2013 Worlds Tickets info

[Dave of the North]

Skate Canada was basically handed the decision of where in Canada they wanted Worlds by the ISU. There were no other bidding nations. I don't think Skate Canada factored in people coming from places outside (fake) London.

ISU wanted it in London???

[CoyoteChris]

I too am confused about the bidding process. One person says the bid was "won" (given to) by Skatecanada and they picked a city. No other country wanted it. In the US, skating in on the wain, unlike Canada, but nats it is still a $20 plus million dollar event and Boston, Greensboro (who just learned how lucrative the event is) and St. Paul and maybe Denver bid on the nats 2014. Filling up thousands of hotel rooms for over a week and feeding the folk as well as selling seats brings in lots of money and tax dollars. Did I miss something about LA thinking they lost money on Worlds 2009? I do know that with the earthquake in Japan, other countries stepped up and offered themselves for worlds, including the US. I'm just saying that I would be interested in the bidding process for events. I do know that the last time Nats was held here in Spokane, the seats were filled and the State of WA made millions just on its 10 percent tax rate. I will also say, after talking the the promoters, Toby and Barb, that bidding and putting on an event is a huge PITA. They told me after setting attendance records at SA 2002, Nats 2007 and Nats 2010, "Never again". Something is rotten in Denmark.

[CoyoteChris]

[QUOTE=Alixana;3487024]Here's the website for Robert Q, the service mentioned upthread. https://reservation.robertq.com/airbus/

Thanks for the info! $200 round trip is certainly better than $450. How long roughly does the trip take from Detroit airport to London?

[allezfred]

ISU wanted it in London???

If you have reading comprehension issues, then I suppose you could take it that way.

[luckiest1]

Detroit to London is roughly a 2 hour drive, depending on how fast you get across the border.

[TanithandBenFan]

I will also say, after talking the the promoters, Toby and Barb, that bidding and putting on an event is a huge PITA. They told me after setting attendance records at SA 2002, Nats 2007 and Nats 2010, "Never again". Something is rotten in Denmark.

I'm sorry to hear that because I had a great time at both Nats in Spokane and was hoping they would host again. They did an amazing job both times.

[nylynnr]

I'm sorry to hear that because I had a great time at both Nats in Spokane and was hoping they would host again. They did an amazing job both times.

I took CoyoteChris' post to mean that Star USA, Toby and Barb's company, evidently had poor experiences and is not interested in promoting another USFS event in Spokane. That doesn't necessarily mean Spokane will never host another event, only that other promoters would have to be hired.

[peibeck]

Have to agree. To my mind, Omaha is way more off the beaten path than London. When I think of Omaha, I think of steaks and sporting events.

Not meaning to be snarky, but if you think of sporting events, why would you consider Omaha to be off the beaten path for Nationals? Omaha, besides being a big agricultural center, is also a major financial hub in the midwest, with many major banks/financial institutions located there. (i.e. a good place for local sponsorships ) I don't think it sounds like the most inviting place in the dead of winter , but it does appear to have plenty of adequate hotel space for visitors coming for both business and a sporting event at the same time.

[Carolla5501]

Not meaning to be snarky, but if you think of sporting events, why would you consider Omaha to be off the beaten path for Nationals? Omaha, besides being a big agricultural center, is also a major financial hub in the midwest, with many major banks/financial institutions located there. (i.e. a good place for local sponsorships ) I don't think it sounds like the most inviting place in the dead of winter , but it does appear to have plenty of adequate hotel space for visitors coming for both business and a sporting event at the same time.

Actually compared to most cities Omaha has some interesting qualifications. Once a year they host a major sporting event.. (AKA as the College World Series)

As a result, they have expereince in moving athletes around, lots of hotel rooms, organizational skills using volunteers to help with an athletic event etc... Not something most civic sports authorities can point to "People were so happy with our hosting we built a dedicated home for the event and host it annually" Hmm... They must have some idea of how to host.

And having read about the hotels in London and looked at the hotel list in Omaha...

Having looked at flights into both cities.

London wins the "off the beaten path prize" between the two IMHO

[beebee]

Actually compared to most cities Omaha has some interesting qualifications. Once a year they host a major sporting event.. (AKA as the College World Series)

As a result, they have expereince in moving athletes around, lots of hotel rooms, organizational skills using volunteers to help with an athletic event etc... Not something most civic sports authorities can point to "People were so happy with our hosting we built a dedicated home for the event and host it annually" Hmm... They must have some idea of how to host.

