PDF/SMS tickets

[NuclearFisher]

Hi All!

This February I've been ordering the tickets to W.O.A. for the first time and was quite surprised.
My question to fest managers. Do you really think guys that transferring the pieces of paper by train/car is a pretty good 21st century technology?
What about a kind of electronic tickets for future fests? SMS, PDF etc...

As for me - I'm ready to negotiate a contract to provide a proper web store solution.

 

[toastie]

Can't see the problem.

 

[NuclearFisher]

Can't see the problem.

The problem is poor usability and lost profit. Thoughts?

 

[toastie]

The problem is poor usability and lost profit. Thoughts?

Since years people get their tickets sent for a few bucks postage- /one/ thing that works without bigger problems (which is really not the rule- sorry orga) and you want a shabby self-printed one?
That won't be cheaper (charges is the cue) or anything...just faster.
At least even that is not an argument, cause the festival is sold out months before beginning...so you would get your tickets by post in time anyhow.

 

[NuclearFisher]

Since years people get their tickets sent for a few bucks postage- /one/ thing that works without bigger problems (which is really not the rule- sorry orga) and you want a shabby self-printed one?
That won't be cheaper (charges is the cue) or anything...just faster.
At least even that is not an argument, cause the festival is sold out months before beginning...so you would get your tickets by post in time anyhow.

"years people have been using smthg..." is a poor argument for keeping things unchanged. Why don't make things better?
"shabby self-printed" - the flight ticket is much more responsible thing but most companies provide electronic tickets. Or you mean "shabby self-printed" a web store software? The answer is that solution can be certified any necessary way.
As of the cheaper tix - It's obvious that extra 8eu (I'm from Russia) is not a master factor. I would go to fest even for 200eu. My question was to fest stakeholders. I believe, 3-5% extra profit per ticket is a real motive to think.
The other argument for electronic tix - I've been using a lot of web stores and post/transportation companies and can state that last 1.5-2 years the last ones work significantly worse than before. E.g. UPS, DHL and some domestic services in Russia. Maybe just PonyExpress keeps it's reputation.
As for me - I'm waiting for tickets for a month. They're on a route, I don't care. But I would be more comfortable if "shabby print" lay on my table

 

[NuclearFisher]

Just a little UP.
BTW, I'd like to see the answer from official WOA guys.
Do you guys look forward to provide electronic tickets?
In 2011? Later?

Thanks in advance.

PS: As for now, I'm still waiting for tickets that were ordered on Feb 4. And listening to apologizes of russianpost.ru (no claims to Metaltix). That's the problem.
And It's still a f@#king 21st century...

 

[Guallamalla]

I always keep all my tickets so I can put them in a giant frame which hangs on my wall. I don't want to print anything myself because it looks cheap and it is far more vulnerable material.

I don't see any advantages, it doesn't make anything better or more comfortable. It only brings new issues at most, so why would you want to change a running system?

 

[EvilJay]

Hi All!

This February I've been ordering the tickets to W.O.A. for the first time and was quite surprised.
My question to fest managers. Do you really think guys that transferring the pieces of paper by train/car is a pretty good 21st century technology?
What about a kind of electronic tickets for future fests? SMS, PDF etc...

As for me - I'm ready to negotiate a contract to provide a proper web store solution.

Who the hell needs this high tech bullshit?

 

[NuclearFisher]

I always keep all my tickets so I can put them in a giant frame which hangs on my wall. I don't want to print anything myself because it looks cheap and it is far more vulnerable material.

I don't see any advantages, it doesn't make anything better or more comfortable. It only brings new issues at most, so why would you want to change a running system?

Ok. You don't see the advantages, but I do. And I listed all of them above.
As for you - why don't put the fest bracelets in a giant frame?

BTW, my tickets still being delivered (2 months for the moment). And according to tracking system I have to wait about 3 weeks more
Don't you think this is real shit?

 

[Seatiger]

I want a virtual 3D-Ticket and a laser-weapon

 

[Kate McGee]

As for you - why don't put the fest bracelets in a giant frame?

You don't want to say you're not keeping them on your arm until they fall off?

I see why you're not content with the system as it is today. Sure, tickets sometimes tend to get lost by the postal services etc.. But I don't think an SMS would be much safer; just imagine dropping your phone into a toilet and it's gone. The self-printing PDF system is used at the Dong Open Air for example - yes, it does work if you don't lose the prints, but I'd be afraid of it getting wet (not everyone has a laser printer) and people could fake tickets quite easily...someone who's got another print of your ticket but arrives before you...

I mean, every kind of ticket has advantages and disadvantages. Maybe they could offer several ways of ticketing one day, especially to those not living in Germany. Everybody could choose which version including its disadvantages he prefers.

 

[sc0p10n]

Ok. You don't see the advantages, but I do. And I listed all of them above.
As for you - why don't put the fest bracelets in a giant frame?

BTW, my tickets still being delivered (2 months for the moment). And according to tracking system I have to wait about 3 weeks more
Don't you think this is real shit?

Im sorry for u but the russian post seems to suck !

 

[NuclearFisher]

Im sorry for u but the russian post seems to suck !

Sure.

 

[evilCursor]

The advantages of electronic tickets are not as outstanding as you might think. People have to order the tickets months in advance anyway, so I don't see your point of poor usability - there's no problem at all to wait for the delivery.

Lost profit? Who is paying the delivery cost? It's not the w:a management. They would even have to buy machines for checking the digital tickets on the festival site. Extra's like shirts have to be delivered in any case.

Optional self-print tickets would be an possible to save delivery cost. If there are no officially printed hard-tickets many wacken fans will turn into an angry mob that burns down w:a headquarters . But I still can't see why the management should use their time and energy to do such a thing.

As for me - I'm ready to negotiate a contract to provide a proper web store solution.

That's so gracious!

Cheers, evilCursor.

 

[Quark]

Hi All!

This February I've been ordering the tickets to W.O.A. for the first time and was quite surprised.
My question to fest managers. Do you really think guys that transferring the pieces of paper by train/car is a pretty good 21st century technology?
What about a kind of electronic tickets for future fests? SMS, PDF etc...

As for me - I'm ready to negotiate a contract to provide a proper web store solution.

Well, I have experience with sending PDF from the Wacken orgas.

For the past 5 years I had an accreditation for the festival. (good ghing those things are nominative)
The 1st 2 years, all went well, the 2 years after that I've never seen anything sent to my mail (though I could get in afterwards, I have to be honest, worked like a charm), and last year I got my files (again).

It is true that sending them costs hardly nothing. But...
you need software to determine if a ticket is genuine. I don't know how much that will cost? If it is still cheaper to print the tickets and send them by Deutsche Post (whatever mail), so be it. Don't forget that it is not a festival for 2,000 fans, it's at least 5x bigger! (visitors, accreditations, etc are all included here!) And I don't know if any system can be that secure to be 100% sure.

Even this!
It's not only METALTIX that sells tickets for WOA (though the biggest part), there are also others who are selling for Metaltix (depending on the country), and they have their own tickets. (TicketService in NL e.g.)
You have to exchange them in Wacken for a real ticket. (and they don't use PSF either!)