Ticket Update: Radical Inclusion, Meet the Other Nine

First things first:

For all the frustration, anxiety, stress, and heartache this year’s ticket lottery has caused, please accept another humble apology.

Photo by John Curley

This is no time for issuing statements or putting a spin on anything. The system may have worked, but the cultural outcome sure didn’t, and even though some of you saw that coming and said so, we didn’t, and for that we are sorry.

The current trajectory is not acceptable. Even people who did get tickets aren’t cheering right now, since so many of their camps and friends are standing out in the cold. Entire groups are worried they’ll have to scrap all their plans. Burning Man is a participatory and collaborative event, and many collaborations are perilously close to falling apart.

Clearly we must reevaluate, but first we want to say more about what we’ve heard, how we got here, and what our next steps will be.

What we’re hearing:

Our office in San Francisco is awash in feedback. We have been meeting every day about tickets, and have burned the midnight oil poring over every available list and forum, logging and absorbing every email, complaint, and plea for information. We’re absolutely listening very carefully, and we are 100% clear that there’s a very big problem playing out.

What’s happening isn’t fun for anyone, and there’s no sugar coating to be put on it. Clearly, despite projections, the majority of the people who have previously built, created, contributed and participated – not just those who’ve been before, but who have created the foundations of Burning Man — don’t have a ticket to the event this year. And whether it was our naiveté or just underestimation, we didn’t see that coming at this scale, and we know it’s hurting us all now.

We understand and recognize the impact this is having – on individuals, on projects and collaborations, on your ability to plan vacation time, book plane tickets, submit applications for your camps, your art projects—everything about participating in Burning Man. We see the emotional response it’s causing – only too well, as we’re Burners at HQ too, and so are our friends, our campmates, our teammates, and our families. Watching this unfold has been painful. Each of us is responding differently – worrying, losing sleep, meeting through the evenings and weekends, throwing things, searching for answers…this is one of the most painful moments in our history.

What happens next will be pivotal – whatever is to blame, now that we’ve reached this point, we absolutely know we have to get this next moment right. We are all about to write the future of Burning Man.

Through our process of discovery and data analysis, we’ve heard from our whole community — including some experts we’ve never talked to before. In a lot of cases, we have asked for their consult; some of those helpful blogs and comments you’ve been forwarding to us have turned into meetings and phone calls, and we’re figuring out how else we can engage with a wider range of Burner minds to help guide our community through this.

How Did This Happen?

The moment in 2011 that we saw tickets were going to sell out, we knew it would have a major impact on 2012 ticket sales, and we started planning. As we analyzed how to build this year’s process, we projected possible scenarios. Some of us thought we would see a sell out on the very first day of ticket sales. Most thought it would take longer (after all, last year’s tickets sold out in July). Few could predict exactly how many new prospective attendees would register, though we had plenty of indication that public interest was greater than ever – especially since we sold out last year, but also in the rise of social media and visibility for Burning Man. In any case we knew we were in for a different kind of ride in 2012.

A first-come first-served system would not meet the demand either. Every ticket vendor informed us we’d have to use the same type of “queuing system” that meant hours waiting in line at your computer screen – a luxury perhaps not available to many perfectly deserving Burners. And since we did estimate that demand would exceed supply somewhat, we knew that when people rushed in to grab the tickets available, there would be someone left out in the cold – not everyone was going to get tickets who wanted them.

By spreading the registration process over a period of time, and making random selection a stated goal of the design, we aimed for a more sane way to access what would be basically the same “odds” at tickets. We’d diffuse a few hours of frustration (middle of the night for some Burners, middle of the workday for plenty of others) into a more moderate, less angst-ridden experience, but get the same kind of results.

We felt it was culturally important to retain the different price points in that scenario, to make a wider range of ticket prices available for people of different means. Our desire was to distribute that access in a manner that gave people some control over how much they were willing to spend.

While the system was not primarily designed to prevent scalping, there were certain deterrents to it in place. No event organizer or ticket seller has solved scalping completely. Some of the measures they’ve implemented to ameliorate it, unfortunately also prohibit certain things we still value about our culture, especially the practice of gifting tickets. Many a great Burner had their first experience after getting talked into it at the last minute by a friend, and plenty of us have given, swapped, or received a ticket late in the season when plans began to change. A two-week registration window to request tickets would still let us do more crosschecks to weed out the speculators and scalpers.

And in those regards, the ticket selection system worked as planned — but it created other unforeseen problems, and most of them boil down to an unpredicted, overwhelming level of demand. The impact of that demand is beyond what we projected when designing the system; even if we knew there were destined to be some people missing out, we didn’t expect nearly so many.

The Numbers:

Let’s break it down and just talk numbers: we had nearly three times the number of tickets requested than we had available tickets. We did conduct a survey before purchase, and while surveys are not perfect, they do give some interesting data. In that survey, about 40% of ticket buyers said they had never been to the event before, which is a higher number than we’ve seen in previous years. It does appear — and I’d caution we don’t know everything yet — that there was a fair amount of over-registration – those who said “I need one but I’ll order two…” or “I’m not sure I’m going but I’ll get one just in case.”

We can now see that some of that happened simply because the perception of scarcity drove fear and action for all of us. It could be said we were quite naïve to think we had much control over a basic emotional response to scarcity. Game theory won out over good wishes.

But that’s not all that happened. In fact, there were plenty of ‘perfect storm’ influences afoot: 2011 had perfect weather, awesome art, and record attendance and visibility in the press. The ticket sell-out made headlines around the world. Social media use is higher than ever, so participants who had such a great time were more active than ever telling everyone all about it. One such participant shared a magical YouTube video he created in 2011 (“Oh The Places You’ll Go!”) – the link hit the Huffington Post in January and went viral, eventually hitting 1.3 million views from all around the world; its visibility peaked right around the day that ticket registration opened. And, thinking we wanted to ensure a fair shake at the new system for Burners, we decided to leave registration open for two full weeks, just to be sure that any of you who were out on vacation or away from your computers for the announcement had plenty of time to get a fair shot.

A perfect storm.

The Big Picture:

The overarching fact we must face now: awareness of Burning Man has reached the world at large. It has tipped into the mass consciousness and drawn exponential levels of new interest. Thanks in part to thousands of enthusiastic storytellers from throughout Burning Man’s history, the number of people who want to burn now exceeds the current capacity of the city in the desert.

This was a possibility at every point in our history, of course, but the speed and scale were surprising. We were not blind to this possible outcome, but we did not anticipate an increase in demand that would so dramatically exceed all precedent.

Our friends in the days when Burning Man was much smaller worried what it would be like when ten thousand people showed up on the playa. In 2012, we’re faced with figuring out how we can address the Principle of Radical Inclusion now that the unthinkable has come true: millions of people have heard of Burning Man, and a whole bunch of them want to come. Although Radical Inclusion states “We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community,” that doesn’t mean that every one of us fits in the same place at once.

While we’d all like to blame some mysterious “Other” at this point – while we’re all offended by the concept of scalpers profiting off tickets our friends should have gotten – there is no clear evidence that scalpers are holding all of these tickets. Sure, they’re out there. And there are returning Burners who are right now sitting on an extra ticket, afraid to speak up and start a stampede among campmates, or quietly redistributing those tickets among friends or other strong ties.

But what’s appearing more and more likely is this: we’re about to meet a lot of newly-minted, first-time Burners. (And hi, new friends. Kindly step up to the mic and say hello in the comments below – we’re thrilled to welcome you, really, and would love to hear from you. You’ve arrived at a very interesting time, can you tell?)

And that’s fantastic. New energy and enthusiasm is the lifeblood of Burning Man, and we were all new here once (well, except for Larry Harvey). We love newcomers.

However, if new Burners are the lifeblood, the existing community of collaborators, projects, and creativity is the corpus of Burning Man. And now we’ve learned after a few days of polling and information gathering that many of the largest groups and projects (mutant vehicles, theme camps, volunteer groups, and other collaborations) planning to attend this year have secured only 25%-30%, on average, of the tickets they needed to commit to their projects. Even calculating that many tickets would eventually become available via the secondary market, the timing of that possible influx comes too late. These groups are telling us “This might be the year we skip Burning Man.” Plenty of significant groups have already moved forward with making alternate plans.

At an individual, person-by-person scale, such a turnover might be acceptable — if this was a concert or a sports event. But you’re not just fans in a seat, all more or less the same. In a collaborative culture, in a community based on a web of social relationships, these numbers are perilous. And while it remains true that no prerequisites exist to be a part of our community, we cannot and will not let overwhelming interest tear apart the social fabric that is critical to our culture.

What We Can’t Change:

Two things are immutable:

1. It is not possible to simply grow the event to welcome more people in 2012. Between traffic concerns and the limitations placed on attendance by the Bureau of Land Management, that’s off the table.

2. Without our core collaborative community, the fabric of Burning Man could fray and tear apart. Regardless of all good original intentions, that ripping sound has to stop.

We very, very much want and need to welcome new people to Burning Man. New creative energy and enthusiasm also help make it what it is, and newcomer experiences can be some of the most transformative. We continue to welcome the stranger. But we can’t work so hard to welcome new Burners to BRC that it comes at the expense of those who have and will make the event what it has been. Radical Inclusion is the first principle, but faced with a Burning Man event that is limited in population, Civic Responsibility and Communal Effort dictate that we endeavor to radically include those who create Burning Man in the first place. There are, after all, Ten Principles, not just the one.

What We Can Do:

So, what now? Let’s start with what we know for sure:

* We can’t and won’t reverse the Main Sale drawing results. That part is done, and there is nothing fair about taking awarded tickets away from anyone…it solves nothing at this point, and changes the terms after the sale has already happened, and probably isn’t even legal. Besides, that only makes a bad situation worse.
* We must now attend to preserving the fabric of our culture.
* There are listings on ticket scalping sites, but right now, they don’t all equal tickets that will be sold above face value. None of those sellers are actually holding tickets yet, and won’t be for several months, and we will collaborate to do what we can to starve them out. There are right now only about a hundred such tickets on those sites, although that doesn’t mean there are not more tickets that were awarded to people who plan to scalp them eventually.
* The STEP program will launch this month and we believe it will help. Those who were not selected to purchase tickets in the Main Sale round will be notified privately of how to register, and given the first option to sign up for the “Want Tickets” waiting list in advance of any other users.
* Right now we are contacting representation from all the types of affected groups analyze the overall shortfall and figure out the scope of the problem and what options exist for us. We’re also consulting with Burners of every possible stripe and trying to increase our brain trust to help make sure we don’t miss any signs as we find our way out of this storm.
* Our Regional Network and other teams including many community advisers are engaging around what to do about the issue of acculturating new visitors to Black Rock City this year.
* We’re clear that next year, big changes are necessary to address scarcity, capacity and community.
* We have agreed to be as transparent and honest as we can, describing next steps and decisions as quickly as we are able to make them. We are really considering a vast array of options as we continue to absorb information and analyze data.

We’re working non-stop to understand what happened. We’re checking in with theme camps and art groups. We’re talking to volunteer teams and regional coordinators, performers, mutant vehicle crews…all the smaller sub-communities that make up Burning Man. We’re gathering information on who placed orders for tickets, who received them, and, if they have a surplus, how they intend to resell them.

We are meeting constantly with Burners right now. We’re reading what people are writing and inviting many of those voices to come meet us, call us, and help us sort this out. You are going to be a big part of that solution. Please continue to email, write, call, tweet, and post your ideas and suggestions. Please check in with your own community to see what tickets might be available.

Meanwhile, please know that everything we’re working on here in San Francisco is guided by the desire to find the best possible way for our community to come together again on the playa. We’ll continue to communicate as we have information available. We expect to present a detailed plan on February 15th.

About the author: Andie Grace

Andie Grace

Andie Grace returned to the staff of Burning Man in 2019 as a producer of strategic storytelling content. During her original tenure at BMHQ from 2000-2013, she was a member of the Executive Committee, managed the Communications Department, and helped oversee the early development of the Regional Network. During her seven-year hiatus, she co-founded an indie film distribution label, an indie video game label, and a creative coworking hub in Silicon Valley, but ultimately her passion for Burning Man and its cultural future pulled her back to the staff of the Project. She lives with her family in Berkeley, California.

1,184 Comments on “Ticket Update: Radical Inclusion, Meet the Other Nine

  • Leslie Bocskor says:

    First :-)

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  • Big E says:

    Me and my art project will be there ready to play. Big E

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  • Kurt Zorcn says:

    Adversity is an opportunity. More humans than ever want to touch the magic. Let’s figure out how to give it to all of them.

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  • Angela says:

    Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you.

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  • Fiver says:

    Names on tickets. Been said a million times but I’m repeating it. It may not be possible this year, but for 2013 (if there is a 2013) that should happen.

    Perhaps a new “Grandfathered” clause for tickets. I got mine for 2012, so I have a better shot at 2013? I know new people are the blood of festival, but the veterans are the bones, and we need that support.

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  • Thank you for writing this finally. I hope this will ease some tensions with people. I am with BDC and I know we are really short on tickets. This will be my first year at the burn if am awarded a low income ticket. I hope this will work out so I am able to actually meet the people I have made friends with online from this community in person. I have had some already amazing interactions with people such as gifting and helping with being a Mod on the Burners against scalpers FB page. I just hope everything works out .See you in the Dust… I hope! :)

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  • taoshue says:

    thank you, burning man, for this post. i’ve been terrified ever since the lottery system was announced that it could destroy burning man. the thought of that happening is too horrible to bear. i’m relieved that you have acknowledged the mistakes in an honest and forthright way, apologized for them, and are now working hard to correct it. thank you, and i love you.

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  • Justin Gunn says:

    For all the whining and moaning, I still know in my heart that this system was set up to be as fair and inclusive as was thought possible. I still have faith that even as the inevitable push of – gasp – market forces descend upon an otherwise egalitarian community, the collective will of that community (and yes, the Org as well) will find a way to make it all work. You know what they say, “one day we’ll all be laughing about this…” Or better yet, we’ll be thankful it happened because the lessons learned and even unexpected beneficial consequences may indeed be great.

    I’ve always said, if it wasn’t so damn hard to get there it would be nearly as rewarding!

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  • Brody says:

    I appreciate the care, thought and effort that’s being poured into this challenge! Thank you, Burning Man, for doing the difficult work, and for listening to and engaging with the community. We ARE all Burners, it’s a good reminder.

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  • BetaGirl says:

    I suggest:

    Requiring volunteer participation to get a ticket in. So any future virgin would start with community building… It can be volunteering in any way; camp, car, cafe, dpw, hq, etc.

    If we are all participants, let’s figure out a method to quantify that and include min requirements.

    As a parent my daughter’s school requires our family volunteer 20 hours a year… How about BM requires 4 verified hours?

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  • Exact Lee says:

    Newbies:
    The expectation bar has been set very high thanks to the efforts of those who were newbies before you! Bring your A game and bring it on! Don’t disappoint the veterans who can’t make it this year.

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  • Wampa says:

    Thank you for writing and addressing this issue, finally. I’m 3x burner and not planning to attend this year. My suggestions to the powers that be are as follows:

    1) Abandon the lottery idea. My prediction is that many tickets will be redistributed from those who lucked out (by having friends and family order for them) to those who weren’t so lucky this summer sometime. Unfortunately, that doesn’t give anyone much time to make plans, much less art and theme camps.

    2) Raise the price of tickets considerably. Like, double it. That will discourage some who can’t afford it, but still allow those who are hell bent on going a chance to raise funds and save up and realize their dream of going. Wealthy people will go and the poor will be excluded, so…

    3) Reserve 1/8 to 1/4 of the tickets for low-income on a grant/application basis. Perhaps even incorporate your lottery for this small cluster of tickets. That way people can have a shot at going for cheap or they can fund raise to go for full price.

    4) Think of some way to make ticket-acquisition as difficult as Burning Man itself is. Don’t make people sit in line all day to buy tickets, but throw some obstacles in the way that weed people out (or rather, weed people in…those who really really want to go). Create a volunteerism requirement and require submission of paperwork. Require sponsorship from an existing Burner. Require an essay. Do what colleges do to weed out applicants. You’ll discourage a lot of scalpers and you’ll dwindle down the number of attendees who want to go through that bullshit. But those who show up will really want to be there.

    5) Make it harder to sell and transfer tickets. Yes, all these suggestions would have been terrible a couple years ago, but I think they may be better than your lottery idea. At least now you seem to be asking the community before you implement your next hair-brained scheme. If you had asked for help from the community to solve this problem, many of us would have steered you away from the tiered lottery. At least I would have.

    much <3,
    \M/

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  • Rob says:

    Thank you for making a few things clear finally.

    – “We can’t and won’t reverse the Main Sale drawing results.”
    – “It is not possible to simply grow the event to welcome more people in 2012”
    – “Without our core collaborative community, the fabric of Burning Man could fray and tear apart. Regardless of all good original intentions, that ripping sound has to stop.”

    I read this as “10,000 open sale tickets will not be sold openly”.

    Am I right?

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  • Joe says:

    I went in 2010 by myself, and in 2011 with my wife. Tired to get tickets for 2012 to go with my 17 year old son (and, yes, I confess, I also had our 23 year old daughter enter for 2 tickets as a back-up — also figuring if we won all four, my son, youngest daughter, my wife and I all might go together).

    But mostly I wanted to be there, and share the experience with, my son.

    Now I don’t know what the experience will look like — no theme camps? (or far fewer??), angry long-time burners who ARE there? Others talking about “occupy Black Rock?!?!) really? Do I want to share that with my son?!?

    So sad.

    I’m, FYI, a fairly hard-core libertarian. Free markets and all that, and saw this attempted social engineering disaster happening. Hopefully good powerful lessons for the community, much needed. Governments and good-hearted folks, and best of intentions cannot alter how markets operate. Supply and demand and all that.

    So, surely, long-term, there much be some spot of land, near a really good set of highways, that would love the money generated from 100,000+ at a week of burning man.

    That is where I’d be looking if I were allyoualls. Outside Vegas maybe? An abandoned military base in North Dakota or something? Surely somewhere is a place big enough for all the art, dreams, wonder and people who I’d love to see there –even 500,000 . . .

    I do look forward to coming back someday. Maybe with my son (although it’ll be much harder to impossible to miss the first week of a year at college over the next few years, than it would have been to have missed the first week of his senior year of high school this year).

    No hard feelings though.

    Just hopes you and everyone appreciate how the best social engineering is the one that relies on Adam Smith’s invisible hand. Sure seems we’ve all just been slapped hard by it!

    Theme for Burning Man 2013 — Who is John Galt? With a Taggart railway art project running in a big circle around the man?

    TNSTAAFL!

    And with love and gratitude for all I’ve experienced with this community, even now,

    Joe

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  • Mikey Souza says:

    THIS is what we’ve all been waiting for. Thank you.

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  • Calen Barca-Hall says:

    It seems like the major source of this scarcity problem is the rapid influx of first timers. Radical Inclusion is necessary yes, but maybe “First Timers” could be required to have some sort of introductory level of access. Lets say veterans could arrive starting on sunday, but first timers weren’t allowed to arrive until wednesday. Im not sure if something like this is the perfect solution, but I know that as a recent virgin I would have tolerated a “first time” initiation ticket. (2 years ago was my first year, last year I did an honorarium project)

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  • melissa alexander (foam) says:

    Good on you for publishing this. Evolutionary pressures can be a bitch and learning can be painful, but in the end many of us know there are people taking this on the chin. I came for the art and stayed for you people.

    I still love to be with you people -desert or no. Still, please continue to be amazed and humbled (yes) by how highly valued this shared experience. So much so that folks are are mourning. It means it aint just a party. You have the hard problem not the easy one.

    xoxox foam

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  • Funx Jigsaw says:

    Well done! We are out here ready to help. xx

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  • Toi Box says:

    “”* Our Regional Network and other teams including many community advisers are engaging around what to do about the issue of acculturating new visitors to Black Rock City this year.””

    What about a BRC Big Brother/Big Sister program?
    This could be implemented regionally, new burners register regionally to be paired with a local burner that would mentor them and help acculturate both on and off the playa. Ideally a stranger.
    This could even be done in person at the “newbie picnic” that many regions hold.

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  • Mitch says:

    Nicely said, ma’am.

    (But, just back of the envelope, if 40% of the bidders were newbies then 60% of the bidders had to be either vets or scalpers. Since we know that veterans got about a third, or 14,000, tickets in the pre- and main sales, then newbies should have received about 9,500 to maintain the 40/60 split. That would leave just under 20,000 tix in the hands of scalpers if nobody lied in the survey.)

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  • Katieq says:

    ONE ticket per person. I am peeved that the main sale is showing a max of 4 tickets per credit card. Stop this nonsense. Make it a low reward activity for scalpers and stop the Burner hoarding. Unfortunately, we Burners contributed to this problem by hedging and purchasing more than we needed.

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  • Katieq says:

    … i still need a ticket … *sniff*

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  • Chris says:

    I really hope I can get a ticket to go home this year!

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  • Lee Baby Sims says:

    I’m a birgin who didn’t recieve a ticket but was (and still am) hoping to make 2012 my first year. Two thoughts:

    1) If vital theme camps and sub groups being shorthanded is a reality we have to cope with this year, what can we do to get all the newcomers involved in learning and helping out? What better way to become acculturated than in the months leading up to BM itself? Perhaps this is an opportunity to forge a more cohevise and national organization and skill sharing community from the bottom up.
    2) Can we just have two Burning Mans? :)

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  • OCCUPLAYA on the 4th of Juplaya says:

    No words can be expressed by all of us shut out and booted from home. Such a great loss for so many. And, with the way the world is going, maybe there won’t even BE a burn in 2013.

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  • Heyu says:

    Thanx Andie!

    Core Burn Monday night! (after the man)

    (Ease the exodus)

    Newbie night gatherings will be huge this year!

    We can do this. We are burners !

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  • Jwen says:

    My small pink fuzzy monkey with superhero underwear campo needs 6 tickets still.

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  • Yishai K says:

    A solid response from BMORG regarding the ticket fiasco. They are taking responsibility and promise to work hard on finding solutions and try to sort this mess out.
    I wish them and all of our beautiful community the best of luck – but at this point I am loosing faith that this years event will pack the same impact as in previous years.
    The fact that so so many artists, theme camp and art car organizers, participants and other pivotal playa people don’t have tickets and cannot plan accordingly really worries me – even if Lior (my fiancee) and I do get tickets – will it be worth it to go all the way from Israel?
    Will the city even glow?
    Will there be 40,000 virgin spectators that aren’t prepared to generate the power and love needed for the magic to happen?
    I am sure burning man is starting to make it’s impact on a global scale – and that very soon we will see the Regional Burns rise to glory… all over the world. It’s still to early to let the playa die out.
    I pray (to the man and playa gods) that this will work out.

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  • Jason says:

    My 2 cents for next time:

    – NAMES on tickets
    – Make them harder to get: write an essay, volunteer requirement, something
    – MANY more tickets (various price tiers) for art projects, volunteer groups and theme camps to distribute. let more people get tickets that way

    Thanks for listening.

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  • Cindy says:

    Our theme camp has decided to go ahead and plan/participate as if we all have tickets (when really only 10% of our returning campers and 20% of our organizing comittee have tickets). We’re pretty confident tickets will find us somehow! Chins up everyone <3 See you at home )*(

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  • z says:

    A virgin told us we were spoiled kids who ought to let the newcomers re-write the Playa. It hurt. The Playa is my home and I only get to be there for one week in every year. I have a ticket, but I’m not celebrating yet. This apology has helped.

    To that virgin I copy and paste the following excerpt. And I wish him/her a wonderful burn. Know this: without all of us your New Playa will be Spring Break in the desert. We are the burn, you are welcome to join us, but don’t you dare think we are not an intrinsic part of it.

    “Without our core collaborative community, the fabric of Burning Man could fray and tear apart. Regardless of all good original intentions, that ripping sound has to stop.

    We very, very much want and need to welcome new people to Burning Man. New creative energy and enthusiasm also help make it what it is, and newcomer experiences can be some of the most transformative. We continue to welcome the stranger. But we can’t work so hard to welcome new Burners to BRC that it comes at the expense of those who have and will make the event what it has been. Radical Inclusion is the first principle, but faced with a Burning Man event that is limited in population, Civic Responsibility and Communal Effort dictate that we endeavor to radically include those who create Burning Man in the first place.”

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  • Camo Mike says:

    I’m a veteran of 10 years. Last year was the first year I’ve missed in 7. My mother passed away and all my vacation and savings went to tend to her final days. The past year has been incredibly hard on my family, especially my father(married 40 years). My sister and I were the work horses of the family, pushing our grief off to help my other sister, father and nephew through her passing. In time my family’s grief has begun to heal. However; My grief had been sitting dormant, never getting a chance to process it myself. I’ve looked forward to making my peace with her passing at the temple this year, To me it seamed very fitting. My mother was the big reason I was able to attend my first burn. She saw the change in me after and encouraged me to keep attending, even financed a few directly to make it happen. My mother was as much a part of Burning man as I was.

    When I received the declination letter, I was heart broken. Every emotion I had pushed down came welling up. I felt as If I was told I wouldn’t get my chance to say good bye. I felt like I wouldn’t get to make my peace. My peace with this amazing woman who gave me this very community. It forced me to finally start to process her passing.

    I am fairly resigned at this point that I will not get tickets. I will however not stop trying. I will register for step. I will try other means. I will seek out tickets until the time has passed to make travel feasible. I owe her that much. I owe the community that much.

    Thank you for this. Thank you for finally breaking your silence on the matter. I felt like the community and it’s organizers had turned it’s back when I need them most. I know you folks are having a hard time with this, thank you for trying. No system is perfect, No solution is definite. But thank you for trying.

    Sincerely,

    Camo Mike
    Minnesota

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  • Curtis Coleman says:

    I am humbled, (once again), by your MAD skills and willingness to be a kind and loving human being, LMNOP. A grateful community (I believe), is about to show you, and most importantly themselves, what support looks like. Thanks for being an equal partner. :-)

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  • Mike Higdon says:

    Thank you for this. I’m a new Burner this year with my wife. We were one of the people who both applied for tickets to increase our chances but only I received mine, so our system didn’t work. Some of our new burner friends didn’t receive tickets either, which surprised us. For one, it’s Nevada, so that level of gaming the system should’ve been expected. But that’s not important anymore.

    Maybe the STEP system will help a lot more than we think and Burners are resourceful people who may find other ways to get those important tickets? In the future, perhaps the “Bones” of Burning Man should use a separate system to get their tickets. A combination of que and lottery. Or, maybe there’s nothing wrong with the que system. A minor day-long inconvenience for waiting for tickets somehow seems to be outweighed by the emotional negativity coming from the new system. And those who are serious, in any event throughout the nation, have always had precedents over those who are not.

    In any case, I have faith in this grand community to figure how to adjust and perhaps it’s okay if this year is a Wild Departure from the past, isn’t everything humans have done for the last 5 years been just that? Don’t fear a different future, embrace the change, make a new experience.

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  • Terry says:

    First come first serve will work 100% of the time if you only have one ticket price. There is no longer a need for multiple levels of pricing. If you didn’t learn anything from this exercise you should have learned that.

    Concerts seem to be able to handle first come first serve without a glitch perhaps you should find out who some of the larger stadiums use to process major headliners.

    If you demand names be assigned to tickets you’re going to have a bigger logistical nightmare for BMHQ staff next year than you do this. Last minute name changes. Lady minute gifting. All staff is on playa and didn’t get the info. People were planning to ho but had to change because of life happening in their general direction. Adding names is absolutely not the way to ho. Also will take longer at the gate and add more to the gate people who have more than enough to do already.

    One price
    No names
    First come first serve

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  • ChrisO says:

    Thank you, thank you for the post!
    The community needed to hear that all the comments weren’t falling on deaf ears and that the BMorg is looking into where we go from here.
    We’re human. We just needed to hear that you were listening.

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  • Thank you guys SO MUCH for everything you have done. While our hearts lay bleeding out in cold, only you guys could understand and help us. Thank you for the addressing the problem and speaking to us.

    Just for reference, Shangri-Lawless as a camp got 12 out of 30. We would REALLY like to come back and move forward with our bigger, badder plans.

    Much love

    Helix

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  • Moorlock says:

    Move Burning Man somewhere less hospitable or with more capacity. Reduce demand and/or allow more people to come. Not only should you do this anyway, since Burning Man has become disappointingly repetitive, but I’d imagine that BLM and the other governmental agency leeches who have been sucking up so much of the attendees’ ticket costs will sing a different tune about how many people are allowed on the playa once they see their cash cow gazing at new pastures.

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  • mystikmike says:

    Andie –

    This post – and the attitude it displays – is the reason I burn. Thank you for being the real deal.

    I second Wompa’s suggestions. Make ’em earn to burn.

    Peace!

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  • towelXcore says:

    I must admit I am a first time burner. I have been amazed by burning man for the last couple years but i didn’t know anyone that went and i thought going alone would be a bit intimidating. Now i met a theme camp and was stoked that i got 2 tickets. One for me and One for my best friend (also a virgin). I am also bringing my RV and a trailer. But now the theme camp is talking about not going because much of the members didn’t get tickets. This makes me a bit nervous just because the people i was going to have as a home base might not show. I am still going to go because everyone i have ever talked to that has gone has told me about all the love and amazement the week on the playa can infuse into my life. Though it looks like there quite a bit of weight on my shoulders as a virgin to make this burning man the best yet. looks like i have some reading up to do on how to do a bunch of stuff i wasn’t planning on for my first burn ie. creating a theme camp of my own and registering an art car. If anyone has any suggestions on articles to read please let me know. I don’t have a much for funds but i have lots of elbow grease and good intentions. Peace! and see you on the playa!!!

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  • kiki enfuego says:

    Thank you. I have a ticket but 75% of our theme camp doesn’t. At least we know our pain is understood.

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  • Shaia says:

    I don’t know what to say about this.

    What I heard is since I’m not part of a giant theme camp or drive a mutant vehicle, I will be left out. Again. :/

    While it decreases the angst to receive a heartfelt apology, I’m not sure if anything can be done THIS YEAR that will get me a ticket.

    This ticketing thing is broke. Scooping up all the pieces and fitting them back together, and wrapping it with duct tape will still be a busted system.

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  • anya says:

    This is the best letter Ive read so far. While others were clear, there hasnt been any responsibility taking for the the ripple effect (on theme camps, friends who’s “families” dont have tickets etc) the emotional impact, and the heart sickness the shortsightedness this has caused. I am sure it is not “the influx of newbies” that are causing the numbers to go up as much as it is people who were trying to beat the odds. Scalpers are much more likely to show up- not now when things are hot- but closer to the Burn, when people desparately want to return home.

    Do with only 10, 000 tickets left, they will probably go to theme camps- and the scalpers will come out of the woodwork later on.

    I will not buy a ticket above ticket price. I hope no one else will either. Let them be left holding their tickets, is what I say.

    I am sad to see this disruption occur in 2012. Burning Man has been a bright Light that has led us to opening our hearts through freedom of expression. I thank all the hard workers behind and not so behind the scenes for all the work you have done over the years.

    I know this isnt easy on anyone.
    Thanks for taking responsibilty and recognizing the pain from those of us who havent gotten tickets….and love BRC.

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  • Captain Oh, The Irony! says:

    “This is no time for issuing statements or putting a spin on anything.”

    (and then….. well….. a series of statements…..)

    Following in the wake of a well-reasoned blog posting from a PR professional on how tone-deaf the BMorg has been in their communications on this crisis, I can’t help but read that as, “look, we know we owe you an apology, and here it is, but it in no way took that blog post to clarify what we needed to be telling you, seriously, all our own work…..”

    Look, it’s long over due and entirely reasonable beyond that point, but clearly y’all are still taking baby-steps when it comes to radical communication…. The quoted qualifier was shameless…..

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  • Sonicinema says:

    Maybe you should be awarding those remaining 10,000 tickets to the theme camps, art creators, art car creators and other makers through an application process, instead of through a free-for-all? Because then you have an event again, or at least a minimal event with about 1/3 less of everything. Otherwise, it is looking like you don’t.

    Overheard, from a conversation between a newby who got tickets and a burner who didn’t: “Too bad you’re going this year, as it looks like there’s not going to be much there.” -Burner
    “What do you mean? It’s a festival, right?”
    “Um, it’s a festival created by the people who buy the tickets.”
    “What?”

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  • kelly says:

    We are all talking about radical inclusion….those camps/art projects that are short of help could give a shout out to newbies for help with pulling it all together. This year could be like a big cocktail shaker and creating a new mix of people. Imagine your first time…lots of us went and got our feet on the ground (or head in the clouds) then came back year after year and got more and more involved. Imagine if your first year could have been a total dive in and really get to know the culture. Maybe we will end up with less weekend party ponies down the line.

    It might also help to reduce some of the snobbery I sometimes see with groups that are so close nit that there is no room to meet them.

    I have hope this will all work out in the end. There are so many great people with great energy involved in this burning man thing that it just might.

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  • Milkman says:

    Thank you for working so hard to salvage this situation the best you can.

    If you are able to ensure that the 10,000 final tickets go to theme camps, volunteers and participating artists and announce as soon as possible it will help stop the bleeding. If this isn’t done the Playa will be bare.

    While the lottery cannot be undone, in my humble opinion it is not too late to enforce non-tranferable tickets. It is a tough decision that will certainly take all hands on deck, but we are here to help in any way we can.

    This does present a wonderful opportunity for us to expand our culture. These next few weeks are crutical and hearing how serious you are about doing the right thing certainly is relief.

    Thank you for all the you do. )'(

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  • Tim says:

    Never having had the pleasure of experiencing Burning Man, coupled with the fact that I actually “won” tickets, means my perspective is likely to differ from long-time burners who didn’t win tickets.

    That said, I think the reasoning behind your decision to proceed with a lottery system makes perfect sense. I recently attempted to purchase tickets for Coachella and it was extremely frustrating. I was in my staff meeting at work with my laptop open pretending to pay attention to the meeting while really just waiting for the clock to change to 10am so I could hit Enter then wait. And wait I did. And wait. And wait. Finally, hours and hours later, the screen changed and it said everything was sold out. 1-it’s not typically advised to attempt to purchase Coachella tickets during a staff meeting, but what choice did I have? 2-to really try that hard and have little to no chance at a ticket (my feeling), was extremely annoying. 3-seeing tickets on stubhub for 2 or 3 times face value less than a half day later, that was an insult.

    The lottery idea made sense to me because, as you said, I didn’t have to get on my computer at a specific, and likely inconvenient, time. I didn’t have to keep hitting refresh. Or take away from my job, or my family, or my life. I went on during the two week period, entered my info, and a week or so later, boom, I was awarded two tickets. I even won tickets without having to accept the highest-tiered option. So for me, all is good.

    However, I was invited to a Facebook page of some really cool burners who are hoping to set up their camp for the third (I believe) year and of all of the ones who have commented, maybe half got tickets. That sucks. I’m not sure if the plans/camp will be disbanded, but, that prospect is really bumming me out because these people have been so welcoming of me to their virtual camp; I was/am really excited for the welcoming and inclusive spirit in person. Now I don’t know if that will occur. Furthermore, the thought that some of the mainstays (camps, art cars, etc) will not be there makes me feel like I’m going to a concert for a favorite band that was replaced at the last minute by Matchbox 20. Still nice to hear live music but not really what I was looking forward to or hoping for.

    One part of me says: you know who the key burners are, the ones who year after year make this event what it is (the octopus car comes to mind from my hours spent looking at pics online of last year’s event), so, through your contacts, reach out to them, if they haven’t already reached out to you, and get them tickets for god’s sake! Don’t give us new burners a scaled down version of what we’ve all heard so much about. New people are great, but if there are too many it’s like joining your high school basketball team the year that all the good seniors left and now your once successful team flat out sucks.

    The other part of me, the part of me that is, from what I’d guess, already a burner at heart, says: no, that’s not right. The cards fall as they’re meant to fall and, while this burn might not be “the same” or “as good” in some people’s minds as it has been, or even worse, as “it should be”, that’s just an example of our egos and self-centered minds projecting what we think it should be. Like praying to god for what we want instead of asking god/spirit for guidance/direction and to flow with the life of energy rather than trying to fight it. Right now, everyone is fighting it. Saying “this is what burning man is/this is what it should be”. Well who are you to say what it is? In my mind, things like this are what they are. They are what they turn out to be. I obviously don’t know the man who invented burning man, but based on everything I know about it, I’d say that whatever happens out there, however it turns out, is EXACTLY how it was supposed to turn out. No more. No less.

    And acceptance is the answer to all my problems today. When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation — some fact of my life — unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.
    Nothing, absolutely nothing happens in God’s world by mistake. Unless I accept life completely on life’s terms, I cannot be happy. I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.

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  • Cory says:

    I want to thank you for addressing this.

    I was REALLY against shutting down the 10k open sales, but now, I can see how the preservation of the current culture has to happen. Many friends will not attend, but we are at a critical juncture where a large backbone might be gone semi-permanently. Burner-colony-collapse-disorder.

    If there truly are 40% virgins…we are going to need a bigger BBQ.

    Could the remaining tickets go to artists and camps? Or, perhaps have a short application process a la scholarship ticket program?

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  • Doug says:

    This is what should have come a long time ago, thank you! I am hoping those last 10k tickets are not just going to theme camps that are favorite children of the BMORG. I hope I am wrong. I have had a theme camp for the last five years and built 2 mutant vehicles and been going for 11 years. I really think you have underestimated the number of tickets in re-sellers hands (pros/amateurs). Hoping for the best, dusty hugs to all! )'(

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  • The Real Monty says:

    Thanks for the post and the sentiment – it’s extremely helpful.

    Against all odds, almost all of my camp actually has tickets, so we’re talking about what we can do to step things up and do more than we’ve done before. We were already looking at bringing art for the first time, and we’ll look at expanding the scope of our camp … I’m not sure what else we’ll come up with, but we’ll do our best to do what we can.

    Keep it up – we’ll make it through.

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  • D says:

    Thank You for who and what you do……

    5&7 time burners here…..art project this year as well….my only concern is for those of us that worked with in the system, and we’re going to wait for the open sale. Really are not going to have a shot at all, unless we get lucky and find so done local reselling. How I see it is those that gobbled up extra tickets out of panic, are not gong to put them back into the general burner community, they will go to their friends first, so not alot of diversity.

    We have accepted the fact that we might not be going this year and it saddens us, as we celebrate our anniversary there every year. This year a huge art project was coming and all the art was being gifted after the gallery showing, art that was about the photographers of burning man.