And having read about the hotels in London and looked at the hotel list in Omaha...

Having looked at flights into both cities.

London wins the "off the beaten path prize" between the two IMHO

You and Peibeck are missing my point. I have never been to Omaha and thusly, am in no position to label it as "off the beaten path" or anything else, for that matter. The point I was trying to make is that perhaps it's insensitive or inappropriate to pass judgement on a city you have never been to. Your reactions to my uninformed pronouncement about Omaha, reinforce this point.

Now, if anyone has been to London, and thinks it lacking in any way, that's another story. In that case, we'd just be in disagreement as I'm very fond of the place.

I rest my case and, by the way, look forward to my first visit to Omaha.

[peibeck]

beebee, I didn't mean to insult you, I was simply curious. I actually have been to London, ON but it was quite a long while ago, during the summer, and not for a sporting event. I'm looking forward to returning there in March 2013 for Worlds.

[beebee]

I was not insulted at all Carolla5501's point about Omaha hosting major sporting events reminds me that this summer Omaha is hosting the US Olympic Swimming Trials and I won't get too see much (if any) of it because I lost Universal Sports

[Clytie]

I can't believe I am defending London, since I bitched about it the entire seven years I lived there. Yes it is off the beaten track, in a way, it is often considered to be snobby, and yes its buildings have a height limit (an engineer told me once its due to the poor ground) so its never going to inspire awe - but - its hardly a hick town with nothing around.
It is a doable drive for several major cities, it has good transportation for a city its size, and the arena is downtown and close to both the train and bus station. Which I used often when I lived there and had no reason to complain about.
In fact I used to live in the apartment building just behind the now arena - and the bar beside it was torn down for parking, or so I was told, not sure the apartments still even exist. It was just across from the liquor store and near a Chinese restaurant. But its been so long things may have changed. Maybe it is all parking now.
I know when I was still lived there the biggest complaint was the potential lack of parking. Not sure about that, but London itself is a pretty town fully capable of hosting a world class event. Do I think Skate Canada picked it to lure Tessa and Scott? - natives, sure. But it does'nt mean it will be a disaster. In fact I am sure it will be a sell out. TO is not far away at all. I think many people from there will be last minute ticket buyers.

For once I am actually disappointed I don't live there anymore. I would have gone in a heartbeat, even with the tickets being so relatively expensive. I think everyone who goes will be treated well. I also think all the seats will be good. There may not be much site seeing in London but the pubs were always pretty small but fun. And the weather is usually pretty agreeable- although I may end up eating my words on that. Either way I am jealous of all who are going. We never had anything that good when I lived there. The only down side is the potential beer factory stink! Even with that I used to see a few hockey stars 'slumming' in the London bars.

[CoyoteChris]

I took CoyoteChris' post to mean that Star USA, Toby and Barb's company, evidently had poor experiences and is not interested in promoting another USFS event in Spokane. That doesn't necessarily mean Spokane will never host another event, only that other promoters would have to be hired.

Yes, that is correct. IIRC, the state of WA promised $100,000 to them if they got the bid. I was there at the arena the day the phone call came. Toby was giving a lecture on the bidding process to backers, reporters, etc, waiting for the phone to ring...well, it rang and they had the call on a speaker phone and the place went wild. Later, I talked with them at another skating event before Spok Nats 2010 and I asked them if the State of WA pulling their pledge after the annoncement would hurt them and they said, "Don't worry, we will put it on somehow" . Of course, the State of WA kept all that lovely tax money they made.

Someone COULD put together a bid for Spokane again. Bring your own seat cushions!!!!

You know what a crying shame is, Don't you? A bus full of politicians going over a cliff with one empty seat.....

[CoyoteChris]

Wow, I must have been really lucky. I was using a regular (film, not digital) 35mm camera with a telephoto lens and was never questioned nor did I see the "cloak room" for cameras. I'm usually not that lucky.

IIRC, the lens length was the issue, now that I think about it. It was kind of entertaining to stand by the cloak room and listen to the comments by the photogs. They were given the choice of taking their lenses back to the cars/hotels or checking them.

What is this "film" of which you speak?

[CoyoteChris]

Actually compared to most cities Omaha has some interesting qualifications. Once a year they host a major sporting event.. (AKA as the College World Series)

As a result, they have expereince in moving athletes around, lots of hotel rooms, organizational skills using volunteers to help with an athletic event etc... Not something most civic sports authorities can point to "People were so happy with our hosting we built a dedicated home for the event and host it annually" Hmm... They must have some idea of how to host.

