Golden Plains · The Third One · 7-9 March 2009 · Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre

Ticket System Details

The simple and fair Ticketing System that was in place last season is back.

The majority of tickets to The Third Golden Plains will be available via The Subscriber Ticket Ballot. The Ballot opens on Wednesday 22 October 2009, here at www.goldenplains.com.au.

There will be two rounds (draws) of the Ballot. The First Round will be available only to existing Subscribers; the Second Round will be open to new Subscribers as well as existing Subscribers.

After the Ballot is done and dusted, there will be Store Sales then Online Sales.

Tickets this year will be in the form of wristbands. More on that later.

THE BALLOT [ top ]

Two rounds of ticket offers will be made via email to successful applicants; one on November 5, and one on November 12. You only have to enter once.

Any Subscribers who were unsuccessful in the first round will be automatically entered into the second round ballot.

Public Sales [ top ]

Tickets will be available in select stores from Tuesday 18 November, then online open to all comers on Wednesday 19 November , here at www.goldenplains.com.au.

These tickets will be sold on a first-in, best-dressed basis and there is a maximum of 3 tickets per person in each allocation.

STORE ALLOCATION [ top ]

Tuesday 18 November.
9am Polyester Records - 387 Brunswick Street Fitzroy
9am Missing Link - Basement of 405 Bourke Street Melbourne
10am Greville Records - 152 Greville Street Prahran
9am Polyester City - 288 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
8:30am Capricorn Leading Edge - 154a Moorabool Street Geelong
9am Karova Lounge - Cnr Field and Camp Sts Ballarat
7am Swell Café – CASH ONLY NO CARDS! Stuart Avenue Jan Juc

ONLINE ALLOCATION [ top ]

Wednesday 19 November, time tbc, here at www.goldenplains.com.au, using online ticketing experts GreenTix.

TICKETS ARE WRISTBANDS,
WRISTBANDS ARE TICKETS [ top ]

This year tickets will be in the form of wristbands. The wristband does what the ticket used to do – give you entry to the festival. When you purchase a “ticket” you actually receive a wristband.

Each wristband will have a unique code on it, and each person’s wristband will be electronically scanned on entry to ensure it is valid. Once you are in the festival, you need to keep your wristband on for the duration of the event. The wristband is made of a durable yet soft, waterproof material that won’t irritate.

When you receive your wristband, do not put it on until the day of the festival. When that day does arrive, our suggestion is to put it on before you depart for the festival, so you know it’s on your wrist and you definitely packed it! Don’t leave home without it (on your wrist).

No sponsorship or advertising messages will be printed on the wristbands, we are very mindful of the wristband being on your person for a day or three.

The benefits of the wristband include:

  • Speeding up the entry process at the festival gates
  • Canceling stolen or scalped tickets
  • Keeping the number of people at the festival as low as it should be, by visually identifying anyone at the festival who does not have a legitimate ticket (wristband) and politely showing them the door

Types of Tickets [ top ]

There is only one type of ticket: a full festival ticket. It gets you access to the festival from 8am Saturday through to 1pm Monday when the gates close

PRICE [ top ]

The ticket price will be announced soon. Free camping and parking is of course included with every pass.

BOOKING FEES [ top ]

Booking fees vary from store to store, and online, but are generally around $8.

*Registered Post is an additional $4.95 if you purchase online.

CAPACITY [ top ]

Golden Plains is capped at 8000 patrons. (Meredith is 10,000).

There is plenty of space for all 8000 patrons to camp onsite. All the campgrounds will be open.

KIDS [ top ]

Kids 10 and under are free. Kids 11 and over are full price.

DATES, TIMES [ top ]

Gates open at 8am on Saturday 7 March 2009.

Live music starts at 2pm that day. Two night’s free camping is included, and the live music finishes at 7am Monday 9 March. there is no camping Monday night - everyone must depart the site by 1pm that day.

MORE ABOUT THE BALLOT [ top ]

The Subscriber Ticket Ballot has been used for the previous four festivals at the Supernatural Amphitheatre to get tickets into the hands of subscribers in an equitable and stress-free manner. The ballot is simple, fair and efficient.

It’s done online and via email.

  1. Enter the Ballot before it closes.
  2. You will be notified via email by Aunty Meredith as to whether or not you have been successful in the ballot.
  3. If successful, you will be emailed a unique alpha-numeric code (a “Golden Code”) which you can use to log in to our secure Online Box Office within a 6 day period, purchase up to 3 tickets, and have them sent to you.

If you don’t have a credit card, that’s ok - we offer PayPal.

If you are not drawn in the ballot, do not despair….there are two further allocations of tickets to go on sale.

The Ballot Application Process [ top ]

Please note that the speed of your internet connection doesn’t matter – dialup or broadband are both fine. When applications close, all the applications go into a ballot pool, and successful applicants are selected from the pool of subscribers until the allocation is exhausted.

