If you want to refresh your memory or if you didn't see it, you can look at #GABF #TicketMasterFail.
Today, there are even more pissed off beer geeks.
If you don't believe me, check out some of the nasty comments at the GABF facebook page or do a twitter search on #GABF.
The 2012 Great American Beer Festival sold out so fast that lots of people missed out. Officially, the announcement was that all sessions had been sold out in 45 minutes.
Many tweeters and facebookers report that Ticketmaster claimed everything was sold out much quicker than that when they went to try to buy. Apparently the Ticketmaster site was hit pretty hard and had performance issues. Maybe there were more bugs in their system. I don't know, but it sure seems like it was a complete cluster.
And now the scalpers are already coming out. Ebay has tickets for well-over face value. So does stub-hub. I'm sure all the after-market ticket selling sites have several.
Unfortunately, demand is greater than supply and lots of people are taking advantage of that.
One thing that sort of surprises me is how much anger is directed at the GABF and the Brewers Association. Perhaps they can be questioned for picking Ticketmaster, but it seems reasonable for the GABF to have expected a company that does nothing but sell tickets to be able to handle the situation.
And, I don't see a real good solution. The GABF is just so damn popular that not everyone who wants to go can get in. It is a bummer for those who can't go, but there is limited space. Hell, it is already too crowded at the public sessions. I think it is only going to get worse.
I will tell you this: I would fear for my physical safety if I were one of the scalpers outside the Denver Convention Center during the nights of GABF.
If you have ideas on what to do about this, feel free to leave a comment below. I am stumped.
Happy #IPADay everyone!
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