JRS Volume #6; Issue #8

JRS/6:8/1.18.02

TICKET INFORMATION for BURNING MAN 2002!

Tickets to Burning Man 2002 go on sale starting Monday, January 21, 2002. A ticket announcement post card was sent to 42,000 names on our mailing list. This post card includes a perforated card that should be returned with your order. We’ve changed ticket vendors and are NOT using Ticket Web any more.

Our new vendor is In House Ticketing. They are wonderful like-minded Burners who’ve bent over backwards to help us improve our ticket process. The perforated cards will help speed up the processing of orders as they include the mailing label by which you’ll have received the card. In addition there’s a bar code that will help us verify your address and order faster when it reaches the office.

Burning Man ticket orders sent in my mail are fulfilled by human beings out of our tiny San Francisco warehouse/office space. The initial flood can be overwhelming. You will help us fulfill your order, and help everyone receive their order faster if you follow the instructions we’ve prepared for the benefit of everyone.

Orders are available online and via the U.S. mail. The lowest ticket price is only available through mail order. There IS NEW information for 2002, and you MUST follow instructions or your order WILL be returned. Most important is the fact we will no longer accept checks for mail order. MONEY ORDERS/CASHIER’S CHECKS only for mail order tickets.

It’s funny, each year as we prepare to begin selling tickets, and we try not to create more hoops to jump through to purchase tickets, there are staff members who used to attend Grateful Dead concerts. These staff members keep reminding us of the very specific instructions Deadheads had to follow in order to submit a request for tickets, and if “Deadheads can do it, Burners can too.” We’re not to the point yet where we require a 3-x-5 card to be filled out, but it’s close.

The lowest ticket level price is $135. This is NOT listed anywhere on the web site. You will have received a post card announcing this fact, and unlike last year the Jack Rabbit is also announcing this information. Some of the ticket post cards have not reached their destination, and we’ve decided to also list it on the JRS. There are 42,000 names on the mailing list, and 29,000 on the JRS. This should cover everyone. It’s HIGHLY likely that next year we will limit the announcement for the lowest ticket price to only those who purchased tickets for the previous year’s event.

There are ONLY 6,000 tickets available at $135. Last year the lowest level involved 2000 and 4000 which of course equals 6,000. We’ve combined last year’s lowest price into one price and one gross amount available. Due to the economy, and the wider reach of our mailing list it is pretty clear this 6,000 amount will sell out immediately. In past years we received and fulfilled the first 2,000 orders from the first and second day’s postmark alone. This year we’ve reduced the available days to 6 from 14. We expect the lowest priced tickets to sell out before the end of the 6 day period.

We have not implemented the “insurance check” process of last year. Though it was effective on the one hand, it was a logistical nightmare for the staff. It complicated the fulfillment process immeasurably. This means the burden is squarely on us to inform you of the sell out of tickets and on YOU to investigate the web site, hotline and READ your JRS. If the overage of requests is small we are likely to call participants and request additional payment. If the overage is high we are likely to be forced to return ticket orders en-masse. We’d like not to do this, so PLEASE do your part.

Here are some questions I’ve received recently, and generalized response to them:

Q: Did you know Monday’s a holiday?

A: It is in the United States. We still encourage you to put your order into the mailbox at that time as it will undoubtedly be picked up first thing on Tuesday and postmarked early in that day. Postmarks before January 21, 2002 WILL BE CHEERFULLY RETURNED.

Q: I live in New York, so this process is unfair. Everyone in San Francisco will get their ticket orders in before mine reaches you.

A: This is exactly why we use POST MARK date to award tickets, and not “arrival date”. We will not even be fulfilling mail order requests for tickets for another week until the initial orders are reduced to a trickle.We then sort the requests by date, and in some cases postmarks have time stamps on them. Burning Man does everything we can to make the ticket order process as fair as possible. Do your part. We’d like to not eliminate the mail order process if possible, but it is cumbersome and we count on all of you to help us keep it as smooth a possible.

Overheard on a Bman discussion list:

“Hey, just buy your ticket early even if you’re not sure you’re going. You can always unload your ticket at the last minute. I saw tons of listings for available tickets last year”

— Oh gads, this makes us all cringe at the office. First of all, there are people who submitted orders for low cost tickets and were not awarded the tickets because demand exceeds supply. These low-cost tickets are BELOW our cost-per-person to do the event. That’s why they are in limited supply. They are meant for those who can NOT afford the next level tickets. MORE IMPORTANTLY, last year we caught 125 counterfeit tickets at the gate! The individuals had to pay $250 for a genuine ticket. Most participants said they bought their ticket through someone on Craig’s list. Some bought them from a seemingly random person in Reno. We do NOT encourage resale of tickets, and will harp on this repeatedly this year. PLEASE, buy a ticket to Burning Man if you plan to attend. Don’t hurt another person’s chance for a $135 ticket. Also, buy at a higher level if you afford to do so. Burning Man is a bargain at $200. Support the event.

