2013 Worlds Tickets info

[CoyoteChris]

Interesting that they have come up with a new option for tickets. Has this ever been done before? Since the “flex-pack” option was not mentioned earlier , I wonder if ticket sales (to date) have been below expectations and this is a way to encourage people to buy now instead of waiting to buy individual tickets closer to the event?
I really cannot see how there will be enough hotel space. On the London Worlds website, they are listing hotels with space that *totals* 283 rooms in London and another 254 outside London (as far away as Sarnia!! ). A *mid-size* hotel in a city is about 200-300 rooms. Everything else is presumably booked. And we are one year out, so federations, media, etc. will presumably not know their delegations for 2013. Worlds 2012 hasn’t happened yet!

There seems to be some controversy brewing. The city government in London seems to be divided over spending $600,000 for a sound and light show to be held during Worlds. Some folks think this is a waste of money, especially since there have been cutbacks in the city budget for other things like affordable housing. Now Skate Canada is weighing in…

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2.../19486461.html

http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2...-19493536.html

Thanks for posting this....cant wait to see where they will put the fans during the light show.....out in the snowstorm? 600,000 seems a terrible waste. That would buy lots of fan busses.
In my analysis of the motel room situation, there are not enough rooms at the two offical hotels for the skaters, coaches, officials, etc. (these hotels are the Hilton and the Delta.) The Marriott and Holiday inn are small too. But the area has about 3,000 rooms, 500 of which you may not want risk your health in. Thankfully, there are many safe hotels near the White Oaks mall and I am sure they will have a fan buss as well as the #13 City buss and cabs. It is only four miles south of downtown.
And if you look at the official website, they have beaucoup downtown parking so folks that drove to London can get a parking place within five blocks.

I will graciously offer to share my room with Miki Ando....I have two beds....

[skipaway]

And if you look at the official website, they have beaucoup downtown parking so folks that drove to London can get a parking place within five blocks.

...

Wonder though, how will the lots look during the daytime hours when the City of London is at work while we're at play? Will those lots be filled with city workers?

[LadyNit]

Light shows for $600,000? ugh. What a complete waste. And London foots the bill for this? Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

[vmfan89]

I just had a few questions for those of you who have already had experience selling tickets. I am thinking about buying one of the flex pack packages. The only problem is I am not sure that I will be able to attend the events earlier in the week and since the schedule is not out yet I kind of have to take a chance. In the event that I would have to sell some of my tickets, what would be the best way to go about it. Are people usually reluctant to buy tickets from strangers?

[CoyoteChris]

Wonder though, how will the lots look during the daytime hours when the City of London is at work while we're at play? Will those lots be filled with city workers?

Good point....wonder if they will have demarked spaces.?

[CoyoteChris]

I just had a few questions for those of you who have already had experience selling tickets. I am thinking about buying one of the flex pack packages. The only problem is I am not sure that I will be able to attend the events earlier in the week and since the schedule is not out yet I kind of have to take a chance. In the event that I would have to sell some of my tickets, what would be the best way to go about it. Are people usually reluctant to buy tickets from strangers?

Thats a good question and a tough one. There are secondary markets on the web and I think even places like ebay might handle them. I think for an event like this, where it is pretty much a sellout, what would be wrong with having the ticket office of the arena re-sell your tickets for you for say a 20 percent commission? Other than that, many give their tickets to friends on site and have them hawk them outside the arena or at their hotels. Dont know canadian rules about this as far as how ill eagle it is or isnt.

[Made4Dancin]

I'd like to go to this but that flex pack doesn't sound like a good idea and the all event pass is out of my range. So I can't imagine how I'd be able to go if individual tickets don't go on sale until the fall maybe and the hotel thing is so up in the air.

Is it that they just want Canadians to go?

ftr, I don't understand adults who want to see a light show/laser show/fireworks. After you're about 10, doesn't that get a little old?

[skipaway]

I'd like to go to this but that flex pack doesn't sound like a good idea and the all event pass is out of my range. So I can't imagine how I'd be able to go if individual tickets don't go on sale until the fall maybe and the hotel thing is so up in the air.

Is it that they just want Canadians to go?

ftr, I don't understand adults who want to see a light show/laser show/fireworks. After you're about 10, doesn't that get a little old?

^^^That

[Parsley Sage]

Here's a breakdown, of sorts



Lurve the $50,000 budget for the reception...

My guess is that is the banquet at the end of the event. If they serve a full dinner with open bar to all the competitors, coaches, officials etc...

[pat c]

Is it that they just want Canadians to go?

ftr, I don't understand adults who want to see a light show/laser show/fireworks. After you're about 10, doesn't that get a little old?