    We could accept the fact that we did not get tickets, because there was just so many people going….but it is hard to swallow we are not going because fellow burners panicked and did not follow the way the system was set up to work……and because of that fact alone the burner community is largely at fault for what they are complaining about.

    We put money aside for the highest tier ticket every year, with out hesitation. We are part of the oldest theme camps out there, this year we are mourning the lose of our captain, and the memorial at BM will not include so many of us.

    My 2 cents…..for years(30+) my family has held rights to season tickets for NBA games. The way this team handles things is such….all season ticket holders (I.e long time ticket holders) own the rights to purchase their tickets, in the same seats and for as many games as they want. Those are done by invitation, months in advance. Once they know how many season tickets are gone, the rest go out to the community for general sale. Once a season ticket holder choses to not renew his tickets those seats go back into the general fund of tickets.

    I also handle marketing and ticket sales for a semi pro football team, and it is the same way we handle things….season ticket holders get first crack at renewing their seats, after our valuable patrons are taken care of the remaining seats go out for the general public, no matter how many we have left over. If a game is sold out it is sold out, trying to accommodate everyone is were we get I to trouble, because it is just not possible….

    If this is of any help, I have contributed…..
    But again thank you for what you are doing

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  • Sparklecious says:

    I love you! Fertility 2.0, growing in the petri dish. And no, I do not have a ticket, but I will make it home!

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  • Shayla says:

    This entire process was extremely disheartening. I was a first time burner last year and already feel completely attached to the Burning Man community. I have formed a camp of around 30 people and am one of the only one’s that did not receive a ticket in the raffle. I may not be an “old-timer” or part of a major theme camp. But, I deserve a chance at a ticket just as much as anyone else. I would really appreciate you not taking my only hope for a ticket away in March. You owe everyone who got jipped (especially those of us who didn’t even receive an email!!!) a fair chance to attend.

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  • scoir says:

    well at least the theme camps and mutant vehicles will be there maybe but sadly those of us that say bring their art for the cafe, help with playa art projects and add in other ways like giving out food always coming with extra cord rebar and clamps for the newbies and have to drive thousands of miles will likely be left out this year. just thinking this might be a little late and maybe the great talent pool at your finger tips should have be listened to before hand a bit more

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  • kiwano says:

    In terms of tossing in a little extra barrier to buy tickets, how about a really dead easy multiple choice test (also make sure that the information’s available in the survival guide, and tell people to read it before ordering tickets):

    LNT means: a) Lounge Near Tents, b) Leave No Trace, c) Lusty Naked Twinklepeople, d) Larry’s New Temple, or e) Little Nevada Tornado

    If it wasn’t in your body…: a)then why is it in your vomit?, b) it does not go in the potty, …

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  • Rayman says:

    I hate to say this but I’m going to be very surprised if very many people put tickets into the STEP program. Everybody has friends that don’t have tickets and those tickets will go to their friends. I’ll enter the STEP program, but I don’t expect to get a ticket that way.

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  • gk says:

    thanks so much for this clear, detailed update, and for working so hard to make it right. yikes! good luck to you guys and good luck to all of us!

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  • Thank you for the honest and sincere update. I suppose if we are meant to attend this year, the universe will supply the tickets. We need 4 to bring back our mutant vehicle

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  • chels says:

    if you do end up changing the remaining 10,000 to not being an open sale/first come first serve (which seems like a potentially good option to me) what about privileging people coming farther distances since flying requires more notice – especially because the STEP program (over the course of the summer) seems like it would privledge SF and local burners

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  • Octopus says:

    Congratulations for putting out a good explanation of the situation, apologizing and owning up.

    I have been to the playa 11 years, always volunteering with a theme camp and 5 years with the ARTery (except last year when I just went with no responsibilities except taking care of myself).

    Once I saw the papers in the Bay Area last year and read about the lottery system for this year I figured, why bother, what a crazy idea? I don’t know if I can afford to go or take time off this year anyways (we are in a financial depression which has affected a lot of people in case some of ya all forgot that). But, in a normal first come, first serve system as in the past, I would have tried to get a ticket and just having it in my hand would likely have me do what ever I could to get out there this year. If I couldn’t go, I would make sure to sell it face value to someone else “deserving” of the privilege. I have pretty much bagged the hopes of going this year but since I have enjoyed it so many times I figure maybe I ought “share the love”. However, I am grief stricken just to hear a snippet of some of the frustration and disappointment that so many people are going through who make the event what it is.

    I know how very special Burning Man is, there is truly no place that compares, although I am sure there are some kickass regionals at this point and I think this situation will spur the growth of those which is a good thing.

    Obviously it’s a huge sign of the “success” of Burning Man to have such high demand and yet it’s also a tragedy as you have pointed out that obviously only so many people can attend. I think it’s already too big and sincerely hope that the BMorg does not follow the above idea of creating a city as big as San Francisco and call it Burning Man, talk about insane and pie in the sky. It seems it’s already hitting the max of capacity for the Org to deal with, for the tolerance of the “default” world and the capacity of the area.

    Anyway, although I was once a virgin and have met incredible newbies and supported newbies in going, I disagree with the perspective that new comers are the lifeblood of the event. Burning Man would not exist as it has without the lifeblood of the volunteers (hello!) who are totally dedicated to the event, the community and the culture and the people who create the art, theme camps and art cars. Sure, there are some newbies that create amazing costumes and put together groovy new little camps and maybe some of them volunteer their butts off but they are not the foundation of Burning Man. Without the long time Burners who have experience, organization, resources, talent, maturity (sort of), perseverance, and that special something that makes them nuts enough to take on these huge projects and pull them off in the desert, Burning Man would mostly be a bunch of “yahoos” romping around in costumes in the desert looking for the best party in teh world.

    No offense to people who have not been before but Burning Man is what it is because of the experienced people who go year after year and know what they are doing, whether it’s DPW or rave camps or artists, etc. Without these people, I think the event will die or become something very different than the amazing city and community it has become.

    If people want Burning Man so much then create your own event where you live and make it amazing.

    I suggest (not like you haven’t heard enough but here is my $0.2) the BMorg do whatever you can to make sure the artists, theme camp core teams, volunteers and art car teams make it this year or you are screwed for the future as the event might get way too much bad press as being not worth it. Then, have a certain number of tickets available for worthy newbies (perhaps next year as likely there are already going to be tons of newbies this year). The suggestions Wampa posted above are good ones although I think merit and contribution should win out over those with lots of cash to throw around. Perhaps the event will become only available to the rich (some say it already is), that would be really a shame and so completely different from the humble roots of the event being created by artists and anarchists.

    I am hoping the event is a great one for everyone that makes it and that those who do get tickets contribute and express their asses off.

    Octopus

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  • Vasquez R. says:

    Firstly, much love for such a well thought-out, caring response

    Now…Burning Man 100% MUST find a way to increase the number of possible participants from 50,000.

    Look at the Wikipedia page for Burning Man….the festival has continuously grown in size every year, so to finally cap the capacity (ESPECIALLY in our current social media age, where information is shared so quickly) is not a possible option.

    If Burning Man doen’t increase the capacity past 50,000 now, this EXACT same issue will happen next year, then the year after that, and so on….and if this current scarcity problem continues every year, it could tear the entire festival apart.

    Find a way to address the traffic concerns….contact the Bureau of Land Management and work with them…there has to be some possible option, especially since other festivals have found ways to grow in size (Coachella sells 100,000+ tickets). I attended BM last year, and there was lots of room for more camps heading outwards (can we get the streets up to Z?

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  • Fucko says:

    I think this is the best thing to happen to Burningman in the past 13 years!!!! I’m not trying to disrespect anyone but just happen to think the chaos provides new opportunities! Mc Lovin it! oxoxo fucko

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  • Burner says:

    I was thinking that, considering that you are considering a vast array of options, and at the same time that Burners are so creative and resourceful, why not share these options with the community in this forum and see what kind of feedback and ideas it generates? We know you have a lot on your plate here, and we would love to help!

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  • gina says:

    This was driven by tickets selling out in 2011…

    But what you miss is that you could easily buy tickets on Craigslist for face value and and up (most were for 50% of face value) value throughout August including hte week of the Burn.

    I went looking for tickets in LA and NYC on Wednesday of the Burn.. and there were plenty being sold.

    So tickets were always available last year.

    This was all unnecessary.

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  • Lux says:

    I hope that Black Rock City is prepared for an influx of people who have not yet dealt with living in desert conditions. I suggest that the organizers reiterate the importance of safety and reading the First Timer’s Guide… Safety of participants is deeply important to me.

    I wish I had gotten a ticket, and I am hoping I still will. I would love to continue to remind others to drink water and MOOP!

    Virgins who got tickets… please, please be mindful of cleaning up after yourselves and the playa! Love and protect the land as others can be neglectful.

    Safety and honoring Black Rock Desert are my two primary concerns at this point! I hope the organizers are prepared to handle these issues as veteran enforcers of the principles will be fewer and farther between this year….

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  • geo says:

    Larry has to give up the ideal of ‘radical inclusivity’ now. The next 10K tix must be awarded on merit for what you brought and will bring. If he is so stubborn as to not give this rule up, then I’m done throwing down my life blood for this experience.

    Geo Frey, 11 year burner, Red Lightning.

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  • Bunny Two Shoes says:

    I’m fine with giving up my spot this year and spending labor day spreading the burn to other places. I hope whomever gets my spot rocks out!

    For next year, a couple of brainstorms:
    1. Names on Tickets, Names on Tickets, Names on Tickets…yep, it’s been said before, but it would certainly help weed out the scalpers.
    2. Close the gate on Weds or Thurs to ensure that the burners attending are committed. Many of my burner friends have commented on the flood of spectators who arrive on the weekend…it kinda kills the vibe to have the onslaught of half-hearted burners arrive and would be an easy way to decrease demand somewhat.
    3. Make the event two weeks instead of one so that people are cycling through more and the total population of the city is reduced while the number of tix sold could be greater. The logistics of this would be weird…when would the man burn? Maybe half way through? hmmm…just something to think about.
    4. I kinda like the suggestions of volunteer requirements, thought I’m sure it would be a huge pain to enforce…so, what about selling 70% (or whatever percentage) of the tickets through camps/art cars/art projects/etc? Presumably the people leading these projects would enforce the volunteering on a micro level and BMORG wouldn’t have to do any extra massaging of crazy complexity.

    <3 You!

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  • arcticcircle says:

    Really appreciate this. So nicely stated, so needed. xxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooo

    I’ve seen a lot of great suggestions along the way and made a few myself. One suggestion that I’m not so fond of is to give preferential re-buy opportunities to attendees of this year’s event. It’s a) salt in the wound of the many non-winners who have given to the community and got shut out by the lotto, and b) will raise the premium on getting to the playa in 2012 to an insane degree. You’d HAVE to hustle up a ticket at whatever cost you have to pay, if getting to 2012 is the only clear way to get to all future burns.

    Good luck BMorg!

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  • Shrek says:

    Dear Burningman!

    “A first-come first-served system would not meet the demand either. Every ticket vendor informed us we’d have to use the same type of “queuing system” that meant hours waiting in line at your computer screen – a luxury perhaps not available to many perfectly deserving Burners.”

    Well it does work for those that desire it to work. Take a vacation day or “sick day” is how our family has done it for the last 8 (would have been 9 burns) Yep! sit infront of the computer for hours waiting for “your turn in line”. How hard is that?

    Please return to this, it works for those that find ways to make it work.

    Shrek!

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  • How about – Names on tickets + a name change fee? Charge people $75 like the airlines do to change the name on the ticket. It discourages scalpers, discourages over-purchasing, and still allows people to give their ticket to a friend. Close the change window a few weeks before the event.

    You could waive the fee if the named person was in the same car. That way if someone wants to buy two tickets, not knowing who they’re bringing, that wouldn’t be a problem.

    Not sure if it will work, just trying to help brainstorm a way out.

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  • Shrek says:

    PS…..Burning man most likely will be the lamest it has ever been this year!!!! For this reason I will wait for your Org to heal and return it back to the state before if that is even possible?!

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  • TFGMF says:

    I have many friends who have been attending Burning Man over the years, but, they were West Coasters. I live in Montreal, and the logistics always scared me. I’ve met several people in the community here, and realize that being part of the event is a possibility. One of my best friends and I are going together. He was going to play the lottery as well, but I told him I would take care of our tickets. I am happy to say that I was selected, and that I am “investing” in my own 45th birthday present by finally making it to the playa. I really look forward to losing my burner virginity, seeing wonderful eye candy, discovering unique individuals, and sharing my energy to making this a wonderful community event.

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  • Shrek says:

    40% 1st timers…bull…people buying prepaid credit cards, setting up “new names/e-mails” to increase their chances is what I think!

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  • FandangoLiz says:

    A slightly modified version of the Glastonbury model would work beautifully to keep out scalpers. They instituted the non-transferrable, photo ticket policy because scalpers were making a mockery of what Glastonbury was trying to do. If the most successful music festival on the planet managed to solve the scalper problem, I know BMORG can too. Talk to the Glasto folks. This year is a wash, but you can make it better next year. Good luck.

    I myself did not participate in the ticket lottery this year. Last year, when we were at Burning Man, we all talked about the lottery system & decided to skip this year because of it, and other factors. This would have been my 15th Burn, but instead we’re taking Fandango to somewhere tropical. Maybe we’ll see you in 2013.

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  • phoenix says:

    Well written, thanks Andie.

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  • magdelyn says:

    Well, obviously the lesson is, that if next year they have a lottery:
    1. Get every friend, relative and intimate get into the lottery.
    2. Get a bunch of unneeded tickets.
    3. ?????
    4. Profit.

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  • stephen dee says:

    Just about the best “we’re really sorry about that” comment from an organization I’ve read. Light years ahead of Komen!

    I understand that you think that the STEP program will help, but I am skeptical. It will certainly help the market to clear closer to BM, but at that point, travel plans and vacation times will have been made, so that only some work-flexible locals and students will be able to take advantage of the cheap tickets.

    This suggests a reverse discriminatory-pricing issue where the people who live close will attend and the people at a distance will be prohibited by expensive airfares. Now, if you were clever and connected, you’d coordinate with two airlines (because you need competition to make this work) to offer substantially discounted airline tickets from anywhere in the world to Reno. In fact, I’ll bet if you teamed up with the Reno Chamber of Commerce the Nevada gaming commission and local hotels you could get a really great partnership working that took some money out of the airlines pockets (they’d at least break even on filled the planes).

    A marketing campaign to stay a week in Reno after the burn would probably not only attract people who went to Burning Man, but build a whole massively coordinate Reno post-burn subculture that some people who couldn’t go to Burning Man would attend to hang with Burners.

    And then get a bigger venue, already!

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  • L says:

    2012 is going to be what it is. 2013 ought to be EPIC.

    RV BUTTS, NOTHING BUT RV BUTTS:
    I hear so many people planning on bring an RV. Last year I felt like they were a plague!!! Great, you’re comfy. But it’s not interactive, nor artistic. The Symbiosis Gathering is charging an additional fee for bring RV’s. I think that would be a good idea .. encourage people to put there resources towards theme camps (either creating or joining one). Why would you bring an RV if you have a well-funded camp?

    Want to be in your private RV and not with a camp? BACK ROW! If your not with a camp that’s doing something, you have no reason to be front and center. There should be an RV camping section on the edges (farthest back streets) … It might sound bias .. but I think it makes sense. Especially after getting lost on dark, RV lined streets trying to get from D to center camp!

    LAST BUT NOT LEAST …
    What I feel a lot of involved people are thinking … Next year tickets ought to be awarded to those with projects and theme camps first. Doesn’t matter if they’ve been before or not … people who have submitted plans of creative merit should get first dibs. It’s not like there’s going to be enough of them to create a ticket crisis … and if there were: Dang! That be one hell of a burn!

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  • Liz McLellan says:

    Hey Andie,
    Great job on the clarifications… I feel your pain – What a rotten spot to be in. Our camp (abstininthe) is one of the camps having trouble putting all this together. We are glad to hear you get it with regard to the collaborative community of Burningman.

    Sending you all lots of love and patience and hope the next few months are not too insane…
    Liz

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  • Ian Baker says:

    This post assumes that a record-breaking proportion (40%) of newbies signed up because they actually want to attend Burning Man for the first time, but fails to acknowledge every hopeful burner who asked their mom, aunt, co-worker, and high-school sweetheart to register for them “just in case.” Until we start talking about this practice separately from scalping, we’re not addressing the entirety of the situation. From the perspective of those who didn’t get tickets it’s no different from scalping, except that it can’t be easily measured by observing the market since the tickets will never hit the market.

    I suppose the hope is that these tickets will go to STEP. Here in the land of reality, though, there’s no incentive to sell them early. Unused tickets will get sold, but not until it’s far too late to plan large-scale art or infrastructure. The only way I can imagine dealing with this situation is attaching names to tickets. Of course, that gets in the way of ticket-gifting.

    There is no technical solution that allows for gifting and prevents scalping. The two are inseparable because we can’t see the details of the transaction. Do we exchange friendship and love, or suitcases full of cocaine? Nobody will ever know.

    This fairly obvious subtext here is that the 10,000-or-so tickets that Burning Man has reserved for the open sale may instead be distributed to those burners who make up the “corpus” of our community. Now, we all have to grapple with how to decide which burners are corpus enough. I suggest a partnership with hotornot.

    In all seriousness, though, the only way to decide this is to use whatever not-entirely-accurate database you have of previous attendees. Make the remaining tickets available only to those who don’t have a ticket yet, and who also have attended in the past. It’s a poor solution, but I believe it’s the only one that’s left and preserves ticket-gifting.

    Well, that and checking IDs at the gate. We give up the ability to gift tickets, and in return we get a system that’s actually fair and mostly scalper-proof.

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  • Dusty Lashes says:

    Yes, I too would love to come back this year, as last year was my virgin burn and I threw myself in it with participation but received much as well. But not getting a ticket makes one contemplate on many levels. I know this has been toyed with my some already but I am curious if there has been any thoughts on holding BM in another location? I know the beauty and mystique of the desert has it’s appeal but there are other options on that as well. And surely the elements of the playa are not what creates the threads that bond the community. Although it is a special place, just saying it’s not the only special place.
    Or, maybe holding one at the same time on the East Coast, making the pilgrimage a bit less costly, less daunting, and more accessible to some east siders like many enjoy on the west coast. Camps and individuals could decide which burn they wanted to attend each year. Or, you could alternate east and west every year thus allowing those who desire to attend could at least get ticket to one or the other. This would allow even more participants to attend, create art, music, theme camps, mutant vehicles, and more? And it would help strengthen the community. After all, isn’t what we ultimately would like is for our principals and participatory community to spread and grow until the default world has the fire within as well? I only imagine it would make the default a much better place. Just a thought… And maybe a stretch but I think Fertility 2.0 should give birth to a “Burning Woman” on the level of the ORG. I am liking the sound of it already.Hugz and love to all!

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  • Belteshazzar Daniel says:

    Hi, I’m a virgin, from Colorado, and I was blessed with a ticket for myself and for a dear friend who has burned many times before. I look forward to participating, collaborating, and creating with everyone at the Playa this year ^.^ will bring bacon hahah!

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  • Mr. Bill says:

    Thanks for the heartfelt “We fucked up” I think most of of us lifers have just been waiting for that more than anything else…

    Now let’s all make it work-somehow. We always do. We’ve got big ass fiery art to build, art cars to drive around, and we ALL have to come up with a way to make that happen. So do what you can. Yes I mean YOU, not just BMORG. Put in your 2 cents worth, get unused tickets to your friends & campmates, and for Gods sake, put any tickets you don’t need back into STEP. We won’t be mad at you for being extra lucky or anything.

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  • Figgy says:

    without getting all numbnuts with the things that I’ve done or otherwise contributed…

    1. I felt angry.

    2. I felt hurt.

    3. I felt neglected.

    4. I felt remorse.

    and then…

    1. I felt compassion.

    2. I felt even more creative.

    and now…

    It’s okay. Things change. The regionals will be more epic than ever. As for the Playa – I’ve seen high level execs in Tu Tus and frat boys in thongs. It’ll be okay. The spirit of those lands will permeate the pores of whomever is there.

    There is roughly 10% of our crew that got the nod. The current plan is to chill and see what happens with the STEP…

    Beyond this, we’re still going to be doing…because, well, that’s what we do.

    Thanks for being and doing…

    Fig

    PS: On a side note – one option for BMorg for the Veteran burners might would be to offer some volunteer tickets to come in early & help with the projects of others.

    While we love the entirety of the event (ok, the wife doesn’t dig Fried/Sat Night mayhem) but build week…that’s just pure heaven.

    We would totally buy a ticket to come and work the week before…with the express promise to depart before the gate opens, of course.

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  • cooked2442 says:

    OK – that’s step one. Wasn’t too bad was it? Hurt a little, but the pain went away fast and you felt lighter.

    Now take the second step.

    Be honest
    Be transparent
    Respect everyone

    (that’s just the golden rule)

    Yes, it’ll hurt but you won’t die

    good luck, we’re rooting for you.

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  • beadedladi says:

    First welcome newbies you are in for an interesting year and so are us old guys if there are really 40% new ones..I was kinda ready for a change so it just goes to show that “you should be careful what you asks for”..playa serendipidy can be a trickster.

    Second Yes it’s been said before but do both..a) Names on tickets, and b)one ticket per account/person and chack the database. Credit card companies do it all time. Make the force work with you obiwan.

    third and this one is that creative force coming out. Make the event longer if we can’t make it larger. The tourist have been coming in on Fridays for a 3 day stay for years. Stop “entry” on Wednsday night at midnight… You might actually see the gate crew at a theme camp for a night:). If it so important to you then get your butt there and participate. It takes a day to set up a reasonable personal camp at minimum.

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  • Ian Baker says:

    Oh, and here’s a proposal for 2013:

    Sell paper tickets (that can be gifted, transferred, re-sold, eBay’d, etc), but only at Burning Man 2012, inside the gate, limit one per authentic non-scalping burner. Check names at the BM2013 gate for all online ticket sales, let the paper tickets in the usual way.

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  • Hez says:

    At the OCF we have an annual discussion about a second weekend- perhaps another BM a week before or something along those lines. More logistics but it might be smaller and more intimate- say like 30,000 people- a nice number.

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  • Cookie23 says:

    So people think the big theme camps should get the remaining tickets? What about the small(25) theme camps? Less people, less importance? That’s crap. BM screwed up the first sale and as it stands now, people would be able to buy 4 tickets in the next sale? Doesn’t make sense. Since you are unwilling to redo the whole ticket debacle, why not limit the next sale to one ticket per person. More people have a shot at getting a ticket. Next year, just charge one price(more) and offer low income tickets. Tickets go on sale, January whatever, first come, first serve. I work two jobs to make ends meet and I would be willing to plan, work harder or more, and save to buy a ticket at a higher price. Things worth having should be harder to attain and require more work, preparation, thought, and love. Just sayin…

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  • ph03n1x13 says:

    As someone who’s been a long-time Burner, when I saw that there was going to be a ticket lottery, I new that it would be a flaw in the system. Lotteries simply do not work. That’s just a fact.

    How do we fix this? I like the idea of requiring volunteering. As someone who has volunteered off-Playa for 3 years, I get more out of where I’m at because I helped bring something to it. I also got the same fulfillment the 4 years I have been able to go and working with a theme camp.

    I dislike the idea of grandfathering on the basis of attendance. It feels like you would still be excluding veteran Burners who cannot make it due to financial restraints. I have had to miss 3 years because of being unemployed. I’m sure that there are a lot of other Burners who haven’t been able to go due to financial hardship. While there are a small quantity of tickets available to those who don’t necessarily have the finances, there’s not enough for all of us. So, I patiently wait to get a job and hope that maybe next year I might be able to go back out there.

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  • Philip Romero says:

    As a 12x burner who has brought kids for most of those, I am saddened and will continue to be sad by my striking out on the lottery. I agree with the letter, but I also hear and feel my longterm burner famiLy that are such a large part of my life. I will continue with hope in securing a tickets with whatever way Burning Man Llc. Plans. We couldn’t keep this to ourselves forever and this is just all due to the event we have loved being loved by so many others.

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  • NimRod says:

    Thank you for addressing our concerns. I hope you do away with the first come first server direct sell of 10,000 tickets in March and let those of us with a proven history of volunteering and being a part of large art/theme camps a chance to buy one single ticket at the $390 price point before offering them to the public. Just ask for proof that we have been a part of an art project, theme camp, or worked as a BM volunteer to be able to purchase the ticket. Proof would be easy, you have a database of Theme camps and the person who registered that theme camp, have that person sponsor the “would be” ticket purchaser and people who have volunteered for BM have received patches that they can present as proof. I’ve been a part of Universal Citizens, Roots Society, Kitty Camp, and helped/volunteered with DPW to help take down center camp in some of the worst weather they’ve experienced (Tuesday-Thursday of 2010) when most of the other volunteers split to save themselves.. .Unfortunately lady luck and the ticket lottery left me out in the cold this year. I’m now part of a Reno Maker’s Space and have multiple opportunities to join / help some major art installations, but I can’t because I have no way of knowing if I’ll ever find a ticket. Some of the art projects have already been abandoned due to not being able to find hands that can help who have tickets. My personal project which I hope someone runs with if I can’t find a ticket, is to set up an empty Truck and a place for people who flew in (or anyone), to drop off their unwanted tent, sleeping bags, and coolers after the burn so I can haul them off and donate them to homeless shelters and disaster relief groups like the Red Cross. If anyone wants to help me do this, please just let me know of a face value ticket, it’s fun to party and its fun to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and the beauty of BM is that we can do both.. if a ticket can be found =)

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  • Wag says:

    I still think the one ticket per credit card (and bring that card with you for entry) thing is the best idea. Give the ticket checkers at the gates iPods and/or iPads with card swipers and away you go! People who don’t have credit cards could obtain pre-paid credit cards and use those. People who want to gift tickets can get a pre-paid card, buy a ticket with it and hand it off! Nobody (with a brain) would buy a card from a scalper with just the promise that a ticket is attached! I know this is unsavory to many people who think their privacy would be invaded or something, but I would rather risk a little invasion than not getting a ticket because they’ve all been bought up by scalpers!

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  • Julia Brown says:

    I applaud your brave work in breaking this hard ground. There is no modern precedent for a participant-built event on this scale.

    Have you looked at how Bayreuth handles this problem? They get 500,000 requests for 58,000 tickets every year, and give preference to folks who have attended before. A structure like that might promote stable growth and enable the long-range planning needed for truly great gifts to BRC.

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  • Red the Dirty says:

    I want to thank you, that is, YOU. Not the org. You who have been posting your comments here. When I read that halfhearted “apology” tonight it finally started sinking in that I may never have another Burn. I’ve been keeping a stiff upper lip so far, been hopeful even, until tonight. It’s not that I don’t want to go in future years, it’s that I’m afraid there won’t be much of a Burning Man to go to.
    It’s your comments, feelings, and stories that are putting things in perspective for me. I don’t know if they’ll really help the situation but you should know they help me. I have a ticket and I’m mourning almost as hard as those who don’t right now. I’ve been to Burning Man one time. I’d scraped and saved to go, I’d helped with an art car project all summer, and I’d heard nothing but amazing BM stories for 2 years before that. When I got there the weather was awful, the playa (ground) was a mess, there were dust storms every day, very few of my friends were there with me, and being a newbie I just wasn’t really prepared. I had about 24 good hours there out of that week. But let me tell you, did those 24 hours BEAT ALL. Those hours let me know what all the fuss was about. They showed me how it could be because when things are good out there, they’re UNBELIEVABLE.
    It’s a blessing and a curse because I know what I’m missing now. I always wanted to go back, not make the same mistakes, do it right. I guess I waited too long. It didn’t help that the year or 2 after I went all my friends went and had the best years ever. Everything was beautiful and perfect and fun. And I got to hear all about it. My fomo’s so intense right now I could just keel over and die.
    But it’s nothing compared to what I know some of you are going through. Your stories, hardships and disappointment don’t fall on deaf ears. Many of you have devoted such a huge portion of your lives to BM that it must feel like having a limb removed. I’ll probably never know that feeling. Also a blessing and curse. Is it better to have loved and lost?
    Thanks for letting me vent. Maybe all you hopefuls are right and there will be some point to going out to the playa this year. I guess ticket-holders shouldn’t be pouting. It’s just that I don’t feel like I “won” anything at all.

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  • Dani says:

    Thank you for the post. Much appreciated!

    I am 100% against favoring theme camps or any other group for tickets. Yes, people like the big theme camps and cars – but how can you say they are MORE of a participant than anyone else? Any system with “priority” can be gamed.

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  • Whompa1 says:

    So I won a ticket in the lottery, but if Bassnectar & Skrillex didn’t secure a ticket, I don’t want to go.

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  • Goddess Mother says:

    First Thank you!! I’ve been wondering if I would use the one ticket I got in the lottery. I still need a friend or two to get tickets before I decide for sure and possibly register a camp. My suggestions going forward are as follows
    1. Take apps for Theme camps/Art Projects/Mutant vehicles early and lottery them. The app would include how many tickets are required to pull off their project. Pick a number to guarantee inclusion. X # of mutant vehicles, X # of Art Projects X# of bar camps…dance camps etc, you get the picture. This doesn’t need to be the only projects that eventually get registered and placed but it will insure an infrastructure.
    2. Allot those projects some guaranteed tickets, maybe not quite as many as they swear it will take to pull off their project :)
    3. These projects should have some Playa history. Without it scalpers will register a theme camp that never shows up. I’m a firm believer that scalpers could possibly have in the neighborhood of 10,000 tickets this year. There are already 100 available and the tickets haven’t even been mailed yet. Besides who is going to buy a ticket for 1000.00 if the seller admits to having has 100 of them. They want to make you believe there is a scarcity even at those prices.
    4. This guaranteed ticket availability for projects should only take up 10-15,000 tickets and could possibly be priced a little lower than the regular priced tickets. These should be exchangable within the camp and the camp contact can inform BMORG of the name change
    5. All other tickets should be the same price and sold first come first served with the possible exception of a few for low income registration.
    6. ALL tickets be registered by name with return through a STEP program. Everyone seems to be screaming for this now and asking why you didn’t do this to begin with. Many of those same screamers would have objected just as loudly to the invasion of privacy and inability to spontaneously gift a ticket prior finding out they didn’t get a ticket at all this year.
    7. Projects that win placement in the lottery and later decide they can’t participate can throw their spot back to BMORG to be redistributed in a STEP like program.
    8. More camps and projects and vehicles can register after the lottery just like it’s always been done there just wouldn’t be a guarantee of tickets for their members. This would leave room to welcome newcomers, maybe you need a break from the bar and there’s a couple of virgins who have been there a few times and everyone connects. Let them run the bar and go take a shower. Next year they are key members of the camp. Or maybe they start their own camp.
    Sorry now I’ll rant…
    1. Free tickets. I live in the Reno area and every year I hear someone say they are going because someone has a BIG camp that gets lots of free tickets, or someone belongs to a civic, governmental type organization and they get free tickets. I know you have to do some of this but please put some restrictions on those. We are not a circus for the holier than thou to come gawk at. Please impress on the camps and organizations that for whatever reason get free tickets that they need to have some respect especially this year. Give those tickets to the people helping to build our city by way of building your camp. If it’s a government entity that you give tickets to put some kind of entrance restrictions on them, maybe require they have a tent and some water in their car so they are not just there for the afternoon.
    K, I’m done for now
    Hugs and Kisses

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  • Bog says:

    Why not decentralize the distribution of the tickets, let the leaders of some of the major art camps/themes, etc. be designated to ensure that important projects carry on, and let them decide the criteria for getting some of them, and opening only some of them for sale to newcomers? Just a thought.

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  • zipporah says:

    *bravo* …this kind of honest humility is both necessary and comforting. i did not get a ticket…but i’ve done my best to maintain the belief that, if it’s meant to be, a ticket will be forthcoming…someway, somehow. it hasn’t been easy to remain optimistic in the midst of such an obvious clusterf**k…hard to see how things might right themselves…but this post strengthens my resolve. perhaps all is not lost. *thank you BMORG…

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  • LOVEBUG says:

    I know you all are taking some hard knocks, I know you tried your best to do what you thought was best, I know you now see that your best wasn’t good enough. For me, I just want to again express gratitude, evolution is not easy. I’d like to think that the growth potential for regional burns to step up their game as a result is off the charts…and that will be a good outcome from this painful experience.

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  • Thank you for this humble and thoughtful letter, written very much in the “we are all in this together” spirit of Burning Man. It will do a lot to staunch the tide of negativity on the social webs and help allay the fears that many theme camps have.

    I hope the clear, honest communication keeps flowing!

    As one of the co-leads of one of the largest theme camps out there, Sacred Spaces Village, however, I’m hopeful that the 30 or so tickets we need for our core team of producers, artists, sound engineers, projectionists, DJs, musicians, builders and most importantly — the electrician — (thank you power Gods!) will manifest–but we’re still concerned.

    Last year, we had an overwhelming number of first timers (virgins) and half of our membership came from abroad. (That’s right, a bunch of people who don’t know the principles of Burning Man arrive often with no water, no tent, no rebar and can’t even speak English!) They think their $330 camp fee entitles them to an all inclusive vacation.

    We were overwhelmed with non-participation — and the dedicated core volunteers were totally exhausted by about Tuesday.

    The thought of a predominantly wealthy, entitled, Virgin-only Burning Man isn’t just scary — it’s impossible.

    We love virgins, and breaking them in is one of the most unconditionally gifting, most consciousness-raising acts of Karma yoga, BUT, somebody has to show up for the volunteer shifts and drive to Home Depot when we run out of dome bolts!

    Also, there was a great deal of stress and panic once the tickets sold out, because most of our most dedicated artistic crew and build crew are, well, quite frankly, living on the edge and can’t to plunk down $400 on their credit cards in February when they need that cash flow for other things — like rent. (That is, if they even live somewhere. A lot of core Burners are gypsies who don’t even have credit cards.)

    There needs to be a cash or walk in option for these people, some of whom are the most brilliant and creative on the Playa.

    Those of us who make art live in the flow and wait untll the last minute for a ticket to “manifest.” (Amazingly, all the tickets we needed did materialize through our own community last year.)

    In the early days of Burning Man (my virgin burn was 1993) there was a huge sign that said NO SPECTATORS and everyone was expected — no — required to participate.

    I was assigned a required volunteer task, well before I arrived. Anyone who hauled porta potties from Reno got in free! Volunteering was actually the most fun I had during the entire experience–and it helped me connect more to people and get out of that camera and khaki shorts tourist mode.

    There were LOTS of obstacles to getting your ticket. You had to know somebody. You had do dial a telephone number to get the information on a recording. Then you had to send in a request in writing, by mail, and pay with a check.

    You received a map printed on RED paper with the secret directions, (so it couldn’t be duplicated) and you needed a topo map and a compass to find it. It was like a scavenger hunt to get there.

    The problem with this lottery was it was just too darned easy for scalpers. Yes MAKE people wait all day for a ticket! Inconvenience them–a lot. Make them jump through a few hoops to weed out the wannabes. Throw in a magic password or make them go through a scavenger hunt to find where you apply.

    At Sacred Spaces, we always sell out, so we create a participation survey that people have to check off before they pay for a ticket. And this is meant to DISCOURAGE non-participants from even registering.

    As far as we’re concerned, we don’t want the money if it comes with the burden of an entitled newbie sparkle pony Trustafarian who bought their ticket for $1,000 with their alimony payments (they don’t have to work, ever), and expects us to wash their dishes and pound their rebar while they paint their toenails silver and apply their feather hair extensions in the big mirror they remembered to buy at Walmart. (“I’m sorry I can’t pound rebar — I’ll chip my nails.”)

    And this is why this statement scares me:

    “Those who were not selected to purchase tickets in the Main Sale round will be notified privately of how to register, and given the first option to sign up for the “Want Tickets” waiting list in advance of any other users.”

    Well, aren’t most of those folks potentially scalpers!?

    I would hope BMORG ditches those folks right away and institutes a system that assures that ONLY dedicated volunteers, theme camp leaders, art project leaders, DJs, musicians, performers and their build crews are allowed to buy those 10,000 tickets! We need FIRST priority, not to get whatever tickets remain after the sparkle ponies and scalpers snap them all up.

    Make at least enough available at a discount rate to bona fide returning contributors and once every returning officially placed theme camp, art project, big art car and infrastructure team has enough core members with tickets, put the rest of the tickets for sale at a higher price, where the billionaires, celebrities and jetsetters can buy them and thus fund the starving artists who make Burning Man the inspirational mecca that it is.

    I hope we can find a way to return Burning Man to it’s core values of participation, inclusion and self reliance before it’s overwhelmed with a deluge of sparkle ponies and tourists who have to learn the core values the hard way. (When there are no veterans there to show them the ropes and nobody is around to loan them work gloves and goggles, tie their flimsy KMart tent down before the windstorm, or give them electrolytes and water when they get sunstroke.)

    You can’t really teach that in one week — it takes a few visits to Burning Man before you really understand that doing, creating and gifting is what it’s all about.

    I hope we can all find a way to continue sharing the magic.

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  • Mikey says:

    BURNING MAN JUMPS THE SHARK

    It’s clear from your letter that long time burners are no longer welcome at burning man. What BM.org wants is all new faces. And now that BM is sold out they can make that a reality. But who is going to bring the art if veterans are excluded.

    And if this was a lottery why did we have to say how many times we have been to BM. This was no lottery but systematic discrimination against veterans.

    This goes back to my original theory that Larry hates burners. The 5 hour gate times, the 6 hour exit times. The last (flippant) question on the form of your opinion of how well you would do in the “lottery”. There is no question some people have caused problems at the burns but every society contains a few asswipes.

    So what Larry wants is all newbies who have never been to burning man and will be content with a neon effigy of a man burn, some plywood temple art ( they used an accelerate last year so it would burn faster ) and some fireworks.

    Wow… I’m sure the newbie’s will write glowing reviews.

    Goodbye burning man, the first 10 were kick ass.

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  • duder9000 says:

    1. Sell a portion of tickets in a first-come first served open sale to VETERANS.
    2. Sell a portion of tickets in a lottery to VIRGINS.
    BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!!!

    Keep the tiers and low-income and pre-sale. Virgin lottery will help prevent scalpers. Open sale to Veterans doesn’t pose a big scalper threat and will allow camps to plan better.

