I'm not the only one who's commented in the past on the method of selling tickets for the Liverpool Beer Festival. No pretence at attracting new blood, Liverpool & District CAMRA sell a limited amount of tickets by post, while the majority, including all Friday night tickets, sell out in an hour or so to those who queue up on a Saturday morning in December. Only those in the know and/or committed get tickets.
I forgot to apply on line this year and have better things to do with my life than queue up from the crack of dawn on a freezing cold winter's morning. So I was pleasantly surprised last week to see a supply of Thursday night tickets on sale in a Wirral pub. Is this some sort of unofficial, alternative market at work (tickets were on sale at face value) or the sign of a more enlightened attitude?
I've heard similar stories in Liverpool. Perhaps the usual sell-out months in advance hasn't happened this year after all - recession and all that. As you know, I've been saying for years they should put some of their tickets on-line. It would take one person about half an hour to do, and then all they'd need to do is sit back and wait for the cash to roll in.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear of any available in pubs, but surely Liverpool CAMRA must be looking at the organisation of the Waterloo beer festival? Is Liverpool Organic Brewery doing 4 festivals this year? All with online ticket ordering, and even the upstart 'liverpool craft beer expo' has online tickets..
ReplyDeleteI suspect that a number of potential customers for the Liverpool Beer Fest have simply given up trying to jump through hoops to get tickets, presuming that it's always impossible.
They aren't too friendly to their own members either. They didn't send out advance warning about ticket sales to all their own members, even ones who had set up e-mail addresses with them.
ReplyDeleteThen there was the actual process of buying tickets - they would only accept cheques or postal orders. If the Chester branch can organise payment by credit/debit card I can't see why Liverpool can't.
Ticket sales is one area where they need to get themselves organised.