No, I'm not sure who they want to go.

I love fireworks, but in the summertime when I can sit outside and it's warm out, possibly drinking a cool beverage . Not after a skating competition when I might be cold and hungry and my arse is fried cuz I've been sitting a lot.

[CoyoteChris]

At Spokane, they did a few fireworks over the park...it was pretty cool but I bet it didnt cost $600,000. That's just silly. I really have no problem if the chamber of commerce wanted to pay for that to somehow impress the world into comming to London....but the event organizers would do well to spend that money making people happy so that they will reccommend that London gets more events.....right now, I am not seeing an organizing committee that has any earthly idea on how to generate hype and help those fans that fill the eateries and hotels and cabs. Even their guide to the hotels is pathetic and inaccurate.....

[b-man]

Bought 3 ticket flexpack this morning, got men's free, ladies free and ladies short. Seats not great, sec 108, row S, but am going without paying a fortune. Now need to get a practice ticket or two.

[CoyoteChris]

How did you get in? Even the LaBAtt centre people couldnt do it....did you go to a window locally?

[CoyoteChris]

Bought 3 ticket flexpack this morning, got men's free, ladies free and ladies short. Seats not great, sec 108, row S, but am going without paying a fortune. Now need to get a practice ticket or two.

BTW, let me know if practice passes will be available on a day to day schedule. I have an all event (presale) package 15 rows back but there is someone I know that would be interested....also in my senility, I cant remember where the practice ice is???

(Update. Flexpak. They finally were able to make their website work or now you can call...Just like B-man, the best tickets available were Row "s", which is the back of the lower bowl. I think I will just stay with my row Q all eventn package. BTW, there is no I or O so Row is is 17 rows back from the ice.)

The last hope to upgrade for an event of your choice would be single seat sales...sometimes, when an arena sees how lucrative these events really are, new seats will magically appear at a later date.

Chris bringing binoculars and a spotting scope

[b-man]

How did you get in? Even the LaBAtt centre people couldnt do it....did you go to a window locally?

Got in on their website about 10 AM eastern time. I don't know if practice/or qualifying tickets will be sold separately, if they are I will buy, if not, try to find someone selling. Also, have yet to hear anything about practice rink.

[CoyoteChris]

Boy, that is interesting....I tried and tried when they openned up at 10 am eastern and finally called them. They were aware that they had big problems and asked that I try again in about half an hour...I finally got a webpage with the flexpak about an hour after they openned and saw what you saw....only row S open....I really only care to see the ladies and dance up close so I will see what I can do...if not, there are the practices!
Hope they let us into the practice arena....

[sk8sue]

According to an old local article about it, the practice arena will be at the Western Fair Sports Centre which appears to be not too far east of downtown. However, so far the Worlds 2013 website FAQ only says that "all practices taking place in the John Labatt Centre" are included with all-event tickets and doesn't say anything about the practice arena at all whereas the home page says "access to all practices". It looks like it should be easy to get to on bus routes if they do open it up.

I also found a downtown London guide with a link to a PDF file of a lovely map (look for the yellow box) with hotels, shopping, restaurants, parking, and even WiFi hotspots marked on it. Speaking of which, I've been "walking" around the area using Google street view as previously suggested and I have to ask: has anyone been able to figure out precisely where that Hotel Metro is? Is it in the middle of the market?

Anyway, I figure that I should report in that I bought tickets at 10 am on the first day of regular all-event sales, by internet, and I got row R.

[beebee]

Thanks for the link to the nifty map sk8sue!

The last time I was in London, the Metro hotel was not there but I'm sure it is right across from the JLC. There is a little lane (alley?) next to Covent Garden Market so the hotel may be there. In any event, it is within spitting distance of the arena. When I called them a few months ago, they had some rooms available, but at completely usurious rates, so I decided to book at the Country Inn

I'm not convinced there were more than a handful of prime seats (if that many) on sale to the general public, ever. I'd already gotten tickets through my friend who is a London Knights season ticket holder (in the back of Section 114). When I saw the Wednesday presale code posted here on FSU, I decided to see what was available. I went into the site soon after sales opened and the best available online was Section 108, Row F. After years of opting for closer seats in the corner sections, I now prefer center across from the judges, even if it's a little farther back. I gave the code to some other people about an hour later
and they ended up directly in front of me in Section 114. Everyone who has been to events at the JLC assure me that the entire lower bowl offers great views.

[Made4Dancin]

Is London a college town? I just read about aSt. Patrick's day riot spawned from partying.

[CoyoteChris]

There is Huron University College and Western.....saw that on the news too....I think they really rioted cause they couldnt get good tickets to Worlds!