be Sr, Jr, and Novice events. It's been rumored for years that Novice events will be removed from Nationals. I wonder if that will happen for 2007.

But the Upgrade stuff, with no clue what you are upgrading to is crazy. Another case of "pay me now and I'll tell you what I'm selling you later" from the USFS and LOCs! At least in the past I knew how much I was spending! I'm still not buying until I know what I'm paying for and now how much I'm paying for it!

[lilwish]

yes, I know abc controls seating and I know they don't release some of the tickets until the last minute but for the last 8 Nationals I have gone to I have been able to buy tickets in the first 3 rows (guaranteed). This is the first time I have been told that it is not possible until later. This is not usual. Maybe abc is holding more seats than it noramally does or maybe because the arena is smaller it is different but, it is different. In addition, I think that when we upgrade we will know what we are upgrading to we just don't know when that will be.

[iceskaterdawn]

I doubt I'll be going to Spokane! The only way I can afford the trip is by purchasing the cheap seats. If all the seats are $495, then I am not going to be able to afford that along with airfare and hotel.

[icedancer2]

Try ebay within a month of the event. You may be pleasantly surprised!!

[SkateFan123]

Originally posted by icedancer2
Try ebay within a month of the event. You may be pleasantly surprised!!

The last few times I've sold tickets, I've sold them through a board like this. I sold my Atlanta ticket that way this year and it was a front row seat!

I bought my LA ticket, front row end, the week before over the Internet. Tickets are always available.

I'm not buying Portland tickets. One price tickets are nuts! No details about the event or contact point on the website is even worse. Sorry, they are not suckering me in!

[schnood]

Yeow, I'm glad I live in Canada and have attended our nationals 4 of the last 5 years. I've never paid more than $200 for an all-event ticket (including exhibition) and I've never been higher than row 3.

[jkl]

I just checked the USFSA website and saw that all event ticket sales for the 2007 Nationals in Spokane set an all time record. As of 10am March 15 2,335 all event tickets were sold. With the sale of Exhibition of Champion tickets the first weekend haul was $1,399,365. This is much more than Portland or LA. Dallas and Atlanta weren't mentioned.
I called the sales office (guess it's Ticketswest) and got the rudest jerk they had. He couldn't/wouldn't tell me if these ticket buyers were guaranteed lower bowl seats. He just gave the party line about each order was dated and that was the way the seats were assigned. If Spokane thinks I'm giving them money 3 years ahead of time and sitting in the Upper Bowl they are nuts. I can cancel before I pay American Express. Your thoughts on this please.

[lilwish]

The way I understood how it was explained to me when I bought my all event tickets is that at some later, undertermined date, they will "allow" ayone who already has tickets to "upgrade" their seats. The order in which they will assign access to the better seats has to do with the time/date that you placed your original order. The whole process is quite aggravating and, i think, a way of inflating original sales by making them cheaper to begin with but by charging even more in the long run for the better seats.

[SkateFan123]

Originally posted by lilwish
The way I understood how it was explained to me when I bought my all event tickets is that at some later, undertermined date, they will "allow" ayone who already has tickets to "upgrade" their seats. The order in which they will assign access to the better seats has to do with the time/date that you placed your original order. The whole process is quite aggravating and, i think, a way of inflating original sales by making them cheaper to begin with but by charging even more in the long run for the better seats.

I think that they are playing safe. The Atlanta event got lots of flack for changing things at the last minute. By stating nothing about the event, they are covering there butts. No promises can be broken in none are made.

I think anyone giving them money when you have absolutely no clue what you are getting is insane and unfair. The least the LOC could have down is broken sales down by levels and allowed people to purchase the level of seating they wanted. By not doing this, they are sucking people in to thinking $495 was going to be the price they pay for the tickets. And it is the price for the cheap seats! It's deceptive. The form does not state a thing about a later upgrade.

$495 for the cheapest seats is insane. As of now, they will allow you to upgrade to better seats but will they downgrade to upper bowl seating? I doubt it.

As far as the early sales, unless they are local sales or people who have no clue about the normal ways to order tickets (meaning different price levels) or lots of group sales, I don't believe there are that many people willing to put down what amounts to a deposit on a seat. Most fans that I know personally who normally jump on early sales have not done so.

I foresee me staying home in 2007!