    I wrote a detailed post suggesting this on eplaya: http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?f=290&t=53752

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  • Rae Kell says:

    If I get a ticket, I will be a first-time burner. I’m lucky in that I have already been “adopted” by a camp, along with a long-time burner offering to make my experience a good one. Because it is my first year, I will have nothing to compare it to. This is a good thing. I don’t want to be thinking “this is different” “this is worse” “this is better”…I just want to think “this is burning man”. I’m excited, and have a feeling I will get a ticket, but I refuse to pay a scalper or do anything that would sacrifice integrity of the event, even on a “just me” scale. I am coming to understand the base of what BM is, and want to be part of THAT. And, I have always been a believer in “everything happens for a reason”. Hope to see you there…

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  • David Singer says:

    You have totally underestimated the number of tickets in the hands of scalpers. It was obvious from the day you announced the lotto system that anyone winning would be able to sell their tickets for double what they paid for them. How many people (Burners excluded) do you really think would turn down a chance to double their money with zero risk when all they have to do is fill out two forms (one for the lotto and one on ebay). About 10 minutes of work. You should setup a system to track sales on StubHub and postings on the major craigslist. I would bet a large sum of money more than 5,000 tickets get scalped.

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  • Sean Solo says:

    I would also like to thank you for writing this finally, too. I was able to get a real sense of compassion from your choice of words. I won a ticket, unfortunately only 7 out of 50 in our theme camp got tickets. I am exploring the possibility of not going. Eventually everything turns to Dust…

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  • Luki Pa'a says:

    Here are my observations and suggestions following the most recent Burning Blog post:

    The “TL:DR” version:
    Sell the 10,000 tickets in open sale as promised, not to hand-picked camps.
    Names on tickets is a good system that works for other events. Try it.
    Reverse pricing tiers to sell most expensive first, or better yet, one tier only.
    STEP will likely not attract many extra tickets.
    Worse things have happened. Roll with it, burners are a creative bunch. Even new ones.

    The “I’m not lazy” version:
    There are a couple people here suggesting the 10,000 open sale tickets may not end up being open to all, and that BMORG might instead hand-pick theme camps to allow entry. This is problematic in that it does not allow organic creation to happen. And who gets to decide which camps are worthy? Burning Man could still be Burning Man without the Flaming Lotus Girls…

    Names on tickets is the only way to weed out scalpers. Whether there is a surplus of demand or not (among virgins or long-time attendees). Checking ID’s at the gate would not be harder than checking vehicles for stow-aways. And you could implement a program (potentially with a transfer fee) for gifting tickets or otherwise letting them change hands. Burning Man has for some time been the type of thing you almost have to plan ahead for. I realize there are those that choose to go last-minute, but I feel that is a small portion of the community and would be a more acceptable casualty than the current ticket shortage among nearly everybody. Those who plan and build make the event what it is. The old queueing system is testament to the fact that we are willing to plan ahead. Once this is implemented, it would make sense not to allow any one person to buy more than 2 (or even 1) ticket.

    One (higher) priced ticket tier and a more robust low-income ticket offering would make a lot of sense. Low-income must fill out an application, which most scalpers won’t do. The rest of the tickets should be open sale, not a lottery which is too easy to enter multiple times, etc… The predicted scarcity is what made people want to recruit friends to try etc. First come first served with a solid server to run it on would have helped on that front significantly. In my opinion, interest has not increased by quite these levels, despite the Dr. Suess video’s popularity.

    If you must have pricing tiers, reverse them. Sell the most expensive tickets in open sale in January, so people who simply must be there can get in from the start. Then let the dust settle for a month and do the second open sale at a median price, then one more month downtime, and a final open sale at the lowest tier. You guys thought something similar in the early bird sale this year. That was on the right track. Those who wait the longest for the cheapest tickets are taking more of a risk that they will not get to go. So assuming a total of around 55k tickets:

    January – Open sale – 15,000 tickets – Highest price tier (perhaps $450)
    February – Open sale – 15,000 tickets – Median price tier (perhaps $375)
    March – Open sale – 15,000 tickets – Lowest price tier (perhaps $300)
    Whenever – Low income – 10,000 tickets – via lottery if necessary (around $200).

    This would also discourage scalpers in that it makes it harder to buy low and sell high. Granted, the demand will continue past the inevitable sellout, and without ID’s being checked, scalping may still occur. But the cost being closer to “real market value” for most people will help as well. This way going in, if you want to be assured of a ticket, you pay for top tier (like bidding top tier in the lottery only without people double and triple entering)… Everybody knows up front that the lower price tiers will be more sought after.

    Don’t expect STEP to be a huge success. Most people who are holding extra tickets will distribute them in their immediate circles rather than to the larger community. Sell the 10,000 in open sale as you said!!!

    Finally, I see this year as an opportunity. Just because BRC may not be the BRC we “recognize” doesn’t mean it won’t be magical. A good friend once told me that the playa is an empty canvas, and WE!! (that’s right, virgins too) have a civic responsibility to create our community the way we want it to be. We can’t rely on veterans to always do all the heavy lifting in creating the experience. While the so-called frat boys may be out in full force this year, it’s not too late to convert them into the seasoned veterans of tomorrow.

    Much love to all burners everywhere!!! Thank you BMORG for leveling with us on the issue and hearing our pain… And whether we make it home or not, don’t let the wheels fall off the bus, we need the bones and the blood and the dust!!! And don’t fret too much, last year was always the last good year anyways.

    Looking forward to my third burn in 2013.

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  • Simba says:

    Thank you for that heartfelt and detailed response to the community.

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  • Amani says:

    I love this article. I am impressed by the thought and sensitivity that I’m seeing organizers take, in the face of what I know to be the biggest PR challenge ever faced by the org. Thank you for taking whatever it takes, to write a thoughtful note to everyone in the Burning world, and for considering so many people in seeking a solution to the challenge. I think this is also an interesting time for Burning Man organizers to help temper the culture of ‘radical entitlement’, the snowflake principle.

    Yes, sure- the veteran artists who’ve been coming out to the playa for years are a part of the fabric, the environment, the visual records of Burning Mans past. Also though, under ‘welcoming the stranger’, is an implicit passing of the baton. Acculturating the newbie, I love to see that there’s emphasis on this in this (incredibly well-written) article. I love that some thought is being put in to the possible scenario of, ‘What if we threw a Burn, and nobody knew not to put a watermelon in the potties?’.

    Maybe it’s time for some of us to adopt a n00b, and then get the heck out of the way. I love someone’s bumper sticker which reads, ‘If you had enough, could you recognize it?’
    Maybe the crusty vets have had their (our) turn, and rather than being pissy and writing hate mail about the fucked up system, they (we? I’m crusty, but I don’t write hate mail) could step down from relying on the annual pilgrimage, and let someone else have a turn.

    No one group makes Burning Man. It’s not Nexus, nor Opulent Temple, or anyONE. Even the loss of many well-known presences may be, oddly, lovely. What if? Newbies don’t know what’s missing, if suddenly there’s no DIS to ORIENT on the Esplanade.

    Black Rock City isn’t a timeshare community, it is a ticketed event. This ticket situation is a challenge to our collective expectation that Burning Man- whose principles we espouse smugly from dusty soap boxes, even tattoo on our bodies- will always be there for us personally. I’d love to see this moment include a public invitation to all of us who’ve been attending the event in the desert for over a decade (or more, yes I hear you too, peeps)- to count our blessings for getting to be part of this amazing thing, and maybe take a year off. It wouldn’t kill any of us, to miss it. None of us is entitled to go. Perhaps it’s time to ask ourselves, who would we be without Burning Man?

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  • DESERT DINGLEBERRY says:

    **** BMORG. YOU STILL AREN’T LISTENING. ****

    **** NON – TRANSFERABLE TICKETS UNLESS DONE THROUGH “STEP” ****
    **** NO MORE LOTTERY, EVER AGAIN. ****
    **** SINGLE PRICE TICKETS + SOME LOW INCOME ****

    Its *that* freakin’ simple.

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  • Samsa Lila says:

    SPREAD POSITIVITY AND CONSTRUCTION!! WE HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE IT SHINE..CUT THROUGH THE DUST AND EXCHANGE ANGER FOR GRATITUDE THAT WE MADE IT HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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  • nikolaus heger says:

    I think the only thing that can be done – since you said you can’t just scrap the lottery – is to now. NOW. put names on tickets to at least remove the opportunists and scalpers from the equation.

    As one of the winners I’d still be in favor of scrapping the lottery altogether. That said – the new info here is that BMORG is not sure whether there isn’t just unprecedented demand this year – that’s certainly a possibility, and a bit of a scary one. It’s always been my assumption that the number of people who (a) want to go and (b) can actually make it when the time comes is going to be less than 55,000.

    I applaud that you’re prioritizing those that “lost” in the lottery in STEP.

    I got an extra ticket and given what was said about the lottery beforehand, I assumed that I’d use it to help out a fellow camp mate if I won. Unfortunately, our camp has too few tickets overall for this to work. Only 25% got tickets, and some didn’t see this coming and didn’t apply for 2. So we’re way short.

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  • Burner says:

    Like Rob Said Earlier:::

    “Thank you for making a few things clear finally.

    – “We can’t and won’t reverse the Main Sale drawing results.”
    – “It is not possible to simply grow the event to welcome more people in 2012″
    – “Without our core collaborative community, the fabric of Burning Man could fray and tear apart. Regardless of all good original intentions, that ripping sound has to stop.”

    I read this as “10,000 open sale tickets will not be sold openly”.

    Am I right?”

    …………………………………….

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  • kate monster says:

    i didn’t have a problem with the lottery, and i too failed to realize the extent of the problem it would cause, figuring when i didn’t get a ticket i’d just get one from someone who got an extra or decided not to go…i assume you guys will give the remaining tickets to those who run the big camps, and i don’t have a problem with that, either, even though it means i won’t get one, since i had hoped this was going to be my first year helping organize a camp.

    i signed the signon.org petition about recalling the lottery, because i generally agreed that those were very good suggestions – except i would say have a higher fee for transferring tickets than 5$ to further discourage scaplers and overpurchasers. i would also suggest raising the price, and compensating by giving out more low-income tickets (although for those of us on the east coast, especially people who put camps together, the whole concept of low income tickets is kinda silly, because the ticket is the least of your worries financially).

    i’m not sure at this point if i’m still going to come (assuming i myself could get a ticket somehow). the fact is that if the friends i know and love are unable or unwilling to bring a camp together due to the ticket situation, i’ll stay on the east coast and spend the time and money going to regional events and/or traveling.

    but considering how much this community has given me over the past year and a half…i’m sending you <3 from bmore.

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  • H3R3TIC says:

    I applaud this message and hope that all the peeps who’ve been drawing negative energy…now understand there were many factors at play – and that your effort to preserve the core fabric of the community through what seems like thoughtful hole-patching is proof enough that there was never any intention to disenfranchise longtime groups, artists, or projects. In short, well said.

    I’ve posted this before – and it’s a well loaded principal complete with it’s own new set of challenges and problems…but I feel compelled to make the point again.

    Buy land.

    Hartford Institute estimates there are roughly 335,000 religious congregations in the United States. (Churches) They operate tax free, and privately…and are therefore not subject to police intrusions. Seems pretty smart to me. Membership. Gold stars. Merit badges. All that shit. People want to be recognized for their efforts. Remembered. Cherished. Not replaced in a lottery system. But we need to own the land to do that. WE need to dictate the terms. Not the BLM.

    This year will be my fourth week on the Playa. I’ve already gifted a ticket to a ten year veteran with the Golden Cafe and last years French Quarter. I’m volunteering, supporting art projects, trying to rally friends to accept and embrace change. I’m also going to help teach the new sparkle ponies what’s up. By example. And by direct criticism if necessary…

    I think if we all do that we’re going to have a great burn )'(

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  • joe potter says:

    Do you understand the future? Camps and art need the ability to plan this can only be done with NO CAP. Can BMORG be honest? Up to this point it seems unlikely. Step is a joke any burner with tickets will have plenty of friends to use up his tickets. nonburners will scalp their tickets. face the facts that if burners had 16 entries pro scalpers had 160. if burners have 30% of the tickets say 13000 and 40% were new and got their % say a round 12000- who has the other 25000 tickets and why aren’t you addressing this? 15000 scalpers tickets and you say the lottery works?
    So people will need to know the facts – like less than 1/2 the 700 camps will ask for placement – when THAT Happens. State the facts about loss of art and themecamps this is now a commodity people need to be aware that value has been greatly deminished. Please get ahead of the curve instead of 2 years behind – SCARCITY OF TICKETS WILL NEVER ALLOW THE LARGE GROUPS AND ART> you need to hold the sale asap so people can plan – you will never strave the pro scalpers

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  • short sell bob says:

    I must have missed the first humble apology. My bad.

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  • katrina says:

    We are very lucky, a small camp (last year 15 and this year 20) who are 80% ticketed, which means worse case scenario we are same size as last year. Most of us are 5x + veterans. I’m guessing there will be lots of small camps this year and hopefully lots of new ones. I’ll miss the big sound camps for sure but am also in a weird way looking forward to experiencing something radically different. Its been really disheartening to see the overwhealming negative comments and entitlement attitude in the community and am looking forward for the dust to settle and maybe the lucky ticketed people will start chiming in about what we can do to make it a good burn. One thing is for sure if there’s going to be a huge jump in virgins better start educating them, those darkwads drive me nuts….

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  • Sharrye Starry says:

    I’m so confused.

    I first found out about Burning Man two years ago. Both years I didn’t have the money to attend. This year I don’t have the money to attend so I was going to try for the financially challenged tickets. Now I’m not so sure.

    Is this how the majority of old-timers feel -> “To that virgin I copy and paste the following excerpt. And I wish him/her a wonderful burn. Know this: without all of us your New Playa will be Spring Break in the desert. We are the burn, you are welcome to join us, but don’t you dare think we are not an intrinsic part of it.” That specific individuals are more important than the community at large? That certain people MUST BE INCLUDED or there is no BRC?

    The history of BRC is what touched my spirit. When the word went out to create Burning Man, the word went out to all. Every and any individual was welcomed. There were no oldtimers and newcomers. There were no egos involved to make people feel less than or unwelcomed. Per your history, “A 1990 Cacophony newsletter item invited interested people to meet in downtown San Francisco to help assemble a wooden sculpture to be burned at a San Francisco beach in an annual celebration”

    “80 people [strangers, newcomers] had suddenly become 80 friends who cared for each other, had made a commitment to follow this strange wooden statue to the desert and live with it till its last moments when wood was to become ash and smoke.” That’s the BRC I expected. The one where you’re only a stranger in your own mind. The one were showing up makes you family. Not this one where you need prior relationships and participation to be someone of importance, of standing. I have that in my everyday life, BRC was suppose to be better than that.

    “Did we know what we were doing? Probably not. Did we care? Yeah! We knew that whatever we were doing, it would be different. If only for that weekend, we were going to put some meaning into a special experience, recreating an ancient pagan ritual that was actually 1000s of years old. In Cacophony, we called these adventures; a ‘Zone Trip.’ The Zone was some other dimensional place, it could be the past, the future, something weird, it didn’t matter. We were going there, and we would challenge it and be better for it.” Everyone would be better. Everyone would be changed. The magic was not saved and parceled out to “real burners.” It was for all who were blessed enough to be there.

    This is from “What is Burning Man.” “You belong here and you participate. You’re not the weirdest kid in the classroom — there’s always somebody there who’s thought up something you never even considered. You’re there to breathe art. Imagine an ice sculpture emitting glacial music — in the desert. Imagine the man, greeting you, neon and benevolence, watching over the community. You’re here to build a community that needs you and relies on you.” When did that change to you’re here at the whelm of the real burners. You’re tolerated but we expect nothing from you for you have nothing to offer the real burners. Your money is welcomed to help cover expenses, but only after we, the real burners, have determined who shall attend based on past participation, prior involvement, and value of service. We, the real burners, shall put on a show for you, the ignorant newcomer but never for once believe or think yourself equal, for you are not today, were not yesterday, and will not be tomorrow. We, the real burners, make this what it is.

    I understand that some groups that have always provided projects are low on supporters but have they even tried to reach out to the newcomers that will be in attendance for ideas and support? Why is the artistic contribution of some more valued than the contributions of others? Why are the oldtimers so scared of new blood, new ideas, new direction? Yes, there is a feeling of relief to have home always be home but that does not a “magical experience” make. I was pulled in by the words on your website, by the welcoming energy of prior burns, where everyone was valued. Now, people appear to be showing their true colors and it’s not pretty. It’s selective, unwelcoming, full of entitlement and ego. Again, I have that in my every day life. I am not hurting for people to make me feel different and less than.

    My question is, what is Burning Man? And as a newcomer, if I can one day attend, will I be valued as a real member of the community or will I be a newcomer, someone who took the place of a real burner?

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  • durgy says:

    Well spoken my friend. As LH says: “Authenticity costs extra”. I can feel some soul in your post, so some human cost. I have never doubted the good intentions but it does lead us to where we are.

    I agree that tickets have should remain transferable. I only wish I had an extra to gift right now. If they were ‘non-transferable’ but there was a way to transfer them prior to the event (via an online service) or at the gate, that would be cool, but it is either software that has not been written or a logistic nightmare.

    I think the timing and some pricing needs some tweaking.

    I know there are operating expenses so a limited ‘pre-sale’ makes sense – though you could and should jack that price up and limit the number maybe both by a factor of 2 (twice the price as the main sale and half the number that were available this year).

    Us great unwashed participants need to know the theme with enough time before the art grant applications occur to make a difference (not just a couple of days).

    I also think theme camp and art car applications can happen earlier than the main ticket sale and an ‘approval’ may also give the camp manager the ability to purchase ‘x’ number of tickets (and it may be a number less than they request). This would mean that we would get treated like individuals for this part. Administratively, someone is going to need to process those applications which has to occur anyway. One could look at historical data – how much space from last year, how many people did the camp have, their LNT record, etc. – to determine whether they camp gets approved for space and also some number of tickets in a dedicated sale. Some percentage of theme camp / art car tickets could be for new camps, but you really need to be on point and slick with your application to get a pre-approval for ‘x # of tix’ which is a hoop that a scalping company might not want to jump through.

    For this year, you could still add to the theme camp application and art car applications a box for how many you are short and allow managers to make a pitch to be able to purchase towards their shortfall. BTW, the Beacon is short 4 as far as I can tell. Yes we will radically self rely and have people sign up for STEP and beg, borrow and steal to get our people out there, but if we could make a pitch based on how we would like to contribute and our needs for our people that would be great. Even having a forum to make that pitch in an official capacity which could potentially work (though could also not with little or no explanation) would feel good.

    But between the theme camp / art car / art grant / pre-sales that should only comprise up to some percentage of the population (50% or so). Then a final general assembly ticket sale.

    I used to follow a band that had a mail order. You had to send in a self-addressed stamped envelope along with a money order and you’d either get tickets mailed to you or your money order. You had to know about it and be connected to the community to have access to those tickets. You’d see the same people on Shakedown Street and on the rail and there was a feeling of community. Maybe there is a way to pull people into the circle.

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  • Rob Lord says:

    > We can’t and won’t reverse the Main Sale drawing results. That part is done, and there is nothing fair about taking awarded tickets away from anyone…it solves nothing at this point, and changes the terms after the sale has already happened, and probably isn’t even legal. Besides, that only makes a bad situation worse.

    Do you have a legal opinion on that? Given there have been no transactions to date, chances are BMORG’s liability is minimal. Any ticket sales boilerplate agreement indemnifies the seller.

    Moreover, BMORG has yet to address what every well-reasoned commenter repeats: non-transferable tickets, like the airlines, Glastonbury Festival, et al., is the simplest, most field-tested, most effective sol’n to undesired gaming of scarce commodities.

    > We must now attend to preserving the fabric of our culture.

    Yes, mindful that addressing a symptom, not the cause, is a palliative solution.

    > There are listings on ticket scalping sites, but right now, they don’t all equal tickets that will be sold above face value. None of those sellers are actually holding tickets yet, and won’t be for several months, and we will collaborate to do what we can to starve them out. There are right now only about a hundred such tickets on those sites, although that doesn’t mean there are not more tickets that were awarded to people who plan to scalp them eventually.

    The sellers and buyers in 3rd party markets do not need to hold tickets to accept offers to buy, sell and resell tickets. They are playing the scarce commodity game, assessing fair market value. They think your plans “to starve them out” are just a rent on their margin. Unless your rent exceeds their margin, they will price and run the market. Nothing to date from BMORG is convincing that rent will exceed margin.

    > The STEP program will launch this month and we believe it will help. Those who were not selected to purchase tickets in the Main Sale round will be notified privately of how to register, and given the first option to sign up for the “Want Tickets” waiting list in advance of any other users.

    To those playing the scarce commodity game, you just announced that the scarcity perception frenzy will have a long duration and thus maximize their chances of peak margin as tickets trickle back to market at pre-promised rent-free face-value prices. I understand that is/was not the motivation/intent of BMORG, yet market forces exist a priori of human intent.

    > Right now we are contacting representation from all the types of affected groups analyze the overall shortfall…

    That’s good.

    * Our Regional Network and other teams including many community advisers are engaging…

    That’s good too.

    * We’re clear that next year, big changes are necessary to address scarcity, capacity and community.

    The challenge at hand isn’t next year or addressing symptoms; the challenge at hand, extrapolating the current perception trajectory and scarce commodity market realities, is pivoting the 2012 ticketing system to a non-transferable sol’n before the consensus perception of BM’12 as a BMORG operational failure is irreversible.

    That said, we’re all on your side to succeed. And when you do, we will throw down harder than ever before. :)

    xo,
    rob ‘beta’ lord

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  • little glass cat says:

    All good things must come to an end. It is obvious that Burning Man has hit it’s peak. Sure, it will still have magical moments and transform people, but it’s been on a downword spiral for a little while now. The music just keeps getting worse, almost unbearable for the most part this past year…and once the playa is 50% new people, well…the vibe is most likely going to be pretty awkward. It’s not worth the stress, and the people who’s lives are being “shattered” by this might need to consider expanding their horizons a bit. It was an awesome event, but there’s a big bright world out there with plenty of other amazing things to offer.

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  • Tom P says:

    You have (finally) done a very good job being transparent and you need to keep doing so.

    The issue of the new burners is a significant one. New blood is needed in all societies, but the lifeblood, the core, are those burners who are very active in creating art, giving workshops, building camps, etc. Without these burners you are going to experience a huge problem of cultural identity.

    BURNING MAN RISKS LOSING ITS SOUL.

    I was a virgin in 2011. I, as most virgins, did not really know what to expect. It was the community that taught me. An amazing community. I would be able to give better this year because I know understand the BM way. I get the culture. But I had mentors. I don’t know who most of them were. But they were usually kind and fascinating people.

    The vibe. The vibe is what makes BM what it is. It is magical and you were right to point out Sauders, Howell and Walsh’s terrific youtube tribute. It was excellent.

    When you have too many newbies, like I was (and sort of still am), you risk the culture. It’s fine to argue with immigration that we need to accept that cultures change, but who wants BM to be just another festival? Anyone? And that’s what risks happening (as I’m sure you are well aware).

    Given this I have the following proposition. Recognize that BM is in jeopardy in terms of being a going concern. If you do not handle this well, it could be all down hill from here. Those long time contributors are not just participants, they are your unpaid volunteers creating the whole experience. You obviously have a database of previous participants. How complete and clean the data is, I don’t know.

    Ideally, however, I suggest you design a system that attributes points in a transparent manner to people who have participated in the past. If you have created an official art installation, for example, then you gain 5 points, if you were a center cafe volunteer, 2 points. You review your records however far back you have them where you have decent data. You add up the points.

    Previous participants can then register with you to have you assess them and assign them a total point number. You then start offering people from the top of the list a single ticket until you run through the 10,000 or so you have left.

    I, for example, would get perhaps four points total (2 for a reiki workshop and 2 for cafe volunteering on two days) – not a lot and perhaps not enough for me to qualify for this. But it would be a reasonable approach with a sense of justice behind it.

    This would not be without flaws and it would require a lot of work on your part. If you do have the data, however, I would suggest you seriously consider it. BM’s gross revenue is enormous. The expenses, while high, do not come anywhere close to the gross. You can afford to invest in an approach like this.

    The question is: Can you afford not to?

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  • whowhyen says:

    I’m a noob. I just started participating in regional burn events within the last 12 months. I wanted to go to 2011, but it didn’t work out financially or with time off work. So I set an intention to go in 2012. When my friends mentioned it was registration day… I registered for a single ticket for myself. My Facebook post after registration was: “I’m going HOME this year… Just waiting on the Universe 2 confirm my itinerary.” A few weeks later I received an email confirming a ticket.

    But it saddened me (in the days following) that those people who told their stories of the great burn, enticing me to join them, did not receive & became increasingly worried that they would not receive.

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  • Genevieve says:

    Thank you for letting us know…I know this made me feel better because it answered questions. 2012 will my 2nd year and I have not given up hope that somehow I’ll make it back. I think and daydream about going back to burning man everyday since that RV came back to Oakland and I unloaded my playa dusted gear back into my small studio apartment… I felt like I left home instead of returning home…

    I love you all and appreciate all of your hard work and I know we will all get through this by sticking together. )'(

    Thank you thank you thank you
    ~Vivie

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  • Marty says:

    Andie – thanks for your kind and comprehensive words. But I am still very sad. Sad for myself and my dozens of friends, of course, but also sad for our community. It hurts to think back of all the times we hear “Welcome Home”, and to have a sense of belonging that can’t be found anywhere else – and then to be told I’m actually not welcome, at least this time around. It feels like there’s no room at Thanksgiving dinner because my dad’s new wife’s friends will be there – it’s still technically family, but it’s perhaps no longer going to be the place I’ll seek out as a refuge where I can feel comfortable being myself.

    One of the very first ambassadors to Burning Man I met was Rebecca Throne, who sold me my first ticket and who has since served in some important roles in the BMorg. I have since returned the favor dozens of times to family, old friends and new acquaintances, but only if I’ve gotten the sense that they have what it takes – that is, the drive to take precious time off from work to do *more* work, but with the promise of a huge emotional payoff.

    I must admit, as the ticket experience unfolded I got the sense that BM leadership took it for granted how much many of us sacrifice to make it out there. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve tried to convince people that I wasn’t nuts or irresponsible because I took time off from a job (from which I was quickly let go), or left my pregnant wife at home, or our baby. But it’s worth it, or at least it was. I don’t regret for a nanosecond what I went through to make it the previous six times, but I am deeply worried that the likely ratio of virgins to veterans this time around will make for a profoundly less meaningful experience for all.

    Believe me – if by some miracle my friends and I get tickets (I’ve had some playa miracles but this would trump them all) – we will do our damnedest to set the same examples of kindness and inclusion that veteran burners have shown us. But I can’t seem to shake the sense of tenuousness in the definition of “experiment”. I can’t tell you how much I hope I’m wrong.

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  • Sue says:

    “…we went to get away from ourselves, and the way to do that is drive, down through Nogales some day when the pretty green places pall and all that will move the imagination is some place difficult, some desert. The desert, any desert, is indeed the valley of the shadow of death; come back from the desert and you feel like Alcestic, reborn” Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem 1965

    Simplify! Isn’t that the burning way? One price, first come first serve, and don’t start selling them right after the holidays!! Later, in the early spring perhaps, or Feb if folks just have to know that soon in advance for planning purposes. Its sad to think I might be home weeping and missing all of you while someone else gets jetted in, and set up with a motor home stocked with everything costing $20000+. There is nothing about the Core Principles in that.

    I love you Burning Man ♥♥♥

    BTW motor homes on the playa are intrinsically offensive. Sorry, but there’s nothing self actualizing about living in the lap of luxury at other burners expense …and that includes the playas’ expense. Simplify!!

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  • Paul (silkscreen camp) says:

    Andie, thanks for trying to clear things up a bit. However it turns out this year it will be interesting. Some will be glad, some sad, some experiancing a wonder for the first time and some longing to go home. I dont envy the organizations position on this. You cant win this year, no matter what you do. I wish you luck, and luck to the vet burners without tickets, including myself and whole camp. I WILL NOT BUY FROM SCALPERS and hope all others without tickets will refrain from doing so too. The man will survive, (till he burns), and I’m sure next year will be much better, dont think it can get any worse, plus I can now make my project twice as nice with the added time to create. Once again good luck to all affected, hope to see ya out there. Paul

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  • Theron Hunt says:

    I feel for your crew but I say take back 30% of the lottery tickets and let the committee sell them to those whom you feel need to be there. Next year you will learn to let scalpers be scalpers and burners will be burners… fixed something that wasn’t broken. All is forgiven and if not then they don’t get a ticket…. xo

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  • Roy Ceresale says:

    Idea for 2013…

    No system is going to be fair to every single person. The question is how to make it the least unfair.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    30% awarded to camps/artists by citizens of BRC, 10% awarded by BORG, 60% Lottery
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    30% of tickets awarded to camps voted in by citizens of BRC: Burners would get to decide which Camps/Artists they definitely want to see back. Each burner could vote* for up to X number of theme camps/artists they want to see again next year. This would be an ongoing incentive for camps/artists to gift maximum ‘experience’ and ensure the survival of the backbone of Black Rock City – theme camps.
    10% of tickets awarded by the BORG: This would give BORG a meaningful yet manageable 5,000 ticket pool from which to exercise latitude vis-á-vis artists and camps.
    60% of tickets chosen by lottery For all the other threads of the tapestry, this provides individuals and non-voted-in camps a fair shot at attending(newbies and vets). If any member of a camp gets a ticket, everyone in camp gets a ticket (With a cap on camp size). There could be a set minimum number awarded to individuals.
    *Ballots could be given at the gate pre-printed with registered theme camps/artsists and space for write-ins.
    ** This could be divided into small and large camp categories. Large – 25 or more members, small – 24 or less.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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  • c in slc says:

    Thanks for laying it out so nicely. Really.
    Eloquent, and confirms everything I ever thought about the people in the bm’org :)

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  • noelle says:

    deep gratitude to you… i really needed to hear this from you guys. i have been disappointed, disheartened, and confused by the lack of acknowledgement and/or empathy expressed to the community that is the heartbeat of burning man. so thank you, i feel better. a little. it goes without saying that the damage is done and i am comforted to know that you are doing all you can do address things. “this is one of the most painful moments in our history” brought me to tears; indeed it is. since receiving my “dear john, better luck next time” letter, i felt a sense of disconnect from the community i think of as home 365 days a year, on and off the playa, in a way i never have. for something i have poured heart, time, money, love, energy, etc into for 8 years, this was more than a little disconcerting. the note above inspires me to think we are all in this together, and together we can/will find a solution.
    i don’t know if i’ll make it to the desert this year, and i can be at peace with that. i will wait to see what happens over the next several months in the plans of friends’ theme camps and their ticketing situations and intentions to participate this year. we’ll see how things continue to unfold. and much as i, too, appreciate and welcome virgins, the idea of a playa with nearly half newcomers is a little concerning and reminds me of the first and last time i went to coachella several years ago. it’s clear that the old way of doing things is no longer effective and the event is evolving at a pace quicker than anticipated. bittersweet impermanence…
    once again, thank you for responding to this matter in your heartfelt way, i can promise you, the people needed to hear this. i am re-inspired and while just a couple days ago was ready to ditch all my fab dusty duds for good, i think i’ll hang on to ’em a little longer. please keep the updates coming.
    much <3

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  • Trillium says:

    For 2013, when I hope to return to Burning Man, I suggest the following:
    – First come, first served
    – Every ticket assigned to an actual person (verified by legal name, date of birth, etc)
    – non-transferable, non-refundable.
    good luck :)

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  • Jon says:

    Soloution: (1) All tickets are registered to the person who Paid for them. (2)All tickets are will call. (3) The person who’s ID is on the tickets, must be present to pick them up from will call. (4) Anybody who won the lottery, will keep their ticket rights, but have the option to back out. (5) The people who opt out will have their credit card refunded the full amount they paid for their tickets. (6) The “Opt out” tickets will be put back into the STEP program, and sold at highest level value. (7)People who signed up for the lottery will recieve priority for these tickets.
    I believe the “Opt outs” will provide many tickets to worthy burners, rather than line the pockets of scalpers.

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  • GR says:

    Thanks for the update on the situation.

    I am a long time burner and have been a member of a few theme camps over the years. Please DO NOT give preferential treatment to “veterans”, “art projects”, “theme camps” or anyone else. That is just not fair at all.

    And, contrary to what you might think, because, whether you realize it or not, all the BM crew are in the “inner circle”, many of those camps and art cars and other “special” groups are not particularly interactive or inclusive. They are often quite closed, insular and unfriendly.

    Just sell the remaining tickets as you planned and give EVERYONE a fair chance at getting one. Sell one ticket per person/credit card.

    Guess what….BM will happen and it will be just fine. It may be different, but that is the case every year anyways. Yes, there will be some disappointed people, but that is going to happen no matter what you do. Give everyone a fair and equal chance at getting a ticket. Past attendance or volunteering or whatever should not entitle one to special treatment.

    Thanks for (hopefully) listening.

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  • robin lamkie says:

    We should all get over it and realise that our tickets to bm are now worth some kind of average between what the scalpers are asking and what BMOG asks for.
    Supply and demand of what the best HOME costs these days.

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  • Fortunata says:

    Has anyone thought of purchasing that desert area? Is it possible to purchase? I know you can petition the BLM…

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  • Jane Maru says:

    Deep gratitude, thanks, and appreciation for this exquisitely transparent, eloquently articulated letter of Integrity.
    Growing pains are part of any worthy endeavor,
    a necessary step to reach the next level.

    Bravisimo!
    Jane Maru

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  • Lara White says:

    I don’t see how the STEP is going to ensure that tickets go to the veteran burners of the theme camps and art cars instead of just more newbies? There are LOTS of people holding extra tickets “just in case” so why not create a way to get those people in touch with the veteran burners that desperately need to be able to confirm their plans?

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  • huskyfan says:

    thank you BMorg for addressing this in a much more open and honest way.

    Marketing 101. passing grade. if I had read this a day or two after the “lottery” it would have been higher.

    I have no idea how to fix this year.

    next year raise the price. make tickets nontransferable. sell tickets in sections of 5,000 at different hours, days, months. make the sections demand specific. ie – long timer burners, birgins, theme camps, rvs, musicians, volunteers, what ever else you divide us up into.

    like this : a birgin invited to a theme camp with an rv would have several different catagories to chose from. perhaps one ticket sale is at 4 am Wednesday, three weeks later hold one at 1 pm Saturday.

    if you get overwhelmed with entries. skip the birgins.

    or hire ticketmaster. they do this every day.

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  • That Guy says:

    I honestly can’t believe you folks didn’t see this coming a mile away.

    I myself am not, and never will be a “Burner”, but many of my friends are, and many of those friends are part of the “theme camp” phenomena. People who (for whatever insane reason) plan their *entire* year around this week. Many of these people are freaking the f&%k out over this fiasco. Many are now just planning on ditching BM and heading elsewhere (I actually think this is the smarter idea, but I’m not a Burner, so what the hell do I know). But those folks are still heartbroken.

    Regardless of my own personal disdain for what you folks call “home”, I don’t like seeing my friends upset, and I don’t want my precious “Parking Man” (what us folks who remain in SF with our showers call the week you’re all at BRC) being ruined by having a bunch of you folks stuck back here.

    All sarcasm and snarkiness aside – I have some actual suggestions – who knows, maybe an outside opinion wouldn’t hurt.

    1st off – I have no idea what the Bureau of Land Management says your population cap is, but it’s clearly maxed and you need more capacity. Period. Start looking for another piece of land (as was suggested above) – one that will cap out comfortably at about 100K – your community is a-growin’, and that number isn’t too nutty to expect. Plan ahead!!!

    Next – regarding theme camps. Easy – these folks have to submit the theme idea and such far ahead of time, correct? Then start making theme camps prepare a hard roster of participants right from the get-go, and do it EARLIER. Then, once they do, simply make sure all theme camps have enough tickets for their roster set aside prior to releasing any to the “regular” participants. Also implement a system where if they have people drop out, their tickets automatically go back into circulation for everyone else. If they have truly planned their camp, then they should know fairly well in advance (barring any emergencies of course) and essentially, should have their collective sh*t together. (and if any emergencies pop up late in the season, those folks should put those tickets into the general circulation as well – then maybe late planners would have a shot).

    Now that those are taken care of – for everyone else, as was suggested above in another comment – one ticket per person, one flat rate, 1st come, 1st served. PERIOD. You have a finite resource, you have to treat it as a finite resource. Now, clearly this doesn’t take into account greedy scalpers – but at least you mitigate the problem so a scalper could logically ONLY get *one* ticket for his or herself to scalp. This means your going to have to get some tech in place on your end to make sure spammers and bots can’t purchase tickets. But of course, if all tickets have to be purchased via credit card, then only allow a CC number to purchase ONE ticket. Or PayPal – only one ticket per one account. Again – probably can’t stop ALL scalpers, but I’m pretty sure you won’t find that many crafty enough to create that many fake accounts or steal that many CC numbers to get enough tickets to make it worth it to them to scalp.

    If you want to talk pre-sales – another great suggestion from the comments above – charge out the wazoo!! Double the ticket price, hell, triple it! If someone is so hotshot hoity toity that they think they should cut in front of everyone else, than said person should be prepared to pony up the dough to be exclusive. I feel like pre-sales for BM are kind of like bottle service at a nightclub – if you want to look important and tell everyone about how you scored tickets before everyone else, you need to be charged d-bag tax for it.

    And now that you’ve covered theme camps, pre-sales, and all the regular folks – implement a lottery or latecomer sale system for all leftovers, or tickets that get put back into circulation. That way people who didn’t plan right, get a shot, but only after all the people who DID plan get their fair shot.