The successful applicants are then emailed a unique alpha-numeric code (called a “Golden Code”) which acts like a password. They then have 5 days to go online to our secure site, log in using the Golden Code and make the purchase. No rush, no fuss. No stress. No competing with the rest of Australia for tickets. Each Golden Code can only be used once.

Many long-running festivals internationally now use this system, it is popular because it is quick and easy, and in this case you would only be competing for tickets with other Subscribers.

You don’t even need a credit card – we also offer PayPal. But you must set up a PayPal account in advance – it takes about 5 days. All you need is a bank account in your name, and of course enough money in it for the tickets when the time comes to pay.

Subscribers who enter the ballot will know whether or not they have been successful in getting tickets in the Ballot before the later allocations go on sale.

LOST, STOLEN OR DAMAGED TICKETS [ top ]

Lost, stolen or damaged tickets enquires should be directed here.

Every wristband carries a unique code on it and will be scanned on arrival at Reception to ensure it is valid.

WHEN WILL TICKETS BE SENT OUT? [ top ]

Please note that all tickets purchased online will be sent out from the start of February, even if they were purchased in the Ballot or Online in November. Delaying their delivery to you decreases the chance of tickets being lost or stolen. It is also an anti-scalping measure.

PHOTO ID [ top ]

You will need Photo ID to prove you are over 18 if you wish to enter a licensed area on site, or purchase alcohol from any of the bars. Even if you are 55 and look 70, if you haven’t got ID, you won’t be served.

ANTI-SCALPING POLICY [ top ]

Please be aware that a ticket (wristband) to an event at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre cannot be re-sold or transferred for profit or commercial advantage. If this occurs, the Festival wristband is voidable and the Festival wristband holder may be refused entry to or be ejected from the festival site. Note that each wristband ticket has a unique code on it and each and every wristband will be scanned at Reception when each and every patron enters the event to determine that the ticket is valid.

However, patrons are welcome to pass on their ticket if they wish to, as long as they do not do so for profit or gain. In other words, if you bought a ticket and can no longer attend, you are very welcome to pass that ticket onto someone else, as long as you do not sell it for more than face value. If you bought it for say $219 plus $8 booking fee, you can on-sell it for $227.

Practically, how this works is that for any and every event there are a certain amount of people whose circumstances change after purchasing a ticket and can no longer attend. We encourage those people to pass on their ticket to others or sell it for face value or less. You are welcome to use ebay or any other legal method to on-sell your ticket, as long as it is at face value. For every scalper that tries to sell at an inflated price, there is at least one or more legitimate person who just wants to sell their ticket at face value. Market forces dictate that the scumbag scalpers or opportunists can’t sell for inflated prices as there are other tickets for sale at normal price. Good triumphs over evil. The free market reigns. That’s how it’s been working, and it works fine, power to the people etc etc.

But if you want to go, don’t wait till then, cos there just aren’t that many tickets available.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS [ top ]

MMF PTY LTD ABN 15157031720 Terms and Conditions of Sale

Please be aware that a ticket (referred to as a Festival wristband) to an event at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre cannot be re-sold or transferred for profit or commercial advantage. If this occurs the Festival wristband is voidable and the Festival wristband holder may be refused entry to or be ejected from the festival site.

This Festival wristband is sold by MMF PTY LTD  ABN 15157031720. Purchase of this Festival wristband constitutes a contract between MMF Pty Ltd and the purchaser. Wristbands are sold subject to the following terms and conditions, as well as terms and conditions available for view at www.mmf.com.au.

The Terms and Conditions of Sale include the following:

  1. A change in personal circumstances of the Festival wristband Holder does not entitle the return or exchange of the Festival wristband.
  2. Festival wristbands will not be refunded under any circumstances, including but not limited to, the possible non-appearance of any particular person or group expected by the Festival wristband-holder, whether advertised or not, or any adverse weather conditions beyond the reasonable control of the event organiser.
  3. Festival wristbands will not be replaced: lost, stolen or damaged Festival wristbands will not be replaced.
  4. Festival wristbands only provide access to the areas as indicated by signage at the event.
  5. Audio visual equipment (including but not limited to cameras, video recorders, mobile phones and pagers) are permitted subject to the discretion of the venue. The Presenter reserves the right to remove a Festival wristband holder if they are in breach of the requirements regarding audio visual equipment.
  6. Children under 10 are free. Everyone else needs a Festival wristband to gain entry. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a ticket-holding parent or legal guardian at all times. There are no concessions or discounts.
  7. Festival wristbands must be worn at all times around the wrist of the Festival-wristband-holder when at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre.
  8. The ticket holder has a license to enter the Festival, subject to the conditions that attach to the ticket. Valid for entry and exit via a designated point. If the ticket holder is found in an unauthorised area (i.e. outside the Festival boundary in a non-designated entry or exit point or in an authorised area of the festival site) or behaves in an unruly, unsafe or anti-socially this will result in ejection and the ticket holder will not be reimbursed. 

