[rustyp]

Box Office no longer selling tickets for groups in The Villages

From the on line news:.
Performing arts groups in The Villages have raised concerns that ticket sales for shows, many of which benefit charitable causes, will be hurt by a decision by The Villages Box Office not to sell the tickets.
In addition to the performing arts groups, it could also be problematic for residents who want to buy tickets to see the shows and support the charitable causes.
In an email response to Deakin, District Manager Kenny Blocker pointed out that The Villages Entertainment Department, which operates the Box Office locations, is a “private entity” and not “affiliated” with the District Government. However, Blocker offered the explanation on behalf of The Villages Entertainment that the organization does not want to be “a ticketmaster software provider.”

Did I not hear the words "software provider" in the priority golf negotiations ?

Perhaps we should consider the idea of incorporating into the new PWAC funded Brownwood windmill a resident only box office.

[Stu from NYC]

We do get to pay a premium when purchasing tickets online so wonder why they are doing this?

[bandsdavis]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

We do get to pay a premium when purchasing tickets online so wonder why they are doing this?

I am the leader for one of the groups affected, The Villages Pops Chorus. In the letter we received from the Entertainment Dept (which runs the Box Offices), they said the pandemic has affected the resources available to them (presumably human resources) and they could "no longer divert" the resources they have to these groups. The change affects every resident performance group that performs anywhere but the Savannah Center.

For us, it's a two edged sword. On one hand, it will cost us significantly less to use a company called Thundertix for online sales, and our audience will save as well, as we will not include an upcharge on the value of the ticket when they buy tickets to our concerts. A $15 ticket will cost $15, not $16 or even $18 as it did thru the Box Office. We will have to educate our customers as to where and how to buy tickets, but we think we will get the word out adequately. We'll also offer face to face sales at Bridgeport Rec Center on Saturdays. Tickets for our Summer concert will go on sale June 4, so we'll announce more on this soon.

The real downside for us is that we will no longer be included in the Entertainment Dept advertising pages of The Daily Sun every week. We'll advertise in the Club Connections section twice a month, and in the Local section the weeks that Club Connections doesn't run, but that is not as effective as being part of the overall Entertainment Dept ads. It will also be more expensive by a few hundred dollars per concert.

We regularly sell 1450 to 1600 tickets to our concerts, so it will be interesting to see how our new processes work for our Summer concert on July 25. We'll survive the change, but it's yet another example of the powers that be taking something away from residents. It's not only the resident performance groups that suffer, but our audiences now have to use multiple ways of buying tickets from the groups involved.

By the way, our group has donated over $180,000 to local charities since we started in 2014.

[Papa_lecki]

The amenity authorities went down the path of specifying what is the purview of the developer and with is the purview of the amenity authorities regarding the trail fees.

The Developer is just doing the same thing. I would guess, as a group, the owners, were getting more value from the stuff the developer did for “us” than the price of the trail fees.

Congratulations.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by bandsdavis

I am the leader for one of the groups affected, The Villages Pops Chorus. In the letter we received from the Entertainment Dept (which runs the Box Offices), they said the pandemic has affected the resources available to them (presumably human resources) and they could "no longer divert" the resources they have to these groups. The change affects every resident performance group that performs anywhere but the Savannah Center.

For us, it's a two edged sword. On one hand, it will cost us significantly less to use a company called Thundertix for online sales, and our audience will save as well, as we will not include an upcharge on the value of the ticket when they buy tickets to our concerts. A $15 ticket will cost $15, not $16 or even $18 as it did thru the Box Office. We will have to educate our customers as to where and how to buy tickets, but we think we will get the word out adequately. We'll also offer face to face sales at Bridgeport Rec Center on Saturdays. Tickets for our Summer concert will go on sale June 4, so we'll announce more on this soon.

The real downside for us is that we will no longer be included in the Entertainment Dept advertising pages of The Daily Sun every week. We'll advertise in the Club Connections section twice a month, and in the Local section the weeks that Club Connections doesn't run, but that is not as effective as being part of the overall Entertainment Dept ads. It will also be more expensive by a few hundred dollars per concert.