    And in terms of this trying to cater to people of all time zones for when tickets go on sale…sorry, but just like any concert event (let’s take Sade’ for example) there’s a specific time you need to be online, waiting to buy your ticket – if you’re sleeping, or at work, or don’t have computer access that day – that’s kind of your own issue to handle. If the BMorg says “tickets go on sale at this date and time” – then everyone has AMPLE time to plan ahead to wait online to get their tickets, or find a computer connection, or to take the day off, or what have you. If nearly a year in advance isn’t good enough for a person to get their sh*t together to do that, then they kind of have no room to gripe if they don’t get a ticket. (and yes, I know this last part sounds harsh, but as an avid concert goer, I have had to deal many times with missing tickets for shows because I either couldn’t take the time to get the tickets when they went on sale, or because they sold out insanely fast – that’s l;ife, and grownups should be able to suck it up and deal)

    Anyway – those are my suggestions. I hope all of you kids get sorted, and have a good and safe time out there, no matter how silly I think the whole deal is. And I hope that this experience drives you folks to become even more creative than you already are. That which does not kill us, makes us stronger…right? Good luck folks…

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  • Yoshi says:

    Thanks for finally writing.
    I like the idea of ticket preference for previous years burners. It keep your core coming back by giving them a better chance to secure tickets for next year. Because it’s all about momentum right? Virgins step onto Playa expecting different things, but most end up running downhill into the light. Weeeeee! Talk of ‘Next year I’m gonna…’ is what the ride home is all about.
    I don’t think selling tickets on Playa for the next year is reasonable, but what if you could register on Playa for the next year’s ticket? Then those apps get put into a separate ‘lottery’ increasing your chances for next years burn. If 60% of the 58,000 2012 participants get 2013 tickets, then you preserve your core element, keeping that momentum for next year.
    Perhaps you could even hedge the system towards people registering (and volunteering) early. Arrive early arrival Saturday before gives you a higher ‘chance’ for tickets than someone registering for their tickets on Burn Night. Gives less priority to weekenders and it would encourage campers to come earlier.
    Perhaps you could also pad your chances by volunteering with Org duties. Greeters, Cafe, Ice… get you an added entry for a veteran ticket. (this would also reduce non-attending scalpers). All double draws are discarded. One Burner, One ticket. Even if you can’t go the next year, Burners will pass their tickets onto fellow campers that will do them proud, live the Principles, volunteer, pass the happiness.
    Rest of the tickets go to general lottery. I don’t think people disliked the lottery, they just disliked that their time, effort and financial investments went unrewarded.
    Perhaps the first year, 2011 purchasers and 2012 attendees would be included as there will be many 2011ers that will sadly not make the roll call…

    Burning Man will always be amazing. But I agree with one comment above that there will be MANY unprepared Virgins that need guidance. Train your noobs people!

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  • eko says:

    RIP….. BM is an environmental nightmare anyway. Instead of spending all year on an art project try spending a year trying to create clean water for a third world village.

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  • Tara says:

    If you host an event without corporate sponsorship (something I have loved about the event) literally built and created by its attendees, then maybe it’s high time BRC started treating those MAJOR contributors like actual sponsors. Burning man over the years has formed certain attractions similar to a theme park. Camp?, Opulent Temple, TETRIS, Nexus, The District, the titty totter, Lady Sassafras, Bliss Goddess to name a few, are all experiential installations which we burners have come to love and new comers want to experience. Yes, things change year to year based on the theme, but the larger camps and exhibitions truly make up the core structure. Perhaps it’s time to let some of these camps and artists have event priority.

    Find out what the bare minimum number of tickets per theme camp/art piece would be needed in order for them to function and give them priority if they agree to participate year to year. I’m talking camps that have been contributing to burning man for 5+ years who have clearly paid their dues and are dedicated to the progression of the event. These are people who fund-raise, spend their own income, and contribute countless hours at an event they receive no monetary gain.
    Allow a second tier for newer theme camps and let the rest of the tickets be open sale, first come first serve.

    BRC has a choice after this interesting debacle, either choose to show priority to the members who build the glorious city, or scrap it all and let the newbies build something new. I am curious what this year will look like and am heavily debating attending at all. Two people out of our 40 member sound camp (with a 30,000 watt system) received tickets. We have decided as a group to not apply as a theme camp this year because of the lottery system. I have been a burning for the last 5 years.

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  • Lucy Hosking says:

    Thank you. You may have just saved the event. Glad you are listening.

    Here are two real alternatives for the future:
    1) Do it twice in BlackRock. 4th of Juplaya points in that direction.
    2) Do it twice, once as usual in Blackrock, and again somewhere else.

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  • Kran says:

    I want the burner-contributors with theme camps, art projects, live music, mutant vehicles, and other works with heavy logistics taken care of now. Now, because they cannot wait for June and July ticket swaps.

    Many tickets will change hands between now and the burn, especially after tickets are delivered in June. For many of us that will be good enough, for the infrastructure teams that will be too late, so we have to take care of them now.

    We already know there will be a ton of virgins, so let’s show them what the old farts have been up to, eh! Let’s set the bar high for those virgins so they come back the next year as burners with heart, soul, enthusiasm and an ambition as wide as the playa and as tall as the man. They should be challenged to do better than our best, and that can only happen if we show them what we have been up to so far.

    So I think we have to take care of our veterans right now, and show them off proudly, as a challenge to the next generation. Let them see our DNA and do better! That is my vision of Fertility 2.0!

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  • g says:

    what Bunny Two Shoes said . . .
    Hear. Hear!!!

    Close the gate on Weds or Thurs to ensure that the burners attending are committed. Many of my burner friends have commented on the flood of spectators who arrive on the weekend…it kinda kills the vibe to have the onslaught of half-hearted burners arrive and would be an easy way to decrease demand somewhat.

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  • Lunchbox says:

    One ticket purchase per person- each ticket has bar code linked to said person’s name/cc info/etc/to be scanned upon entry. Period.

    Also: BRC ticket mayhem = crazy melting-pot of mystery for this 2012 burn. I don’t have a ticket, as I was planning on applying for low income, which seems highly unlikely now, and I’m OK with that! Spend my money and time on other things this summer.

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  • Trinket says:

    Dear Andie Grace,
    I accept your apology and forgive the major fuck up that is this year’s lottery. However, I’m not going to go thanking anyone until you fix the problem and do everything in your power to promise that not a single ticket of the 10,000 left falls into the hands of scalpers. On that topic, you know who is going to buy all the scalped tickets? Virgins, that’s who (making the total much higher than the predicted 40%). True burners would rather deconstruct their camp and skip a year, than feed the scalpers.

    You have thrown a major wrench into our camp plans. Only 2 out of 40 of our campers got tickets through the lottery. After talking to friends and one of us joining a fire conclave, now 5 out of 40 have tickets. Obviously, we can’t move forward making plans yet. Our leaders already decided not to register our camp on the 15th. But, don’t worry about us, we’re resilient and have lots of burner friends who need spaces filled in their camps. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t share our camp gift that we had perfected over the years.

    Solutions-
    1. STEP— Don’t expect this to be the solution. Burners are a tight community and most extra tickets have already been redistributed amongst friends. Also, don’t be naive enough to think that scalpers can’t infiltrate STEP. If you’re sending out letters to people who got rejected, what makes you think you aren’t sending letters to the scalpers as well. Make sure that, anyone selling a ticket through STEP, questions that person extensively before handing over their ticket. And if they’re a virgin and have no idea how to tell if someone is a burner vs. a scalper, maybe you can make a questioneer that potential STEP applicants can fill out.

    2. The remaining 10,000 tickets– If you fuck this up too, 2012 is definitely doomed to be the year of virgins (no offense virgins, but you seriously won’t even know what you’re missing). Go ahead, be selective, take 8,000 of those tickets and hand pick who gets them. Is that fair? Not even a little bit. But you know what, you fucked up and now you have to step into your role and fix it. Even if that means playing favorites. But you said it yourself, without those returning artists that make BM what it is, it wouldn’t be the same. And you (better than anyone) knows who they are. And even though our measly little 40 person theme camp needs those tickets, I’m okay with BMORG giving them to the people, projects, art cars, and camps I rely on being there every year (like, DISTRIKT, Pink Heart camp, Pink Mammoth, Slut garden, the Hookahdome, Opulent Temple, whatever zeotrope Peter Hudson designs, Dancetronaughts, Abraxas, Pervertical Playground (my fav art car last year), just to name a few! Those larger than life projects are the reason people are blown away upon first sight of the playa.

    3. Next year– Work on talking to BLM and expanding. One price. Non-transferable names on tickets. Set aside a limited number of tickets (say 10,000) for camps that are deemed invaluable to the burning man experience. Set aside a number of tickets for performers and their crew (say 2,000). January, open ticket Sell 35,000 the month of January. Open all month until sold out. This makes it so that nobody has to wait in a que for hours. And I repeat, NON TRANSFERABLE NAME ON TICKET. I know, I know, what about those who don’t know if they can go until last minute or gifting tickets. Sorry, but times have changed, radical inclusion no longer holds true, and this is the only way scalpers can’t get them. March, sell the remaining tickets through a petition system. People have to write why they should get the ticket. “I’m a 10 year vet, I”m brining a huge art car, I’m driving up all the X for the sparkle pony’s”. Like the make a wish foundation, you choose who is most deserving. This is the only way I see the preservation of burning man as we know it.

    4. Getting through the gate- Less greeting antics. Increase number of volunteers. Have one volunteer checking tickets, while another is searching for stowaways and fireworks, while another is poppin’ cherries. 10 minutes max.

    See you on the playa )*(

    -Trinket

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  • Rizik says:

    Thank you for the thoughtful, well written explanation of the Burning Man ticket fiasco. Hopefully this will turn into a growth and learning time for the Org and for all Burners. Although we no longer attend Burning Man, it’s is great to see so much passion and energy being put into making things right.

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  • Unkledaddeh says:

    Hey, it’s Burning Man and the theme for this year is, Fertility 2.0
    Burning Man birthed a whole bunch of new burners!
    Welcome! Now go and make some big awesome art, transport it to the playa, install it, and have a grand adventure!

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  • 6friend says:

    I love the ideas that are being thrown out there about requiring a commitment from those wanting tickets. 1) infrastructures need to be there from huge theme camps, art and performances, and other projects so those people would qualify on the volunteer idea 2) an essay! brilliant! If they won’t put in the effort to write an essay about why they want to go then that proves that they are not going to participate.
    Work for the spot! Burning Man is not a relaxing vacation, it’s a chance to be a part of something magical.
    PS – I am against upping the cost to double, its not about the money! :) That may just increase the participation of people that will throw money at things to go to them and discourage the typical working class people that barely make it to the burn but throw so much love and heart into what they bring to offer to the collective experience.

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  • Savvy says:

    In 2013:

    * January – Distribute tickets to theme camps and those providing Burning Man’s structure first. These tickets will not require photo ID because the camps will be distributing them.

    * June – Sell the rest of the tickets. Photo ID will be required for these tickets.

    * Set a deadline for arrival for either Wednesday or Thursday by 11:59pm. Close the gate after that time has passed. This will reduce the number of weekend tourists and allow more dedicated burners to get tickets.

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  • Paul Hughes says:

    The elephant in the room is obvious – BM and our community need to petition and push to lift the 60,000 person limit. Let’s get on thing really clear – the playa is HUGE.

    I remember in the mid-90s Black Rock City was much further out in the playa. The vast empty expanse stretched out in every direction. This space could hold MILLIONS. If BM can manage 60,000 there is no reason it can’t do 80,000, a 100,000, 200,000. To say 200,000 of the most creative, hard working and magnificent human beings creating magic in the desert is epic would be a monumental understatement – it would be galactic baby!

    If BM can scale from 100 to 60,000, it can again scale to 200,000. And just imagine with ticket prices going for $300 a pop, that’s $60 million to provide the new infrastructure, personnel and talent to pull it off.

    So let’s do it! Anything else and Burning Mans best days are behind us.

    Paul Hughes

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  • Zippy says:

    Thank you and Blessings to you for this information. We all needed it, even those who have a ticket(s) as this has caused great concern and anguish for many, and we are concerned for the future of the event with these ticketing issues. I say 1 TICKET PER BURNER. PERIOD. If everyone knows this well ahead of time, they can procure a credit card, even preload it , if only for the sole purpose of buying a ticket. I know I am not the first to say this, duh. No one, absolutley no one, should get special treatment in procuring a ticket. This ticketing thing needs to be fair. Everyone should get an equal chance at getting a ticket. I will say it again, 1 TICKET PER BURNER, Please! Thank you.

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  • DayLightFullDay says:

    Hello BMORG, I am a semi-veteran Burner Artist. I’ve attended every year since 2003 but skipped only in 2010 to care for my 4 month old child. In 2011, not only did I contribute as an Artist bringing out large scale interactive art piece but, I brought along my baby virgin Burner with me. I was hoping she and I could continue our new tradition to attend each year until she is old enough to make the choice herself. All I know is that she LOVED every moment of the festival and everyone there enjoyed her presence. I am disappointed that my chances are slim of receiving a ticket, unless of course, I participate on a sponsored piece of art. But, that is not in the plan this year for our art collective.
    So, I can only make suggestions regarding how to handle tickets next year.
    It’s unfortunate that suggestions and feedback weren’t taken before your decision to implement a lottery was made.

    Here are my suggestions:
    1. Generate a special number for each ticket holder (like a membership number) or to whom owns the physical ticket stub. That number is re-used every year but, if the person who owns that membership number chooses NOT to attend they, return the membership number back to BMORG, or GIFT it someone else but, that new person’s name must be transferred with the membership number. To Re-new the ticket, the member goes online to Burning Man website or other official ticket vendor and enter the membership number when making the purchase. One flat rate for everyone in General Admission. Assuming you will set aside a certain quantity of tickets for Artists, Performers, Volunteers etc, and also set aside a certain quantity for Students or Low-Income members as well. But, those tickets should also have a membership number assigned to them as well. So, whenever a ticket is no longer being used, it goes back into circulation so, newbie’s can get a ticket.
    I believe it should be similar to life and death. When veteran Burners quit their ticket goes to a Newbie.

    2. (alternate version of above suggestion)
    First sale of tickets go to veteran Theme Camps, veteran Artists, veteran Performers etc, whomever make up the well-established groups that bring major art, performances, entertainment and/or other interactive activities (up to 25,000). Then hold back 3,000 for Students and/or Low-Income individuals, 2,000 to sell to Volunteers of BMORG, DPW, or other key depts, then 20,000 to open general sale with membership or ticket number. Only selling one per individual. I’m sure you could adjust the quantity sold depending on your previous statistics. You may even need to consider slimming down on the theme camps permitted. Campers can decorate their area without being an official theme camp. I think people who set up a little camp may start contributing to a larger camp instead, and with more volunteers those camps could become more elaborate than before.
    This system would keep the foundation of your veteran burners locked into to create Burning Man as everyone expects it. At the same time limiting the number of virgins/newbies without eliminating them.
    I know it may seem selfish to say but, if BMORG can not expand the number of tickets then, the # of newbies will need to be lowered. But, I will repeat: It should be similar to life and death. When veteran Burners quit using their ticket then, it goes to a Newbie.

    3. Try just selling tickets online, generating only ONE number/ticket per email. Just like buying a plane ticket, one name per ticket, confirmation number is issued etc. The bearer of that email print-out has ticket scanned at the gate and then, a physical ticket is granted in exchange. The physical ticket is void immediately after entrance (during exchange or at a second gate).

    The reality is: If your selling tickets like your playing roulette, you don’t really care who gets them. But if you want Burning Man to continue be as it always was, to be the festival that attracted these huge numbers of people from all over the world then, you should start caring who get your tickets. Making sure that it is know that it is a privilege to have one.

    Unfortunately, I will not have the “privilege” of attending this year since I didn’t try to get a ticket via the lottery. I just hope you straighten it out for the next year so our chances are better. Otherwise, another festival might just pop up nearby.

    Just relax and the answer will come to you.
    Peace.

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  • 6friend says:

    OH and I second the idea to suck it up BM Org and just make sure that a huge chunk of those remaining tickets go to those that actually build the big projects, villages and such! The BM experience will not be the same without them. You owe it to the entire festival attendees to make sure those projects can happen!!!

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  • 2 weeks says:

    Can we have a 2 week event?

    Much easier on the gate if we get a whole week to arrive.

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  • Weedseed Willie says:

    I’ve only been to eight burns so I’m not a real oldie. On the other hand I’ve seen the burn change slowly into more and more of an RV park, where people don’t form communities but close doors.
    Burning Man too shall pass; and just maybe this is the last one. I’m seeing last year’s as my last one.
    With massive numbers of “virgins”, the tenuous control of a potentially volatile population could be exceeded. Historically I’ve observed the old burners as the prime mitigation of conflict … and how many Rangers DID NOT get tickets?
    Consider’ should this year’s burn be another great success; what will a ticket be worth next year … or the year after? I see myself as having been priced out of this market.
    I believe that IF I had been lucky (?) enough to “win” a ticket to this year’s burn, I would pass it on.
    I loved it; don’t want to see it turn old and ugly.
    the former Weedseed Willie

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  • Martin says:

    I bought 2 tickets. My friend bought 2 tickets. This was the reasoning:

    He and I were supposed to attend for the first time in 2011. Due to starting a business, I decided I couldn’t make it. His report back was that he thought it’d be a good idea to buy two tickets so he would have one to give a friend (or bring a girlfriend, specifically) since he regretted not doing that in 2011.

    Then the ticket lottery thing comes up. He’s already planning on buying two. I eventually decide to buy two, for mostly the same reason. I also figure that since this is a roll of the dice, maybe one of my friends won’t get a ticket.

    In the end, I got my tickets, he didn’t get his. I immediately told him that he is welcome to my spare. Ultimately: two friends who wanted tickets, got tickets, and got just as many as we needed. But combined, we ordered twice as many as we needed.

    I know I’m not upset at how this played out since I got my ticket. I don’t think he is since he got his ticket. There is no way burning man has a 3x increase in popularity in one year. I’ve been aware of burningman long enough to say that publicity may have increased this year, but not 3x. I never heard about the fantastic weather of 2011 until after I already purchased my ticket.

    So how do you move forward? Ideally, you would find out how many people actually need tickets that didn’t get one. And I don’t mean how many tickets didn’t get fulfilled, but literally send out an email to everyone who ordered tickets and simply ask “how many do you need? How many do you have in surplus?”

    I think if you make it clear that this is an attempt to get an idea of what the situation really is, and will not influence who ultimately gets tickets or not, then people will have less reason to lie and will hopefully give a reasonably accurate account of what the ticket situation actually is.

    I can only speak from my perspective, so all I can say:

    50% of the tickets between me and my friend got fulfilled
    we do not need any more tickets.

    Based on your numbers, you’re probably thinking that we still need two more, but we don’t. If that is the average case, then you may certainly find that your problem isn’t 80,000 people without tickets, but rather 40,000 people without tickets, and while that’s still much more than the remaining 10,000 tickets, it’s still much closer to that goal.

    To find out which direction to go, you first need to know where you are.

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  • Starfire777 says:

    There are other spaces.

    east, west simultaneous events perhaps 4 directional.

    or change the bureau of land management laws. We can do it We are many.

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  • Pardon Me, but... says:

    Stop being so god-damned cutesy in your “no time for issuing statements or putting a spin on anything” Fox News-like statement. Take noticeable action NOW! Idiots.

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  • Graham14 says:

    I would remind those that are worried about a large influx of newbies that you too were once a newbie. We all were. I guess I would now be considered a “veteran” BM attendee (this will be my 6th, and we did get tickets), and I am excited by the prospect of so much new blood out there. What’s been disheartening is how many of my fellow multi-year BM attendees feel like the festival will suffer for this. It will suffer only if those of us who do make it this year allow it to.

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  • Moon says:

    Assuming I go this would be my first BM. However, I am not a virgin Burner as I have been going to Regionals for 8 years. (mainly Transformus). I decided 2012 was the year for me to finally go to BM and (surprisingly), got a ticket. I registered with the attitude “If I get a ticket great, if not then it wasn’t meant to be”. So after reading this & some of the other stuff about the ticket debacle & the impact on BM I would be willing to “give up” my ticket if I could be assured it would go to a “key” person that didn’t get one. Don’t know how this would work but I would trust that the “powers that be” would know where the ticket was most needed. With love, Moon from SC

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  • 2 weeks says:

    You may not be able to “reverse” the lottery, but you can still require ID wtih the tickets.

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  • This video series pretty much sums up the whole issue we’re facing and WHY.

    If only people were educated and understood growth, we could do more to prepare ourselves for the future. Org should really take an interest in this as it’s the exact issue they are now forced to deal with in a classic and painful real-world example.

    The Most IMPORTANT Video You’ll Ever See (part 1 of 8)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY

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  • poolboy says:

    I didn’t get my art grant submitted in time because I was sure i wasn’t getting a ticket.. :( the fact that many of my friends and acquaintances in the burning flipside community didn’t get theirs only confirmed that for me.. I wanted to bring some art of my own for the first time after working on other fantastic projects out there.. oh well.. Sure do miss home..

    love you anyway..
    Poolboy

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  • Chelsey says:

    Have faith and find peace burners. Burning man is a mindset, not JUST a one time event. Thanks to JRC and the BMOrg for this beautiful and humble letter. I am brought to tears. The universe brought each of us to burning man at one time or another and it will continue to impact lives in that way. This is too much negative energy and not enough support. Have faith and find peace for it is what has always sustained the BM culture. And remember, if you don’t join in the official celebration this year, you can always create your own at home with fellow burners and new burners to be.

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  • Nathan Grey says:

    thank you for your apology it is accepted i just wish it would have come earlier. do not distribute the remaining tickets to those who (in some way shape or form you deem as imperative to the burn) this can absolutely not be done in a fair way. people will be left out, and there is no rationalization you can give for doing so. take the remaining tickets and give them out on a fcfs basis. with a limit of two per person instead of the previously stated 6. next year put names on tickets and make them non-transferable. i do not care how much this would cost. you don’t have to check all of them at gate just do random checks as this would be fine. this will solve any scalping problems and if demand is so high that it isn’t scalpers that are the problem this will make people decide if they want to go or not earlier. gifting tickets is now something that we must part with except for gifting to an unknowable database. this is the only reasonable thing to do. the borg can eat the cost of this as it is the only way to move forward without even more problems. thanks again for the apology and i hope things get better. trust in the dust- Dirty Nate!!!!!

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  • Astro says:

    Thank you so much for posting this. This really clears the air. Good luck with the whole process. I love the community and Burning Man and know all your hard work will keep Burning Man intact. Adversity will only strengthen us.

    Love & Dust
    Astro

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  • Jessica says:

    1. Why haven’t we heard anything from Larry Harvey? He really needs to step up to the mic at this point.
    2. You spoke alot of newbies…what leads to believe it is them who got the rest of the tickets, the remaining 70-80%?
    3. With so many fragmented theme camps, and if indeed the newbies do have most of the awarded tickets, then who will “throw” Burning Man for them? Most newbies don’t walk in with a big project or camp.
    4. I have to laugh (cry actually) when I hear that in spite of the fact that a large portion of the volunteers who have invested their blood sweat and tears making it what it is may not get tics because then who will do that work?? Do you have enough gift tickets available to cover those who create the infrastructure? And would they even want to be there without to build a city for the frat boys?
    5. I’m sorry, I know you are doing your best, but how could you not see this coming???? This is what hurts the most. We are a community, not an “us” and “them”, and when members of YOUR community gave you warnings you ignored them!! why? You would have seen it coming if you were listening!!!
    MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU during this challenging time, and may the magic of the playa grace you!!! Remember that playa magic works off playa too! :)

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  • Kira says:

    Thank you so much for writing this from the Purple Palace crew. It is a great relief to have you write so honestly. We have kept mostly quiet, trying to have faith in a solution. But since you asked, I wanted to mention that being one of the largest and most participatory mutant vehicles on the playa, only about 5% of our invaluable crew got tickets. Training a new crew to board and alight hundreds of passengers a night would be a sure challenge. We are still hoping for our crew to get tickets. Much gratitude to your team for so diligently seeking a solution.

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  • Rabbit says:

    Only 6 of 35+ members of Camp Romulox were awarded tickets, as with everyone else, we are all kind of in freak out mode. But Staying positive and hoping it all works out. Will be Romulox’s 5th year on the playa, 6 for many of us. What worries us the most (as you address in this blog) is the fact that many of our most beloved theme camps and art cars will not show and burning man just wont be…burning man. Good Luck, we really hope this gets figured out and everyone to whom this event is as important to as it is to us gets to have another week of wonder and bewilderment.

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  • Ragfish says:

    Thank you so much for issuing this update. :)

    For me, this fiasco has been the catalyst to REALLY get involved. My first burn was focused on Self Reliance and immersion into the experience, my second was built upon bringing friends and family so that they could witness this mind-blowing event. Now that I’m “old enough” I feel like I can contribute with some leverage and what a great time to do it.

    See you on the playa, off the playa, and in my dreams.

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  • mo says:

    thank you for the open and honest communication. it makes the recent detachment by the org seem less an attitude of “it’s done and we don’t need to explain ourselves” than a scrambling “oh shit… we’re not sure what to say yet.” i can accept the latter response much more kindly.

    i am one of the main organizers of an esplanade camp and i don’t think my crew lucked into anywhere near the 25% rate cited, but perhaps it’s time for another group to step into our role anyway. obviously it’s important to keep things fresh.

    as someone who has been attending since 2000, i’m probably on the more curmudgeonly side when it comes to talk of raising the population cap. the idea of negotiating, say, 70k next year makes me cringe. i think our culture and principles scale best when growth is managed more incrementally. newcomers are absolutely key, and i’ve had the distinct pleasure of recruiting many a kickass virgin, but maybe it’s time to let go of (or at least redefine) the “radically inclusive” myth. it’s already been roundly debunked by the fact that thousands of us who want tickets don’t have them.

    i would like to see people rewarded for 1) committing early, and 2) dedicating their time to a volunteer/community effort of some sort. it doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or a veteran, strapped for cash or rolling in it, etc. – plan ahead and get involved. those chief prerequisites would help expand the circle in a way that includes anyone who is truly engaged in our collective experience… which ultimately is still pretty damn radical.

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  • Artemis says:

    Thank you very much for this detailed explanation of the past, present, and proposed future. I’ve gone through a lot of emotions since not getting my ticket, and I’ve been craving more information. It’s clear to me that Burning Man will not endure without continued investment in the culture of volunteerism, and it’s also clear that demand for tickets will always outstrip supply. I don’t know much about scalping and ticket sales and all the rest, but for what it’s worth, after a lot of reading and pondering since this whole thing went down, I came up with the following system:

    1. Each person who shows up for 2 or more 6-hour volunteer shifts is automatically eligible to buy a ticket the following year. You’re already tracking volunteers, so there shouldn’t be much extra infrastructure required to implement this. This approach ensures a large supply of volunteers and provides a guaranteed way to get a ticket. Working in a theme camp should count, so registered theme camps would have to work with BMORG to track their own volunteers.

    2. Charge one price for all tickets. As in previous years, if you work enough volunteer shifts, you get a free ticket the following year. This solves the problem for those who can’t afford the ticket price, so you can do away with price tiers.

    3. Each person eligible for a guaranteed volunteer ticket must pay for it by the end of January or it goes into the pool of tickets for the general sale. It’s up to each person to plan ahead and either volunteer enough hours to get a free ticket or save up money to pay for that ticket by the end of January.

    4. Start preregistration (name, credit card, etc.) in January for the general sale at the beginning of February. On the appointed day, you log into a queued system at 10 AM as in previous years. But to make this work, you have to use a service capable of handling large-quantity ticket sales. Don’t reinvent the wheel; use the same service used by other large festivals, one with a proven track record of having enough servers to handle the load. Again, if someone is worried they won’t be able to wait in line for the general sale, they can volunteer to earn a guaranteed ticket. But wait, you say, isn’t this a chicken and egg problem? How can I volunteer at Burning Man if I didn’t get a ticket? You don’t need a ticket to help set up BRC and you don’t need a ticket to clean up the playa after the burn. Volunteer for a weekend in the summer or in September and earn your option to buy a guaranteed ticket for the following year.

    5. Maximum of two tickets per person in the general sale, with pictures on the tickets. Not names. Pictures. That way children don’t have to have IDs to get in, you can preserve anonymity for those who don’t want their name on the ticket, and it doesn’t take as long at the gate as it would to check names. You submit your picture when you claim your volunteer ticket or when you register for the general sale. Like passport photos, the picture must meet minimum standards to prevent scalpers from putting in a bunch of fuzzy pictures that anyone could pass with.

    6. If you want to sell a ticket, you must do so through STEP, it’s sold at face value (minus a service charge), and you cannot designate who you’re selling it to (that prevents a scalper from charging you $500 offline to designate you as the recipient). This also prevents hoarding during the general sale (e.g., having your mom and aunt register with pictures of you), because you’re going to lose money on the transaction whenever you sell a ticket. It will also prevent people from showing up to BRC without tickets.

    7. Issue physical tickets a month before the event. Once a physical ticket has been issued, there’s no reselling it. Your only option at that point is to find someone who looks like you who wants it. Seriously. This is where miracles and gifting come in…the miracle of finding someone who looks like you who needs a ticket.

    The bottom line is that there’s no way to make this 100% “fair.” Many people every year will be turned away, people will still find a way to game the system, lines will be long for exodus. But hopefully these steps will ensure that the bulk of the community is participating, will help thwart the scalpers and hoarders, and will provide options for people who wouldn’t otherwise have the means to get there. And for those who don’t get a ticket, there are regional burns and Fourth of Juplaya to explore.

    Good luck to everyone in the org who is trying to figure this out. May creative solutions and wise council flow in with the same energy as the post-lottery outcry.

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  • Glen says:

    I wanted yo ho yo my first one this year…. Wanted to. Instead watched he death of something great.

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  • Stinger says:

    I remember when Comic-Con first sold out. They now have a pretty good system where one person can buy 2 tickets: one with the buyers name on it and the other that either has the other person’s name on it or it says “Guest”. Only the person who registered the tickets can pick them up. They also sell tickets a year in advance. While that may seem cruel to the spur-of-the-moment types, in the case of BRC knowing a year in advance of how many people you will have could help you determine how/if you do your art project/theme camp with enough advance warning.

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  • Eric says:

    Here is an idea for some future year: find another BLM playa for the event. I’m not talking about moving the event, but having it run concurrently in two locations. I’m not talking about regional burns either. Two official dry lake bed burns with the same theme, Man pavilion, etc. Yes, they would be different, but what two people experience the burn the same anyway? Yes, there would be art and camps that don’t exist at both burns, but who sees all the art or all the camps anyway, especially as the event grows? Everyone will talk about how burn ‘A’ had this while burn ‘B’ had that, but nobody will be able to say one was better than the other. Everyone is burning together, even if separated by hundreds of miles. You aren’t doubling traffic on a given road. As more people are drawn into the event you have more people to volunteer in supporting two infrastructures. Some labor, such as contracting with the BLM, porta-potty vendors, etc. can be done once to cover both sites. When these sites are overwhelmed, create site ‘C’. Some camps or art may even chose to duplicate at both events. All the planning and paperwork has been done. The plans can then be shared with the sister camp or installation at the other site. I’m sure that many would be more than happy to be the first ones to move to the second site.

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  • Joseph Ruff says:

    Good luck, all. I seriously wish you the best. I’m a 10 time burner and I’m glad I’m not going this year. Burning man is over.

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  • Jared Paul says:

    Just to be clear, the apology is for being so awesome that more people want to participate than there is physically room for?

    Dude. No apology needed. I Burned at BRC 6 times… 2001-2007, and as much as I would LOVE to return I understand that Burning is not confined to a week in Black Rock City. I Burned 2008-2011… just not at BRC.

    Burning is so much more than BRC! Burning happens anywhere, anytime one wants it to happen. I’m Burning right now.

    If someone is so distraught and incapable of finding a way to Burn wherever and whenever he or she happens to be… then they missed the whole point. Trust me, I GET IT… BRC effing rules. Know what else rules? Trying to live by the 10 Principles of Burning Man every single day.

    Cheers and congrats to those who helped build something so wonderful that so many people around the world want to be a part of it.

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  • D says:

    To Martin…..
    You did nothing wrong…you were allowed to request 2 tickets..you had the intention of buy or requesting your 2….but what you didn’t do is…you requested 2, your mother requested 2(with no intention of going), your father requested 2(again not a burner no intention of going), your sister requested 2, your brother 2, your brothers wife 2, her parents 2,..and so on and so on and so on….you intended on going and taking someone, your friend intended on going and taking some one….you got your tickets, you played by the rules of the lottery…….but for all those that did the above scenario and every single one of them got tickets that is a total of over a dozen tickets taken out of the hands of the community…..that they will maybe put into step, or resell to others. But it is the fact that there are now 6 people that could have gotten there 2 and did not. Now multiply that figure by thousands of burners that over purchased to be safe, they are the ones that created this mess not BMORG…they are the ones taking the blame, and left cleaning up the mess….

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  • Drae says:

    Thank you Andie Grace for this graceful apology and explanation.

    How to navigate next year’s storm…..

    ID’s and non-transferable-except-thru-STEP tix, smack of bureaucracy–aka the anti-burn. (Ya’ll do a remarkable job of keeping the necessary bureaucracy of the Borg reasonable and reasonably hidden, BTW. )

    And forced volunteering? Registration and paperwork to prove you are an old timer? Shudder. Gezus, that’s a long, slow, one-way ticket to killing off the spirit of the event if I’ve ever heard of one. Divide and conquer. Categorize and authenticate the creatives. Shudder.

    So how to ensure an appropriate mix of old timers and noobs? Encourage participation without dictating it? Honor the old farts, like me, without making us register for the privilege?

    Hell if I know. Ya’ll are in a tight spot. Congrats on the success that got you here. I have a few ideas that might help, but don’t pretend I have a solution.

    Has anyone considered making a certain percentage of tix available only to attendees of the regionals? This would encourage regional participation and fit with the idea of making it a journey to get there.

    Perhaps another lottery too. Only registration for this one only available at Center Camp. Or amongst registered camps and cars.

    If ya’ll come up with a series of ticket lotteries and releases, perhaps that will ease the fever. People won’t panic if there are multiple ways to get a ticket, as long as those multiple ways happen early enough in the year to plan.

    But for the love of all that’s dusty, don’t institute some hare-brained scheme requiring proof of participation. Cuz, if I had to prove I was an old timer, and participated every year, I couldn’t do it very well.

    How can I prove I baked hot chocolate chip cookies for everyone in ’08? How could you know I flew to Reno in ’07 the day after my mother died because I had to get to the Temple to grieve? How can I prove I’ve made and worn costumes, provided shade, spun fire, educated noobs and painted more breasts than I can count?

    How can I prove I love the burn with all my heart? I can’t. And that’s why registration of old timers sucks. I’m not a joiner, but I am a giver. And except for the memories I made with my friends and family, and the weekly gatherings I promote here in Tucson, the only “official” proof I have that I participate is in the ’06 people gallery. Me and Jesus, after he offered me tea.

    My god, I can’t imagine life without the burn every year. Please keep talking to the community. Don’t try to solve this on your own. Offer solutions and listen to the feedback you get. And hang in there. We do love ya’ll for what you do. Very much.

    All my best,

    Drae

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  • Kristine says:

    Burning man is dead. Long live Burning Man.

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  • Badawg Scott says:

    My first burn was 2006, My last burn was 2011. I had a break in there due to the loss of my mother. her ashes were in the temple fire in 2011. The Burn is a part of me and my family now.

    Our camp, Pink Heart, is also in the “under 25%” group and that is truly a shame. I do hope those last 10,000 tickets are used to make sure the core participants are brought in, even if it does not include my honey, my son, and myself. Otherwise, this beautiful explosion may become an implosion that will take years for recovery…

    Maybe it is time for BMORG start seed funding for a much bigger series of regional events around the country and world?

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  • Buena Chica says:

    I will be there ready to welcome ALL NEWBIES and absolutely grateful for all the old timers…. giving more HUGS and integrating what I learnt and experience in the last two years of my Burning experience!!! I only encourage EVERYONE to read, read, read through all the Burning Man web to see the different ways we can all contribute…. it is an evolution indeed and very DIY….. so let’s all step up and set this party up!!!

    I still need 4 tickets that I am planning to gift….. and the scarcity has made this four individuals want to come much the more!!! I will be making them work when we all get there!!! And they will love it!!

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  • That's What She says:

    Anyone want to gift me a ticket? I’ll bring my big geo dome! ;-)

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  • Judy Strauss (gong diva) says:

    Before distributing the last 10,000 tickets, do a survey of ALL theme camps and artists from last year and see how many tickets each group needs to operate their activities. Maybe ask at two levels – minimum needed, desired amount.
    Then, assuming it will be over 10k needed, allocate some tickets to all but perhaps give more to those with a longer history as a theme camp.

    I appreciate finally hearing such a heartfelt apology and the explanation makes sense, but helping the theme camp veterans and artists will assure there is an event worth attending.

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  • Benny says:

    Face it folks. Burning Man as you knew it is over.
    Just as Burning Man as I knew it was over in the late 90’s when RVs poured in, personal campfires were outlawed and giant rave camps throbbed right next door all night long. Art and artists suffered and a great many of us never returned. Others of us kept going year after year, having fun but still missing the magical past when more people were involved in making art than taking drugs and dancing. Things change. And the “best thing ever” changes too into something you hardly recognize. I’m sure most of you who consider yourselves to be the heart and soul of the event weren’t there in ’96 or ’97 when “theme camps” were few and far between and a DJ was just the guy who put on a tape while we all did something more important. The people we then considered to be the heart and blood of BM stopped going and started doing other things, yet the event continued and became very important to other people.
    New people. New ways. The Burning Man you knew is dead. Now it’s something new. Enjoy it or do something else.
    The way we did.

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  • Geeber says:

    There is (understandably) a lot of focus on how to distribute the available tickets. However given the reality that more people want to go than there is space for, an equally or perhaps even more important question is: What will those who ultimately DON’T get tickets do instead?

    Organizing the community around alternative events for the ticket-less would, I believe, go a long way towards both (a) removing the sting for those affected, and (b) redirecting energy from whining to a more productive outcome.

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  • Fuzzy Fuzzy says:

    Thank you.

    Next set of ticket sell, should all or at least 50% go to all Art Project, and Theme Camps, and Volunteers, without them it will not be burning man.

    i still say print name on the ticket, and check ID, that will stop scalping.

    I am sure burners will understand your intentions.

    I also take this as a good thing, new people who want to explore the magic, but as a newbie myself in 2011, I was so passionate to volunteer, and tried after the event to find more burner friends and be more involved in the community. I feel like there is a certain Clique to all groups, theme camps.
    so as an organization encourage them to openly accept newbies before the event. Encourage them to start to accept newbies as volunteers, they will need them any ways. Some newbies may even have an extra ticket for their Core members.

