Vancouver 2010 Olympic tickets to go on sale starting tomorrow

Your best chance to get the tickets you want starts October 3, 2008, and you’ll have five (5) weeks to submit your request. Learn all you need to know to plan your Olympic experience here at vancouver2010.com.

Highlights of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ticket program:

• More than 100,000 tickets will be available for $25

• Half of all Games tickets are priced at $175 or less

• Phase 1 (October 3–November 7) is your best chance to secure Olympic tickets

The ticket-buying process will be staged in four phases. Phase 1 will be the best chance for Canadian residents to access tickets. The information that follows will help you learn who’s eligible to purchase tickets, how tickets can be purchased and when tickets are available. Also included are details on ticket packages, sessions and pricing.

Who?

Canadian Residents
All Canadian residents, regardless of citizenship, are eligible to request and purchase tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Requirements/Essential Information:

• Canadian residents must have a current and valid Canadian mailing address (P.O. boxes are not considered valid).
• You must be able to be available to sign for the secure courier delivery of tickets in late 2009.

• Only one account per person can be created and submitted.

• In recognition of Visa's longstanding support of the Olympic Games, we’re proud to accept only Visa cards. No other payment card will be accepted. For additional information on payment and pricing, see Ticket Prices or Ticketing Program FAQs.
• A request will only be processed per person using a single payment option. A ticketing request, for example, cannot be paid for using a Visa card and a money order. Only one ticketing request will be processed per Visa card.
• A maximum of four applications per delivery address is permitted.

Outside Canada — International Ticket Sales
The following sales process for 2010 Olympic Winter Games tickets is only applicable to Canadian residents. For those living outside Canada, regardless of citizenship, you must purchase tickets through the official ticket agent for your National Olympic Committee (NOC). For example, US residents (including Canadian citizens living in the US) must purchase tickets to the 2010 Winter Games through CoSport, a sister company of Jet Set Sports, the authorized ticket sales agent of the US Olympic Committee (USOC). For a list of National Olympic Committees and Official Ticket Agents, see International Ticket Sales.

Persons with Disabilities
VANOC is committed to providing accessible venues and services for both the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and extends a warm welcome to spectators with disabilities. All venues have been reviewed for accessibility. This includes consideration for persons who are blind or visually impaired, persons who are Deaf or hard of hearing and persons with mobility and/or agility impairments.

When completing your ticket request, you’ll have an opportunity to indicate whether you require accessible seating. If you indicate that you do require accessible seating, and are allocated tickets, a representative will contact you to discuss your requirements so the appropriate seating arrangements can be made.

How?

• Online: From October 3 through November 7, 2008, Canadian residents will be able to complete and submit online applications for tickets through vancouver2010.com using a simple step-by-step process that will allow you to choose exactly the tickets you’re interested in buying.
• By mail: If you do not have internet access, we encourage you to have a friend or family member assist you with an online request, or suggest you visit your local library for free internet access. If neither of these options is available to you, you are welcome to contact the Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre to request a paper application form. A courier charge of $10 will be added to your ticket request.
  

• By phone: Ticket requests cannot be made over the phone during Phase 1. Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre representatives are available to assist with any questions and will accept ticket orders by phone beginning in February 2009, for Phase 2. Call 1.800.TICKETS (1.800.842.5387) between 9:00 and 19:00 (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) or Saturday between 9:00 and 16:00.

  • Special hours: The call centre will be open on Sundays from October 3 through November 7, 2008 to assist you with any questions you have during the request period.
• In person: All 2010 Olympic Winter Games venue box offices will open on the first day of the competition at that venue.

Tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be sold in phases. Every step of the ticket program is designed to be simple, fair and accessible for any Canadian resident interested in attending the Games.

Phase 1:Starts October 3, 2008
Phase 1 of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ticket program will move through four stages: Request Period, Lottery, Notification Period and Priority Access Period.

Request Period (October 3 – November 7): The request period offers Canadian residents the best chance of securing the tickets they want. Create your own private and secure account through vancouver2010.com then begin building your Olympic experience by searching and selecting the sessions or packages of your choice. Take your time, there is no rush to submit your request on October 3rd.  You can save your selections, discuss them with your friends and family and modify your selections at any time. Be sure to submit your request by November 7, 2008 to be eligible – all requests will be weighted equally, regardless of when in the request period they are submitted.  Your VISA credit card will be checked for authenticity but no payments will be charged until the lottery period.  

Lottery (November 8–23): In cases where ticket demand exceeds the available supply, our official supplier of ticketing services, Tickets.com, will use an automated random selection process (lottery) to ensure the fairest possible ticket distribution on a session by session basis (for example each session you have requested, if oversubscribed, will be subject to a separate lottery). Your Visa card will be charged immediately upon allocation of tickets if you are randomly selected.

• Lottery Audit: To ensure consistency and fairness of the lottery process an audit will take place before applicants are notified of their ticket allocation.

Notification Period (By December 5): All applicants will be notified via e-mail regarding the status of their request and which sessions and/or packages they have secured. Seat locations will be confirmed in late 2009. NOTE: Notification will be sent to the e-mail address provided in your account. Please ensure that you update your account information with any changes.  

Priority Access Period (December 8- 22): The Priority Access Period is only open to Canadian residents who submit a request before November 7. At this time applicants will have the opportunity to purchase remaining tickets before they are released to the general public in early 2009. Applicants can add new sports or sessions to their own Olympic experience or even purchase tickets as a holiday gift for friends or family. Confirmation of your purchase will be immediate and payment will be charged at that time.

Phase 2: Starts Winter 2009
Remaining tickets will be available for public sale at this time. Canadian residents who missed the initial request period can purchase tickets directly through vancouver2010.com or by calling the Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre at 1-800-TICKETS (1-800-842-5387).

Seat assignment period: Summer 2009
Ticket sales will close for a period of time once the venue seating configurations have been finalized. During this time, specific seat locations will be assigned to all tickets purchased up to this point. Tickets purchased in Phase 1 will be assigned seats prior to those purchased in Phase 2 however seat locations will be randomly assigned within each price category by the ticketing system. Tickets purchased at the same time will be assigned together. For example, if you are allocated your request of four tickets to a women’s ice hockey session in Phase 1 then those four tickets will be seated together during the seat assignment period.

Phase 3: Fall 2009
Ticket sales will re-open upon completion of the seat assignment period. Tickets purchased at this time will be sold in real-time, directly into available seat locations.

Phase 4: Games Time – February 12 – 28, 2010
All venue box offices will open on the first day of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Available tickets can be purchased through vancouver2010.com or at any box office during Games time.