And having read about the hotels in London and looked at the hotel list in Omaha...

Having looked at flights into both cities.

London wins the "off the beaten path prize" between the two IMHO

From the World Hearald. 11 Aug 11
Bob Dunlop knows Omaha hardly is considered a hotbed of figure skating.

Neither was Spokane, Wash., nor Greensboro, N.C., before U.S. Figure Skating brought its championship event to those cities the past two years. Given the way those cities embraced the event, Dunlop figures he’ll see the same kind of reaction when the championships are held in Omaha in 2013.

“When we took the event to Greensboro, they were really excited about hosting it because it was something new and different,” said Dunlop, senior director of events for U.S. Figure Skating. “It was something outside of the norm that they see every day.

“They really got engaged by it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happened here.”

Dunlop spent the past two days in Omaha, laying the groundwork for the event that will come to the city from Jan. 19 through 27, 2013. He met with officials from the Omaha Sports Commission, which helped land the championships.

He toured Century Link Center, where about 250 of the country’s elite skaters will compete for spots on the U.S. national championship team, and the adjacent Hilton Hotel, where many of them will stay.

That set-up — the hotel is connected to the arena by an enclosed skybridge — will be particularly appealing, Dunlop said.

“I would argue that it will be one of the best layouts in terms of what the starting point looks like,” Dunlop said. “There’s a lot of tweaking here and there to make the full plan of the event run but it really is one of the best layouts.

“The ability to have the hotel connected to both rinks makes weather a non-issue.”

Dunlop said the size of Omaha’s arena and convention center will allow U.S. Figure Skating to expand the championships to include its youngest competitors in the juvenile and intermediate groups. The older skaters will compete in the arena, with two additional sheets of ice in the convention center — one for practice and the other for the younger skaters’ competitions.

“We’ll have a bigger contingent coming in ’13 than we’ve ever had,” he said. “It’s good for us to bring them all to one city and it will add to the impact of the event, as the younger group will come with families.”

The economic impact of the event already is sizeable. Dunlop said Greensboro recently completed a study that gauged the 2011 championships had a direct economic impact of $27 million, with an additional $24 million of media impact. The championships will be broadcast by NBC.

The 2012 championships will be held in San Jose, Calif., another nontraditional site in terms of figure skating.

“Where we’ve had our most success in running championships have been in nontraditional communities for figure skating,” Dunlop said. “People are excited to see something new. We hit home runs in Spokane and Greensboro, and people were saying the same thing in those cities that they’re saying here.

“Why Spokane? Why Grensboro? Why Omaha? We could go to bigger cities but you get lost when you go to bigger markets. Not every city is right for this event. I think Omaha is right for this event

[Rock2]

Well...my aunt talked me into getting tix which I had no intention of doing because of the price. Sort of a bucket list thing for her I think. So I just got my tix in Sec 110 row P. Not the best but they are sort of in the corner and on the aisle (which my long legs really dig).

Thank geebus she lives an hour from London. I'd happily do the drive daily vs. layering on hotel and travel costs like some of you have to.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to go buy some cat food...which is what I'll be eating for the next two months as I free up the cash to pay for these tix...

[bibi]

Likely because they will get a sell out with just Canadians and tour groups, the arena isn't that big and there isn't a bad seat in the house, the location is great for walking to restaurants and shops and there is access to a great deal of hotel rooms within an hour and no real traffic to speak of..

With regards to hotels they are not allowed by law to go higher than their posted rate, but you can bet they will be at their maximum rate - and why not the demand will be there for those walking distance to the arena or close to downtown and compared to the prices I paid last summer in europe - your living costs will be a bargain. I booked a room and paid just over a $100 a 20 minute walk from the arena but I'll be driving so 5 minutes..- so that is about 65 pounds - and here you pay by the room not the person. In addition you can get a coffee here for a dollar .. having recently returned from Europe a vacation in Canada is a bargain! Now your tickets that's worth

We're looking for an Hotel and I would like to know where did you book ? Thank you so much!

[Nan]

IIRC, the lens length was the issue, now that I think about it.

That's why I think I was lucky, the lens was almost three inches long!

[CoyoteChris]

That's why I think I was lucky, the lens was almost three inches long!

Wow! How did you smuggle that monster in the arena? I like the camera rules at Four Conts.....any camera that interfers with the enjoyment of a fan will not be tolerated....."Oh Mr. Usher, would you please bring the camera crusher box over to my row? Thanks!"