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  • Mike Prachar says:

    I’m hoping this doesnt get lost between the rant’s and the “fuck you’s”

    I don’t know how to salvage this year, per se. DO the best you can with STEP and the remaining 9,998 tickets (I need those other two:) )

    For NEXT year, I think you should preserve a ratio of vets and newbies. You would probably have to go to the data collected form online sales and organized directly through BM to figure out whom these people are. It’s not perfect, but you’ll need to start somewhere.

    Work with the large camps and projects; I am fairly certain you would find that many of them would be willing to take a year off in order to ensure that they can ALL go on the years when they are going. I DO think that us veterens should get SOME priority when trying to come home. I, for one, would also be willing to adhere to some policy regarding skipping one out of five years, or something like that.

    As far as gifted tickets, maybe camps and vets will be allowed to buy some “extra” on certain years? Who knows – that seems like the LEAST of the issues…

    Good Luck! (for all of us…)

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  • Jeff says:

    How can I help? As one of the lucky first timers who got a ticket, I would like to help fix the problem that I helped create. I’m a project manager in the Bay Area, but will help in any way I can. Just let me know where you need volunteers and I will be there.

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  • trish says:

    thank you for your note; it was really well written.
    i appreciate the time, planning and herculean effort that is going into the event planning and also, the communications clean-up and changes that are required after the lottery fiasco…I know you’re only doing what is right and what you can at this time. From an implementation perspective, I know that it is sometimes to difficult and challenging to think through all of the scenarios before launching a product; i also realize that you had nothing but good intentions…and wanted nothing but a better system of fairness and equality. For these things – I am thankful.
    The communications and transparency at this time with your process and resolution are good and much needed at this time. Please continue to send notes to keep us in the loop on your progress and efforts.

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  • Julie says:

    Thank you for some answers, I feel better but am not holding out strong hope to make it and have been making alternate plans with my boyfriend ( a six year burner) already. Not because of newcomers, last year was my first year, but because I am well aware of the ticket shortage and know we will not all make it out there this year. I also know that grandfather camps such as Northwest mist are a very important piece of the community and need/should be out there. And fiver….that wouldn’t be fair would it, since many veteran burners did not receive tickets this year…. way to look out for yourself, it is about the whole community, not just individuals. I have hopes that I will once again experience the magic and beauty of burning man, even if that won’t be this year. I have not completely given up hope that we will make it this year. There is just fear among the community that without the main art projects and theme camps out there, it is a big floating question mark.

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  • Pat says:

    At the risk of being stoned to death at the feet of the man…I am missing the problem. Our “crew” needed 4 tickets and that is exactly what we got…no more…no less. If indeed the demand is so great why didn’t Staff see that coming? They should have had a clue based on previous years demands. Again if indeed the demand is so great now Burning Man will be forever changing every year…I for one think the system was a fair as can be…it did not take into account who you were…how many years you have been there…nothing…how can that not be fair…IMHO

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  • Twilight Fire says:

    Thank you Andie for persevering and letting this heartfelt post see the light of day. It truly is what was needed.

    Thank you also for Honoring Labor. So much of our hearts and souls and pocketbooks have gone into all the volunteering, performance, and innovation that has made the event what it is–art, theme camps, mutant vehicles, and the corps of volunteers both visible and otherwise who serve throughout the year and before, during, and after the event.

    While we all can’t make it out there this year, we implore those who can to inspire countless new participants to embrace, contribute, and create.

    Much hard and difficult work remains, but you’ve got a great and talented community from which to draw–and you have much more support than existed before this post.

    Again, thank you.

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  • Scott L says:

    I’m one of the those newbies, my friends have been trying to get me to go for years. I said yes, but didn’t win. Regardless of the outcome, I am truly impressed with the heartfelt response to a sad situation for this pretty amazing group of humans. Your genuine and erstwhile effort to do right by your people will get you through, you’ll have an amazing event and you’ll do it again… just a little differently next time. ; )

    Be well and take care.

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  • Captain Ping says:

    Bravo for standing up and feeling the community’s pain! I guess it doesn’t make perfect logical sense, but knowing that the org is sorry and concerned helps a lot.

    I quibble with only three things:

    1) If 3x as many tickets were wanted than available. That means, assuming there are no scalpers, that our population increased by 200%. This figure is hard to believe and is contradicted by the factoid that 40% of the applications said that the applicant was a first-timer. This would indicate an increase of 67% at most.

    2) To support the claim that not many tickets are in the hands of scalpers, Andie says that there are only a couple of hundred ticket listings. Maybe that’s because no scalper has tickets in hand yet! What’s the hurry for them?

    3) Why is the solution that everyone is screaming for: Making non-transferrable all the tickets THIS YEAR, not discussed? Yes, it will cost money. Yes, it will cause an even longer backup at the gate. I think what the community is saying is, “we don’t care! we’d rather pay more and wait a bit longer at the gate than not have Burning Man as we know it at all!” Andie says the org is doing everything it can to “starve out” the scalpers. Make the tickets non-transferrable and them scalpers will be returning their tickets like you wouldn’t believe!

    Yes, bravo for facing this honestly and candidly. I dearly hope for some brave action soon as well! :-)

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  • Found this web site with a simple graphic.

    http://iamaburner.com

    Keeping it simple with an info graphic…

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  • Madrone says:

    I’m really curious to see how this pans out. Thank you for your honesty and transparency regarding the problem.

    This will be my 8th burn, and I have participated in the burning man community in a variety of ways over the years. For the last 6 burns, I have been part of a small-medium theme camp called Home Free Dome, where we have hosted dozens of workshops over the years ranging from permaculture to queer warriers discussions, to finding your life purpose to lucid dreaming kung fu.

    My concern with this chain of events is the idea of “those who have and will make the event what it has been.” Who exactly are we talking about? The people who are part of gigantic theme camps with large sound systems? Thunderdome? Opulent Temple? How do we determine which theme camps that don’t have enough tickets deserve to get them? What really constitutes “civic responsibility and communal effort?” Does my small theme camp count as communal effort even if 60 people show up to our workshops instead of 6000 showing up to a dance party?

    I’m just hearing the possibility of a hierarchy emerging and want to wave a red flag at it.

    Good luck, and again I really appreciate that burning man does seem to be listening. And reading this blog was very helpful in understanding what’s going on. Thank you.

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  • Mike says:

    I’ll add to it: NAMES ON THE TICKETS.

    No, it’s not a bureaucratic mess. Each ticket has a name and a 2D barcode (for validation). If I want to sell my ticket to someone, I do so through STEP by designating them by name and E-mail. It can all be completely automated. Surely there are enough people around the SF Bay Area with the programming skills…

    On arrival at gate, we show ID (sorry, but after the 2011 alcohol ID debacle, the “I shouldn’t have to show ID” ship has sailed) and the gate person scans the bar code with a custom-built smartphone ap. Surely, there are enough people around the SF Bay Area with the programming skills…

    Would it 100% stop scalping? No. I could offer to sell you my ticket on E-bay for $1000 PLUS the actual cost of the ticket at STEP, I suppose. But it WILL stop hoarding.

    One last thing: our camp bought a container last year. If we are not able to attend due to the ticket issue, then BM should pick up the tab for storage this year. That’s only fair. We made a commitment when we bought that container; if BM won’t let us keep that commitment, then they should pay the cost.

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  • Stiles says:

    Our camp (Camp New Jersey, on the 4:30 plaza and our 8th straight burn or so) has ~30 people in it on any given year. Of those 30 people, four have tickets. None of the 4 people with the heavy trucks and trailers that brings the camp structures in have a ticket, including me. We handle the logistics and build too, and nobody else in my camp can drive our 47′ 18,000 lb trucks. We carpool an additional 8 people to and from the burn who don’t own cars. I am a master mechanic and my gift is fixing broken art cars all week, and helping burners who have locked their keys in their cars or gotten dead batteries on the playa.

    Without us, our camp simply won’t happen. Please help us and all the other long time burners who are instrumental in bringing out the infrastructure, art and mutant vehicles that help make Burning Man what it is every year.

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  • Scott L says:

    Oh yeah, we sleazy marketing types have been doing variable data printing for years. Email me if you need a good printer for this to get people’s names on their tickets in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

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  • AmyD says:

    Holy crap. As if I didn’t respect the Foundation enough already, I have to say I’m profoundly impressed at the accountability and communication here. Now let’s roll our sleeves up and just get to work on ….. radical reinvention.

    Can we just ease into that without all the scratching and clawing? Easy for me to say. I was lucky enough to get a ticket. But I wonder if it just might mobilize those who DID get tickets in a way we’ve never seen before. Like participation on a level only ancient civilizations and perhaps the Amish have known.

    I’m NOT in support of increasing ticket prices. I AM in support of implementing some new participation requirements, which I realize sounds so painfully contrived, but could work with this bunch. Well, except for the anarchists xoxoxo

    Still thinking it all through. Breathe everyone. Breathe.

    I feel transformation in the air. No matter who’s there.

    always <3
    amyd

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  • Ted says:

    Ya know what pisses me off?!
    All those damn Haitians, Japanese, Iraqis, Afghanis, slumdwellers, imprisoned, homeless, ill and all the other people who have suffered some recent times from natural disaster, war, poverty or injustice!! They think they have it tough!?

    Do they know that I haven’t been to Burning Man since 2006, and I didn’t get a ticket yet?! And I’ve only been 4 times!!!

    A-a-a-and what if I DO end up miraculously finding a ticket? If not enough of the usual instrumental people involved in BM’s construction and attractions don’t show up – BM might be relegated to some lesser infrastructure and spectacle akin to BM 1999 or 2003 – what with all the scab artists and builders and organizers due to this damn notion of radical inclusion.

    How can I trust that BM’ll be worth it?! Am I to really believe that a bunch of people who are NOT the seasoned vets can put on a party that live up to my high standards?

    And if a large majority of my friends, campmates or usual co-cohorters don’t get tickets – what am I supposed to do?!?! Meet and interact with new people?! Make new friends?! Everybody knows BM is all about going somewhere to hang out with people you already know!

    I could see there being negative practical implications galore from lack of usual quantity of experienced participants/organizers. What if the daily supply of ice out there is not enough for me to make THREE ice chests of jungle juice per day, but only TWO?! What if it takes me 2.5 hours to get in and out the gate, instead of 2 hours?! What if there is only 72% as much serenity and awe on Sunday after the burn?!

    SHAME on you BMORG for trying something different in the name of radical inclusion and equal chance for all to get a ticket. I HAVE a FAST internet connection and flexibility to be in front of the online line in past years for BM tix FOR A REASON – NOT to be shunned by a bunch of good-will efforts this year!

    SO, to all of my fellow Burners who have been yelling, screaming, whining and crying about how disastrous this is to your life for the last week or two – I’m right there with you! We ARE the 99% of the 0.00001% of the world who has the luxury to go to such a beautiful spectacle and divine experience that is BM – and someone better damn well start treating us like it!

    And I’ll be DAMNED if I don’t speak up next time I hear crocodile tears for or from some tsunami victim or someone with a little radioactive spill on them or something like that! I’ll simply open my hand and present to them either the lack of BM2012 moop/schwag/gift because I didn’t get to go – or probably a shittier than usual one because I DID go!

    I’m ready to get on Fonzie’s motorcycle at this point :-(

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  • Monster says:

    I am glad BMORG shared this with us. Everyone does want to help the situation, if given the opportunity. And It’s now that we as a community put our minds together and solve this. I know we will.
    I personally think the last 10,000 tickets should not be sold and should be first offered to theme camps and artists.
    And some kind of grandfathering system could solve this issue in the future. Like starting this year, if you go to the playa, you get 1 pt, and every year you go after you get another point. These points increase your chances of getting a ticket, but not guarantee. We would have to find a way for the older tickets, I know I don’t have any of the older tickets saved, but I think a way for other people to vouch for your presence in a specific year if they themselves have proof for that year. There are ways to circumvent this, but we could think of ways to reduce that.

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  • Crash says:

    Dearest Borg, great article, you sound fantastic, have you lost weight? I totally agree with everything you say! Is that a new hair cut? Because it looks wonderful on you. Just wanted to suck your ass like the rest of these people. I plan on being on 8:15 and D and need just one ticket for myself and the fire art project I have already spent hundreds of dollars and countless hours on, if you would be so kind. For now I plan on visiting a local frat to see where the best place to buy one of the thousands of tickets you handed over to scalpers… Oops I mean, I’m sure the POST system will work great. Anyways, send all my love to Larry.

    Sincerely,
    Crash

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  • Gonzo says:

    First of all thank you for the two tickets that I was able to puchase.

    I have been going for some time now. My kids have heard my stories about B.R.C. And this was the year that I told them that they can come. They are 16 & 18 years old.
    Now that I have their tickets…. I hope I can get one more for me !
    I’m the driver… I guess I can drive them up and they can drive in and I stay in Reno for the week…. or just sell my tickts.

    I have already spent $ 1,200. on Camp G.O.R.O. stuff ( Gonzo’s Outback Resurrection Oasis)

    Please! I need one more ticket so we can experiance the whole week as a family.

    Hope to see ya’ll up there, Gonzo

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  • Kaelin says:

    I’m concerned about radical inclusion trumping common sense. Burning Man is what it is because of the theme camps, the art teams, the tribes & groups of crazy hearted people who go and give and create the structure that is there to be enjoyed by everyone else, an in many cases, keeps people safe in a harsh environment.

    I would also like to say that I, and a few of my fellow theme camp members registered for and got tickets in the pre-sale lottery. Not because we’re “hoity-toity” or thought it was “VIP” or “exclusive”, but because we wanted to leave the less expensive tickets for others. I paid top dollar for my ticket last year, not because I had to, but because I could. I thought that was one of the points… To be honest and not take a lower priced ticket someone else might need…

    And these friends and myself work 4-6 hours within our camp everyday to give back to each other and as our gift to the Burner community at large.

    We are all heartbroken over how few of our fellow camp members have tickets. And don’t know what’s going to happen.

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  • Nicki Sparxx says:

    Thank you for the info. As an organizer of a theme camp, I am worried about the feedback process and how decisions will be made with the remaining tickets. Our camp is pretty young (we’ve only been registered for the last three burns) and we’re relatively small (~30). However, we have worked so hard to give back to the community, to put on events, and to build an amazing neighborhood with close relationships and collaborations with our neighbors. I hope that as the review moves forward and events unfold, that small, relatively new camps won’t be left behind. So far, we’re 10 for 30, but I think some of our neighbors are worse off.

    Hopefully we’ll be back at the burn, and sending some sparkle and sass your way.
    xoxo
    Camp Dark Sparkle

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  • PapaSmurf says:

    Thank you for that explanation. I’m a ten year burner without a golden ticket. I remain hopeful, but planning is difficult. This would be year seven of our registered theme camp. Only 15% of our camp has been awarded tickets. We have 2 mutant vehicle projects that are “on hold” and may be scrapped. I have heard many people from different camps ready to give up. As time passes, more art projects are at risk. I encourage everyone to hang in there and continue to plan for another amazing burn. I think we should return to the old system of buying tickets. I was always logged on at the time ticket sales started. Sure, it may take half the day to buy a ticket, but it was worth it. I would stay on line for days in order to secure a ticket. Friends and family of a burner trying to increase chances of a ticket or scalpers wouldn’t put forth that effort to secure one or two tickets if they had to deal with a long wait time on the day of ticket sales. The lottery system created a quick and easy system for people to register for multiple sets of tickets with multiple credit cards. Hopefully, some of those tickets will find their way back to us. Thank you for the time and effort you all have given to solve this problem. Let’s keep the love strong and help each other realize our playa dreams.

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  • Marissa L says:

    Watching this whole process of a lottery system from the sidelines this year has worried me. The first time I attended Burning Man on a scholarship ticket was 2009, it was a celebration of graduating high school and a profoundly life changing experience. Now I’m a junior in college as an art practices major and looking to attend again to celebrate graduating college. This means sitting out again until next year, but one thing that is apparent is how heart breaking it would be not to get a ticket after feeling homesick for Burning Man all these years. Considering how many other people have pinned their hopes and dreams on returning, I feel their pain.
    Please do away with the lottery system. Make tickets available in different tiers, then sell each tier on different dates in a queue. Sure, not everyone will get a ticket, but a first come first serve basis at least offers more certainty than a lottery.
    Looking forward to the next burn.

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  • Desert Wind says:

    Burning Man is about wiping the slate clean.

    It has now done that on a macro level. I suspect this is all playing perfectly as part of the overminds plan for perputual renewal on all levels. In with the new.

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  • Kwxilvr says:

    Thanks very much for the belated, but honest response. However, in my little “camplette” of 6 people (part of a larger camp), only 2 got tickets. I don’t believe that our chances of securing 4 more tix is worth the trouble, even if it’s possible. For the next 10,000 tix that will be available in a few weeks you should assume a at least 30,000 seekers. And very many of those are well-deserving Burners who are integral to large theme camps, vehicles, and projects. Although my own group cannot be considered spectators in any way, we are not producing monumental art. I guess we’re humble ‘basic burners’! And we now all know that those larger projects are already “under ticketed” by around 70%. That’s just too much potential pressure for those last 10,000 tix and for the silly STEP program to absorb.

    I just don’t want to go through more ticket anguish. If our little group managed to get two more tix, then we’d still have to spend time and energy trying to fish out the last two tix over the next few months. That is not only impractical, but unreasonable. Impractical because of the extensive coordination the campers will need to continue to exert on ticket finding, when they should instead be preparing. Unreasonable because of the lurking knowledge that the effort to find the last remaining tix may not be successful: and those without tix will suffer, and even those with tix will not feel good about their “good luck.”

    Oh, what a mighty white out this is! But this perfect dust storm came not from the desert, but from the hubris and naivete of BMORG. So, thanks for the sincere apology and thanks for the belated awareness. I guess better late than never. I, for one believe you, and I even forgive you. But I do so knowing that this storm is just too much to weather for 2012. So I’m out this year. And I’m pretty sure my little camplette is toast. I was angry. I felt betrayed and disrespected. Now I’m just grieving and sad. Go on without me. Go on without us. Perhaps another year. Or not.

    Perhaps we will all need some new principles: Radical Forgiveness and Radical Acceptance. If Burning Man has taught me anything it’s that the transitory nature of “now” is more beautiful precisely because it is so ephemeral. So please try to fix the issues for 2013, and if the Man is willing, then perhaps we can try again.

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  • deer grass says:

    The kissing booth made out of a few wooden planks and hand-painted signs reading “French kisses,” with three real French men who were overwhelmed with excitement to give Americans a real “French kiss.”

    The “Strawberry Shortcake”-dressed woman who handed out chilled strawberry shortcakes on a silver platter in the heat of a 105 degree day. It’s my favorite dessert in the world, takes me back to childhood, and that moment made me happier than anything else that entire day on the playa.

    The Brazilian boy, Jao, who I fell in love with for 1 hour over deep playa conversation, both of our faces hidden behind masks and scarves, then never saw again.

    The Madonna mix tape party, which was literally just a mix tape (no stage, no djs, no lights, no art) when maybe hundreds of burners crammed into a 20-foot radius, screaming and dancing like their lives were depending on it (if we took a holiday, took a day to celebrate, just one day out of life …).

    The complete stranger who gave me a rose on my first day of my first burn ever, who awarded me the flower for having spoken the first compliment of the day (a flower I still have to this day).

    The woman who walked around on the last day of the burn, handing out overripe, juicy watermelon slices to everyone along the playa, just when we were all dried out, burned out, hungry, tired, and craving just that.

    The man, Tree, who I had seen for years at previous festivals around the country, yet had never actually met—and I finally was introduced to him at the Burn, only to realize that he was a part of my larger Burner community, and now we are part of the same camp.

    The caravan of British girls (first-timers) who camped next to ours, who brought costumer, jewelry, makeup, and unbridled giddy enthusiasm, who brought a slew of Mason jars with home-infused spirits and drinks they shared with us, who brought a gold-shimmered turban that became one of my key costume pieces, and one of the girls may have been a long-lost Polish relative of mine.

    These people, and countless others, weren’t necessarily part of a big camp, a huge theme, art installation, or massive crew. They weren’t necessarily long-time burners, and they probably remain faceless to the rest of the greater burner community. But they, among countless others like them, are the individuals that make Burning Man more than just a show, an art exposition, a music fest, or a camping trip. They are the ones that give heart, humility, and individualism to an otherwise very large, theatrical, and impressive experience. They are the ones that bring spontaneity, give the small rewards, unexpected surprises, and the most human of touches to the Burning Man experience. No, they aren’t all of what Burning Man is, but are a damn large part of it – they are the human faces, I believe, of Burning Ban – the faces that welcome you home and remind you that this is your family.

    If we move the ticket system to favor the big teams, the old-timers, the art makers, and exclude the newcomers, the small guys, the individuals, we lose the face of Burning Man, the people in the family.

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  • Jack C says:

    Its clear that the event has hit critical mass and could be transformational for a very large number of newbies every year going forward. Isn’t this what we all wanted? To change the world for the better?

    However, in a year when newbies are at a nearly 1:1 ratio with veterans, the impact could become very diluted. We have to get it right this year in order to scale next year.

    I would encourage a massive outreach effort to newcomers. I reached out to my region as a newb, and I expect to be a contributor this year. However, many of the newbs won’t have spent 5 hours reading the pages. BMORG. please educate the newcomers, encourage a couple of hours of volunteering, get in touch with the regionals through social networking, contribute to art installations, etc. I know we can do it!

    Yes, I support the name/ticket approach. It’s not hard to make multiple lines into camp to move traffics along, just make sure traffic is properly directed. I also support reserving remaining tickets to key theme camp/art contributors.

    And seriously, with the amount of negative energy out there, perhaps it is better that not everyone gets tickets. I don’t really want to spend a week with a week in Black Rock with people who just spent the last week calling us idiots, spoiled rich brats, and telling us to go fuck ourselves!

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  • Madge the Manicurist says:

    Unfortunately, what you have created for the 2012 BM is a Spring Break, Girls-Gone-Wild, Daytona Beach, non-participatory orgy of “entitlement.” Those who scored tickets WILL manage to scalp them, despite your best attempts at control. It is fairly clear, as well, that a good number of those who scored tickets are not only newbies but newbies without a clue as to the origins or process of BM.

    I hate to say it, but I expect this year’s Man is going to look a whole lot like Altamont…the Garden has been defiled by filthy lucre and those who believe BM is just another reason to party and Roofie some chicks. You know it’s going to happen…how will you deal with it? I figured the last BM was 2011’s…once the mainstream media grabbed onto the story it was already doomed.

    No, I didn’t get tickets (2) in the first go-around, but I’ve decided NOT to attempt to purchase any in the next round. I have such an AWFUL feeling about what’s going to happen on the Playa this year that I’d rather not be witness to the death of what WAS an amazing, almost spiritual gathering. And I fear for those who WILL be witnesses to the End of BM…may the Goddess protect them all. :-(

    It was an awesome ride, Burners. Protect your memories and be grateful you were part of something indescribable. Pace.

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  • Jack C says:

    Its clear that the event has hit critical mass and could be transformational for a very large number of newbies every year going forward. Isn’t this what we all wanted? To change the world for the better?

    However, in a year when newbies are at a nearly 1:1 ratio with veterans, the impact could become very diluted. We have to get it right this year in order to scale next year.

    I would encourage a massive outreach effort to newcomers. I reached out to my region as a newb, and I expect to be a contributor this year. However, many of the newbs won’t have spent 5 hours reading the pages. BMORG. please educate the newcomers, encourage them to give a couple of hours of volunteering, ask them to get in touch with the regionals through social networking, contribute to art installations, etc. I know we can do it!

    Yes, I support the name/ticket approach. It’s not hard to make multiple lines into camp to move traffics along, just make sure traffic is properly directed. I also support reserving remaining tickets to key theme camp/art contributors.

    And seriously, with the amount of negative energy out there, perhaps it is better that not everyone gets tickets. I don’t really want to spend a week with a week in Black Rock with people who just spent the last week calling us idiots, spoiled rich brats, and telling us to go fuck ourselves!

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  • Zena says:

    Thank you for this update. I know y’all are doing your best, working around the clock to fix things. Things will work out in the end, and if they haven’t worked out yet, then it’s not the end.

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  • James says:

    Thanks for the acknowledgment and apology. This was a good post.

    It seems that making tickets non-transferable is totally compatible with letting lottery winners keep their tickets — assuming they can submit a name for each ticket won. If they don’t, the ticket is revoked. This seems like a reasonable middle ground.

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  • Michelle Clifford says:

    Stop letting people in the gate on Wednesday. This will decrease the amount of weekend warriors, and increase the amount of time people are on the playa building & being creative. I truly believe this will deter those who are not true burners at heart from attending the event, and allow those of us to attend who want to come set up early and help clean up at the end- and be a part of everything we possibly can in between!

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  • Shawn says:

    Thanks for the info it helps to understand the orgs perspective.

    Radical inclusion is not dead – I’ll remind you that people come with their own ideas about art and what burning man is and how they fit in. ( learned that from you burners) You want to nurture that so it fill the creative voids. You give people the ability to volunteer and they will.

    Seems to me that instead of setting up bureaucratic government level volunteer management systems that echo compulsory military service, for getting priority tickets next year – you should put energy toward setting up a way for camps and art projects that need people to connect with the 40% of virgins that DO have tickets.
    Then the camps get the energy and people they need, you have given people a way to connect with projects, you’ve given the camps, art and disgruntled burners hope that they will be able to get their projects on the playa and staffed. And you have the added bonus of having newbies participating.

    I think people should stop worrying about fair distribution of tickets for next year. there is a major issue NOW and this years solution will likely create something better for next year.

    Worrying about next year is the orgs job right now.

    Just for the record – Ive never been to a burn. this was/may yet be my first year – if I can get tickets. did not get any in the lottery but you can bet I’ll be looking for art/camps that need people when I do get a ticket. Not every “newbie” is dense to the ways of burning man.

    I hope to see you on the playa.

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  • Emily Firedaisy says:

    Went to the Burn in 2002, gave a friend a ride he gave me a ticket. I was a lamplighter volunteer that year and had the most incredible time.

    I have been to many events and actually have a degree in event management. (Got to actually meet Larry at an event in Sonoma.)

    There is a way to solve this: Your first round of ticket sales are to theme camp/Art car folks only. First come, first serve to your tried and true burners. Two tickets a person available. Applications have to be in by a set deadline to enter the first round.

    Then, and only then, you have your second round to general public.

    Hope this helps, love you guys.

    P.S. I am really surprised y’all didn’t think of this, actually. ;)

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  • Andrew says:

    As a virgin to the Burning Man experience, I hear much of the pain that veeterans have expressed. Having participated in the lottery and having won, I feel a bit embarrassed when I realize how many of those who have built BM into what it is, have been turned out.

    From a commercial standpoint, it may be fine. But as even the BM organizers have noted, morally there’s something wrong when those who have (honestly) suffered the most to make things work, are now suddenly denied the fruits of their labors. As to the issue of arts project, mutant vehicles and long term core groups having their numbers cut by 50-80% or more, does that not destroy the special nature of BM.

    Some have said, oh well, they were getting a bit stale anyway. Yeh, so is that church sponsored food stand at the Minnesota State Fair – but I go there every year. And I get the same meal as I did last year. And it tastes great too. It’s called tradition. Traditions are what make a people. Traditions are at the core of any group, but especially one like Burning Man. Even how groups set up, who brings the necessary items that make things work. It’s all tradition.

    And now, for better or worse, many of those traditions may be bent, or lost. Not good, not good at all. The many who are not going, are, in many cases, those core people that have created and who define the traditions at BM.

    For me, I have my two tickets. I honor them as a product of those who have created something wonderful. And I’m thinking I may just gift them to some veteran burners, and simply watch from afar, rather than let the traditions die.

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  • Special Bunny says:

    I am a newbie who got a ticket after having to skip last year ‘s Year of the Bunny celebrations with the theme camp I helped organize. at the last minute. I have been involved with the regional community and regional burns here for the last few years but never made it down to the big one.

    Not every new Burner is new to the core ideals and beliefs that make Burning Man special, some of us have just had a longer road to get home.

    )'(

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  • Rupert Hart says:

    Perfect response email, thanks. Struck the right note, said it well, and is why I love BM. The Silicon Village Burners theme camp and its peeps are here to help and we will be there to participate, put up art, send ambassadors to the Artery, Rangers, Perimeter, Playa Info and many other central areas of the Playa. We aim to boldly and proudly show them thar newbies how to do it BM-style. Sounds yucky, but we mean it. Join us, returnees, and let’s do it right!

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  • Tash says:

    I am a camp member of Identity Farm We gift Playa names. We have been a registered camp for 2 years and have become a huge draw for people at the Burn…a moving, heartfelt, inspirational, and joyful experience for the the named and the namer. We get hundreds of people through our camp coming in with one name and leaving with a new identity. It is a amazing experience to participate in and witness.

    The reason I am writing this is because out of our camp of 50, only 8 people received tickets this year. If there is anything I can do to get our camp on a list for some more tickets for this awesome theme camp gifting names, please let me know how I can do this.

    Whatever the outcome, thank you so much for your conitnual updates and transparency. I am so appreciative of the dialogue. You are all doing an awesome job trying to repair this situation. It should not go unnoticed.

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  • El Presidente says:

    Awarding tickets on a veteran basis will not work. There are certainly more than 50,000. I didn’t go to the event proper in 2010 or 2011 but I spent many many hours building and installing the Temple of Flux and building Aurora. What’s that worth and how could you manage it.

    Sell tickets like in the past. I don’t think it’s better or worse than all the other solutions.
    Register tickets like airline tickets with names.
    Make BM the only organization that you can sell the ticket back to if you will not use it.
    Have a modest fee deducted to manage this feature.
    Once all the tickets are sold you go into a queue waiting for a ticket to come back.
    There are only so many tickets, get over it.
    Stop the whole process six weeks before the event. It’s done, it’s over you’re either going or not. Get over it or start packing.
    Help a group create something if you’re not going and grab you other friends who aren’t going and make your own adventure.

    There’s always next year, and next year, and next year.

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  • Kthered says:

    This will be my second year on the playa, after an absolutely breath-taking and amazing 2011 experience. I’m eternally grateful to the people of BRC for showing me how humans are actually meant to co-exist, and for motivating me to find my own local community of burners, who are uniformly awesome people. I wanted to post my own thoughts about this crappy situation.

    – First off, I already have a few tickets, bought in the early-round sale, which I am planning to gift to friends who would not otherwise be able to go. Given what is happening now, I may have to see about putting at least one up on STEP or gifting it to a theme camp or art project before the end of February. I encourage anyone else in my situation to consider this as well.

    – The lottery was a terrible idea, though I applaud the ideal which motivated it. You simply MUST go to a first-come-first serve process and a formalized ticket transfer system, or the sharks of the free market are going to tear you to pieces.

    – I agree with other posters here that some priority should be given to those bringing art/theme camps/mutant vehicles/performances. I suggest that 75% of the tickets sold in a given year go through a process where prior attendees and those on projects get first crack. After that is done, any remaining tickets from that process go with the remaining tickets for general sale, again in a first-come, first-serve process. I know this isn’t fully inclusive, but having masses of newcomers who aren’t integrated into BRC’s unique society threatens to destroy what makes Burning Man so amazing. As a virgin last year, I can say with utter confidence that I didn’t really start to ‘get it’ until near the end of the week, and really not fully until months passed since the event and I connected with the local burner crowd. This could be a good reason to close the gates on Thursday night, as well. I arrived around dawn Monday morning (fell asleep in the line), and I would love to come out even earlier next year. The longer you are on the playa, the more you become part of it!

    -Growing the event: I am torn about this. I felt almost that there were too many there Friday and Saturday nights, the crowds were almost alarmingly large and frenzied at some points. I’m not sure growing BRC much more can do anything but disperse the interpersonal intensity of the event into a mob scene that gets crazier as the weekend approaches.

    – Regardless of what happens now, those of us with tickets and a feel for what we want BRC to be owe it to the community to get our asses out on the playa and make it happen any way we can. Imagine, you might not get to trip your face off on a pink glowing fuzzybuss all night long, but you might get to spend a week making the most amazing friendships and connections with other burners, virgin and non.

    NO SPECTATORS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Food for thought. Good luck my friends!

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  • Electric Dave says:

    OK so now what? 10,000 tickets left; how about commit 3000 tickets to say 100 theme camps. Sell blocks of 30 tickets to “well ” established theme camps. You could even mix it up and have different sizes of “blocks” to cover more camps needs and include more theme camps. It seems too simple a fix but WTF.
    Cheers

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  • Kthered says:

    One more thing! Could you set up a registry of theme camps, art cars, art installations, etc, who need people with tickets to help build and bring? THEN contact every person who got a ticket email with this list and encourage (beseech) them to reach out to said projects and get involved! Could alleviate the problems some, and would also be an exceptional way to integrate newbies before they get to the playa!

    We here in Colorado are doing something like this for all the art projects for our regional event, so they can get volunteers, resources, and so forth lined up more easily.

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  • pigtails and pocket says:

    Of the 11 members of our camp Gullible, 0 got tickets. (3:00 & K)
    Our camp has 2 mutant vehicles. (2010-Chicken Coupe, 2011 Stork delivers a baby)
    The other vehicle is a disability cart (a frog)to transport our eldest member, 82.

    Hopeful that we will get an opportunity to break out the welder, paint, fabric, lights….and create another “cool!” art car.

    Thank you for the “Sorry”
    Must say that screw up was the BIGGEST Mutant moopy poopy ever to float in the Playa Punch Bowl!
    Remember to be kind to your self as next year….when we have 1st come, 1st serve…..this all will be a distant memory. right? Big hug, Pigtails and Pocket

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  • Steve says:

    It’s hard to imagine that the people who devised the terrible lottery system that has caused all these problems are going to be able to figure out a way to improve on the incredible mess they have created, especially when they keep insisting that “the ticket selection system worked as planned.” (This statement – quoted from the post above – is exactly the kind of stupidity and arrogance that caused the problem in the first place. If they are apologizing now how can they say it worked as planned unless their plan was to screw up the event?)
    The lottery system was always obviously the worst of all possible worlds. It did not prevent scalpers, it did not preserve camps and BM infrastructure members, it did not insure that lower income burners could get the cheaper tickets. It didn’t do anything positive at all. Why it was ever selected can only be attributed to the incredible arrogance and stupidity of the people in charge – because they were warned and ignored all the warnings. Now they are left with a mess. What will they do? Most likely they’ll mess it up. (The few dealings I have had with anyone in the BM organization have always reflected a level of arrogance that is staggering.)
    There are many ways to handle all the “problems” that BM created by choosing the worst of all possible methods.
    – Every other major event on the planet manages to get by with a first come first served approach. Why can’t BM learn to operate a web server that can handle the kind of capacity this requires? I have no idea. It’s not that hard. And given the number of techies involved in BM it shouldn’t be an issue.
    – Want to stop scalpers? Put a name on each ticket and allow resale only through a centralized organization.
    – Want to ensure that major theme camps get in? Allow them to pre-purchase blocks of tickets.
    – Want to make sure low income people get the low priced tickets? Have them fill out an application form.
    – Want to increase the number of attendees? Move the event somewhere else. You might even cut down on the premature deaths from dust inhalation if you find a place that isn’t a dust bowl.
    There are many solutions.
    But I have little faith in BM’s ability to do anything but keep telling us that what they’ve done has “worked as planned.”
    If they really want to address the problem this year they are going to have to take some steps with regard to the 40,000 tickets they have already sold which they will not do (even though there are many steps they could take that would not be “illegal”.)
    Despite my anger I wish them good luck. Somehow these arrogant folks have managed to enable an event that has captured the good will and imagination of a lot of cool people. If I can get a ticket I’ll be back. If not, then maybe next year.

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  • No one of consequence says:

    A couple things that could still be done this year to discourage tourists and (hopefully) force some tickets back into the supply:

    1) Close the gates early, say Tuesday midnight or Wednesday noon at the latest. Anybody arriving later than that isn’t really contributing much to BRC.

    2) Ban rental RVs; check registrations on the way in. They are the ultimate in non-participatory tourism. Anybody that can’t come up with a better solution than renting an RV isn’t really contributing much to BRC.

    Just my inconsequential two cents.

    -Nooc

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  • Badacting Scenestealer says:

    Lets think outside the box a bit.
    1. Regarding the BLM restrictions, what is said is not necessarily true. Currently tickets are sold for a max of 50,000. But the draft Environmental Impact assessment being proposed allows a ramp up to 60,000, and 60,000 could be granted immediately, as up to the discresion of the BLM Black Rock field officer. 20% more is possible this year, within all legal confines.
    2. Also regarding the BLM restrictions, what are the consequences for violating the number of participants? Is that consequence something that can be mitigated and accepted (such as a $1,000,000 fine), or is the consequence not acceptable (banning of future event permits), and can this be discussed with the officers using the good retort that has been established over so many years?
    3. The burning man event is working with constrains of limited space and limited time. If space cannot be increased, what about time?
    A second pre-event, which ocurs 3 weeks before the current event would allow more to come, attend, and burn, would not harm the environment, and would alleviate the traffic problems. Also this would allow students (and teachers) to attend more easily.
    A post-event could also be done. Either way, the 3 week separation could allow for a clearing of participants from one event to the next.
    4. Why not just buy some land in the desert, or in the Sacramento river delta? This would solve traffic problems.

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  • Stella says:

    I have to agree, I think a will call system which matches names (with corresponding participants, at the gates, with ID’s) would be the best way to solve this in future burns. Now Ive been burning for a few years, so I know what its like when getting into BM and I know that this could (and if not planned well, defiantly would) cause traffic problem along with delays and troubles. On the other hand, with some well thought out planning, there may be a way to make it work. In the event that someone couldnt make it, or ended up with too many tickets, an office BM buy back system could be used, or maybe even a transfer system. I know that this eliminates the possibility of extremely last minuet gifting of tickets, which I also realize is part of our culture, yet at the same time, we will have to give something up here theres no doubt about that.

    Now that only takes care of the issue if the main issue is scalping… and it my not be, but I still think, as others have said, that this could help.

    I have a question though too, this statement says that BM will make sure that those who bring large scale projects are able to come. Which I agree, is necessary. But how are you planning on doing this? Will those who take part in theme camps, art projects and art cars be given priority over the rest of the burning community in STEP? Even though I cant see the point in making that voyage I love so much out to the desert for burning man if those who make burning man the beautiful wonderland that it is are not there, it doesnt feel right to start a hierarchy in the black rock community by giving certain burners priority over others. What makes the attendance of theme camp leaders more valuable than the attendance of my own camp leader? That feels like a slippery slope to go down…

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  • just me says:

    Nevada deer tag lottery allows for party and individual tags. If you don’t get one, you have a better chance through a point system the following year.

