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Post by groupbooker on Jan 6, 2017 14:43:09 GMT
I do not think this will worry most of you on the board. Today I received an email from the Group Booking Department of the Bristol Hippodrome telling me that from the 1st February, they will shut. In future all group bookings will be dealt with by a Sunderland call centre (ATG?). I presume that ALL ATG Group Booking Departments will be shut!
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193 posts
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 7, 2017 0:03:24 GMT
Bristol are one of the best I deal with and a great pity for all of them. Now we will go down the route of not being able to hold tickets past 4 weeks aka SEE and Ticketmaster.
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Post by sidewinder on Jan 9, 2017 14:37:54 GMT
Liverpool and Manchester are gone too
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 10, 2017 0:39:30 GMT
Every ATG group department in their theatres will go to Sunderland. Not good - I expect the same 4 weeks hold on group tickets, perhaps pushed to 6 IF lucky just like SEE and Ticketmaster.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 10, 2017 8:49:44 GMT
Every ATG group department in their theatres will go to Sunderland. Not good - I expect the same 4 weeks hold on group tickets, perhaps pushed to 6 IF lucky just like SEE and Ticketmaster. Ok but why should group organisers get more than 6 weeks to hold onto tickets when members of the general public might want to buy them? |
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 10, 2017 19:57:04 GMT
Because not all group organisers see the "group" every week/month but have to contact everyone to find out who may want to go. I have 1000 on my mail list and cant afford to send out at a drop of a hat every time I book a show, I need time to get snail mail and email postings out. If you had ever organised a group of 40/50 people to all agree at once about a show, you would know the problems. I expect theatremonkey has had the same problem. At one time groups were important to theatres but not now with the likes of online priority booking. Living where we do, I have to pay top price for Saturday matinees because we cant do a weekday show as a lot still work.
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Post by daniel on Jan 11, 2017 14:18:38 GMT
Just to clarify (may have been some miscommunication), Group bookings are being centralised to the Group Line team based in central London - they already do the bookings for the West End shows, so will now take on the regional venues too.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 11, 2017 19:06:10 GMT
Well, groupbooker you will hate me for this... sorry! but I'm going to say it anyway. I dont see why group organisers should be allowed to take thousands (collectively) of tickets out of circulation for 6 weeks or more while they do their snail mail advertising and at the same time take away the opportunity for other people to buy those seats. Yes I appreciate that theatres have a vested interest in nurturing group bookings and yes I know that some people wouldn't get to see shows without someone arranging trips. BUT, four weeks is plenty, 6 weeks is generous and more than 6 weeks is just crazy. Group organisers (should) know what the level of interest for a show will be. Buy 10 seats less and it's first come first served. Don't take tickets out of circulation on the offchance that you "might" sell them. That's not fair to other people who DO want those seats. And if youre doing this as a business I'm even less sympathetic to your plight because you're effectively taking advantage of holding tickets in order to mitigate your risks of no sales. |
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 12, 2017 0:04:19 GMT
I don't want to get into an row BurlyBear but as I said before, IF you have had to organise a group you would see how difficult it can be. Even if you have a group that meets every week or every month there are people having to get time off work, have to sort out they have a clear weekend etc. It is not just "ok lets do it!" You say buy 10 tickets less - would you buy 40 tickets at lets say £75 and then find no one wants to go? Even if you tell them its the hit of the year! You have the £3000 loss not the theatre, you have 40 tickets you cannot do anything with. There are a lot of coach companies here in Cornwall and Devon I know who are giving up doing theatre trips to London. They cant hold tickets in enough time to be able to see if they sell enough for the trip. They come to London,cannot park a coach anywhere ending up with parking fines when the driver runs out of driving hours.
I love theatre and so does everyone who come on my trips but I am thinking of giving it all up this year - the problems are too great now.
That will be one less group organiser out of the way and let tickets go to more deserving people!! lol only joking BB!