We regularly sell 1450 to 1600 tickets to our concerts, so it will be interesting to see how our new processes work for our Summer concert on July 25. We'll survive the change, but it's yet another example of the powers that be taking something away from residents. It's not only the resident performance groups that suffer, but our audiences now have to use multiple ways of buying tickets from the groups involved.

By the way, our group has donated over $180,000 to local charities since we started in 2014.

Thank you. Still do not understand their lack of resources. They created a system where you purchase your tickets electronically without a person being involved.

[bandsdavis]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

Thank you. Still do not understand their lack of resources. They created a system where you purchase your tickets electronically without a person being involved.

One thing that we have learned is that 90% of our ticket sales thru the Entertainment Dept were done face to face at Box Office locations. I think 2 things drove that: the incredibly high fees for purchasing online ($2 more online for our $15 ticket, I think) and the fact that face to face, people can go to the Box Office with a list of all the shows they want to see, and buy them all in one visit. Can't do that online. It's a big convenience that many people will miss.

[D.Bolen]

Originally Posted by bandsdavis

I am the leader for one of the groups affected, The Villages Pops Chorus . . . .
The real downside for us is that we will no longer be included in the Entertainment Dept advertising pages of The Daily Sun every week . . . .

Why would The Daily Sun not offer entertainment groups such as yours the opportunity to submit your show/events information by a certain deadline for posting to their weekly and monthly events Calendars? This would benefit everyone as well as increasing distribution (witness the current increased purchases of the Thursday paper featuring the calendar), and (unlike advertisements per se) is something most local newspapers throughout the nation do at no charge.

[Rsenholzi]

Why would the Villages not put it in the paper? Because there is no benefit to do so for the developers. They don’t make money helping out groups that are not paying them for use of their facilities. Haven’t you noticed that is all they are interested in? These shows conflict with shows in the Sharon and the Savannah thus taking profits away from them . It’s time all the Villagers help out and support these productions and boycott the shows provided by the developers where they make all the money. Maybe they would then realize their grandfather built this for the people and not to just line their pockets with money . I’m sure he is rolling over in his grave at what they have been doing .

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by Rsenholzi

It’s time all the Villagers help out and support these productions and boycott the shows provided by the developers where they make all the money.

Queue the post on TOTV when the developer cancels entertainment because no one is going.

While we are at it, let’s boycott the Championship Golf Courses, since the evil developer makes money from a round of golf.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by D.Bolen

Why would The Daily Sun not offer entertainment groups such as yours the opportunity to submit your show/events information by a certain deadline for posting to their weekly and monthly events Calendars? This would benefit everyone as well as increasing distribution (witness the current increased purchases of the Thursday paper featuring the calendar), and (unlike advertisements per se) is something most local newspapers throughout the nation do at no charge.

Unfortunately the Sun does not see it that way because the developer tells it not to see it that way.

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by Rsenholzi

Why would the Villages not put it in the paper? Because there is no benefit to do so for the developers. They don’t make money helping out groups that are not paying them for use of their facilities. Haven’t you noticed that is all they are interested in? These shows conflict with shows in the Sharon and the Savannah thus taking profits away from them . It’s time all the Villagers help out and support these productions and boycott the shows provided by the developers where they make all the money. Maybe they would then realize their grandfather built this for the people and not to just line their pockets with money . I’m sure he is rolling over in his grave at what they have been doing .

The function of a community newspaper is to serve the community, its customers. If The Sun no longer does this, why subscribe? It’s news coverage is incomplete and biased almost to the point of uselessness, the advertising fails to serve the wider commercial community, and now they will not even be a bulletin board for community events?

[EviesGP]

And, today(May 8th), I celebrate the expiration of my subscription to The Daily Propaganda newspaper! I know someone that works there, and has stated that their subscriptions are about 50% of what they once were.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by EviesGP

And, today(May 8th), I celebrate the expiration of my subscription to The Daily Propaganda newspaper! I know someone that works there, and has stated that their subscriptions are about 50% of what they once were.

At some point somebody in an important position may decide that the paper is no longer worth printing. Will be a sad day but wish they would decide to become a NEWspaper.

[bandsdavis]

You will have to ask them that question, but historically, those are reserved for Villages Entertainment Dept sponsored events.