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  • Sammy Nasr says:

    You may be just guessing that 40% are first timers. My guess, with anecdotal evidence, is that many people who wanted a ticket asked all their friends and relatives to sign up and get tickets to insure that they get one, and if they have extras, then, great for them – they know they can sell them for higher later. This is amateur scalping. There are probably many professionals too.

    Also, please remember that if we didn’t get a ticket, we’d have to pay a lot more to get one. Add these up and this ticketing error can cost us, the BM Community anywwhere from 3 to 5 million extra dollars.

    We all have to solve this. You, the organizers have to come up with a good plan, and we, the participants have to do our part and NOT BUY any scalped tickets.

    How about having two weeks, basically, add a second one piggyback. Might the BLM go for it?

    Ideally, we have to see this crisis as an opportunity.

    Thank you.

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  • joe says:

    GIVE ALL REMAINING MARCH SALE TICKETS TO INVOLVED, LARGE SCALE, CONTRIBUTING THEME CAMPS THAT NEED THEM. And quick.

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  • Nathan says:

    So, like many other posters, I did not get a ticket. Last year was my first burn and I have been planning 2012 ever since. I have started participating in regional activities, applied to be a volunteer, and was planning to return to my theme camp or find a new camp to participate with this year; all this before the ticketing crisis. It sounds like the ORG may have other plans for the remaining 10,000 tickets besides letting them be up for grabs. I hope that in trying to get “larger” projects to the playa you don’t forget about the smaller people who want to participate! Even though I am part of a theme camp and am working on a CORE project I’m pretty low on the totem pole, so I only ask for some sort of equal chance at getting some of the remainder of tickets. I accept the change, I just hope not to be marginalized.

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  • SINdy says:

    Report from your Burning Band, a beloved BRC fixture founded 17 years ago
    on the playa….
    We know of 11 core veteran members who got tickets and 11 who did not.
    We are sitting tight and hope that the re-sale market will help experienced
    Burners (such as Band musicians) return. We thank the BMOrg for talking
    with the community and for trying to solve this big, sad, problem. Good luck, everyone.

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  • jaypee says:

    “BetaGirl Says:
    February 9th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
    I suggest:

    Requiring volunteer participation to get a ticket in. So any future virgin would start with community building… It can be volunteering in any way; camp, car, cafe, dpw, hq, etc.

    If we are all participants, let’s figure out a method to quantify that and include min requirements.

    As a parent my daughter’s school requires our family volunteer 20 hours a year… How about BM requires 4 verified hours?”

    ^^^ THIS is a great idea. I can’t see a more direct way to help preserve the culture and bones of Burning Man. Maybe even step up the help on facilitating/connecting virgins to pre-existant camps that need new volunteers.

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  • Hedgehog says:

    Demand exceeds the supply. Not surprising considering the Burning Man facebook page has now got over 300,000 followers. Add some quality videos to that on a weekly basis and what do you expect! Sound camps promoting themselves and releasing line-ups obviously does not help either. In my opinion this information should not be distributed untill the event. Or even at all, if we are to be different to Coachella. If superstar djs want to play at Burning Man, thats great, better than great, but I don’t see why it should be promoted.

    http://www.festivalzoo.com/festival/BurningMan2011/

    I also agree with Wampa, make it harder for people to get a ticket whatever way necessary, essays and volunteering. Now that the shit has hit the fan, newbies are going to have to jump in at the deep end!!!
    I am hoping that all long term burners who did not receive tickets will keep the faith!! We need you and love you, it is not over yet and I believe Bmorg with the help of the community will come up with a fair solution. Think about how great it will be when we make it through this and have made it home, having completely forgotten the nightmare journey it took to get there! xxx

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  • discoinferno says:

    A suggestion –

    Every ticket that goes through the gate has to be cross checked against the ticketholders drivers license and credit card/debit card. If done, then every ticket is obviously used by the purchaser.

    If you do not intend to sell your ticket through the STEP program i.e. a friend bought a couple tickets and wants to sell them to myself and another friend, then a photocopy of the drivers license and credit card, front and back, is also acceptable. Since most scalpers aren’t willing to give an absolute stranger a copy of their drivers license and credit card this would help eliminate scalping altogether.

    Can anyone confirm if you can do a direct transfer through the STEP program?

    As well, I will agree with the previous poster for a gate closure to help stop the dreaded “fratboy” crowd. Thursday at midnight would be an ideal time and though it would be a real inconvenience for some, it helps weed out those less dedicated to the event.

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  • kae says:

    To all those suggesting non-transferable tickets and checking IDs upon entry: are you prepared for the substantial added time to get through the Gate? Are you prepared to be one of those ID checkers? Remember how long the wait was this year and how much people complained about it? In principle it makes sense, but please think through what that means for getting into the event.

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  • Gizmo Gadget Guy says:

    I haven’t read the comments, so someone might have already suggested this, but I think here’s a solution:

    Cancel the next 10,000 ticket sale. Turn it into a pool for theme camps, art installations, previous attendees, however you want to label it. Do not make it available for new-comers, until the “fabric, the corpus” are known to be attending. Then turn the rest over to STEP.

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  • Foxey says:

    Didn’t get ticket, am afraid I’ve already started making other plans, only been to burning man once, in 2011, and as the results appear, this year won’t touch the amazing adventure I saw in 2011, i wanted to return with a mini theme camp of my own and give back to the community and show what i learned my newbie year, but I think if i went this year, in 2012 I would be able to tell some of the magic would be lost or the feeling of incomplete would linger in a shadow…if any good comes from this, I would think next year will be a better year to come back home, because all this chaos and frustration will make the system stronger, and harder to break next time.. can only hope anyway. Best of luck burning man.

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  • Stacey A says:

    Thank you for the informative letter/post.

    The Burning Man Ticket Ordeal has been under much consideration and analysis in my social circles, the Burning Man Community, and in my mind the last couple of weeks.

    I have considered many posts and ideas, and think that there is only one foolproof way of maintaining sanity, eliminating scalpers, and ending over-buying. It would force ticket sales to revert to the way it must have once been (an initial peak followed by a steady flow of ticket sales over the course of many months leading up to the event). It would actually make tickets CHEAPER, if done the way that I predict would be easiest for Burning Man Organizers.

    THE ONLY OPTION I FORESEE IS THAT OF NON-TRANSFERABLE TICKETS.

    It would be incredibly frustrating to lose gifting histories, as well as some of the spontaneity that occurs at Burning Man. Attendees would be REQUIRED to show their identification cards/passports upon entry. It would make tickets cheaper because Burning Man might be able to sell 55,000 tickets, knowing that 5,000 people would not be able to go, therefore losing the money they purchased their ticket for, but they would end up contributing to the pool of Burning Man Money, making overall prices a little less. If done correctly, it would eliminate the urge for everybody and their grandmother to snap up any ticket in sight. People would be forced to take their time finding a camp, organizing their crew, and truly committing themselves to the experience which is Burning Man.

    There are many flaws with any option, but I think this is the most efficient and fair one.

    Thank you for all your hard work, Burning Man Organizers!
    Maybe I’ll celebrate my 3rd Burn in 2013 with you all!

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  • Woodeye says:

    Thanks for the super thoughtful post. I would hate to be you guys right now but know that deep down we all appreciate what you do.

    SUGGESTION FOR THE 10,000 TICKETS YET TO BE SOLD IN MARCH:

    Why not withhold 4000 (maybe 5000?) of these tickets for direct requests and feedback from ALL theme camps and art projects/cars who have had a CONSISTENT presence in BRC for the last 3-5 years? Base the “awarded” ticket offerings to these projects on a percentage scale of previously allocated space/funding/”cruciality” in BRC. This could dramatically help the community to stay intact through this already weird year.

    Example: for the sake of argument let’s assume Deathguild needs 20 people to do their thing (and we need them to do their thing) but they currently only have tickets for 8 people. They need/want 12 more tickets. Deathguild provides BMORG with verifiable purchaser info (at least some should be verifiable from years past) on those 8 tickets already purchased. In return, BMORG offers Deathguild the opportunity to immediately purchase 8 additional tickets, BUT they only have 1 week (2 weeks/10 days/whatever) to do it. This would not prevent Deathguild from using STEP and the remaining March sale to get their remaining 4 tickets. Any unpurchased “offerings” would be put back in the pool and made available to other qualifying camps/projects up until the March sale date.

    Using this basic average (which will change based on camp size, etc), BMORG will have already helped 500+ theme camps and projects get dramatically closer to making it happen this year AND still have 6000 tickets to sell on the open market – plenty for fresh virgins! If at the end of the day Deathguild still only has 16 of their needed 20 tickets, they can choose to sell off their tix through STEP, bust their asses harder with fewer people or snag some newbies this year. If the lines of communication really open up, this could be a banner year for fresh community building, but there’s no denying THE FOUNDATIONS NEED TO BE SECURE.

    Thanks for listening.

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  • dubdogs says:

    hi, radical inclusivity was your bullshit pipe-dream and obviously not something you planned for, or have any idea how to establish now that you’re faced with the challenge of respectfully accommodating all our rapidly growing, highly motivated families. you have other priorities & now you want us to believe that you’re trying to be fair & get tickets to people at reasonable prices. there must be a tremendous gap between the “organizers” and us “participants” because you have tickets. you like to call it “our community” but what is it really? when you answer that question honestly, you might reach out to people who can organize a safe platform for us to land ..because you seem to be pretty clueless. 1. imagine all the people who don’t have tickets show up anyway. then realistically prepare for that. buy & rent every possible overflow venue that you can & establish lines of transportation between all the potential areas where “someone” will be working & performing. FREE borderless countries for us all to live & declare ourselves sovereign & independent from the united states of america. I say “someone” because you still want to be somebody’s bitch. we’re past that now, so if you can’t risk it, make sure it’s not you in the frying pan. if you can’t buy them, hire a real estate agent to sell them to us and help us understand how to maintain these areas. make the ranch moop available to us as construction material. and above all else, recognize that this is every day and everywhere, not just at yer little party. 2. save the $ you were going to spend on fences & patrolling them. put some of that $ into rescue crews & ambulances, water, etc.. whether you would like us to be moop free & radically self reliant or not, it’s another stupid pipe-dream because we depend on eachother. you ask us not to sell anything or use $ at all as if you think this is just an experiment. And then you charge us allot for tickets and make a system that drives up scalped ticket prices because you are hypocrites. this only works because we can usually trust eachother. unfortunately not you, so stop claiming that we are honored, equal or even similar. Where’s your radical generosity? if you weren’t lying to us about that, you would be paying each of us $390 to participate. Or maybe require us each to bring $390 worth of resources which freely accessed & re-distributed would sustain us all well beyond your imposed boundary (time & space). please just try to understand that a system that places a higher value on any single founder or participant is tyrannical and ultimately apposes an individual’s freedom. if you make utopian claims you may some day be held responsible for the result of you contradicting desires and short comings. that’s why i think you should just treat this like a giant underground rave & make a revolutionary system to protect whoever shows up. then carefully cradles them in with a spirit of nourishment. i’m betting people will be turned away from your “radically inclusive” funeral precession, but i am a realist, not a delusional optimist.

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  • Kai Ingwersen says:

    I suggest setting up a ticket booth at Burning Man (on the Playa) and selling one named (next year) ticked against every (current year) ticket stub submitted.
    For full transparency, camps considered critical to the “fabric” should be alloted a number of unnamed tickets and that should be made public to ensure selection is fair. These allotments allow the camps to attract talent (DJs or speakers) without the anxiety of being able to get them in.
    Sale of the remaining tickets? I know I need four for myself girlfriend and 2 kids for our annual desert holiday pilgrimage.

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  • Kran says:

    So BMorg kicked out 3/4 of its family to include the new people instead. That is really something to think about.

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  • Cris says:

    As someone who got 2 tickets, I say go ahead and cancel them. You can based on your Terms and Conditions Waiver. Start again with an opt-in for non-transferable tickets. Those people get a priority lottery. If there are tickets remaining, then sell them any way you wish. Sorry to post on your wall, and perhaps disagree with what is going on, but I feel its important.

    19. Ticket Sales and Random Selection Ticket Sales
    Burning Man retains the right to cancel, rescind or revoke any ticket purchases at any time prior to delivery of the actual tickets to the purchaser, for any reason whatsoever at Burning Man’s sole discretion. If anyone purchases a Burning Man ticket with the express intention of reselling it for above face value, or attempts to sell or sells a ticket for above face value, Burning Man has the absolute right, in its sole discretion, to cancel any such ticket order cancelled without advance notice.

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  • Mercedese Witty says:

    We can all beat our breasts, and Burning Man In Charge can keep apologizing, but the bottom line is alot of us, who go every year are going to be left out and that is very sad, however, I do not believe it is fair that any one group receive tickets while others do not. Any remaining tickets should not be allocated to any special groups… just allotted in a fair way to everyone who applies. .

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  • Katros says:

    Yea…. I hate to “marginalize” the person low on the totem pole in their theme camp, but honestly, if that’s what it takes to be able to allow larger art proj. and theme camps to attend, then that’s what it takes. Next year, hopefully, a better system will be in place.

    ART first and theme camps second, in my opinion.

    And as for the “4 hours of req. volunteer” suggestion made and supported, well, that’s ridiculous. Even if the new kids donate 4hrs of their time, it doesn’t a) mean they know what they’re doing or how to do it and b) that doesn’t bring the Art and theme culture to burning man.

    Thanks for your dedication, Org. I know this hasn’t been fun.

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  • TheCapitalist says:

    I have a few suggestions on how the BORG can attempt to remedy the 2012 situation:

    1) Mail out the tickets ASAP (before June but after the next sale) – While I understand that June mailing was intended to increase hold time, decrease period of “negotiability” of tickets and generally discourage scalpers, it is no longer necessary to hold to that policy. Scalpers either have their tickets or don’t, so it would be better to let the invisible hand of the marketplace digest to the true FMV of tickets for scalpers. While it is admirable to urge the community not to buy from scalpers, WE ARE IN THE DEFAULT WORLD, so let’s get the secondary market rolling so people can get their plans settled.

    This will also allow those burners with extra tickets more time to decide who to give them to. Personally, I have access to 7 extra tickets but I know 30+ people that need tickets. While I have committed a few, I also want to make sure that others exhaust the rest of their options before I start making hard choices. For example, should I sell my tickets at face value to my closer wealthy friends or to those who cannot afford scalper prices. Many people I know won’t blink an eye at spending $1K for a ticket – they know how cool BM is – they know it is priceless. So should I sell a ticket to them or to one of my campmates that struggles to make camp fees every year?

    2) Creative incentives for STEP – not disincentives. It is my understanding that there will be a charge for a seller in STEP. If that’s the case, I’ll just wait for my tickets to come by mail before I decide to allocate. Why? I’m am a fucking capitalist and I forsaw this mess, so why should I have to pay anything to cleanup someone else’s lack of forsight.

    Instead, I suggest that you make me want to drop my ticket into STEP. Give me points (or credits, preferences or whatever scheme you want to come up) with so that I will drop my ticket into the pot. Incent me by giving me a better chance for next year or the year after that. It would be a huge incentive if I was guaranteed a ticket next year – even at the highest price. Otherwise, I might as well just sell my tickets for a handsome profit and save the money to pass on to a scalper next year. Yes – there will be scalpers again next year.

    I understand that my comments will seem harsh to some. By profession, I am a trader. I exploit markets. The reason why I love BM so much is that it is so far from my life in the default world. It is my plan to pass my tickets on at face value for good karma. However, it is quite frustrating to see this system with so many obvious flaws for an adept capitalist to game it. Please take my advice and start here.

    For the record, I do not believe the old system would have worked either. The long-term solution is to distribute some portion of the tickets or, at least, the right to buy tickets (options) at BM. Also, creating an options or derivative market to transfer tickets may help. I have some interesting ideas about this but i’ll save them for another time.

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  • Luki Pa'a says:

    So in case the last 10,000 tickets are not going to be open sale as previously stated, I ask: Who gets to choose who’s “burny” enough? Unless the community somehow gets to choose, I don’t like it. BMORG could *STILL* enforce non-transferable tickets which would have more people selling extras back to STEP. Since no tickets have shipped, it’s *NOT TOO LATE* to tie every ticket to a name. Scalpers would be forced to either sell theirs back (no questions asked, no fee) or actually attend Burning Man. Is there some problem with that plan I don’t understand? Seems to me the ONLY way to fix this year, not compromise on our principles and get all VIP with it.

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  • Kurdt says:

    This was going to be my first burning man, but I didn’t get a ticket and none of my friends have tickets for me, but I actually feel okay with that. I’m part of a similar group that also tries to balance tradition with new-ness, and while our issues aren’t on the scale of burning man, we completely lost our sense of community when we opened it up and let a large percentage of virgins in.

    Since then we have returned to a closed system, and only allow a maximum of one virgin per veteran (if a vet wants to bring multiple virgins, they just have a buddy register one for them). It’s worked out well… I’d say 10% virgins is a good ratio for us.

    So, my solution for BM:
    – Distribute tix to art camps first! If they’re the core of your experience, they need to be taken care of… “extra” tickets will be in good hands.
    – Require validation for returning burners – address from a previous year, an essay, ticket stub, whatever.
    – limit “open” tickets to 10% – there’s no shame is saying BR City is at capacity

    I hope your event that is awash is newbies will fare better than ours, however I can’t help but shudder when I think what will happen when half the people show up in jeans and t-shirts, and hear that people will be giving them stuff for free. Best of luck to the safety teams.

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  • Ashley says:

    I’m so disappointed that it sounds like I’ll not be going to burning man possibly ever. I’m a new burner and he would be as well but he, like many others, was not selected. This was supposed to be my birthday present but at this point it sounds like old members of the community will be getting total priority while people like me, whose camp consisted of only one other, shall be cancelled at this point. I’m really disappointed by this experience.

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  • Vic W says:

    First, thank you for your hard work. You guys are troopers and it’s unfortunate that the knee-jerk reaction of the crowd has been to boo and hiss when you had our best interests at heart. We don’t learn if we don’t try. You tried what looked best, now please let us help you to fix it.

    Hopefully the rest of the community realizes what grace you must possess to not just throw the stones back and tell us to plan our own event.

    My suggestion – Please make it easier to transfer ownership, right now. By doing so, the people who DID suddenly find themselves with 8 tickets for 2 people (and relatives who want their money back asap) can liquidate their stash. This will put the tickets back into the community and hopefully slow the rush in March. Right now, there is no security in private sales, because with no tickets to pass along, and no way to transfer ownership, potential buyers have to take a huge risk to obtain tickets.

    Example: I just turned down face value tickets because the seller is 1500 miles away from me and, well, not someone I know personally. If she had a way to put my name on her tickets, they would be sold, right now. Ta-dah! She’d be relieved of ownership with money in the bank and two more burners would be headed to the Playa. I believe she had a buyer locally, but it was painful to decline the offer…

    Life is already interfering with peoples’ plans, so please give sellers an option to keep it legitimate as soon as possible.

    Rumors have it that STEP will simply be a first-come, first-serve outlet. Why not have a secondary area, where a registered owner can assign their tickets to a registered purchaser? Private sales can me made, with both parties having peace of mind that the transaction will go through properly.

    Right now, the only feasible method would be to draw up a contract, then send $800 to a complete stranger. I would like to think that we’re all in this together and that honesty will prevail, however, we’re still human and I wasn’t born last night, so the sooner there is a confirmed site for redistributing tickets, the better we’ll all be…

    Again, thank you for your labor and for having the cajones to make decisions for the greater good. It’s all gonna work out, one way or another. If things go well, I hope you’ll venture to the Black Hanky camp for a drink and a crispy strip of salted swine… Fingers crossed, see ya in the dust!

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  • Luki Pa'a says:

    And I agree with the sentiment expressed by TheCapitalist above, get the tickets shipped as soon as this is sorted out, not June, so people can try their luck in the secondary market. It’s harder when nobody has any tickets, only the promise of tickets in June.

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  • Well well well. there needs to be a bi-annual Burning Man, Bathing Woman perhaps?
    How about a camp you go to if you are a virgin and you have a little “training.”

    A new location accommodating the extra burners?
    If I can not get tickets for my whole camp, I do not see the reason to go.
    We put up a stage and put on a show and set up a community kitchen, offer massage, open jam sessions, henna, specialized foot care for dry feet, naked chess and so much more.
    I am sure you have heard this before, we are an integrated unit that radically self relies on one another.
    I am all for getting rid of rental RVs.
    A good way to get rid of rental RVs is to have the opportunity and applied ingenuity to build our own dwellings like Frank Lloyd Wright did with his students. He required them to all build their own habitat upon arrival to architecture school. They were all given a plot and a few essential tools and a list of things that they needed to bring to build a scorpion free dwelling in the desert.
    As a parent of a special needs child, I need the RV.
    OK not sure any of this rambling will inspire anyone, but worth a shot.

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  • Candybox says:

    Non-transferable tickets.

    Gifting tickets is great when there are plenty of tickets to spare. When there aren’t enough tickets to spare, hoarding tickets to gift out later is just as bad as scalping.

    Even though there’s been a culture of gifting tickets, things have to change with the times, and the times have definitely changed. Buying spare tickets to gift deprives other committed burners and THEIR camps from being able to attend. If everyone only bought only the number of tickets they needed, there would be much less of a problem.

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  • illuminate says:

    100 percent Will call tickets and announce it firmly online. Scalpers would drop tickets through the STEP program knowing the would have to sell the merchandise on site.

    Would require more resourses for arrival obviously.

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  • Abel says:

    The beauty of BRC is a result of intention — not free markets.

    I’m sure it would be very easy to just raise ticket prices, as some are suggesting — but I deeply appreciate the hard work being put into designing a system that fosters an intentional culture versus whatever would result from defaulting to a free market.
    From the beginning I was shocked at the vitriol directed at the lottery idea. We knew then as now that it wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a valiant effort and a fair point of departure.
    I don’t assume price hikes will never happen but it would be a sad day when they occur for the sole purpose of population control. I can’t believe some veteran burners are so quick to suggest it. Is that the best we can come up with?
    In general I’m disgusted with the anger and entitlement this dilema has uncovered but I’m happy to see that other ticketless burners and would-be burners are remaining hopeful. We absolve you of some of the guilt and anxiety of administering such a valuable event.

    Love and gratitude.

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  • Jawon Breed says:

    Thank you for the thoughtful post. Regardless of how the ticket situation and this year’s Burn turns out, I appreciate your honesty. Please continue to keep us in the loop.

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  • pigtails and pocket says:

    do over… get a legal team….and do over.

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  • colinc says:

    This “apology” is a day late, a dollar short, and doesn’t even admit how moronic the original decision was. Asshole.

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  • Kurdt says:

    Oh, to clarify… Art camps would submit a request for a number of tickets along with their space. Not sure if you’d classify theme camps in there too or separately, but you want to encourage participation. Since tickets would be given to the camp it is a great way to include enthusiastic newbies at an early stage.

    Then you give out tickets to non-theme camps and returning individuals (this is what I meant by the validation) to round out the numbers.

    The final 10% can be given out by a lottery like you did for 2012… hopefully by now any serious burners have had a few rounds of chances to get tickets. Let the sheer weight of newbies crush the scalpers.

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  • Des says:

    BM HQ PLEASE get this ticket catastrophe together! This whole thing is a disaster and a nightmare for those such as myself left out in the dark without a ticket and panicking with what to do next! YOU GUYS are the ones to blame for this community ‘ripping’ apart!!!!! Its not the matter of IF burning man is going to loose its core values its the matter of WHEN if tickets run rampant as they are now and left mainly is the hands of scalpers!

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  • simoneski says:

    Thanks for the apology….was worried you weren’t listening. I have been reading the blogs daily, and have noticed that a significant issue has been missed. I live in Nevada. My friends and colleagues are the people who volunteer to work the medical facilities at BRC. Nurses, medics, and MDs; need to be licensed in Nevada, and go through the provider’s training. A free ticket is given to each volunteer. Guess what, I am not sure that as many will sign up if it means leaving significant others behind. Only six people I know, out of dozens, got tickets in the lottery. I could go, but it would not be the same without my partner. Plus, if it does turn out to be 40% virgins, the medical tents will be beyond slammed, not sure a free ticket would be worth that nightmare! So sad that we can’t go home, hope to see you in 2013.

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  • Adversity creates opportunities…

    There will be many ‘new’ Burners.

    There are established camps who feel they do not have the person-power to achieve their artistic vision for the burn this year.

    Let’s get them together to create something great.

    Please create a bulletin board on the Burning Man site to get the new blood and old blood together.

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  • Mike Pettengill says:

    Perhaps camps in need could put up ‘burner Profiles” that prospective ticket sellers could choose from. If some amazing burner from a great and famous camp needs a ticket what if the amazing burner can tap a well intentioned stranger who finds them inspiring. This would leave all of the amazing burner’s friends in a position to use their extra tickets to include other camp mates. Persons with tickets to ‘share’ (at face value) could also elect to let this burner that inspires them do the assigning of the ticket for them. ie: I read your profile and burner history, I admire your contribution, I see your references and links to the community and you get use my extra ticket to make sure you, your core camp and perhaps core individuals form camps you appreciate have a shot at buying tickets at face value. Community to the rescue.

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  • Ian says:

    – compile a list of returning theme camps and art installions that have requested tickets in main sale.
    – award 5,000 tickets to these participants by issuing each camp/art project a limited number of tickets based on the size of there camp and location from the previous year or size and difficulty of the art project.
    – Award the remaining tickets to participants who registered in the main sale
    – Award Low income tickets based on: time received, level of participation, years attended and meet proof of low income.

    this method along with letting the dust settle down the road seems to me to be the logical way to preserve the culture of BM and the people who create BM.

    -peace

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  • Cheese Simon says:

    Thanks guys. That’s a near-perfect response to a perfect storm. I didn’t really have any doubt that a lot of the speculation about scalpers was wrong and that you folks were doing the utmost to protect what is so special for BM. Thanks for all your efforts and I look forward to seeing your next post on this.
    Rest assured – you’ll have one large kick-ass interactive art project from me and my folks.
    And let’s not forget – “disaster” is just opportunity knocking with a particularly loud knock!
    Cheese Simon

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  • rebirth 2013 says:

    With every death, there will be a rebirth. I think it’s a healthy process to let Burningman die this year. If you’re a veteran to the playa and have a ticket, and were participating in a theme camp this year that is on the fence about still making it happen. I say approach the heartaches you’re sharing with your fellow campmates by selling all your tickets on STEP so media-fed newbie interest can eat it up. To all the veterans, take your closest friends, find your own piece of land and bring your magic there. Burningman resides in our hearts not just in that particular place. Some things must die to be reborn! On a lighter note at least for those going this year, the 100,000 watt dubstep wars and silly euro techno beats that melts the brain and drives people mad by mid-week, will be minimal and everyone will get more rest. The fact that art will suffer in many great lengths is a reality folks but for the newbie, what does it matter, they have nothing but you-tube, friends word of mouth, and select documentaries to compare it to. Why do we even need to be at burningman to express ourselves? Do it on your own! occupy your nearest blm land and throw your own event and go all out at your regional events. plan around that concept and i guarantee a fun time for all this year! Die Burningman 2012, so we can appreciate it being reborn in 2013 with a more solid ticketing structure. Hell, maybe a bad media review this year will scale back the worlds interest in this event, so we can reclaim it next year. The core family will reunite!

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  • Mr. Sneaks says:

    Dear Burning Man,

    You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man. I’m going to self-reliantly sneak my sneaky butt into burning man and you can’t stop me. Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah.

    I’ve been bringing art projects, running inclusive theme camps and helping to build art cars for 6 years now, so… I feel like I deserve it. Way I figure it, a whole bunch of other resourceful veteran burners are going to do the same thing, bringing the population of the playa well above the intended maximum. What do you think about that? Does that seem fair to you? One free ticket for thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of work? Anyways, If I’m not registered as a ticket sale, I won’t count against the population limit with the Bureau of Land Management, neh?

    I know that, even though you fervently agree with me, you can’t publicly endorse people sneaking in to Burning Man, so I’m here to do it for you. That’s right people, Sneak into Burning Man! It’s not hard, just be creative and remember that the Gate is staffed by loving, tired burners just like you! Decommodify your Burning Man entrance, accept a gift from the people who love you and sneak your radically self reliant way in there. Otherwise, who’s gonna build the art and teach the 30,000 odd virgins how not to die in the desert?

    I’ll see you there my Veteran Wonderpuppies of Love and

    Love, dust or bust baby!

    Mr. Sneaks.

    P.S. That’s right, 30,000 odd Virgins making up 60% of the population. Let that sink in …

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  • Cryingsun says:

    Thank you for the transparency. I do think you can work with the BLM in Winnemucca
    The communities all around northern Nevada and the BLM have come a long way in understanding what Burning Man is all about. This includes the Winnemucca BLM. What about asking them to permit a connected “Suburb” or distinct separate area for people to camp away from the BRC but have a passport to go between the two cities? You would probably have to open the two mile closure zone in that area.

    Burning Man is perfect where it is. I can’t imagine another environment that provides the stark realism that contrasts and connects the creations that spring to life on the desert. I hope to see you all again this year.

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  • acidkitty says:

    I really sympathize with you guys. Thanks for posting. You have to understand that we’re reacting on a gut level because we just love Burning Man so, so much. Twisted as it seems, our emotion stems from love… and a feeling of loss.

    How about reducing demand by closing the gate earlier- like Wed? I realize this would cause potential logistical issues that could hopefully be addressed (more entry lanes?). But if you simply could not be a weekend warrior because you had to be at BM by Wed, that should decrease demand a bit, as well as weed out a certain less-participatory demographic.

    I also agree with assigning names. I understand about gifting, but that would exclude far fewer people than the lottery did. Anyway, just gift your ticket early, then put their name on it. The world cup system is renowned for dissuading scalpers. When it comes down to it, you have to consider which system will do the least amount of harm- because we’re past the point of just including everyone. It also means folks have to commit in January or Feb, and can’t wait until the last minute.

    That’s just a reality from the level of demand. Trying to artificially fight it so that indecisive people can show up at the last minute is catering to folks who contribute less to the community than those who build art for 6 months, run a conclave, build a theme camp, etc. I think it actually undermines the community by valuing spontaneity and indecision over commitment and participation. This decision seems based more on a feeling than logic to me.

    That’s just what it’s come to now- you have to commit to BM in January, and you have to go all week. Seems reasonable to weed out folks who are less committed. Virgins and veterans are both welcome- you just have to be all in.

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  • Mr. Sneaks says:

    So, clearly I messed up and got my percentages backwards. 40% Virgins means on 20,000. Still, kinda frightening in a logistical, safety and participation stand point.

    I apologize.

    Mr. Sneaks

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  • Isabelle Hakala says:

    Here are my thoughts… none of them are perfect, and I expect lots of people will likely be offended by my suggestions, but I am just trying to think outside of the box:) So have at it:)

    My ideas for BM ticket issues: (in no particular order and with a wide variety of suggestions that may or may not pertain to each other)

    * Have BM twice a year, instead of just once, and anyone who doesn’t get tickets to one, automatically gets tickets FIRST to the next one, or a future one if they aren’t so pissed that they never return.

    * Anyone who has attended BM in the past gets priority on buying tickets (not necessarily a price break or anything though) over someone who has never attended before (only because those that bring the groups need to be able to come for there to BE a BM)

    * Limit that you cannot attend 2 BM in a row (if there are 2 in a year, or even if just 1 a year)

    * A wider variety of pricing schemes… (you could mix and match these suggestions)
    + dictate that you can only buy the lowest priced ticket once every 3 years.
    + Give 5 steps of pricing in advance, to choose from, and
    + give perks to someone who pays the highest price (such as a BM t-shirt? Or their name on a piece of the man? Or the ability to show up earlier? Stay longer? A portajohn near their camp? I don’t know what… just something symbolic.)
    + when it gets close to the event have all tickets left go to full price (assuming there are any that haven’t been sold yet)
    + Leave a small number of tickets aside to be sold ‘at the door’ but that are priced seriously high… this will be for the people that are really willing to pay, and are desperate to go. Press could also buy tickets only at the highest price… hopefully to deter any more press from coming… but if they do then to help with the cheap tickets for next year.
    + Sell tickets based on what day someone can arrive… if someone is ONLY coming for the last 3 days, 2 days, or 1 day, then give them a special price. They are not allowed to enter before their designated time. I am not sure how/why this one would help, but since I don’t know all of the issues, I figured I would add that one in:)
    + You could sell tickets for vehicles too… so that if you want to drive a vehicle onto the playa you must have a ticket for that vehicle on top of for each person. So that if someone is bringing an RV (which takes up much more space than a tent) then they need an RV ticket…. and if someone is driving a CAR… they need a car ticket… Bus needs a bus ticket, etc. This will help to cut down on needless vehicles on the playa. (you might already have implemented this one… I haven’t been since 2003 and I never brought a car… so who knows)

    * OR… Only one price for advance tickets, but offer an ‘adoption’ program… where if you pay an additional $100 you can ‘adopt’ someone for that BM. People who can’t pay the full price of the ticket can request to be put on the adoption list and people could ‘choose’ to adopt them. You could also let people have the ability to say how much they can pay and then people could ‘choose’ to adopt them for the full amount of the shortfall, or even for just part of it, as such, that then 2 or more people might adopt them. Once a person has people committed to adopt them (such that the full amount is pledged) then everyone gets charged for what they have pledge towards that person, and thus the adopted gets their ticket. You could let people write a short blurb as to why they need to be adopted. Or they can request ‘anonymous adoption’, or the adopter could request to be anonymous too. You could choose to give priority to people that pledge to adopt for a certain amount of funds, or for a certain number of people, etc. This could solve the ticket price problem, but might mean that lots of people don’t get adopted. You could even allow adopters to search by male/female/androgynous/other/etc, by age range, previously attended BM or not, etc, whatever you think would be important in helping people decide who to feel compelled to help and why.

    * Another set of options is to completely change the structure of how tickets are sold. Say you can really only have it once a year… Instead of selling tickets individually, how about having camps ‘register’ in advance… and state their possible minimum and maximum number of desired tickets… You could decide how to dole them out amongst the camps in as fair a way as possible. You could even put an upper limit on the size of each camp this way. Then you could have the tickets allocated through the camps. It would eliminate the scalping problem because only someone affiliated with a camp could get tickets. You would have to set up a website where people could read through the various camps and ‘apply’ to join their camp before BM, and thus get tickets through the camps. Obviously they would give preference to those they know, but you could also state that a certain percentage of their tickets go to ‘new’ people that have never gone before. You could even just gradiate the ticket prices but then give the group the ‘lump sum total’ for all of the tickets such that they could actually have people pay for them any way they chose as long as if they raised more than the cost that the proceeds all go to BM for future events. This might even help groups to do ‘fundraising’ to help pay for the tickets for their group and thus to lower the dollar amount overall that each person needs to come up with. It could bring a heightened sense of community.

    Hm… you could even have a camp that is specifically for new people so that they have people watching over them…. or several of those camps. They could help those people find other camps to be affiliated with for future BM events since they couldn’t be in a ‘newb’ camp the next year unless they were part of the camp for the next new people.

    Likewise you could have a registration system where camps have to submit lists of people’s names with number of tickets desired, in advance of sales, such that you could see exactly how big of an issue it is each year, and then negotiate with camps in advance, about their numbers… and see if you still have any extra tickets to sell to new people.

    In any of these scenarios you could put the ‘camps’ on lottery if you have too many camps… or you could require them to explain what their camp is about in essay format and you could choose those that sound the most interesting… Or you could leapfrog the camps to every-other-year, etc.

    No matter what you are going to have to give priority to something… whether that be new people, or established camps, or whatever else is important… you can’t defray responsibility by trying to keep everything equal. Ultimately all that does is make it suckier for everyone. (that is a technical term) Choosing to not make a decision is still making a decision, so to speak. It can no longer be ‘all inclusive’ if you are no longer able to include every possible person. It is time to choose what is the most important, or it is time to stop having BM.

    * You could switch to regional events and people can only go the event in their region. Or only go to one regional event a year. Granted I am not sure how easy it would be to find someplace in several places of the US to have it, and whether to have them staggered or try to have them ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

    *Has anyone contacted the Rainbow Gathering people to see how they deal with this issue? I have never heard of it being a problem for them, so maybe they have some smart way of dealing with it? Although perhaps it is because of where they have their gatherings that it isn’t an issue?

    These are my thoughts, and since I have not read through all of the other things people have suggested, they might all be duplicates. But I felt the need to try and help:) So here is what I came up with in the last 2 hours since reading the JRS:) I hope it helps:)

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  • Wonder says:

    I do appreciate all the hard work BMORG is putting into handling this ticketing situation, and the heart that has been put into the message above. But I am dismayed that while the message stresses “transparency” it clearly is minimizing the actuality of scale of scalping that contributed to this fiasco.

    The message above states that “there is no clear evidence that scalpers are holding all those tickets” and that there “are right now only about a hundred such tickets” on scalping sites. This is clearly not true. In a three minute search of four online ticket resale sites, I already found almost 200 tickets being scalped from $700-1800. And I did not even try eBay or Craigslist on those searches. And that was just a tiny number of the numerous sites that resale.

    I do NOT believe that the main problem here is simply “demand” by a wider, newer group of participants. I DO believe that until we address the ACTUALITY that scalpers did indeed game the system and get a hold of more tickets than BMORG would like to acknowledge, we don’t have a way of fixing the system. I ask that if we are to rebuild trust in you, we need you to not minimize this issue.

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  • Kelsey W says:

    Seriously.. I would think you guys would have learned from Phish that the whole lottery system just serves to increase demand more and makes people more bummed out when they don’t get a ticket. I mean, really, you said they didn’t sell out until July last year- there wasn’t a need for a lottery.

    I really wanted to go this year, and even though I was right on top of when the tickets went on sale and should have been first in line, I didn’t get one. I’ve heard people say I just plan on going anyway, but now I’m considering not going because everyone is so broken up. It doesn’t sound like it will be the same this year.

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  • Kran says:

    Blowing one’s immagination is part of making it Burning Man, not just a boozed up camping trip in the desert. If you want to convince people you can change the world, it takes more than bringing an extra 6-pack of beer, it takes Dr. Megavolt or a flaming octopus or anything else mind-bogglingly magnificent.