So, here’s the official announcement from the office of the Ticket Priestesses:

The time has finally come to purchase your tickets to Burning Man 2002! All Price levels go on sale Monday, January 21, 2002.

We will NOT accept a postmark before that date! So please DO NOT send anything before that day, because we WILL send it back to you!

Tickets are Burning Man’s only source of revenue, so PLEASE PURCHASE TICKETS AT THE HIGHEST PRICE LEVEL YOU CAN AFFORD. Purchasing higher – priced ticket levels leaves lower priced tickets available for those who need them most.

Ticket allotments are divided by amounts and dates. You MUST pay attention to postmark deadlines. Please read ALL instructions carefully before you run off to the mailbox. There is some very important NEW information for 2002 ticket sales.

NEW FOR 2002:

  • When a price level is sold out, it will be announced in the JRS, the website, and the TO-FLAME hotline. It is up to YOU to verify availability of a ticket price before sending in your order.
  • WE NO LONGER ACCEPT PERSONAL OR BUSINESS CHECKS FOR MAIL ORDERS! Please make your payment in the form of a US Money Order or a Cashiers Check in US Funds. Don’t forget to save your Money Order receipt in case we are unable to fulfill your order.
  • Due to problems with the US Postal Service, we strongly encourage you to have your tickets sent to you via secure delivery. We will use Airborne Express. If you wish to use this service, please add $10.00 to your order and clearly indicate so on the order form. We will not be responsible for articles lost in the mail if you opt for regular postal delivery.

Ticket Structure:

FIRST LEVEL TICKETS:
Postmark from January 21 – January 26
6,000 tickets at $135.00 – deadline January 26

  • US Mail Order only! No internet sales, no walk up outlets
  • Limit: 2 tickets per order
  • US Money Order or Cashier’s Check in US funds ONLY
  • Please print out the form at tickets.burningman.com and include it. You will not see the $135 price level on this form, but the JRS hereby advises you to ***write it in on the form*** if you are trying for the lowest ticket tier.
  • This price IS shown on the postcard, and if you received one in the mail, please send in its perforated form with your order.

From January 21 – August 23, 2002

  • US Mail order, internet sales, walk up outlets
  • Mail order: US Money Order or Cashier’s Check in US funds ONLY
  • Unlimited number per person per order

4,000 tickets at $165.00 – deadline June 30, 2002
4,000 tickets at $175.00 – deadline June 30, 2002
4,000 tickets at $185.00 – deadline June 30, 2002

***There are an UNLIMITED number of tickets available at $200.00, available from January 21st – August 23. See above for availability and payment options.

  • After June 30th, 2002, all pre-sale tickets will cost $200.00 (through 8/23/02)
  • The last postmark we will accept for mail orders is July 15, 2002. After this date all tickets will be held at Will Call.
  • All $200.00 tickets sold online after August 1 are WILL CALL. Online purchases end Friday, August 23, 2002.
  • Tickets purchased at the Gate will cost at least $250.00 and will increase each day of the event. NO tickets will be sold at the event after 11:00 PM on Thursday, August 29, 2002.
  • All orders must be postmarked by 11:59 PM of the appropriate deadline date. Incorrect, illegible or late orders will NOT be accepted and will be RETURNED to you.
  • SAVE the receipt for your Money Order in case we need to return your order.

Other Info:

  • Reno Outlet: The Melting Pot, 888 S Virginia St
  • Winnemucca Outlet: Red Cat Records, 1051 W 4th St
  • These outlets will begin selling tickets on a date to be announced soon. Payment can be made via US Money Order or Cashier’s Check in US funds ONLY. Only tickets $165 and up are available from outlets. Other walk-up outlets, including Sacramento will also be announced soon.
  • Ticket scholarship program will distribute a limited number of low-cost tickets each month. To request consideration for the monthly allotment, send an email to: scholarship(at)burningman(dot)com

Go to: tickets.burningman.com

Remember if you print out the Mail Order form don’t forget the US Money Order or US Funds Cashier’s Check to:

Burning Man
PO Box 884688
San Francisco, CA 94188-4688

Questions?
Phone: 415-550-3080 Ext 0
Email: Partiserv(at)burningman(dot)com

We can’t wait to see you all on the playa!

Cheers

Meow from Marian, Actiongrl and all the little JRS bunnies!