Grad ball ticket exchange

[Andy Monkey B]

So what do we do if we have lost our tickets? Like we put them in a 'safe place' 6 weeks ago and can't for the life of us remember where that 'safe place' was?

Seriously, i've lost two tickets, what do I do? Is there any hope of still getting in?

[Fawksie]

You ring the General Office...?

[Andy Monkey B]

false alarm, found them in the end. turned out that the safe place went home unexpectedly. I shall go to the ball!

[eagle]

Seems like pretty standard fare to me. Works for all the other big events in town, and minimizes queues at the event itself.
If you have the opportunity to exchange your ticket today or tomorrow, go for it. Otherwise, as the website says, exchange at the door (but be prepared for a short wait).

If you've lost your ticket, I guess that's just bad luck. I don't know of any large event which would issue a replacement - you can't do that with ticketmaster, T in the Park, Glastonbury etc etc.

As for the email, the St Andrews servers are indeed down, and there's nothing the Union can do about that. Previous attempts to set up an external email system were blocked by the Uni's firewall/mailscanner, and Union staff were told that a system had been provided for them (Majordomo mailing list), and they had to use that.

[Andrew Mackenzie]

The only way I can see that a system like this would be useful is if upon collection of the wristband your name was checked off a list and the band was actually put on you. That way at least it would prevent forgeries. However that won't work this time around as many people aren't going to be able to go in person to exchange them and, besides, people who are graduating on Friday will not want a band around their wrists for photos.

As has been pointed out, I can't help but feel that these tickets can be as easily lost as bands and are most likely more easy to forge. For one thing they are made out rectangular pieces of paper - a commodity more accessible than the plastic/fabric (whichever we're using) material for bands. And anyway, if bands were given out earlier and someone actually was able to mock up a good replica I reckon they should be given free access just for ingenuity.

I can't see why we don't just operate it as entry on the door with a ticket and the ticket is taken from you. Then if you want to leave the area you get given a band at the exit - the same as many nightclubs do. Ticket exchange is fine for balls where everyone is easily accessible in St Andrews but seems rather ill advised when a lot of people are heading back at different times from different locations. It just adds an unnecessary complication.

I'm completely sure the organisation on the night will be top notch and I'm looking forward to a great ball - we know that Stacy et al will put on a fantastic show. However I can't help but feel the ticketing system perhaps need some more thought for next year - the lack of information just a couple of days before the ball (especially in such a busy week) will be concerning for people.

[Jono]

RE: Andrew. Pretty much the answer I expected. I appreciate forgery is a concern, but the printed tickets contain foil lettering which can't be easily photocopied. Holographs and watermarks can also be added to tickets to make forgery more difficult (although with the right equipment, not impossible. Assuming we have a ticket-forging cartel operating out of Fife). The out-the-back "swapsies" can similarly be avoided via ticket clipping and hand-stamping.

When someone buys a ticket to an event like this, that should be the end of the matter! During term time, when everyone is required by the university to be in town, organising swaps is all well and good (although one might question the purpose of printing tickets in the first place if all they're good for is redemption of a wristband). But at events when a lot of us aren't in town this sort of thing is a complete annoyance. Especially for people like Cain who are only coming up for the event itself. The swap is admittedly advertised on the back of the ticket, but not anywhere else (re: failure of the email to go out). Moreover, it's not clear when the tickets are going to be swapped. I just faffed around for three quaters of an hour waiting for the General Office to open, only to be told that I can't redeem my ticket until midday for some reason.

And while i'm being an old fogey, this is a ball, not a bop! At a black-tie event I don't want to have to wear a tacky plastic wristband.

[aye08]

It's actually fabric...

[RandomMusings]

Final reminder/clarification that anybody who has thus far been unable to exchange their ticket for a wristband, will be able to do so at the gates on the way into the ball tomorrow night. I hope everyone who has been graduating this week has had a fantastic time and that those tomorrow enjoy themselves equally (and the sun remains shining!)

[Oli]

The ball will be held in marquees which have a limit to their capacity. The wristbands are to ensure that they cannot be passed from person to person, and thus the capacity cannot be exceeded.

In previous years, we have exchanged tickets for wristbands on the night, but this has resulted in very long queues at the gate, which detract from the enjoyment of the night, particularly if it's raining.
With this in mind, Stacy and several other Union staff have spent Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons exchanging tickets of those who have been able to make it to the Union. This was simply to avoid queues on the night on Friday.

To put this in perspective, when Prince William attended the ball, the Union was required to make a record of everyone's name and address, which was cross checked from a printed list with their ID as people arrived. You can imagine the queues! This was continued until this year, when I for one pointed out that there was simply no need, and it just complicates matters and slows everything down.

As for security, the tickets were printed onto paper with two security features, plus a custom foil. This should greatly reduce the risk of forgery. The wristbands are checked throughout the night, as people enter the marquees after going outside. The Union, University, Fife Council and Fife Constabulary all keep a close eye on guest numbers and capacities in order to ensure that guests are safe and that the Union stays within the law.

Although both tickets and wristband could be lost, I would hope that people are sensible enough to keep them in a safe place.

Whether you have exchanged your wristband already, or will be doing so either tomorrow afternoon or evening, I'm sure that you will find the queues greatly reduced, and that you'll get to the champagne reception much earlier than previous years! Doors open (and corks popped) at 8pm, and the celidh begins at 9. I'll see you there (I'll have my camera with me, so please say hello and smile for a picture).

Oli Walker
Design and Marketing Officer,
St Andrews Students' Association

[Frustrated]

Oli - you just said "Whether you have exchanged your wristband already, or will be doing so either tomorrow afternoon or evening" - does this mean we can exchange our tickets for wristbands this afternoon??

[Oli]

Oli - you just said "Whether you have exchanged your wristband already, or will be doing so either tomorrow afternoon or evening" - does this mean we can exchange our tickets for wristbands this afternoon??

Yes, wristband exchange will also be Friday afternoon, 12-4.30pm. Then at the door from 8pm (but be prepared for a short wait if there are other people who haven't exchanged already).

[Jono]

It's actually fabric...

Yes it is... Not really tacky either.

[Oli]

I'm glad you like it Jono.
For those who haven't yet collected theirs, the wristband is black and white fabric, with silver embroidery thread. It has been designed to look understated yet elegant, in order to complement ladies' and gentlemen's evening wear.