  9. Any vehicle found harbouring or assisting a trespasser in any way - and all its occupants - will be refused entry to or ejected from the festival. All occupants will also be removed from mailing lists and ticket ballots and banned from future festivals at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre. Even if one person in a vehicle is trying to sneak in, these penalties will apply to all occupants.
  10. There is only one official entry and exit located at the corner of Mount Mercer Road and Nolan Road. Access via any other point will be considered as trespass.

TRESPASSER POLICY

There is a Zero Tolerance Policy in place for anyone trying to gain entry without a valid ticket, by foot or vehicle. Such persons are trespassers and are therefore breaking the law. The maximum penalty for trespassing is approximately $2750 or 6 months imprisonment. Anyone assisting trespassers will be refused entry or ejected from the festival, and banned from

future festivals at the site. If a vehicle is found to be carrying a trespasser, all occupants of the vehicle will be refused entry.

 

SO PLEASE DO NOT:

  • attempt entry in any manner without a valid wristband, or
  • trespass on private property, or
  • approach or enter/exit the site by other than the authorised entry/exit located at the corner of Mount Mercer and Nolan Road.

POSSIBLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How is the Online Tickets Allocation sold?

We are using expert online ticketing company GreenTix. GreenTix can do everything we require and a whole lot more. Their system can handle the volume of traffic it needs to.  They are experts in ticketing and handle many large events.

Why have online sales?

It is clear that many people prefer to have the online sales method, as long as the process is orderly. This means we pick a date and time and put some tickets on sale then. Whoever gets through online before others do gets the tickets. This is how the majority of tickets to events are now sold. GreenTix will be able to comfortably handle the volume here; the system will work effectively.

How many can we buy?

Up to 3 tickets per person.

Is there a queuing system for Online sales?

Yes. Here’s how GreenTix describe it.“It is a fair system that can handle the volume and demand, and importantly it does so in an orderly fashion. It is first in best dressed: if you are in the right place at the right time before the next person, you will be ahead of them in line. Once the queue has formed, we will tick through it as efficiently as possible. There will be no advantage to opening up multiple windows, clicking refresh or trying to ‘beat’ the system”.

How long do we have to complete our transaction in the Online Allocation?

You will have 8 minutes to complete your transaction. If you plan on using PayPal instead of a credit card you MUST have an account set up before this. (note – this 8 minute window does not apply to sales in the Ballot. Ballot winners have around 6 days to make their transaction)

There’s a big group of us that go, what is the best way for us all to get tickets?

You can buy up to 3 tickets in the Subscriber Ballot, you can buy up to 3 tickets at Stores, and 3 tickets in the Online Allocation. We recommend that everyone in the group tries as many methods as possible.

Why GreenTix?

GreenTix’ system is designed specifically for events like Golden Plains. GreenTix can do everything we require and a whole lot more. Their system can handle the volume of traffic it needs to.  They are experts in ticketing and can understand and solve many of the idiosyncratic issues that arise from an event such as Meredith. They are small enough to be flexible and big enough to be effective.

Going with GreenTix also means there are lower fees and charges – these savings get passed onto you. Plus they only use recycled paper and soy-based inks.

We don’t print tickets on demand at each outlet – we send hard (real, actual) tickets (in fact wristbands) to each outlet. We send each outlet a quantity of tickets proportionate to the demand in that area – the same amount that each outlet has been getting to sell for years.  So the right amount of tickets goes to each location.

Most of all we chose GreenTix because we believe they will do the job for Meredith better than anyone.

I don’t have a credit card and can’t get to a store, what do I do?

If you don’t have a credit card then there is a direct debit option called PayPal, which direct-debits money from your nominated bank account to pay for the tickets. If you wish to use your bank account instead of a credit card, you do need to set up a PayPal account before making the transaction, and this takes around 5 days, so we advise doing this at least a week in advance of the on-sale date. Visit https://www.paypal.com/au/mrb/pal=AJE33WTMB9PWQ and then follow the instructions. You need to have a bank account to do this, and have money in the account too! It does take a few days, so you will have to complete this and your transaction within the allotted time if buying during the ballot.

Dry Cleaning

When you drop off clothes to be dry cleaned, the staff member at the dry cleaners will usually give you a ticket or receipt. These tickets cannot be used for entry to the Golden Plains Festival. There is no “two-for-one” offer this year with The Boat Show either.

No phone sales?

No, the technology for coping with high demand hasn’t developed as fast for phones as it has for internet sales. When a ‘hot ticket’ event goes on sale at even the largest ticketing companies, if you don’t get through straight away to an actual human, you are not placed in a queue, you just get the engaged signal. Not ideal.