Monday, December 31, 2012 8:59 AM
Interesting list of NYE events in Las Vegas. Note ticket prices(!) and the various crowd management practices.
Beyonce, Chili Peppers, among NYE lineup in Vegas
By Hannah Dreir
Big-name celebrity acts including The Black Keys, The Killers and Pitbull will help hundreds of thousands of partiers ring in the new year Monday under the watchful eyes of a legion of law enforcement officers concerned with keeping the celebration peaceful and eager casino bosses concerned with ending 2012 with a profitable bang.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers are performing a sold-out show at the Cosmopolitan’s Chelsea Ballroom that will be broadcast live on the casino’s 65-foot marquee to partiers on the Strip below. Beyonce will give an invitation-only performance in the Wynn’s 1,500-seat-amphitheater.
Other casino are touting pricey nightclub bashes with $3,000 bottle service and open bars, hosted by reality TV and music celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj and Brandy.
Why do we share this? As a leading provider of ticketing software for venues and events, ThunderTix is privy to new and alternative ways to produce events that you may not be aware of. When we see an emerging trend or successful execution on a new idea, we relish the opportunity to share it with hard working venue owners and event promoters.
Thursday, December 20, 2012 12:22 PM
We will share our thoughts on restaurants selling "season tickets" in an upcoming blog post. Until then, check out the Zagat blog!
Season Tickets for Next on Sale Soon
By Sarah Freeman
Warm up the credit cards. Yesterday, an email went out to previous season ticket holders officially announcing the 2013 menus. Season ticket holders will get first dibs on tables and set pricing – no word yet for us lowly bottom feeders who can only afford one of the three extravagant menus. Check out the menu descriptions below, and their their Facebook page for the full announcement.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 4:32 PM
Tickets for President Obama's second term inauguration are being distributed in a new way, hoping to avoid a repeat "fiasco". In 2009 the system was so poorly designed, thousands of people ended-up waiting in a mile long tunnel.
Inaugural committee takes steps to avoid ‘Purple Tunnel of Doom’ ticket fiasco
By Annie Gowen
Four years ago, thousands of ticket holders hoping to see the inauguration of the country’s first African American president failed to get in, shut out of their spots on the Capitol lawn because of security and crowd-control problems.
Those included several hundred with purple-coded tickets stuck for hours in the Third Street tunnel, which later became known as the “Purple Tunnel of Doom.” Throughout their long, fruitless wait, they laughed, cried, shivered and, at one point, sang an impromptu chorus of “Lean On Me” — footage which remains on YouTube.
Last time, about 241,000 tickets were distributed with color codes for various entry points — orange, yellow, blue, silver and purple. They said at the time that 5,000 were shut out but the number was likely higher.
They’ll use the color-coded system again — but no purple tickets this year.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 1:02 PM
With the fiscal cliff still looming large for many nonprofits and charities, below is a great video from the Charitable Giving Coalition. Nonprofit performing arts theaters are heavily reliant on donations, so please take the time to review the issue. #ProtectGiving #SupportTheArts
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 4:00 PM
David Rooney of the New York Times writes an excellent article on new production of 'Working' the Broadway musical adaptation of the book by Studs Terkel. In 1979, musician James Taylor contributed to the original performance with his haunting 'Millworker' song (above video) from the album 'Flag'
It’s Not Just a Job; It’s a Musical
By David Rooney
In addition to having been recorded by James Taylor, its composer, “Millwork,” a haunting slice of blue-collar melancholia, has been covered by artists from Emmylou Harris to Eddie Vedder, Bruce Springsteen to Bette Midler. But as performed with a gorgeous sorrowful twang by Marie-France Arcilla in “Working: A Musical,” at 59E59 Theaters, this evocative ballad belongs unequivocally to the woman standing before us, a mother of three who toils as an assembly-line steam-press operator in a luggage factory, reflecting on her “wasted” life.
the song is the high point of this revised production of the 1977 musical, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso from the 1974 Studs Terkel book, “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do.” That seminal oral history compiles interviews with Americans across a broad spectrum of regions and occupations.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 8:18 AM
Impressive. Fun Fun Fun Fest "early bird" pre-sale announcement is very well done. Of note for venue owners and event organizers:
Pre-sale incentive offers the largest price discount a year in advance of the show.
Strong emphasis on the third chapter of the shared experience, nostalgia, with the video recap (below).
Instagram contest replete with polite request to use the official hashtag.
FFF8 Holiday Early Bird Tickets On Sale Tomorrow!
GIVE THE GIFT OF FUN: A small batch of holiday discount passes will return for the 2nd year y'all. These passes are the deepest discount of the year (30% off!!) and make a great gift for friends and family.
CONTEST: Instagramers
In the spirit of doing good stuff and random acts of street kindness, we are asking that you take photos of things that are good or of folks doing good stuff – tag them tomorrow with #funfunfunfest #goodstuff and we will pick 3 lucky winners to each win A PAIR of 3 day passes to FFF 2013.
Read the rest of the story here:
Monday, December 17, 2012 11:38 AM
Video sneak peek at what fans of The Departed can expect at Gruene Hall on December 27th #w00t!
The shared experience is well under way, check out the band's tweet from earlier
Monday, December 17, 2012 8:51 AM
Oh dear. Person arrested after trying to sell counterfeit #OrangeBowl tickets to a Chicago police officer for $600 each. Our thoughts on counterfeit tickets here:
'Caveat venditor' https://www.thundertix.com/ticket-trends/counterfeit-tickets-caveat-venditor/
Cops: Man tried to sell police officer fake Orange Bowl tickets
December 17, 2012 by Adam Sege and Rosemary R. Sobol
A man was arrested over the weekend after attempting to sell a police officer fraudulent tickets to a Bowl Championship Series college football game, authorities said.
Christopher Smith, 22, of the 6800 block of South Merrill Avenue, was arrested at 7:35 p.m. Saturday and charged with misdemeanor theft, police said.
Through Craigslist, Smith had arranged to meet with a buyer and sell him two tickets to the Orange Bowl for $600 each.
The purchase proceeded as planned, but the buyer became suspicious after discovering the tickets he had bought contained multiple mistakes in grammar and spelling, according to a police report obtained by the Tribune.
Read the rest of the story here:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cops-man-sold-police-officer-fake-orange-bowl-tickets-20121216,0,3061841.story