ST Freinds and Family Promo - Pre Season June 8

[Mightygoose]

I take it everyone has received the friends and family offer for the pre season tilt next week (5 pairs).

Has anyone had feedback with difficulty with the website/link?. They're getting error messages - try again later or despite there's still space under my code.

4 people got them fine yesterday, just issues for others today....otherwise my allotment would be full by now.

I emailed client services too so will let you know the reply I get.

Edit: The site has been up and down but my co-workers were able get their tickets and my allotment is full. If any one has unused leftovers, feel free to PM me

[Neely2005]

It only works on a PC and it doesn't seem to work properly in Chrome. You need to use IE or Firefox.

[Treblecharger1]

Interesting I never got the email

[Mightygoose]

Interesting I never got the email

strange, I got it yesterday at 10:00 am. Could be in a junk folder?

Otherwise, I would contact client services for a code. The offer expires on June 5

[argofan81]

With the promotion ending today, I am unable to give away my allotment. If anyone needs additional tickets, feel free to PM me.

[Mightygoose]

Website is acting up again. I've got at least 3 pairs trying to book.

Hope it gets resolved or at least an extension on the promo

[Neely2005]

Website is acting up again. I've got at least 3 pairs trying to book.

Hope it gets resolved or at least an extension on the promo

Try a different browser. It's working fine for me with Firefox on a PC.

[Mightygoose]

I'll suggest that to my co-workers. Not many are on Firefox however. Surprised it wouldn't work with IE.

Edit: Spoke to Client Services, it's an issue with Ticketmaster they're in the midst of resolving.

Due to the delay, the offer will be extended until Wednesday.

[1971GreyCup]

I am still struggling with the site. Sheesh. I have one pair. Trying to get 4 more pairs for friends and family.

[timlb01]

I am still struggling with the site. Sheesh. I have one pair. Trying to get 4 more pairs for friends and family.

Maybe you already know this but you have to use a different Ticketmaster account for each pair of tickets you get. I had to get people at work to login into there own account to get tickets after I got the first pair using my own.

[Neely2005]

From the Email from the Argonauts:


-********* “Friends & Family” tickets cannot be claimed by the Season Ticket Holders themselves.

[Scooter McCray]

There are 4,000 STH. For the pre season game and other poor selling games for that matter they should just give each STH 2 pairs of seats to give away. And make sure the game day experience is off the charts so they want to come back.

[ArgoRavi]

There are 4,000 STH. For the pre season game and other poor selling games for that matter they should just give each STH 2 pairs of seats to give away. And make sure the game day experience is off the charts so they want to come back.

It is okay to give away tickets for preseason games but if you do it for regular season games, you are only devaluing the product and people come to expect that they won't have to pay for tickets. Montreal faced this issue in the mid-1990s when Jim Speros was giving away tickets like candy in 1996. The first thing Larry Smith did after the change in ownership to Robert Wetenhall was make fans pay for tickets and end the freebies. Obviously, the move to McGill was the turning point but fans at least knew that they would have to pay for tickets if they wanted to see the games.

[Neely2005]

There are 4,000 STH. For the pre season game and other poor selling games for that matter they should just give each STH 2 pairs of seats to give away. And make sure the game day experience is off the charts so they want to come back.

Where are you getting the 4000 figure from? The last figure that I heard was 7500+ for the 2016 season.

[ArgoGabe22]

Missed the memo. Are these tickets free/heavily discounted? If so, the one thing I've always wondered is how come so many people are ready to pounce on free/cheap tickets but then can't find anyone to take to a game without any promotions?

If I got free tickets to a lot of things, I still wouldn't go if I have absolutely no interest. I understand the use of such promotions but it bothers me how only so and so will go because of this and not on a regular gameday at full cost.

I think we, as fans, need to try to bring guests throughout the season without having to rely on freebies and asking to use other people's unused tickets.

[Scooter McCray]

Where are you getting the 4000 figure from? The last figure that I heard was 7500+ for the 2016 season.

From the team's ticket dept. Last year was a Grey Cup year. There is always a large drop off after that, as fans buy season seats to guarantee themselves a seat to the GC. It is still better than 2 years ago when there were only maybe 3,500 in Braley's last year and we only had 4 games at Skydome. I expect group sales will be up significantly and corporate sales because Michael Hook has 15 years of experience in that dept. with the Blue Jays. That rolodex of corporate contacts and his relationships will be a great asset for the Argos now. But the team should use it's hard core base to grow at the grassroots level.

I don't like giving away seats, but for the pre-season game that should be done because the onfield product is not ideal (in any sport, not just CFL). But do it with a full bore approach to off the field entertainment and game day experience as a tune up for the regular season and getting all of the bugs out. Entertain the fans from start to finish and then give them vouchers on the way out to buy tickets to a regular season game at a season ticket discount.

[Mightygoose]

I don't mind free tickets as long as it driven through the season ticket holders and sponsors....the ones that give them business already.

Put the free seats in the upper east side' lower east by the goalines and the back of the endzones....basically where there are not allot of paying customers.

As long as the team follows up with them afterwards. Thank them for coming, have a short survey on their experience..no longer than 10 questions. Don't try and sell them anything aside from the next home game.

Even if the frees don't buy another ticket, enough positive feedback will be very valuable when selling corporate seasons. In this market that's where the really big fish are.

[Neely2005]

It is okay to give away tickets for preseason games but if you do it for regular season games, you are only devaluing the product and people come to expect that they won't have to pay for tickets. Montreal faced this issue in the mid-1990s when Jim Speros was giving away tickets like candy in 1996. The first thing Larry Smith did after the change in ownership to Robert Wetenhall was make fans pay for tickets and end the freebies. Obviously, the move to McGill was the turning point but fans at least knew that they would have to pay for tickets if they wanted to see the games.

The Blue Jays did the same thing once Rogers bought them.

[paulwoods13]

As long as the team follows up with them afterwards. Thank them for coming, have a short survey on their experience..no longer than 10 questions.

I daresay this is precisely why these free tickets have to be claimed by someone other than the season-ticket holder -- so the org can add names of potential buyers to its database. Smart thinking.

[Hook16]

Good evening, I thought it was important to chime in.
There has always been a debate about giving tickets away to simply fill the stadium. I can tell you from my point of view and the direction we are going is to avoid giving out comp tickets. We need to be more responsible to our fans and season ticket holders. This is going to be a process to rebuild a fan base and providing free tickets doesn't help us and isn't the solution. We will be strategic with everything we do in an effort to grow our fan base long term. Season ticket holders will always be our priority, we are in a good position and have a number of great group programs in place that will help our game to game numbers. We do need the support of our best customers and will continue to find ways to motivate everyone to help us find new business.
Look forward to see many of you Thursday

Thank you
Michael Hook
mhook@argonauts.ca