    Frankly, no virgin starts at that scale, they are challenged to it by today’s heros of gifting on the grand scale. I think we should support those heros with the last 10,000 tickets – not because it is democratic, but because we honor them.

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  • Marina says:

    Thank you, I did not receive a ticket in the lottery but fingers crossed. I look forward to going home.

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  • Taco Stomps says:

    I first came to Burning Man in 2000 with a friend from college. We were in the first batch of 2000 tickets and each got them for $95 bucks. I actually thought that was a lot at the time. In 2000 there were only 25,000 burners, very few who were “weekend warriors”, no trash fence, only 7 streets out…it was just different than it is now.

    I remember hearing back then the occasional mumbles and grumbles from “veteran” burners complaining how it had changed so much from years past – felt different – was more commercial feeling, etc, etc. Frankly, I thought these people were a bit snooty and non-representative of Burning Man, but I was only a virgin so I kept quiet and just noted it. It was a magical year for me…one I will never forget.

    Since 2000, it has seemed like every year there was a new batch of “mumbler and grumbler” types complaining about the same shit…new people, people from LA, people who only come for a few days, people just looking to party, people who crank shitty music, etc, etc. It seemed that this dynamic was just part of the process. And although I’m even guilty of finding myself agreeing with a lot of the aforementioned complaints – curse you lame weekend warriors! ;) – I also think that the cynical or bitchy veteran burners are just as lame to be around, so I’ve tried very hard to be balanced myself.

    Unfortunately, my instincts are screaming at me this year that 2012 will actually be different. Different in a bad way that I don’t want to be a part of. I literally signed up for tickets 3 minutes after the lottery went on sale in hopes that I would somehow improve my chances even though I knew that doing so was about as logical as pushing the elevator button over and over to persuade it to arrive faster. I signed up for all three tiers even though I’m job searching after just getting out of school. I even called my credit card company to inform them of my potential purchase just to be extra sure that no glitches on my end would prevent me from getting tickets. I did not get tickets.

    After seeing what has transpired, and assuming there are a crap load of computer savvy scalpers, moderately interested virgins, or bitter bitchy veteran burners out there with tickets. I’m actually kind of happy I didn’t get tickets. This whole thing is an absolute mess, and I truly hope that something good happens from this.

    Regarding suggestions, it’s obvious something has to give…and rather than keeping the dream alive of having the last minute “buddy” invite decide to come along that changes her/his world forever, you should just assume that the people who want to go early should go, and should have access first. Assuming this, I agree with the suggestion to do what the Glastonbury Festival finally realized it should do…have a headshot printed on the ticket, restrict all returns to go back to BMORG, and offer early applications for groupings of tickets for established theme camps, or artists. Although much more effort on your end of the equation, this is the only way to solve the issue as I see it today.

    I had an amazing year last year – our camp had an art car, a full art installation on the playa, interactive games, and gave out a ton of love. I hope someone else will continue on with the love and fun for me this year. Good luck Burning Man 2012 – good luck BMORG…I will be waiting to see what transpires.

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  • Isabelle Hakala says:

    FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO BUY/SELL TICKETS ALREADY… You can use an escrow account/company for the transaction, with the understanding that your money will not be ‘taken’ until you actually get the tickets (whenever that is). At least this way you, and the other person, do not have to worry about being scammed. That being said, they wouldn’t get your money until the tickets are released either… so it isn’t as if they could get their money tomorrow. Still… it is an option with much added security. FYI:)

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  • Richard Young aka Redux says:

    No doubt this has been suggested already, but why not set up some kind of ‘volunteer noticeboard’ website – so those larger groups who will be missing members can post requests for help.

    Surely this would help those key theme camps/art projects that need more man/womanpower, while simultaneously helping the spirit of participation and communal effort.

    New friendships would be forged, and it would also help integrate newbies who are lucky enough to have a ticket, but may otherwise find themselves at a loose end when arriving at the Playa.

    Just my two pence.

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  • Leo says:

    Burning Man can no longer be considered HOME anymore. I mean after all what good is a home that you are not allowed to return to.

    I really don’t understand why BMorg has its collective head up its A$$ about the scalper problem. I agree with a previous comment that estimates that about 50% of tickets are in the hands of scalpers. Of course there are not many available online, they don’t have the tickets to sell yet. Also, they will not list all of them at once, they will trickle them out between now and August to keep the price high.

    Also, I don’t agree with the statement “No event organizer or ticket seller has solved scalping completely.” Many people point to the Glastonbury Festival, where tickets are non-transferable. IF IT IS NON-TRANSFERABLE IT CAN’T BE SCALPED!!!

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  • FlashAK says:

    I am a 12 year burner who was hoping to celebrate his 60th year on this planet at his 13th straight burn. It’s clear to me that this is endangered by the administrative decision to stampede people at the lottery. I don’t care what kind of spin you put on it (as you claim not to be spinning anything), the tone is ominous.

    From the ominous message aboe, it is also clear that the management of Burning Man has already decided to give the 10,000 tickets that were supposed to be open for a first-come, first-served sale to the privileged few.

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  • Wil Har says:

    I am an odd Virgin have a ticket and don’t feel guilty.

    I heard about Burning Man only 4 month ago. When I saw the photos from the Playa I felt immediately Home. I can’t explain why but it was not because of the fancy dresses or the boobs. There is something much more profound going on and the spirit of the Burning Man is spreading wider than ever and draws you in.

    I think the old Burners should not underestimate the potential of us newbies. We have a great responsibility to be part of the experience. Thanks to the various information available on the Web we all know what it is all about. There is a deep respect for who has grown the Burning Man Culture and principals. I am sure that most of us will be well prepared to contribute understand and share the true spirit of the event.

    I hope that the organizers will find a way to assure that Theme Camps and Art Installations will stay with the main event in BRC. However we should acknowledge that there is a massive shift in consciousness happening and next year will be even more impressive in terms of requests to participate. This is a beautiful and promising sign.
    Thanks Burners for your active role in accelerating this shift.

    Please give us odd Virgins the chance to feel Home and enjoy the journey together with you.

    Hope to meet you all on the Playa

    Wil Har

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  • FlashAK says:

    So, I’m wondering why The Man wants to wait until February 15th to announce their “plan?” I may be way off base, but it’s clear to me they’ve already decided what to do. I claim that they are gong to announce on February 15th that they are dumping the first come- first served sale of the last 10,000 tickets so they can give them to those who they perceive as “privileged.”

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  • Robert Polleros says:

    I’ll make it shorter:
    What about abandoning another principle, namely that tickets have to be cheap?

    I suggest a price of $500, or whatever is needed to match supply and demand. Infrastructure like the temple should be paid from tickets, not fundraising. The tickets are a small fraction of the total expense anyways, some finance big projects, or need plane tickets…

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  • Release says:

    Hello…Release here from Black Rock Bijou here, the theater out in Deep Playa. We were planning to be back next year, which would be our third consecutive. We hope that our tiny little group has built something these past two years that now feels part of the perennial Burning Man experience, just like a favorite veteran artcar, or the Roller Disco, or the Thunderdome. But of the eight people who built the Bijou last year, zero got tickets in the lottery. (We read enviously about the theme camps where 25% got tickets. Zero percent of team did.) Our Kickstarter to raise the funds we need, was about to launch, too. But now, of course, raising money will be difficult–the returning Burners who are inclined to support us don’t even know if they themselves will be on the Playa to enjoy the Bijou! We are hopeful that with intervention from BMorg, we can at least get access to the tickets we need to get the staff in to make this happen once again. We will brave the fundraising hurdle if we at least know we can get the team in to build it. When you think about it, the art projects that are very hardest hit in this crisis are the ones where a very few people create something relatively big, intricate, and complicated, because the shortage of even one or two people makes it difficult or impossible to complete the project. This newest missive gives us a ray of hope; otherwise, the Bijou will have to remain in storage or scrapped, and we will reluctantly join the hapless Burners who have to sit out this year. Thanks for the sensitive, honest, straightforward note. We are rooting for you. Godspeed.

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  • psychotropic says:

    Thanks, Andie. There are a lot of hard truths in that message, but I trust you and the sentiment really hit the spot that needed hitting.

    This will be my 13th consecutive burn. We got lucky with the tickets. Our camp is about 50% ticketed.

    I just wanted to chime in as a veteran in support of not prioritizing us over the newbies. This whole situation is just really hard. Burning Man is home. It’s just gutwrenching and heartbreaking that some of us might not be able to go, but we can’t abandon our core values or our home will vanish altogether. As I’ve watched the comments unfold on the board I’ve been more distraught by the community turning on itself than the actual ticketing debacle.

    I think the goal next year should be to expand capacity and limit demand with new policies that encourage participation. I agree with the above posts that the best way to limit demand is to close that gate early. If you want these virgins to truly become burners you have to make it impossible to show up, consume a three day weekend and then digest the experience when they get back home on Monday. Given a minimum of five days on the playa, even if a virgin thought they were going to a festival, they’ll end up huddled in a stranger’s camp during a white out and the community will assimilate them.

    Love you all…

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  • ArtArtArt says:

    Good lord! In just the last four hours since I originally read this piece the number of comments has exploded.

    Andie, this is a great piece. Thank you for putting it together.

    My heart goes out to whomever has the task of checking the messages on the Hotline these days. I’m certain that is no small task right now.

    Best of luck to all of you in the middle of this whirlwind.

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  • Thesaurus says:

    I feel for others pain and uncertainty. I also feel for those that work in the offices, and volunteers around the country. This cannot have been an easy time for anyone. Thank you for your above post as well as the honesty of your recent twitter post a few days back. Both showed how “real” the emotions are despite all the noise on various mailing lists.

    I am pessimistic of another “public” sale. Especially if priority is given to those that “lost out” in the lottery. If many thousands of tickets were gobbled up by the “Organized buying collectives”, it is an easy assumption that they had many times as many entries in the lottery, and received as many rejections.

    It follows they will have a constant ratio of as many opportunities to buy those tickets left over via public sale or STEP…

    As much as I would like to have faith in STEP, the only tickets that I see becoming available via STEP will be given “first priority” to the ratio of “re-sellers” to “non-re-sellers”. Advantage Scalper.

    Please remember these guys have been doing this for 30 years. Established bulk credit accounts, bulk mail drops, entirely fictional digital personae. All designed to get the first 5-10,000 “best seats” to any event in the country… letting them register in advance just made it easier… (I worked in and *for* sports venues for 14 years).

    I have already read statements on my regional list, encouraging folks to “work within your immediate community”. I see this already happening in theme camps, based on previous responses above. Good for them. Keeping it local, means keeping a middle man from jacking up prices.

    Also the more data that the ORG has about *real* conditions, the better the final result will be. Let your camp lead/supervisor/department head know.

    Also, to be blunt, Putting the scalper I ran into at the black top out of business would be nice too. (Friday, pre-burn 3:20 PM, I had to leave due to a family emergency).

    He was not *actually* selling tickets at the entrance, but referring folks to a “Nevada licensed ticket brokerage” which was operating from an office in Gerlach. He clammed up pretty quickly once he saw I was leaving the event… covered in playa.

    He was very Subtle in plying his trade. Well dressed guy, big rental Truck, (spotless) parked just past the edge of the blacktop. Plainly approaching people who were stopped and asking if they needed tickets.

    Obviously not very comfortable when people tried to hug him… dress pants, dress shirt, 800 dollar shoes… Plainly frustrated at having to get out of his vehicle in the heat.

    He was *still* asking three times face value… as I left the event.

    I would assume that this location is now part of the exclusion zone, correct?

    So, perhaps, making the blacktop a “no stopping zone” for a mile or ten… and aggressively enforcing such activity along the roadway in town (Gerlach/Empire), etc?

    Lonely post to put a couple of rangers… but the lesson to the broker would be painful if they had to eat the cost of a few thousand tickets… that got delayed by the legal process. Cat/mouse game has evolved though…he appeared to only be the “front man”.

    There seems no *real* hope in convincing re-sellers to stop doing so… weeks in advance… if they can dump tickets (at a greater profit) during the last 75 hours of the event.

    (At the “80’s Sports venue deleted”, when guys were caught selling in the parking lot, Police held them until a few minutes after the event ended, and released them with their tickets in hand). They rarely returned.

    Thanks for taking time to gather data, from so many sources. Thanks for your efforts, pain, and helping folks deal with uncertainty even when there is so much going on. Thanks for taking the time to sort through all the “noise” and gather data wherever you can.

    On a final note to the Burner Community: If you see a craigslist post advising tickets for sale, just flag it. Simple enough. Anyone can do it. No log-in required. Just eliminate the posts as fast as they pop up.

    New game: “Scalper Whack-a-mole”, Craigslist version.

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  • Peter says:

    Radical inclusion is an amazing thing… but if 40% of 40k current ticket holders are brand new, we currently have about 16k new burners in our midst, and there likely may be even more. Right now if the cap is 55k total burners allowed in, that’s 30% new blood. Think about that. About one in three people on the Playa will respond by saying “Yes, this is my first Burn”… one in three.

    Radical inclusion may be faced with its greatest enemy on the Playa: envy, jealousy, and unintended exclusion. “Oh, so you’re one of the people who got to come out here instead of my long time burner friends… I (not so sincerely) hope you’re having a great time!” Yes, in an idealistically perfect world there would be no regrets about the way the cake is being baked, but to be fair, there will be burners on the Playa who are not so happy about the new blood. Not when only half of your “normal” camp was able to come out… or maybe your significant other couldn’t get a ticket. Or maybe your best friend decided to give up their ticket because their significant other couldn’t get one. But hey, at least this new burner was able to get an early ticket!! Yeah, one of every three people you meet out there.

    The point is that this will not go down in a realm of idealistic perfection. We all wish it could, and would, but we’re human… we’re not perfect, and I can’t expect everyone to just let go and think like that. I’m not gonna lie, this is a burn I wish I could join and enjoy like years past, but right now I feel like it might be a cake best left for others to eat, and I’ll check out the birthday party next year.

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  • Akmojo says:

    last year was the Rites of Passage and I’m passing in 2012..
    I am going to miss the Playa and my Dusty family…..

    BTW.. all these suggestions of virgins having to “earn” a ticket by writing essays, getting involved with projects, etc.. that just takes away from ones freedom to do whatever they want and also creates a logistical nightmare for the BMORG….

    1 person, 1 ticket.. and a name on that ticket.. if one has a change of plans their ticket can only be sold back to the BMORG which can sell it at the highest tier level (if one is lazy and not trying to get a ticket early on then the penalty for that should be the highest tier level)…. if YOU want to go then YOU have to be responsible for YOUR ticket…. radical self reliance……

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  • Kran says:

    3 out of 4 family members kicked out of home. Wow. Hard to spin that at all.

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  • Avishag says:

    I may be just a first time burner (hi everyone *waves*), but I agree with Joe.

    GIVE ALL REMAINING MARCH SALE TICKETS TO INVOLVED, LARGE SCALE, CONTRIBUTING THEME CAMPS THAT NEED THEM.

    About 2013, again, I’m new here but I agree with names on tickets.Also, I think that theme camps, art groups,performers and mutant vehicle crews can send you an estimate BEFORE the ticketing process starts as to how many people are involved.Then, you can put that amount of tickets aside for those people. The lottery systems can be for newcomers/people who aren’t sure they’re going etc.

    On a different note, I’ll be coming to BM from Israel and I don’t know if there’s an Israeli community of Burners.I tried to search the web and this site but nothing came up.Does anyone know anything about this?

    I really hope things work out.I do appreciate this honest post.My heart goes out to those who couldn’t get tickets.Some of my friends are among them.

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  • lars kropac says:

    Dearest!
    2011 was my first year at burning man. It was absolutely wonderful. The love, the freedom, the dancing, the openness, the art and the happiness, the overall vibe of giving and sharing made it an awesome week that is beyond words to describe. i feel what you so aptly call social fabric was the foundation for all of the above. black rock city was surely by far the greatest single agglomeration of happiness and love on the entire planet during that time. this surely energy or fabric surely continues on… thank you so much!!!
    In my inexperience as a virgin at burning man I had no idea what to expect. However, a sense of giving came to me way before the actual event. in wanting to contribute I brought some tools and spare parts and opened up a small bike shop in our camp. Helping all those people to get their bikes working again was wonderful and in way very rewarding.
    The way you are handling the current situation is also wonderful. It feels very honest, very very comitted and also a little bit concerned – for good reasons, I suppose. My first reaction was “oh no, now it has surpassed a crucial threshold and everything´s going down the drain. but i find fear-based decisions create only more of the same energy – and that surely is kind of the opposite of what burning man seems to be about. So let me send encouragement to you:
    Maybe there really are more than 50000 people on this planet that are able to join that energy, to come together, to share, to contribute and to love. Wouldn´t that be awesome and even more powerful?!?!?! so maybe 2012 is going to be a bumpy ride. it is bound to be if there is a “next level” to be reached, it always is.
    I signed up for two tickets and I got lucky. One is already pledge to my very dear friend who brought me to burning man last year as she was not lucky and didn´t get a ticket. My girlfriend who was there last year also signed up for two tickets – same story. she got lucky and one ticket goes to her best friend. I think, it is a very good idea to limit registrations to only two tickets. And maybe the lottery did create some kind of anxiety: will I get enough tickets? One idea comes to my mind: why not set aside a certain significant number of tickets that will go to people who can be connected to the social fabric. that would be art car builders, theme camp organizers and so on. so they don`t have to enter a lottery but can be sure to be able to go and follow through with their projects.
    I am sure the lottery created something like preemptive buying: scarcity becomes obvious, anxiety sets in and prompts buying that otherwise would be postponed. Also: why not enter the lottery, there´s nothing to lose and much to win. so i feel a lot of tickets will eventually move to the most dedicated people somehow.
    so, please do not despair! ;-) and keep on looking for “the right way”. it seems you are doing wonderful. If I came up with more practical ideas i will write again.
    Lots of love and hugs to you!!!
    Best from germany, lars

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  • Michael Donahoe says:

    Hi

    Possible partial solution???

    Thanks for so fully sharing what’s going on. The problem is truly staggering. Might staggering also be part of the solution? For people who are willing to leave BM by Fri at 2 p.m. (and post a hefty bond that will be returned upom proof of exit by 2), let them arrive as early as the previous Fri, where they can help set up their own or other’s theme camps. Same thing for Sat to Sat. Perhaps limit the offer to those who have seen the Man burn before and would be less likely to forfeit their bond.

    Hope this is helpful. Good luck and don’t crazy yourselves too much over this!

    michael d

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  • Blue Fire aka Will Grant says:

    imho

    1. We need to accelerate regionals bigtime. I’m a veteran Burner in SoCal now and would volunteer with all my heart to help build things down here.

    2. Would it be possible to organize two burns, literally? Half the camps one place or time, and half the camps the other? Would BLM allow that? Could our infrastructure bear the weight?

    I was way ticked about a friend who’s a camp lead not getting tix (give me a break), but anybody can see that you’re honestly trying to fix this. Thank you!

    Blue Fire
    now in Palm Springs

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  • Chris Buhler says:

    Big Katuna (art car)here. Uh. . . Well bummer . . Its times like this when ya just wish you could have a redo. So lets look at the bright side. There could be some new people on the playa, and maybe it would be better to off the big fish to someone who has a ticket that also has a mechanic who also has a ticket.(if only there were a site for this) Kind of a radical turnover. Burning man could be more radical survival like for the newbies. God only knows if a person might benifit from having been thrown into more chaos for a week. Kind of a future shock fertility2.0 training. Is it a step forward? Maybe . At least the newbies would have toys to play with. The downside would be Burningman would have a bigger babysitting job to do. (I wouldn’t be there for volunteering at the DMV either. The Big Katuna had big stinkin’ expensive breakdowns last year and needs more than one responsible committed mate to have a safe happy voyage. Not to say that I could not find someone responsible enough to fill the shoes of a ticketless tunamate, . . . lets just say it would be a leap of faith that I catch that fish on the playa.
    I don’t know if this brainstorming is helping you. I hope it does not sound cynical. Its really just coming off the top, and I am fishing my way through this too. I know you are doing some serious soul searching right now. I believe you will probably find that whatever you choose to do will necessitate an accompaning radical leap of faith in its outcome.

    Good luck,
    The big Katuna

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  • D says:

    I see ALOT of people posting….”sell the remaining tickets to the camps, art projects, art cars”…….

    Let me paint a picture for so many individuals……

    We had to wait until march for the open sale for one reason or another, we fully intend on paying full price for our ALOTTED tickets. So because in the main sale our community panicked and purchased more then what individually they need and took away from other burners, we are screwed again so the theme camps can be there.
    Yes some of those tickets are going to hopefully be put back into the community, but because of the chaos that we have caused, getting even those surplus tickets will be harder. Let’s face it, those tickets are going to go to camp mates, friends, preferred people…verses the opportunity of the first come first serve chances of writing to see if you got a ticket.

    I have been working very hard on an art project, time, money,research…I’m a solo camper, so I don’t fit into the catagory of “theme camp, artist, art car”…. This is our 7th burn…so not new….where is the fairness for those of us in the middle of the road….we got screwed in the main sale by let’s face it greed…now we will be screwed in the open sale because in order for burning man to be what it is, it needs those theme camps……so BMORG has to fix the burning chaos that the community helped create. If everyone would have had faith that the lottery would have worked and requested just the 2 you were ALOTTED then so many more burners would have received confirmation. There was a likely chance of the event being sold out again, so yes the chances of some not getting to go was there, but as a community we added in this mess, and the fix is going to possible do more damage…..

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  • Hamid says:

    Why did the Burning Man lottery suck so badly? How the Burning Man brass acted in pure greed? What could they have done instead?

    Here are some of the reasons I feel this lottery was bourne out of pure GREED!

    The presale was $420 per ticket. that is the highest rate ever and people could get 4 tix at this rate! people I know who applied for this got it, not much competition. Because nobody wanted to pay THAT much!

    How come BM had to do this? give special treatment to people who would pay $420, have them buy their ticket EARLY and also 4 tix at that!! how is that not GREED you tell me? how come it wasnt a presale of tix for $240 or less. but the highest amount? 3000 tix were sold like this…

    You can also see how this was a scalper’s dream. How people with money who want to turn BM into a cash cow fully took advantage of this so called presale.

    Regular honest hard working burners wouldnt have $1680 to just drop into this like that, they were hoping they would get a ticket at the much lower rate, almost half at $240 or at worst $320, which they could afford.

    This again made the $420 a scalper’s dream. A scalper who has no interest in BM is in it only for the money and doesnt give a rat’s ass about community, who is also flush with cash and wants to make even more money. Those guys readily snapped up the 3000 presale tix.

    And there was the bloody lottery with 40000 tix to be sold over a period of two weeks. Now lets talk about the price breakdown of this. (I couldnt get this price breakdown at the burning man tickets site so I found a resource on eplaya instead http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?t=52614 which could have been what they used this year)

    Well as it appears ONLY 10000 of these tix were at $240! that is just a quarter!!! 15000 were at the $320 and another 15000 were at at the highest rate of $390. Now to add things up.

    That means 18000 tickets for burning man have been sold for at least $390. If this is not GREED again you tell me what is it? And people like me could hardly afford $320 so when entering lottery I didnt even order a pair at $390 because I thought thats money I dont have. Also they had made another very significant “error” in the terms and conditions of the lottery. they had never explained that if you buy a pair of tickets at $390 thats what you are gonna get. a couple of my friends thought that if they put $390 orders, they could actually win $240 tickets if available. I think this was not the case. But there was no way to clarify this. Thanks to the bloody lottery clusterfuq. Not that it matters now, since people are just so happy they got a ticket, any ticket…

    Now there is yet another sale available. Guess at what price? 10000 at $390 of course. not $240 not even $320, no sir, $390 . 4 ticket per person at that too. Can you say another scalper’s dream? except. now all of us who havent got a ticket have no option but paying the outrageous $390. So there would be a blood bath fight between real burners who can ill afford $390/ticket and scalpers who can just drop $1600 for a cool 4 tix.

    So then that means. BORG will sell a whopping 28000 tix at $390 or more. and only 10000 at $240 which is the price most burners can actually afford. You tell me how is that not GREEED!!

    As to what I suggest they could have done differently? Well about the only thing I liked about the bloody lottery thing was that it happened over 2 weeks, not just 1 day like we used to buy tix before. Well as a successful ticket buyer I always managed to buy my tix with the first come first serve basis of all the previous 11 years, including last year. Because I was alert and ready to go. But I think one thing they could do is mix the only good thing about the lottery. and the other system that worked. Which would be have a first time first serve tickets sales online for a period of 2 weeks where every day only a small number of tix are sold. So say they sold 53000 tix this year right? well in my online buying system I would have 53000/14 tix sold per day. which is 3785 tix a day.

    I absolutely despise the lottery system, because as a guy who takes care of himself is radically self reliant, and believes in his own hard work, and making his life happen, i despise the brutal stupidity of randomness. That goes against our sacred burner tenet of radical self reliance. To be at mercy of luck, and random things that have nothing to do with your own control is absolutely brutally sad.

    If i didnt get my tix because I didnt work hard in the first come first serve system I would totally respect that. Besides every year that I bought a ticket with that system, I always bought a pair and sold the other at face value to a friend. Now I dont have the chance to that, which means I cant do the other sacred tenet of radical self expression, of my love to my friends.

    Thanks burning man brass, I hope this fiasco taught you something. I hope the poison of GREED gets resolved. Because you better know that us burners created the burning man, not the scalpers with unlimited funds, and the yuppies who can afford those outrageously priced tickets. You better know that you are dealing with a sacred bed rock of genus people, giving their ALL to this community, who wouldnt stand for these ways of GREED. You better heed this, or it would be too late to salvage this….

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  • Michael says:

    have some balls what a chicken shit attude to say were afraid of people sueing us if we refund everybodys money and reissuing them tickets with there names on them . I would gladly give up my tickets and by them back again to take care of this mess Buurning Man HQ made . Yes In the past 9 years i have been gong I have given out tickets to friends to seven of them . So issue a ticket buy one with a mane and a friend simple >

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  • roissy says:

    For this year, change the open sale to burners from 2009 or earlier. We have enough newbies for this year. For future events, allot newbies and those with less than two years, to 30% of sales, unless they are involved with a project. In my short ten years of attendance, I have found the newbies seem to have little clue about LNT and other aspects of BM culture.
    From my experience of being a laminated volunteer last year, it seem 40% of the people I spoke to while on-shift were newbies. Maybe I attract them…
    Note: I have nothing against newbies, it is whenever I had a issue with someone this was their first time out.

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  • fractalfrog says:

    What surprises me the most is that BMORG seems surprised that this situation happened, as it was clear to most burners before the lottery that this was the worst idea EVER. How can the people responsible for this lottery be so far removed from reality that during months and months of planning they weren’t able to understand something that just about everyone else was able to realize right away?

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  • Cheese Simon says:

    Some further thoughts:

    1. I agree that a % of the remaining 10,000 tickets needs to go to the veteran camps and core infrastructure. BM is always different but I think it would be too much of a gamble to be THAT different this year. What that % should be and how you go about making sure those tickets are available to those people is a hard one but I guess you know from the community who the integral camps and folks are. There won’t be any perfect solution there and some people are bound to be disappointed but hopefully they’ll then channel their energy into something else worthwhile rather than do nothing for a year.

    2. Social Media may have been a major contributor to the huge increase in demand but it can also be a huge part of making sure that new people understand that BM isn’t a spectator sport or a “regular” festival. All of us who have been before need to work hard over the coming months to inspire the new people to bring something to the community. It’ll be great if thousands of new folks leave this year feeling inspired to do something amazing in the future but it’ll be EVEN MORE amazing if we can inspire them to do something awesome for the community THIS year. Speaking as someone who came from the UK for the first time in 2009 and built a pretty big art installation withouth a clue about what this “playa” was like – such inspirations are possible.
    So all those who are building art, theme camps, art cars, events – make them as visible as possible! Let’s see MORE photos, more videos, more blogs, more FB pages, more bonding in the next 6 months. I think this is the best way to get new folks (as well as veterans) to participate.

    OK, so the huge influx for 2012 was a bit of a shock, but it can be turned into a GREAT thing. BM isn’t just about a big party in the desert, right? Ultimately we want to grow the community round the world and make a difference, right? So having all this interest this year presents a MASSIVE opportunity to really make a difference to what BM is all about in the long term. Let’s raise our game to meet the interest!

    Cheese Simon

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  • Igor47 says:

    the BEST idea for how to sell tickets in future years is here: http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?f=290&t=53708

    i still think scalpers got all of the tickets. they might be professional scalpers, or just newbies hedging their bets, thinking about going, but who are going to cancel their plans and take the opportunity to make some money while they’re at it. make it impossible for them, and you’ll solve a huge chunk of the problem. all it takes is making the tickets easy to duplicate!

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  • Stefan says:

    The BM Board made a wrong assumption thinking that the queuing system meant hours waiting in line at the computer screen “a luxury perhaps not available to many perfectly deserving Burners.” Burners are folks who dedicate months of each year and years of each life, spending hard earned paychecks, to endure harsh weather to build something most other people find insane. An extra 8 hours in front of a computer is an inconvenience compared to not having to wait at all, but not at all an inconvenience compared to not being able to buy a ticket at all!

    I wrote a blog post entitled “How controlling Burning Man ticket sales is like stopping spam or or how game theory radically beat the Burning Man Board who apparently hasn’t read Freakonomics” where I propose a better solution: http://stefann.com/2012/02/controlling-burning-man-tickets-is-like-stopping-spam/

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  • AllThatJazz says:

    i really hate to be the bringer of bad news and cold hard facts amongst all this “pr spin” but here is what everyone needs to be thinking about right now…

    first, that this decision has decimated and demoralized the main core catalysts of the event. the core artists who create both the city and art are unable to do what they have been doing for years. i am not talking about those who only come for a week to simply inhabit the city, instead i mean the people who are there before the early arrivals and stay long after everyone departs. it is wishful thinking to believe that 25-30k new burners can catalyze and create the event that we have all grown to love over the years. they won’t be coming to sweat and toil and be miserable to get their projects finished. rather, the fear is that they will be coming as costumed consumers and spectators for the most part, ready to ‘party’ as soon as they enter the gate.

    second, what scares me the most about that scenario is remembering all the people who got hurt or worse at the event over the years. i have been going 17 years and i have watched the event grow comfortable and safe. this was due mostly to the many years of figuring out how to do things right…you couldn’t just show up on the playa and know what to do. extreme weather and accidents are part of being there too. it is serious stuff. which is why i think its a bit irresponsible to portray the bm “brand” to new burners without also conveying this reality. think about it, 25k or so (half the population!) stumbling around the playa freaking out and getting hurt or worse. requiring *all* types of assistance from the core community. in the past, people who successfully landed on the playa and had picture perfect years were normally a part of long time camps who helped with this transition of default world to playa. we all know it is extremely difficult to just show up and know whats what. this is a cultural function that the core community was able to do each year because they were the majority, now it will be the other way around in a significantly more drastic way than it has ever been before.

    i mean, if there are waaaay fewer theme camps this year, who will help with this transition? a typical core theme camp at bm can easily accomodate hundreds of people at time with careful planning and infrastructure and experience. do we really expect new burners to recreate, for example, something like DISORIENT or ROOT SOCIETY in size and scope and safety?

    the damage control above is no doubt necessary, but the facts still remain…

    1) less than 60 day window before theme camp apps are due

    2) a heartbreaking mass departure of theme camps from the event due to unreliable ticket acquisition which like a domino effect destroys the plans of the core community who NEED to have things planned in advance to successfully bring their art to the playa.

    3) 25-30k possible new burners who really don’t know that sometimes the playa is like a lamb…and other times its like a lion. that being a part of the culture requires spending time participating/building and learning/interacting with the core community on/off the playa. (not just buying a ticket)

    4) the event can not be made larger this year.

    i really want to be optimistic but this is a real recipe for disaster imo. somehow and in some way, the BMORG has to get tickets into the hands of those core artists and camps who are considering not going…however, a large percentage of those artists feel burned (no pun intended) by the lottery and rightfully so. they do not make money for making their art. they make our city what it is so that others can inhabit it for an incredible week of wonderful surprises and life altering experiences. i hope everyone, new and old, sees this as transparently as i do and works to make sure the city takes care of its citizens as much as it takes care of its tourists.

    sure we have been down this road before…but never quite like this…

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  • S9arky says:

    next year do a sale for theme camps and art projects. have an application process set up prior to the sale where camps apply and if verified, get a code for ticket purchasing to give to their campers. maybe put names on the tickets in this sale. after the camp sale is over, take left over tickets and do a lotto sale for them. allowing for virgins and others to have chance at tickets.

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  • Sweet Chachi says:

    I am 30 years old. This will be my 7th burn in a row. I registered in the lottery and was awarded a ticket. (Only registered once.) In that time I have learned more about myself, and I have grown as a person. For all of this I thank Burning Man and the friends I have made on the Playa since 2005. When I was a virgin I had so much help and patients given to me. So much so that after a few years of light participation my friends and I decided to ramp things up. So we started a theme camp. It started small. As the years went by it got bigger and bigger. Things were great. We had people from all over the U.S. join us and in 2010 our camp was about 35 or so people. We didn’t have so much as an extra square inch. So in 2011 our projected camp numbers were just shy of a village. About 45 confirmed. So we asked for a lot of room to expand. Burning man gave it to us. Then tickets sold out. We ended up running a 100′ x 300′ foot camp with like 25 people. We made it work. So far this year our camp has a confirmed 6 people with tickets. Guess what, we will merge with our neighbors, what ever it takes we will make it work. Different dosnt suck. It’s just different. I do feel bad for my camp mates. But this year is going to be different because it has to be.

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  • moddy says:

    The good news!; there are 10,000 tickets that can still be distibuted to core camps and artists.
    It won’t be perfect, it never will be [in fact it never should be!], but 10,000 should be enough to cover a very large % of core burner/core camp needs.
    Maybe some restrictions are attached to the 10,000 tickets – the need to volunteer, or to document the camp that they’ll be helping at, or document their art or inspirational schtick.
    In fact, in an ideal world, maybe a 1000 of those 10k should go to individuals with the best ideas – we just need a large panel to scrutinize them.
    Camps that are then still left short of members should be encouraged to recruit newbies or 2-3 year burners. Even old camps have a turnover of members and some people who don’t really do much.

    It’s the instigators, the prime movers, fantasists, builders and creators that we need to retain, and even reward [with discounts?]. It’s just a question of identifying them.

    In future about 15-20,000 tickets should initially go the core groups for them to distribute.
    That’s at least some reward for the energy, time and $$$ that they all put into BM.

    Someone above had the thought that this could actually bring together more people who wouldn’t otherwise have interacted. Some camps can be a tad exclusive!
    Turn this ‘crisis’ into a positive outcome – at least for those who get tickets.

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  • moddy says:

    One other thing;
    I suggest a strict limit on RV’s – say 2000, say 1500….?
    I think the RV approach is fine for some, but if you can’t survive without your own personal toilet, shower and A/C then just maybe you’re in the wrong place!
    A camper-trailer is just fine..my wife would love for us to acquire one, but RV’s are totally contrary to the concept of attaining some kind of oneness with the desert and your neighbors.

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  • Bex says:

    Hi there,

    Thank you very much fo the above message…. I appreciate the time and energy you must be putting in at the moment.
    I recently came accross a very interesting comment on facebook – which surprised me somewhat… and made me wonder if there had been more instances of this

    The person posted that due to a computer glitch they had recieved 4 tickets instead of 2. It may have been a one off… but might be worth looking into?

    Much love,
    See you on the dust

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  • Jonathan says:

    “1. It is not possible to simply grow the event to welcome more people in 2012. Between traffic concerns and the limitations placed on attendance by the Bureau of Land Management, that’s off the table.”

    What about staggering entry & exit over several days? In other words, allow people who have a history of contributing a ton to come 1 week before or even 2, people who contribute alot 1 week before, people/camps who have contributed a little to come 3 days before.

    And extend the event 3 days, so everyone doesn’t leave at once. This can become a new tradition, & build ion the Ying energy of the temple burn.

    An even more staggered entry & exit schedule would help tremendously with traffic, and there SHOULD BE AT LEAST 2 GATES to help with traffic as well.

    Why in the world wouldn’t the BLM want Burning Man to have a larger permit, we take great care of the dessert? & these government agencies are drowning in DEBT, surely they need the money a larger permit would give them. What about trying to purchase exclusive rights to the land? I know, this kind of goes against the ethos of BM.

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  • adrienne says:

    getting this message in my inbox this morning was like manna from heaven: thank you!!! i felt so good to receive clear, direct communication from the organization.

    i am a virgin, really hoping to get a ticket this year, and i will stay calm and trust the process!!!

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  • Tara says:

    “The agreement not to burn the statue transformed the audience into an unhappy unruly mob, as Larry realized what had been a celebration had become, to the crowd, a “mere roadside attraction.” At that point Larry realized that Burning Man at Baker Beach had reached the limits of its presentation in San Francisco, and one way or another, the statue and its celebration would have to appear somewhere else. Lowered and dismantled, the statue was put back in storage.” from the BORG website.

    It is funny if you really listen you can hear history repeating itself. The need to compromise the principles and the outside forces telling us “you can’t all do that hear”. Seem to be the same. It is all just now on a larger scale.

    Instead of changing what we do and how we do it and making it into something that it is not. I feel it is more important to be strong in our strength, in what we know we want to be and find a place that wants us!! All of us. Even if you have to hold BMan in Antarctica I think it would be better then changing it into a place where it is about who you know, or how much you are working whoops I mean volunteering…. Once status becomes more important in the community, an economy built on gift giving becomes used totally differently.

    And who knows once the fed realize they could loose all the money Bman brings into the area then, perhaps they may sing a different tune on how many people it will allow….

    whether you have gotten a ticket or not at this point. I feel like Bman at least in BRC this year has already been canceled by disqualification … At least the one that has 10 principles and accepts me for my mere humanity and I know I am an integral part of. The one that has been planted in my heart will always live on.

