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2008 News and Information

2010 Winter Games Olympic Victory Ceremonies Offer Top Value as Organizers Prepare for Phase 1 Ticket Sales, From October 3 to November 7, 2008

11 September 2008

The once-in-a-lifetime experience of the Olympic Games became that much more real today with the release of details on nightly Victory Ceremonies tickets as well as important information Canadian ticket buyers should know to get ready to buy tickets when Phase 1 ticket sales begin on October 3, 2008.

Approximately 30,000 tickets will be available for each nightly Olympic Victory Ceremony at BC Place — 10,000 will be free through a program that will be unveiled in 2009, while up to 20,000 will be sold for $22. Nightly Victory Ceremonies will pay tribute to the athletes as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognizes the day’s accomplishments in the presence of the Olympic Flame. Following the medal presentations, the athletes’ triumphs will be honoured with a celebration concert featuring renowned entertainers.

Including the nightly Olympic Victory Ceremonies, approximately two million tickets will be available for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games with more than 400,000 tickets priced at $25 or less and more than half of all tickets priced at $100 or less.

“With just weeks remaining before tickets go on sale, now is the time for Canadians to get ready to create their own unforgettable Olympic experience in 2010. We are particularly excited to whet everyone’s appetite with new details on the nightly Victory Ceremonies at BC Place,” said Dave Cobb, executive vice president for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games mark the first time an Organizing Committee has combined the Opening, Closing and Victory Ceremonies at one venue, BC Place. In addition to the comfort of an indoor venue, the stadium setting also allows VANOC to create a unified Olympic Winter Games story that unfolds in three distinct chapters — the Opening Ceremony, the nightly Victory Ceremonies and the Closing Ceremony. Victory Ceremonies will also be held each night at the Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza. Details regarding tickets and access will be announced in the near future.

With the countdown to the start of ticket sales now on, the following information and reminders were released today:

Phase 1: October 3 to November 7 — No need to rush

Phase 1 of ticket requests runs from October 3 through November 7, 2008. There’s no rush to submit a request on the first day. The public is encouraged to take its time and to talk to friends and family and think about which dates work for them and which events they most want to see. A request submitted on October 3 will be considered the same as a request submitted November 7. Members of the public who requested tickets will be notified of their ticket allocation in late November/early December, and will be able to confidently finalize the rest of their plans, which may include booking flights and accommodation.

Be Visa-ready

In recognition of the Visa Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games sponsorship, Vancouver 2010 is proud to acknowledge Visa as the only payment card accepted. The public is encouraged to be prepared by ensuring they have a Visa card of their own. Cheques and money orders will be accepted, however, some conditions apply. Visit www.vancouver2010.com or call the Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre at 1-800-TICKETS (1-800-842-5387) after September 15 for details. Cash will not be accepted as payment for tickets during Phase 1.

Ticket surcharges

VANOC has committed to ensuring that surcharges on Vancouver 2010 tickets are less than those on similar ticket programs in the market today; surcharges will vary depending on the value of the ticket order. In addition, tickets will be delivered securely by Purolator Courier in late 2009 and must be received and signed for by the account holder.

Transportation planning

As there will be no parking at venues in either Vancouver or Whistler, using Vancouver 2010 transportation in the Sea to Sky Corridor will be the easiest and best mode of transport. Transportation costs for spectator travel between Vancouver and Whistler are still being determined, but will be significantly less than current market costs. Arrangements for local transportation are still under development and details will be finalized and announced in the coming months.

Ticket allocations

Overall, 70 per cent of all tickets will be available to the general public while 30 per cent will be made available for purchase by the Olympic Family. As is required of all Olympic Organizing Committees, approximately 30 per cent of all tickets will be held for purchase by key partners that participate directly in the staging of the Games – commonly referred to as the Olympic Family. The Olympic family includes athletes and their families, National Olympic Committees and international sport federations, media and broadcasters and worldwide and domestic sponsors. Initial ticket allocations for the Olympic Family have been completed by VANOC and the requests are under review. As expected, demand for tickets is extremely high.

While 70 per cent overall of all tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will go to the public, as is common at all Olympic Games, ticket allocations for individual events will vary. Over the past year, VANOC has worked with the IOC and its sport partners to develop single event public ticket allocation minimums. In some cases more than 70 per cent of tickets to a single event will be available to the public; in all cases, however, events have at least 30 per cent of the tickets available to the public.

“We want to ensure that the maximum number of tickets are available to the public for every event. While previous Games have established event public ticketing thresholds at 10 per cent or less, we’ve worked hard to increase the 2010 Winter Games event threshold for public tickets to a minimum of 30 per cent,” said Caley Denton, VANOC vice president of ticketing and consumer marketing.

VANOC also confirmed today that additional ticket sale information and important reminders will be released in the coming weeks as follows:
  • September 17: Details on Olympic Experience Packages and “How to maximize your Olympic experience” information will be released on vancouver2010.com and at a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon presentation
  • September 25: Vancouver 2010 media conference to provide full information and important reminders on the sale of Olympic Winter Games tickets
  • September 27 and 28: Publication of Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games ticket information supplements in The Globe and Mail and Canwest newspapers.
  • October 2: News release to remind public of key ticket buying tips
  • October 3: Tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games go on sale

Helpful links to previous Vancouver 2010 ticket announcements:

General overview:
www.vancouver2010.com/en/Participation/SpectatorInformation/Tickets

Event schedules:
www.vancouver2010.com/en/WinterGames/EventSchedules

Ticket prices:
www.vancouver2010.com/en/Participation/SpectatorInformation/Tickets/TicketPrices
Canadian interest in purchasing Vancouver 2010 tickets:
www.vancouver2010.com/en/OrganizingCommittee/MediaCentre/NewsReleases/2007/03/23/45436_0703230707-294

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.