Atlanta’s famous hospitality will set an Olympic record next year by making 11 million tickets available – more than the ‘84 Los Angeles Games and the ‘92 Barcelona Games combined. Last week ACOG unveiled its game plan to put 36.5 million ticket brochures – and the majority of those 11 million tickets – in the hands of American fans. ““The perception is that tickets are hard to get, require a long, involved process and are very expensive,’’ says Scott Anderson, ACOG’s director of Games services. ““In fact, they are plentiful, easy to buy and affordable.’’
Indeed the process is so simple it requires only a 48-page brochure to explain. But the rudiments are relatively straightforward. Beginning on May 1, the brochures, which include ticket-order forms, will be available at Coca-Cola displays in grocery stores across America. (Coke gets the honor as the first corporate citizen of both Atlanta and the Olympics; Home Depot, another Atlanta-headquartered corporate sponsor, will also pass out some brochures.) The tickets will go to the swift, or, at the very least, to those capable of formulating year-ahead plans and delivering their requests with payment by June 30. All ticket orders – up to 16 events per credit card, plus second and third choices for each event – postmarked by June 30 will get tossed into the same FairTix random selection pool. ““Absolutely everybody’s equal,’’ says ACOG spokesman Laurie Olsen.
Well, not exactly everybody. First come Olympic sponsors, foreign Olympic committees, the United States Olympic Com- mittee (USOC) Alumni Association, selected Atlanta hotels, which have committed rooms to ACOG, Atlanta Braves’ season-ticket holders and Georgia Dome suite leasers. Each group’s deal varies, but all require the purchase of a certain number of ““low-demand’’ tickets for each ticket to a glamour event.
But thanks to the large competition venues in Atlanta, that should still leave some 7 million to 8 million tickets available for the average American. Ticket buyers will receive confirmation of their orders this fall, but they won’t be mailed until the spring of ‘96. The toughest tickets naturally command the biggest prices: opening and closing ceremonies ($636, $424 and $212), the men’s basketball final ($265 and $137) and artistic gymnastics finals ($212 to $79).
On average, an Olympic ticket costs about $40 (baseball at $6 is the cheapest seat) and spectators can enjoy a host of finals for less – from fencing starting at $11 to mountain biking at $16. ““Most people really don’t care what they see,’’ Olson says, prayerfully. ““They just want to be here and be part of it.’'
Some travel agents have started hyping their wares. One, Regal Sports Vacations in Indianapolis, is advertising a $15,000 Royalty Tour (““suitable to be taken by the Queen of England,’’ says Regal’s Leo Menzer). The royal package promises a suite in a first-class downtown Atlanta hotel and top tickets to anything and everything. But it doesn’t include air fare: a new federal law bars agents from advertising a tour package, with interstate air tickets, to an event like the Rose Bowl or the Olympics unless the agent already has tickets to the game itself. In other words, some agents are selling smoke. ““Anyone who tries to buy in (from a broker) is taking a very big chance,’’ says the USOC’s Mike Moran. ““Atlanta has not released any tickets to operators or charters.''
For the very rich, though, there are always options. ACOG has developed a special $50,000 patron package, which will assure tickets to the hot events, invitations to the hot parties and assorted Olympic perks. And at megabuck levels, private suites are being leased at the various competition facilities. A flat $1.3 million buys a 54-seat luxury nest in the new, as yet unfinished Olympic Stadium. As little as $10,500 buys a six-seat suite for the soccer finals at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., 77 miles from Atlanta.
Getting tickets will be only half the battle – and perhaps the easier half. There’s also the problem of finding a place to stay. Fortunately Atlanta is a major convention city with enormous hotel space. A majority of the rooms are controlled already by ACOG; and many hotels and motels are holding back their rooms to avoid speculative overbooking. As a result, says one Midwest travel agent, ““there are people booking rooms in Alabama.''
There is, of course, an easier way to see the games. Most Americans, in the end, will settle for watching the Olympics from home, content not to fight the crowds or swim in the humidity. NBC is betting $456 million on just that.
The first event of the ‘96 Games will be the race for tickets. Organizers will begin accepting mail orders in May.
Events Ticket prices Availability Opening and Both will be held in new Olympic closing #212, $424 stadium. Events sold separately, ceremonies and $636 two tickets per order. Aquatic Swimmers and divers will compete events $22 to $159 in Georgia Tech’s new pool. 300,000 tickets, but high demand. Basketball $11 to $265 Nearly 400,000 tickets available; Georgia Dome has three times Barcelona’s Dream Team capacity. Boxing $27 to $186 Over 173,000 tickets on sale for Alexander Memorial Coliseum; smaller than L.A.’s ‘84 venue. Gymnastics $25 to $212 Nearly 800,000 tickets available for Georgia Dome. But seats will go fast for women’s events. Soccer $20 to $133 Preliminaries will be held in four cities, Finals set for Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. Track and $22 to $265 Athletic centerpiece of the Games; field 1.3 million tickets available. Non-marquee Archery, badminton, baseball, events $7 to $265 cycling, table tennis: these tickets should be easiest to purchase.
