Maybe this thread belongs in the Ticket forum, so please feel free to move it if it does (though it is not a request for tickets or a sale of tickets)…
With the marked speed with which tickets have sold out over the last couple years, and a noticeable presence of above-face-value sales from ticket brokers, I was wondering if there is anything Planet Bluegrass would like from us Festivarians as far as trying to combat people buying tickets just for the purpose of turning a profit on actual would-be Bluegrassers.
Is there someone we should forward these links to? If we simply flag the posts, I think they just get removed from the websites (like Craigslist, etc.). What can I do to help? It stinks to see some of my friends deciding not to even go this year because they were unable to get tickets...
The biggest thing we, as festivarians, can do, is refuse to buy tickets at anything over face value. If these ticket hoarders can’t sell their tickets for over face, they won’t try again next year. Definitely keep flagging posts on Craig’s List that offer tickets for over face value. Remember, Planet Bluegrass prints their scalping policy right on the ticket. Scalpers can’t simply claim ignorance here; the tickets say they are not to be sold for over face value.
I agree, Debbie! Last year there were A LOT more tickets being sold WAY above face on Ebay and such - there seemed to be A LOT more scams and scalpers on Craigs List last year too. Keep on denying the scalpers from making money!!!
I think it’s less of a problem this year because there are fewer extremely popular bands this year (read: no Mumford & Sons). I have a few friends who went last year, but aren’t attending this year because there aren’t any artists they’re dying to see.
The only real solution is to not pay more than face value. Period.
The speed at which the tickets have sold over the past few years has as much to do with the new bands bringing in new Festivarians as it does anything.
Just as many of you did X number of years ago, the past few years have exposed an entirely new generation of Festivarians to the experience. Social media has allowed that experience to disseminate though the masses faster than ever before…
What I’m saying is, there are simply more people wanting to come to the festival than ever before.
Flagging craigslist posts can be helpful. Sending polite emails offering face is an example of proper Festivarianism, but ultimately the answer is to not allow anyone trying to make money on TBF actually make any money!
We’re talking about how to improve the ticketing experience and looking at every option we can think of…but we’re not “one of the big guys” so no matter what we do we’ll still need the help of the Festivarian community.
Take the pledge, let’s all stop mentioning Telluride Bluegrass Fest on Facebook or whatever other “social media” data-mining site you might frequent. We should stop posting pictures on Facebook as well.
Did you have fun finding tickets this year? Want to have an even harder time finding tickets next year? Well, if you love the ticket struggle, keep posting on Facebook about how much fun you’re having in Telluride.
The popularity of TBF has exploded hand in hand with Facebook. Now that the word is out, it may be impossible to reign it back in, but it’s worth a try.
I’ve got a favorite place to ski, where it’s a powder day every day and lift tickets are dirt cheap, but you won’t hear any regulars telling other people about it or posting powder day pictures on Facebook. If you want to know where I like to ski, just ask me. I’ll tell you you’d have a great time in Breckenridge…
Trying to keep the Festival off social media is like trying to get a river to flow up hill. And besides, if no one new ever gets to show up, what happens when all the festiveterans are too old to keep the tradition alive?
I was a newbie last year, and the abundance online information of proper festivarian ways allowed me to be a well educated virgin. A lack of education on the matter would probably make things worse.
So don’t buy from the jerks selling above face, make sure everyone else knows the rules, too. I really think it’s the best we can do. :flower
There is a drainage ditch which appears to travel uphill near the Deep Creek trail head by the airport; it’s actually just past (west of) the deepcreek turnoff/post on the way to the Whipple Mountain Trail. It looks almost flat, but for the life of me I believe it’s flowing uphill … probably due to the tarps they’ve lined the ditch with and perhaps also a bit of engineering to create sufficient “pull”. I could be wrong, but it’s well worth the hike … especially if you have never ventured into that area.
Yeah, just not paying above face will definitely help in a multi-pronged effort.
I know, I know… I’m just engaging in some wishful thinking here. The cat is out of the bag; the whole world knows by now. I should be grateful I could still find tickets at all. Actually, I AM grateful!
seems like the festival has a momentum all its own. everyone that has had a hand in making this festival what it is today…thankyou! but it is now bigger than the sum of its parts. you can’t stop it…you can only hope to steer it in the right direction. and also …tbf is not only a festival of great music and great people…it is also a dream for many like myself who has always dreamed of attending but has never had a chance to… until this year!!! :cheers
Also amazing that they come from all over the WORLD! :festivarian
For those that don’t know yet… Sam and Samantha from Great Britain (Run-A-Muck 2007) just had a BABY BOY! His name is Nathan. Still awaiting pictures of our newest international Festi-Kid!
