They went on sale at 2:00 PM Saturday afternoon and by 6:30 Sunday evening all ten thousand tickets were sold. We're stunned.
Thanks to all of you who made the trip and bought tickets. Congratulations to those of you who scratched winners!
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I leave town for 1 weekend and look what happens? Yarg!
ReplyDeleteI hope you rethink this for next year. Seems like there were a lot of postings about people get 4 winners out of 30 and some get 0 winners out of 30 ( i.e. spent $60 and nothing to show for it). I know ticket sales went to non-profits but that little consolation those people who got nothing.
ReplyDeleteI pretty much decided that I wasn't going to buy tickets because no beer is worth that kind of money.
Perhaps you have a better approach in mind? If so, please share!
ReplyDeletenew system worked great, don't change a thing
ReplyDeleteI think next year a simple solution to scratch tix is give out other prizes, sure the charity loses out a little, but if someone strikes out but gets a a few drafts, or some other bottles in the process cant complain too much. Plus if it keeps them at the brewery its a win for you.
ReplyDeletebuilding off the above comment, what if each losing ticket was good for $1 off your restaurant tab - good for that day only,
ReplyDeletemaybe set a cap of 25% of the total bill whatever would make fiscal sense. Or 10 losers gets you a free appetizer or something
it would be a good consolation prize (although I'm not sure why a consolation prize is needed, you pay your $2 you take your chances)
it would only reward those who patronize the restaurant and not those who blow in to buy tickets and take off, or are mules buying them for non locals
I checked the website Friday and Monday (today), and it's over. How did that happen?
ReplyDeleteNot a bad idea. Bring in 15 losing tickets and get a free pint (they would then buy a 2nd and probably lunch/dinner = good for biz). Heck, you could still do that right now (if most haven't submitted them for the 2nd chance drawing).
ReplyDeleteEither way, I thought doing the tickets was a good idea this year. People knew it would be a gamble.
Still probably going to have quite a line for Kate Day, but what can you do about that?
I guess the one thing I would suggest is some sort of limit on tickets per visit. Absent that, maybe a Thursday release?
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that the brewery is so popular, that Kate is a great draw, and that you've been able to raise so much money for the community. I applaud the plan for this year and I'm glad that you switched to it.
I think the new system is fine. If you didn't scratch a winner, then oh well. It is better then waiting in line in the rain and still not getting a bottle.
ReplyDeletePeter - My suggestion: Keep the exact release date unknown like you did this year, provide some sort of general timeline (e.g.-roughly 6 weeks), and sell the rights to bottles (2 per person) at that time. Do away with the scratch tickets altogether. In my opinion, this would lead to a similar outcome as this weekend (organized, no crazy lines, busy restaurant) and do away with some of the anger of those that spend $60 and didn't get anything. I know this cuts out the charity aspect, but you can solve that on the KtG draft release where you can either charge a cover ($2? $5?) to get in or maybe an extra dollar or two per glass of Kate. I don't think anyone has a problem making the release of Kate into a charitable event. But I do think people resent having to make, for many, a relatively sizable donation to simply have the chance to buy a bottle.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't change anything, except maybe print more tickets (make more beer:). It's a lottery and as such if you want a chance at winning something, you buy tickets and take your chances. Is there a consolation prize if you don't win powerball? Why should there be for this? Hopefully the people who didn't "win" will get in the door on the great KATE DAY! Let's face it, we're all winners with such an awesome brewery in our midst!
ReplyDeleteNFLBrew - Difference is, you win in Powerball and you win $. You don't win the right to spend an additional $15.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how you do it, people are going to complain. I spent $60, won on three of them, which was roughly the odds I anticipated. To me it was well worth it to not have to get in line at 3am in the freezing rain like I did last year to "maybe" get a couple of bottles.
ReplyDeleteI say change it up next year to keep it interesting, but this worked great. Cheers!
I was also in favor of this scratch ticket system. Last year, my hubby and I went up to the Brewery on Kate Day and missed the calendar pages by 5 minutes. It was a big relief to be able to know in advance if we would be able to have any this year.
ReplyDeleteI went up Saturday night after work and bought my 15 tickets and won nothing. I went up again Sunday after work and bought one of the 2 last 15 packs and ended up winning twice. Yes, my odds were less than average...but at least *this* year I will have some Kate...and not have to stand in the cold and sleet at 3am to do it!
Kudos for a plan that was much less chaotic and ultimately helped the community, too!
Due to previous plans, the earliest I could get there was a bit after 7pm on Sunday. So, as timfc said, "Yarg!"
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you all could do differently - it sounds like you're constantly taken by surprise yourselves at the intensity of the reaction. I think the scratch ticket idea was a good one. Given how fast it went, the only obvious tweak might be to further limit the number that can be bought per day (5?). But the odds were spelled out clearly, and as I understand it there IS a consolation prize (drawing).
Still, it's really frustrating not to be able to partake in your local brewpub's most celebrated beer unless you're able and willing to plan your entire life around it. Have a previous commitment for even one day, and you're SOL. Again, I don't know what you could do about it - that's just what happens when the demand for something is so much larger than the supply. But it kinda sucks...
Wasn't there mention of a per day ticket limit? Or did this go out the window. This new system is a turn off.
ReplyDelete