NYCC Institutes Mandatory Fan Verification Process For Ticket Sales
ReedPop has just announced a new ticket sale system for New York Comic Con called Fan Verification. No, you don’t have to prove you’re a fan. You have to prove you’re human. I guess?
As with any change, fans already seem to be ultra concerned with this new process. And they probably should be. This is reaching San Diego Comic-Con levels of difficulty. Allow the press release to explain:
In true superhero fashion, ReedPOP, the world’s leading producer of pop culture events, is taking a stand against the live event industry’s greatest supervillains – ticket resellers. Today, the producer of New York Comic Con announces the introduction of a new Fan Verification process to help limit the amount of resellers and get Tickets into the hands of Fans along with other Ticketing changes. As part of today’s announcement, ReedPOP will also transition the New York Super Week brand to NYCC Presents, representing a shift that will support a broader range of NYCC content throughout Manhattan. New York Comic Con will take place October 6-9, 2016.
The Fan Verification system will launch on Friday, May 20, when Fans will fill out a profile in order to be eligible to purchase Tickets when they go on sale. Fan Verification will close Monday, June 13 and anyone who has not completed a Fan Verification profile will be unable to purchase Tickets. For the first time, purchasing Tickets will only be possible online through the NYCC Ticket website and there will be no retail sales.
There’s a PDF of the full news and an FAQ here, on their website here, or you can read up more about it on their site FAQ but suffice to say, yes, this will be more work for fans.
- Fan Verification is required for NYCC 2016. Everyone who would like to attend NYCC (whether you are buying Tickets yourself or someone is buying them for you) must fill out a Fan Verification profile.
- Kids who will be ages 6-12 at the time of NYCC 2016 and will be using a NYCC 2016 Adult Ticket or Sunday Kids Ticket do not need a Fan Verification profile for their NYCC 2016 Ticket.
- Fan Verification will be open from Friday, May 20 at 12:00 PM EDT to Monday, June 13 at 11:59 PM EDT. Fill out your Fan Verification profile correctly and completely – there’s no need to rush through it.
- All NYCC 2016 Ticket Types will go on sale at the same time on a first-come, first-served basis. Fan Verification does not guarantee NYCC Tickets.
- VIP Tickets for NYCC will no longer be made available.
- NYCC 2016 Tickets will only be sold online. NYCC Tickets will not be on sale at retailers or any events leading up to NYCC 2016.
- All Fans who filled out a Fan Verification profile will be notified via email 48 hours prior to NYCC Tickets going on sale.
- The email Fans will receive with the NYCC on-sale date will include a unique link where Fans will have the opportunity to purchase
- Tickets first-come, first-served when they go on sale. There is a one transaction limit per link.
- If Fans are purchasing Tickets for multiple people, they must be assigned to a person using the name and email address they created their Fan Verification profile with. If Fans are purchasing a Ticket for a kid ages 6-12, they will add their name and age to the Ticket.
Honestly, I had no idea ticket resales were such a problem for NYCC but was this really the best way to go about fixing it? I’m going to say most fans will say no. Besides having to make sure you fill out this form even if you’re not sure you’re going to attend the show, there are no longer any outlets to purchase your ticket besides online. I know many fans were saved in the past, myself included, by purchasing a ticket at their local comic shop because the online sales went so fast.
The NYCC Twitter account is busy answering questions as we speak. What are yours?
Here’s the strange thing – as weird as the hoops have been for CCI registrations (you do need the username to buy tickets for Wondercon, which isn’t as convoluted a process as SDCC)… you’ve never needed to specify information about the children you’re bringing – just get your passes for them at the door.
And frankly, I’m deeply uncomfortable having to provide name/age for children on something like that.
You don’t need to create a profile for kids tickets for Kids Day Sunday for kids 6-12 (kids under 6 are free).
Right, but as a parent, I’m still wary of having to give them ANY information about my children beyond needing tickets for their age range. (And I know a lot of parents who bring kids 6-12 on more than just Kids Day for cons)
Yes, but on Kids Day the tickets are discounted, and if you want to bring them to NYCC the other days it’s full adult ticket price. So many people wait for Kids Day.