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Post by infofreako on Jan 12, 2017 0:32:01 GMT
Its an interesting insight into group bookings. Would this work the same for coach companies generally, if thats the case im not sure its a concept I Agree with for different reasons from a customer point of view.
They see that their local coach company are running trips to les mis for example, date suits, price is good and includes travel, they book in good faith. What then happens if the coach company only sell 6 seats say, do they get a call a week or so before their trip along the lines of "hi that trip youre looking forward to, may have booked time off for as a special treat. Well youre not going, we only had the tickets on hold it was all a bit speculative really. Weve held on to your cash for 3 months so we will refund that for you. Sorry, bye"
That doesnt sound a great system. Puts me right off booking such things
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 13, 2017 0:37:15 GMT
That is not a good way to work these trips now with short holds. I ask people to let me know how many are certain to book but do not take deposits. IF we have enough to get say 30 people I ask for deposits,then ring then theatre and buy the 30 tickets. Then if more come along I again ring and get more at the price I want as it books. IF the trip is cancelled then now one has been made to pay anything and they have time to book possibly with another person or company. Down here in the West Country nine times out of ten the only other company is Newmarket via local papers. I am told go once with them you will never again! Four am pick up in Truro and by 11.00 am you have reached Taunton! As I said before a LOT of local coach companies have given up doing West End trips because of the hassle.
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Post by infofreako on Jan 13, 2017 1:06:22 GMT
That is not a good way to work these trips now with short holds. I ask people to let me know how many are certain to book but do not take deposits. IF we have enough to get say 30 people I ask for deposits,then ring then theatre and buy the 30 tickets. Then if more come along I again ring and get more at the price I want as it books. IF the trip is cancelled then now one has been made to pay anything and they have time to book possibly with another person or company. Down here in the West Country nine times out of ten the only other company is Newmarket via local papers. I am told go once with them you will never again! Four am pick up in Truro and by 11.00 am you have reached Taunton! As I said before a LOT of local coach companies have given up doing West End trips because of the hassle. Fair enough, quite a few companies do them here in sussex but i guess its not a particularly long trip from here. Those i know of all take monies from first booking so there must be a risk if they fall short numbers wise. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 14, 2017 21:50:34 GMT
At least Burly Bear can take comfort that group bookings for Hamilton aren't possible.
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Post by groupbooker on Jan 14, 2017 21:52:26 GMT
Too true!!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jan 20, 2017 20:57:59 GMT
I wouldn't care how many seats were taken out of circulation for The Emperors New Clothes Hamilton. I don't see it being particularly popular with coach tours though, they're probably too discerning  |
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Post by ptwest on Jan 23, 2017 12:36:15 GMT
I take groups to Manchester every so often and I don't see that having, say, a 6 week limit is going to make much difference. But where it will have a huge impact on school visits. Have just had the info for warhorse in Mid to late 2018 (not at an atg venue I might add, it's just an illustration) . There is no way I can commit to a school visit nearly two years ahead and project which children will be able to come, also predicting any change in cohort in order to have payment in within 4-6 weeks. I think in this era of bookings opening so far ahead of the show there needs to be some leeway. Taking my classes to shows has been one of the experiences they have really remembered, I would hate for this to become logistically impossible.
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Post by groupbooker on Feb 2, 2017 22:35:23 GMT
Well booked with the new ATG groups number in Sunderland on Monday for Wicked at Bristol. As I thought it is on the same terms as SEE and Ticketmaster possibly 4 weeks to hold and I am trying to get a group for March 2018!! Top price for Wicked is £80, then £58.50 and finally £51. Yes cheaper slightly on last two prices in the week - but all cannot go in the week. I think even Bristolian people will have a shock booking this!! I will wait to see how normal musicals go price wise and hold details but could be the end of Bristol bookings. Most people (not theatre fans like the board members) will not book for anything almost 12 months ahead unless it has had great promotion and is in their mind to do so - will wait till nearer the time!
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