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  • Tim G says:

    How about:

    – you announce your theme days after the man burns. It’s not hard – you just have to come up with a theme – everyone does all the hard work :-)
    – give artists, camps, vehicles makers, etc a couple of months to put together their submissions on what they’re going to do, how they’re going to do it, how many people it will involve, how much it will cost. You know how many tickets are needed to make the burn work – if it’s 25,000, so be it.
    – If you know these people from past burns and know they’ll do a good job, you might want to give them 50% or more of the tickets they need. You could have discretion on the price you charge for a ticket – if each camp member is throwing $500 into the pot (on top of their ticket prices) to make it work, and you trust them because their contributions in the past have been amazing, give them lower price tickets as a reward and a thank-you for their massive contribution to what makes the burn so special.
    – If these people are not known to you, or have no track record, but their ideas sound fucking awesome, give them a chance, maybe tell them to scale it down a bit and give them all the tickets they need so they can have a first crack at it and bring something new to the Burn. But keep a very close eye on them and get them to send you in update reports across the next 8 months. If they fail to do that, withdraw their tickets. If this all sounds like a lot of admin, employ some people to manage it.
    – You don’t need to just consider requests from massive camps – that dude who picks you up on his two seater from 9 o’clock and drives you round to 3 o’clock at 6 in the morning when you’ve had your bike nicked (you know who he is, he’s been going for ever) and it’s bloody freezing or whipping up a storm – give him a free one. Hell, give him a lifetime pass.
    – If some chancer says I’m going to open a bar for one hour a day on row M then just toss it in the bin.
    – You get the camp/art/vehicle leader to be in charge of their ticket distribution and to give you the names of the camp who have been allocated the camp tickets by a certain date.
    – If you allocate a camp 50% of what they need, then give them a month to pay for those tickets. If they don’t pay, put the tickets back in the pot, or start taking a look at the near misses and throw some tickets their way.
    – Open up a hardship pot at the same time, and set criteria. Long term carers, disabled, etc to the front of the list. People who really deserve a cheap or even a free ticket. Ask for proof. Get tough – why should students get lower price tickets? when I studied I made a choice to be broke for 3 years and I didn’t get to do stuff I wanted to. That’s life. I know that sounds hard – but a lot of us travel from across the world to come to BM – and it’s bloody expensive once you put in flights, buying/renting all the equipment you need, jeep/RV hire, etc. Most of us are working hard to save, and normally paying the credit card bill til the next one comes around. Hardship should mean hardship, not life choices. If that idea pisses people off, why don’t you gift someone you know $100 towards their ticket if they are broke? I feel certain there are plenty of people with lower tier tickets who can well afford to pay more.
    – Once all that’s done open up first come first served, one price tier, non-transferable but fully refundable, one ticket per application.
    – In the unlikely event there are still tickets left, open it up for those who want to buy tickets to gift, etc, and they can name the recipient during the purchase process
    – And to avoid the inevitable delays caused by checking ID for all people – allow all of those people allocated tickets through the submissions process to start coming in from the Saturday onwards – pushing through half the traffic on the weekends would surely also placate the authorities and free up the highways
    – If you still feel a need for tiered tickets, maybe let higher tiers in from midnight sunday, and lower tiers from midnight Monday.

    Maybe some of these don’t work in practice, but thought it was worth throwing out there.

    T

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  • GSP says:

    The ONLY long term solution is grow the total capacity of Burning Man. (See choices below)

    Every year that the cap remains at 50,000 the issues seen this year will only be more and more compounded, regardless of the system used for ticket sales.
    If demand is greater than supply then some portion of the interested population MUST be turned away. Excluding birgins not only goes against the basic principle(s) of Burning Man but it doesn’t even do enough to solve the problem, with the number of active veteran burners already exceeding 50K and several thousand more being initiated this year. Excluding veterans inevitably hinders group collaborations, hurts the community’s cohesion and still leaves some participants out to dry.

    Since Black Rock City is apparently hard capped at 50K it’s time to come up other solutions:
    A) Relocate to an alternate location with greater capacity (logistical hassle and really only a short term solution)
    B) Run multiple simultaneous events localized to different regions (large logistical undertaking to cold-start a comparable event, but flexible for continued growth, with stronger localized communities. Risk of having less diversity at each event as they become polarized)
    C) Run Black Rock City more than once per year (would requires additional staff organizing and Bureau of Land Management approval)
    D) Limit frequency of participation. Bi-annually? (Loses the annual consistency that many people crave, but at least it does so in a predictable fashion that could be planned around)
    E) Some combination of the above

    I personally like idea of C&D, running BRC multiple times per year but limiting each participant to only once per year. (Not sure if it makes more sense to run them back to back or several months apart, but either could work)

    Hopefully someone will read this and we can see a bigger and better Burning Man in 2013

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  • Alpha Powder Monkey says:

    Newbies, veteran burner here…

    Wanna get a better understanding of the ethos, history and love of Burning Man?

    Get this book and read it from cover to cover…

    http://www.pissclear.org/

    -mk

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  • Linka A Odom says:

    Thank you so much for writing this!!

    I also agree to registering tickets, I bought a ticket for Secret Garden Party last year, then I was not able to attend. It was a little difficult to go through the re-assignment process, but possible, and I sold it. Secondly, yes to the Grandfather clause, you go in 2012, then perhaps you are last in line for 2013. You miss 2012, you are first in line for 2013.

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  • Alien says:

    Honestly, it made me a little bit sad to read that. I always dreamt of going to BM, finally I got the money, time and ticket and now I am told that “it is a pity that the old crowd isn´t able to come. But it will work out. Somehow. Anyway, nice to see you.” I read between the lines that “the good old days” are over. And I tell you what: it´s true! We live in a multi-connectable world and if you would like to have BM for you and your crowd then why would you actually allow the festival to grow and spread the idea?

    I am really not feeling warmly welcomed I feel like I am guilty that another one could not come. I am really thinking of giving my ticket back to you, as it seems to me that you prefer all to stay in your “exclusive club”. I doubt the trip from Europe is worth the money, as an atmosphere of disappointment seems to wait for me, forcing me to do my best to make it as good as before (I´m relating to the coments here). For my understanding this is absolutely not the spirit of a sharing community, where people are accepted the way they are and in the way they are.

    A sad, sad alien.

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  • Laa says:

    I am really pleased to see this being addressed.

    I am still a bit distressed by the anti-newcomer sentiments I have been seeing. I didn’t get a ticket in the lottery, but when one of the resale tickets finds my hand, I will be a newcomer/first timer/virgn/burngin/whatever you want to call me. A newcomer that is planning on joining up with and working with a theme camp. And I would like to see the community acknowledge that each and every newcomer has the potential to be an incredible force in building this event, instead of assuming that we are going to need to be taken care of or have absolutely nothing to offer.

    I am terrified at the reception I am going to receive when I step on the playa for the first time. That doesn’t seem right. I feel like more of a disease than the ‘lifeblood of Burning Man’ right now, and I don’t even have a ticket yet.

    How about encouraging some of the big camps to reach out to those newcomers NOW, while there is still so much time to plan and build? Get them involved. A lot of us want to be involved! Grow your camps instead of pouting, so when the rest of your camp starts getting tickets you are even stronger.

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  • Cadence says:

    With all that money maybe buy a large piece of land and start from scratch, maybe find one near easy transportation, where railways could be used, save on gas,

    And forget radical inclusion. Instead decide what is valuable to the core group and bring in people that adds to the community. There’s plenty of gawker, thieves, etc that don’t belong. So treat it like a private event(like inviting someone to your home), and bring ones that you value, and for god sake stop raising the price! It made no sense, especially with plummeting economy. You’ve managed to exclude awesome folks, but any rich folks will still show up.

    Also does everything have to be impermanent? Why not buy some land and build up on it every year? or even more often. With all that resource it seems wasteful to put energy into impermanence. Earth resource is finite, and so is time and energy. But there is enough to accomplish great project amongst BM community.

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  • nikolaus heger says:

    Just one thought: Once upon a time, ALL BURNING MAN participants were virgins.

    Was burning man worse then? I don’t think so. In fact the old timers always say how it used to be cool but it’s all crap now (I respectfully disagree of course).

    I absolutely freaking loved some of the theme camps last year – I loved Robot Heart, I loved DISTRIKT, Pink Mammoth; LOVED it. But you know what? The most amazing thing to me was all those little places… the 2 person theme camps that had a clever idea. There was a group of 3 Japanese who set up a live, walkable camera, where you could sit inside and change the focus of things going on on the outside. It was the most amazing thing ever. A little 3×3 ft box done by 3 people who flew in from Japan.

    And about 500 other examples of this. Like the walk in Vagina slide somewhere on the very periphery where only a select few would even find it. Burning Man 2012 will rock. No matter what. I’m excited. I have gotten used to my camp family and I love them. But if we can’t pull of the same camp or a bigger one we did last year… we’ll do something else. We’ll be there.

    BMORG needs to put names on tickets to kick out the scalpers. Other than that -anything goes.

    Long term, finding a new venue would be very interesting I think. Imagine a 100,000 people burning man!!! Could it scale that much without breaking down? I don’t see why not…

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  • DrTune says:

    Andie, that’s a terrific posting, appreciate the honesty and clarity very much.

    This year will be ‘interesting’. Someone who has a ticket can tell me about it. :-(

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  • Wet Spot says:

    BRC needed an airport. An airport theme camp was created (thanks to Twighlight Fire). Maybe there should be an “Official Scalper Camp” set up outside the gate. BMORG runs it. If the only way you can sell your ticket is to have the ticket physically present on the playa, and it’s a live auction atmosphere, the the additional burden of getting rid of tickets would discourage scalping. You might even be able to get a ticket for lower than face value.

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  • mikrosopht says:

    ♥ ♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥ ♥
    [regional burn] firefly last year was my favorite thing ever. i have not been to black rock city. rainbow gathering is interesting but lacks the tech slant and draws too many uniforms. every people/place has unique qualities, and because burning man explicitly promotes and embraces radical inclusion, in this time of epic change we point to the future.

    the people – evolution control committee mentioned joining radio burning man years ago; and i just noticed brian behlendorf played a huge role in my trajectory. these folks grew us together through technology. hyperreal, erowid, detritus, sito, jodi, fax, micromusic, hell, the list goes on and on – dreamless nights – a decade later the network has a more solidified awareness of it’s intricate fractal cycles, the eyes drums spiral out. time to get everyone dancing.

    usually, people need change. but right now, a lot of people explicitly Want change, and are ready for change, and are manifesting that change. previous systems failed. and failed. a lot of burning man population understands the significance of wikileaks, occupy, SOPA → ACTA [protest tomorrow stopacta.info] – these all have tremendous impact on community. it’s time to illustrate creatively the importance of allowing radical experimentation online and in the real world and beyond; let no red tape hold creative thought back.

    a distributed network of camps makes the most sense. and who knows, some could be next door, synchronized – but we’re all neighbors. let’s burn forever.
    ♥ ♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥ ♥ ♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥ ♥

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  • Remco says:

    Andie, thank you so much for being so open and honest. I think this kind of communication already helps a lot.

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  • If demand is getting so huge (which is a good thing for the global community), lets think about having 2 Burns a year. Around Memorial Day and the normal Labor Day time.

    I’ve been 3 times and I was looking to get married at the burn this year but my lovely girl and I are still in need of our tickets…..

    Fingers crossed and keeping positive.

    Victor

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  • DriftingDuo says:

    Firstly, thank you for this much anticipated response. As first time burners my partner and I have been following the outpoor of responses via social media forums and can see what a strong community has built up here over the many years.

    I want to make it clear as first time burners we are honored to have the opportunity to not only experience, but to actively engage in this years event. We have been travelling the world for the past two years, meeting interesting people and expanding our cultural horizons. In that time we have attendend numerous festivals and one thing is for sure, Black Rock City is the proverbial “mecca” for festival goers – in other words, we take our roles as newbies very seriously.

    At first we were worried that this year wouldn’t be the same, and the (understandable) negativity swirling around the community really bummed us out. But, as poster Cheese Simon touched on, we want to see an outpouring of advice, videos and ways we can contribute. The bar is set very high but there is incredible opportunity to make this year the best yet. No doubt we’ll be bringing the positives vibes, so once the ticketing situation has been worked out we look forward to hearing from the community on how this duo (and other newbies) can help transform this negative ticket debaucle into a magical playa adventure.

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  • The First Timer says:

    This is my first year at burning man. I will continue to post in our local board and hopefully they will come around. ( Most newbies know that feeling I have).

    I only asked for one ticket and will use that one ticket. :)

    I will be there with an open mind and spirit. I cant wait to taste the dust..

    Matt

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  • rapunzel says:

    Please only offer the remaining 10k tickets to theme camp participants. It seems they need it more than most…

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  • DrTune says:

    BTW I have nothing specifically against virgins (we were all one once), but it takes a lot of equipment to make camps happen; thousands of dollars of stuff (e.g. quiet Honda generator, big shade structures, dome, lighting, flooring, seating,etc) and I’ve acquired this over the last decade and share it with my camp.
    This year it looks like there is no camp.

    Multiply me by a few thousand and there will be a huge amount of camp hardware missing from the playa this year – and a lot of people turning up with fresh-from-Walmart bikes and tents and cycling around looking for “something to do”.

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  • MiSalsa says:

    Thank you so much for the response. My biggest issue with the lottery system was that it gave people with more money a better opportunity to get tickets which I had a very visceral response to. Not only in that there were more tickets at a higher level, but also that if you were willing to pay more you were put in the drawings for the less expensive tickets – taking them away from people who could only afford to pay less. Maybe a single price with more low income tickets would be better. That way everyone participates equally, and those who truly can’t afford to can prove their case.

    All things grow and change, and even eventually end. I remember seeing the very first documentary made about the event on Public Television, and dreaming of one day attending (at the time I was under 18) and thinking that it was too good to be true, and there was no way it would still be going when I was able to finally attend. It was still going strong when I was in college and had my first opportunity to go, and I have been able to attend many times since. I am very fortunate to have had those experiences, and volunteer with BWB and participate in many ways. It has really been an incredible journey and a community of acceptance and giving I truly hope will spread. Thank you.

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  • hazmatt's mom says:

    You guys are to be commended on your courage in admitting the problem and in creatively, inclusively, and openly working to find a solution! If only our national government could follow your example!

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  • Benoit Julien says:

    Hi,

    I read a lot about the ticketing issue and have a few suggestions. I will try to be concise since you must be overwhelm with feedback. Since it is too late to change the process right now, my suggestions apply for next year.

    – As you wrote, the lottery did not alleviate the scarcity of tickets. There is really no way to achieve this. I suggest you go back to the original model where people attempt to get tickets on a given date, it is still the best way of doing things. People who really want to go will make sure they get in line early as they should. If you worry the waiting line might get too long then make batches of tickets available at different dates and times as you did for 2012 but drop the lottery concept.

    – For the new comers, as you know there is so many the community can absorb without loosing its soul. You probably know already what that percentage is (I suppose it might be around 20 to 30% of new comers each year). For 2013, the idea would simply be to reserve X% of tickets to people of have already register to BM in previous years. This batch of tickets should be offered first to these burners. If we do not trust the honor system to make sure only previous burners request such tickets then you can put a process in place that will check some basic registration information against a database of previous year registrations (name or address or also credit card numbers checks). There is nothing wrong, to make sure that this list has some key people or groups that you want to make sure will be able to attend the event.

    Any unsold tickets of the previous burner only batch will be added to the second batch of tickets offered later to everyone.

    I hope this makes as much sense to you as it does to me.

    You can email me if you want to discuss this proposed process further.

    Good luck.

    Benoit (BM 2008 & 2010)

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  • Nosamk says:

    I personally feel similar to many others that have posted here. Tickets should be offered to veterans first. Only after that should they be offered to the general public. I’ve been to BM 5 years and unless some miracle happens wont be going this year as I was one of the HONEST people that only applied for tickets one time and only for the quantity I needed.

    The influx of newbies this year seems dramatic. I venture to guess that 75% of them or more will NOT be prepared. They see Burning Man as a festival and have NO IDEA what they are in for. They may be the “life blood” but I see that they will possibly drain the LIFE out of BM.

    What the hell are they going to do out there in the desert if most of the theme camps, art creators, and long time burners arent there? Look at each other and wonder when ColdPlay is supposed to be on stage?

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  • Doug Oliver says:

    Virgin Burner & Son from NJ here. We got two tickets in the Pre-Sale, and I am beginning to feel badly after reading about those that really wanted to go (especially from the long-established Theme Camps) that may not be able to.

    Please Please Please start a forum or website to allow folks like me and my son (I’m 51 and he will be 18) to volunteer for/at the Theme Camps that need help. I am offering our time as a small way to compensate those camps that will be short of established members. We are from NJ, so we may not be back next year, but we want to make this year the best it can be.

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  • Tim G says:

    Agreed with DrTune. I think every ‘veteran’ wants more than anything for any first timer to have the most immense experience possible. It’s impossible to say what that experience is – for some it will be the crazy shit they find deep out in the playa, for others it will be an hour on their own at the temple, for others it will be dancing all afternoon at Distrikt, meeting the most amazing new friends, or drifting round the playa on top of an art car – or most likely a mixture of all of these things and more.

    What veterans do know however, is the major role that participants play in the Burn, and the huge amount of time, money and effort that some people put into making the Burn magical. Unless people work in major events management, they would have no idea how to go about doing what some of these camps have been learning to do over the years, accruing equipment which is sat in lock-ups in Reno or Oakland, waiting to be used again.

    In my earlier comment I mentioned that the first stage could be to sort through submissions for theme camps etc, and based on merit, to award them a % of the tickets they need to run their camps. BM Org know how many people it realistically takes to run any kind of camp, so they can sense check and will know when people are trying to pull a fast one. I deliberately said that they should only award a proportion of tickets needed to run a camp – this frees up space for new camp members to join them (whether first timers or veterans) or for any of the rest of their usual camp who get tickets in the subsequent general sale. This allows those with experience to share it with others, who may well end up taking over the organisation of the camp in the following years. I’m sure BM could knock up a site for all camps looking for new members, saying what they are looking for etc, and then those camps can accept applications from people to reach their required numbers.

    I also think it’s worth saying that joining a major theme camp is not necessarily the best thing for a first timer to do, in my humble opinion. There’s a lot to be said for having the time to lose yourself in BM without the very hard work that comes with being a theme camp member. You can participate in other ways, do something smaller, find your playa feet, donate a a bottle of vodka and some mixers to that amazing bar you’ve been hanging out in, fill your rucksack with some cold beers or water (or apples straight out of your cool box), invite your neighbours for dinner, sign up for some volunteering, give someone a massive smile, pull the sunburnt person into the shade and give them some cream and a hat, etc. It’s all gifting, and it’s all as important as theme camps.

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  • I couldn’t go in 2010 — I made it as far as Chicago by train when the California Zephyr derailed over the past night and I had to go home. I gave my ticket to some people who were going to try and make it via Seattle and San Francisco. Names on tickets would have prevented that.

    But my bigger point is that no socioeconomic system “works” in times of scarcity. There will always be some who are included and some who are excluded. Any system that deliberately selects people just breeds animosity in those who are excluded.

    I realize also that I might be in a group that is excluded. I see a lot of comments to set up the “rules” so the author is included. I’m accustomed to being part of the group that is excluded, but I’d feel kind of worse if it was Burning Man — I’d feel worse if there were specific attendance requirements that I don’t meet (or don’t meet well enough) because I think Burning Man is a group for the outsiders.

    So to me, the question is, can a system be made that truly selects people at random with no inherent requirements? Selecting people based on their ability to pay is not so hot, but neither is rewarding big theme camps, individual attendees, veterans, or birgins. Curiously, I’m drawn to the legal “personhood” of corporations: if a theme camp needs at least 10 people to exist, can they be treated as one participant since 9 people is the same as zero?

    It is a defining moment for Burning Man. Is it an event for veterans? Is it an event with big group projects? Is it for individuals? Scarcity will define what it _is_ whether we want to or not.

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  • Cosmic Boy says:

    Wowie, what a thorough and thoughtful article. I would encourage burning man to look into the system that Glastonbury festival in Scotland uses to guide sales and prevent fraud and/or scalping. I have no doubt it will be what it needs to be as it always is.

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  • Eric says:

    I have hope! Our theme camp is still planning forward… we will be there. I hope BMorg doesn’t think their community “turned” on them rather felt initially this process was done behind walls with unknown motives… in the letter above, I honestly believe what is said and understand this much better now.

    I entered the Burning Man way of life at a crazy time… but have come to peace with the inevitable beast that it has become. As long as the growth doesn’t come at the cost of the “core” burners that build amazing art and art cars and camps- it will go on. I see you’re trying to address this now.

    So my part to help this? I’ll shut up about tickets (for a bit) and hope it works out. I’ll plan on attending and bringing as much amazingness as I can. I just REALLY don’t want to have to buy scalped tickets or see any friends left behind.

    Awaiting orders.

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  • Luc says:

    It is time for Radical Inclusion.
    For all of those who participated in the lottery and won a ticket, Congratulations! I feel fortunate to have received one, and this will be my first time attending Burning Man. I am concerned that my, all of our experience thee may not be as full as it could be because of those die hard artist and burners that were not so fortunate to receive a ticket.
    If every ticket is truly accounted for by a committed person, then we shall see how this new insurgence of people will morph the environment. My guess and as stated below, many have bought an extra ticket just incase…
    If that is so, I ask of you to offer your extra tickets up (for full value) to the collective, to bring the ones left out back into the fold.

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  • DrTune says:

    It does irritate to see posts by virgins who got tickets who say “me and my wife and her friend all applied for two tickets but we didn’t all get them” basically saying ‘obviously we applied for more than we needed, didn’t everyone?’

    Many burners only applied for the tickets they needed; the culture of BM is not about gaming the system or taking more than you need.

    It’s funny that the lottery means people who think like this have are more likely to be on the playa. Nice filter.

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  • Sfburner says:

    Name on ticket. Then if you can’t go you re-sell it back to BMorg for less 10%. BMorg can then sell it to someone else. Problem solved.

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  • Madmatt says:

    Annie Grace, BMORG, et al, thanks for apologizing and acknowledging. Even if lors of theme camps and art project teams get a better chance now at tickets, which I hope will happen, there is still the HUGE problem that many, many people can’t go.

    If what you say bears out about the huge proportion of first timers coming, the problem will be if not enough people really CONTRIBUTE something to making Burning Man the stunning spectacle that it has been.

    (i know lots of first timers bring amazing and meaningful contributions, i know) BUT Thousands of people come to BM primarily because of “famous” DJs and their only contribution to BM is dancing. If we get to a tipping point, then BM becomes Coachella.

    Without “banning electronic music” or DJs (yes, i know, to some this is art), is there some waynto either reduce the scale, or change up the way we have massive sound camps that are giant dance clubs? This has been an issue for years, and I believe is directly responsible for the huge and growing numbers of people who come to BM and don’t contribute substantially. This is not a judgement on “your contribution is not good enough” or ” dancing is not expression” – but we have all experienced this, and now that BM SOLD OUT maybe addressing the BIG SOUND CAMP issue is in order…..

    That said, there is a danger that BM 2012 will be 55,000 people camping in the desert wondering where all the cool stuffed they saw in the Dr Suess video. So EVERYONE who GETS a ticket has a moral obligation to TRY DO CONTRIBUTE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL so that BM doesnt stop being stunning and awe inspiring.

    Apologies to DJs, sound camps and dance-aficionados I have offended….

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  • glamgirl says:

    I would like to offer gratitude for providing a space for such amazing experiences and people to gather. It always amazes me how burning man changes and evolves every year. I was thankful for a ticket this year and also thankful I actually was able to register for a ticket, every other year I have to cross my fingers and hope that I don’t get kicked off the website or a friend has a leftover ticket at the end of the day #1 madness.

    The only constant is change. evolve people, it is great fun. it is okay to be nervous and anxious on what 2012 bm will be like, but just leave your anger at the door and step in open and willing to rock it!

    ps i liked the lottery.

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  • MrKupka says:

    Scalping won’t go away but I’ll hold much of that judgement until we see just who gives up their extras through STEP.

    I still firmly believe this problem was not as much of a first-timer enrollment as you believe. Even when just a poll, people tend to think they’ll be rewarded if they mark that they are going for the first time. I’ve seen vets do it. In addition, padding the lottery by having friends or family put in for you is what I feel impacted this the worst.

    Ways to fix it:
    1.) one ticket per credit card
    2.) named, watermarked tickets. You’re not the only sell-out event, but you tried to reinvent the wheel. A lottery can be effective if you MANAGE it.
    3.) Can’t use your ticket? Pay a fee to get it transferred to someone else.

    It’s really THAT simple.

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  • masterblaster says:

    Cancel all issued tickets and an give refunds/credits. Expensive-maybe a little. What’s going on now is expensive in many ways. Reissue under another scheme-lottery would be fine, but limit to one ticket per successful applicant. This must be the year of public relations screw ups.

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  • Madmatt says:

    PS – 2012 will be my 11th burn, having skipped only once, and my wife and I got our 2 tickets for ourselves only at the highest price in the pre sale. Maybe some of those first timers this year will offer to sell their tickets to theme camps or art teams so that BM can live up to what made them want to go in the first place. They could go in 2013 knowing that they contributed to helping BM live on…But I know that that won’t happen…

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  • Lee Cowen says:

    Thank you for this great communication with the community. As I read this, I tried to think about how other events (i.e. coachella, a large concert, etc) would handle such a situation. It is very obvious that the org and our community truly are special. Thanks again and I’ll simply see you in 2013 if I cannot manage to secure a ticket for this year.

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  • Marc says:

    It is a sad day. I have never been, but since hearing about it, I have spent well over 100 hours planning, researching, and reading eplaya to do my birgin burn right. I was happy to spend the ~$3k to make it the 4,500KM to the event from Toronto and be a part of the magic (this is no small amount for me).

    But it sounds like neither my girlfriend nor I will be getting any tickets without a personal network of burners to turn to. All we can hope is that the number of tourists doesn’t overwhelm the true spirit of the community and infect burning man with default world attitudes so that it survives until next year.

    I make this request to all veterans who got tickets and birgins who really understand what Burning Man is about… The future is riding on you, so even though the vibe may be very different at the playa this year, you MUST infect the tourists with the spirit of Burning Man. They may outnumber you, they may push back at first, but don’t give up! Everyone who understands how special the playa is will be counting on you, whether we’re there in person or not. We’re all rooting for you!

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  • nikolaus heger says:

    No merit based tickets. That’s simply against the BM spirit. Oh my I’ve been for 5 years and now part of an emerging theme camp – am I better than others? Come on. Please. Cliques at BM are already kinda annoying with “insiders” and whatnot – I am not taking that stuff seriously but I know some do. Merit based tickets would make BM an official clique-y event.

    Even if the unthinkable happens – and I don’t think it will as there are many ways out – and all the theme camps are at 30% membership – my guess is BM will be amazing. As it always is, always in different ways. Some will make do with lots of virgin volunteers. Others won’t show. Others will scale down – who knows. There are many options. If that’s the experiment this year – bring it on!

    The only thing that BMORG really needs to do is named tickets. Not only to remove scalpers but also to force all those who have 2 – and that would include me – to sell them via STEP right away. It would flush out all the stale tickets! That’s why we need it. Now!

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  • ZS says:

    It sounds like you guys are doing everything you can to ameliorate the situation as fairly and satisfactorily as possible. You rock! Thank you for everything you’re doing for the community!

    Many people in my camp, including cousins and an uncle, failed to receive tickets. I made the tactical error of ordering only one ticket, but it seemed the right thing to do.

    There are two main points 1) Value of Contribution; 2) Actual Demand

    1) Bman is an experiment in temporary community; in some ways there is continuity, but we should not limit our vision of the future by what previous years looked like. At this point, the assumption of our conversation is that Burners with previous experience will bring more to the community than newcomers. In some sense this is true – like art projects, theme camps, etc. but the implicit dynamic is that old Burners are essentially providing the services of community to new Burners (otherwise, why discuss the lost contribution of their groups, as opposed to the same sunk cost of losing the contributions – not merely attendance – of newcomers, or others?

    The reality is that Burning Man is not the composite of theme camps, but the individual people who come. We ought not to tacitly assign greater value to certain types of contributions over others. Doing so may actually contribute to the problem – because focusing on larger consortia at Burning Man who bring big musical acts etc. increase the perception of Bman as itself being a composite of those large, flashy events, when we know that what makes Burning Man special is the unique interactions people have with each other. One of the beautiful things about Bman is going without expectations. You never know what’s going to happen. The lifeblood of Burning Man is not the continuity of previous years, but the gathering’s ability to transform and renew itself.

    2) But this still leaves the question of what do to for people who did not – but still could – receive tickets. For this year, I think you have a decent enough system to satisfy most demand. As you say, starve out scalpers, work within the community to get existing participants in as they should.

    I understand that there are legal, and perhaps natural limits to how many people can gather in the desert. This leaves two simple, but major, options for future years.

    a) Limit one ticket for each name/address and credit card number. If contact information or the same credit card are used more than once, the sale does not go through. This will make it much harder for scalpers to slurp up tickets for resale.

    b) The more complete and simple solution, however, is simply not to put a cap on tickets. As with rent caps or any other artificial market cap, the cap itself, as you have discovered, drives up demand. You will cut out the black market in one move by giving people no incentive to go to scalpers.

    c) Ah, what about the extraordinary demand overwhelming supply? You’ve done your market analysis, maybe more is necessary, but it is possible that the actual demand does not exceed supply by more than 10 or 20,000 participants. An increase, for sure, but no 3-4 times current participants as ticket sales this year indicate. If this is true, than perhaps there are arrangements that can be made with the Nevada authorities to let the event grow by up to a third this year, open up to people who still want in, and sideline scalpers in the short term.

    Why should Nevada agree to this? Because you have leverage. If they agree, you can give them some assurance that the event – and all the benefits that accrue to Nevada from it – will be repeated next year. If they don’t, then they can start looking for other sources of similar revenue, because Burning Man requires an open space that as many people as choose to join the community can do so. There is nothing sacred about the playa, and you will move to a new State that meets the needs of our community.

    Which brings us to the final point: whether or not the ticket situation can be perfectly resolved this year, Burning Man administrators should begin identifying a new location for the event – one that can accommodate up to 100,000 people. This is a big change, and will be a pain in the butt for the organizers who will have to essentially start over in a new place – offices, people, mentality. But again, the place is not essential – the people are. Another location that can accommodate the larger numbers cuts off the problem of having to choose between the value of individual participant contributions, and permanently solves the problem of scalpers – what is there to scalp?

    But won’t the community fray if the event is expanded? No. We are all part of communities in the default world – which is itself composed of millions of people. Burning Man communities will continue to flourish and change because they do not depend on the location of the event, or perceived value of the contribution – but on the special interactions people have at a personal level. People won’t be bored, don’t worry! And this will reduce the interest of people who are coming for titillation or excitement, which in reality is just a superficial by-product of the beautiful relationships people have at Burning Man.

    I am happy to continue helping find workable solutions with Burning Man administrators as you move forward. Otherwise, thank you again for your courageous efforts, vision, and compassion. I know our community will come out healthier, invigorated, and reconstituted. Much love.

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  • Robert Siegfried says:

    I am afraid and angry. Many of us are about to lose one of the most important things in our lives. Something we look forward to and plan for all year. I got a ticket. If it becomes obvious that this year will be an empty shell of The Man with the wonder replaced by a feeling of loss and grief I will bail. I will grieve in private. This could be a funeral not a festival. On the other hand if you act now and fix things we may yet have some semblance of a festival. I doubt that scalping ic contributing in a major way. Most of these tickets are simply in the hands of those who bought 10 to be sure of getting one. I would have donr that if I had known the situation! Contact everyone with a plea asking them to help by making sure that their extra tickets go to veteran burners and, just this once, to people who are helping put on the show. Offer an extra $10 or more for each returned ticket. Do something like Kiva and give them some choice who gets their ticket then facilitate the transfer. Tell people that this is happening and beg them to continue planning. Buy scalped tickets. Ferret them out now and announce that they can sell them to you for x numbers of dollars now or get their asses nailed to the wall later. Do not whine about the cost. Period. Float a bond if you have to.
    If you do not act now and do so unselfishly and uncomplaining we may wind up with a sorry wake for the Burning Man with few things to see but plenty of new folks wandering around wondering what the fuss was all about. Bored people without the sense of wonder and community that veteran burners have will simply get drunk,stoned,restless and possibly violent. It may be too late to restore the Man to a its full glory but you could save it. After this one gets fixed then you need to prioritize sales to those who have Been there within 2 or three years in order to maintain stability. Let attrition open space for new Burners. Put names on the tickets but provide a way to transfer them to another qualified person if necessary.

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  • nikOpeaches says:

    Andie,

    Glad to finally see an honest and well developed response to this ticketing fiasco. It is obviously affecting all of us from the radically self-entitled to the recent kool-aid quaffing converts. BM 2012 will be the best year yet simply because it IS different. If the population does truly contain 40% newbies, then i’m certain Pacha Playa will respond with a significant increase in obscenely hot days and bitter cold nights with multiple day white outs. If, indeed, the lottery was hijacked by professional scalpers, then the suckers that shell out twice the ticket price will be radically included with the unpredictable nature of that people-forsaken wilderness.

    I am extremely excited about welcoming the cast of Jersey Shore and other reality hypnosis shows to our week long dirt rave. Many of us long term burnier-than-thou participants are ready to embrace these new faces with well dosed drinks and cheap playa schwag. I’m already making pipe cleaner man figure necklaces to accommodate the growing population! Welcome Home(less)!

    Mostly, the chance to meander the desert line sweeping the a city populated by fresh converts will give our playa Restoration crew more fodder for mystery pill mania and playa schwag poker night. Tallyho!

    If DJ Lorinnectar and Skrillex don’t get tickets does that mean that Temple of Boom and Root Society will no longer blight our map w/ MOOPacolypse Black Zones? A Degenerate Punk Whiner can only hope.

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  • Verlin Chalmers says:

    I wonder how many tickets would need to be available – to have all people who were in placed camps last year – get tickets. And how many would be left for other returning people.

    In other words – only make tickets available to returning people at this point – with placed camps, volunteers etc first – and other returning people next.

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  • mel jung says:

    will be available to help as vol……no I do not want to even expect a low income ticket for helping since I have been a volu for yuears for freee. Live in Marin and can come in for many hours a a time when needed . Physilcally caught scalpers in Reno, Gerlach and Empire, Can be availale if you just call me at 415-846- 2155 and will bve in the the City for chinese new years parade etrc. and volu. will stop by to give out my verified ID, age and low income bracket as one of the oldest burners around.l at 75 Mel Jung
    been a greeter, drummer, burner without border and kagtrina volu.l from the north bay. gang.. Mel 415-846-2155
    your doing all you can and thankyou for all your dedication

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  • simon of the playa says:

    dear degenerate punk whiner, as a member of root society and a burner since 96′ all i can say is “Fuck Your Day”….no seriously….fuck your day….

    Andie, Great Letter.

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  • Space Vixen says:

    I simply don’t buy the notion that there are ~45,000 virgin burners who registered for tickets this year. Burning Man has been in the mainstream consciousness for a LONG TIME.
    Last year was NOT particularly radically new or different in terms of media presence. Twitter and facebook didn’t get invented in 2011. In 2000, the year after I went, the Man burn was reported live on CNN. Various popular television shows have mentioned Burning Man or made episodes about burning man for years. It’s not like the world just suddenly became aware of Burning Man last year. It’s not like this is the first time anyone on Huffington Post read an article about Burning Man.
    Even if there are a lot of virgins who spontaneously bought tickets because they saw a viral video, those people are probably going to scalp their ticket (sell it on eBay) at above market price when they lose interest in a few weeks/months. In the 90’s burning man enjoyed spectacular growth. But a factor of 3 increase in the number of people buying tickets – I don’t think so.

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  • Jenna says:

    I appreciate the transparency and candor of this post. Although I have not yet been awarded my ticket, I am confident that I will return this year for my 3rd burn and I am feeling inspired to contribute to weaving the fabric of the event as strongly as I can, participating in deeper, more meaningful ways to keep the community and event alive and thriving.

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  • Dinkel says:

    WOW! This will be our first year at burning man- as teachers we were always frustrated that it was near impossible to attend (it being the first weeks of school, hard to take it off). But this year decided to make the commitment and make it happen. But, now I feel sad that I was awarded tickets over someone who has been there for years building… Especially because of the conundrum presented: if the people who have been there are largely not there, then Burning Man, with mostly new folks who would need a year to figure it all out, won’t be able to carry the culture forward….

    Let solutions prevail. We would be happy to volunteer our tickets to folks who deserve them over us…

    CHEERS and Thank-you for being an inspiring ‘wilderness’ of creativity- one where even though I haven’t attended before, its very exsistence has made me more at peace in my world.

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  • Sound Man says:

    Astonishing! Perfect wording/spin on the problem and commitment to do something about it (and thank you for that). But, absolutely nothing about any changes to actually do anything about it (other than a promise to get back to us next week). But it gets worse in as much as apriori taking off the table some of the most potent tools that the BMORG has, such is a partial or complete recall of the Main lottery sale results. And then to suggest such a move might not be legal when the wording in the Terms and Conditions clearly give Burning Man the right to cancel any or all ticket(s) at their discretion. Are you reading your own tickets (which, by-the-way, you haven’t even sent out, yet)? Come on, throw us veterans a bone, such as limiting the STEP and upcoming Open Sale participants to previous event attendees (you know who we are). Heaven only knows that the newbies have done extremely well already (and yes, we love them to pieces). Take back some control of the event and push the newbie/veteran ratio toward something resembling sanity! You aren’t going to be able to organize and over communicate your way out of this. Thanks for listening.

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  • Chrissi says:

    I don’t know if this has been suggested yet, I don’t have time to read through all of the comments.

    First, this year is already screwed, so do what you can to fix it. But for next year…

    Like you said BM is not a audience venue, it is a participation venue, so you need to have your art camps and installations and cars and everything that makes Burning Man what it it. You will not survive with these participants.

    Why not contact the previous attendees first and offer them tickets, then open the remainder up to newcomers. I am sure you have some attrition each year, people move, die, become destitute, lose interest… and there will be tickets left over after the initial sale. so that way, your core groups and camps that make BM what it is will still be there, but you can still welcome the newcomers.

    BTW, I am one of the newcomers this year, I have tickets, but I’m a little concerned that I am too late, and it will not be the same as I have heard from my burner friends. I hope I did not miss it.

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  • simon of the playa says:

    oh, BTW Root Society will return after a One Year Hiatus….We NEVER scored black on the moop map after 5 years on the corner, and all of the monkey Haters better look in the fucking mirror before they start flinging poo….Judge Not asshole, until you are ready to have a colonoscope shoved up your butt.

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  • Alix says:

    Hi there,

    seeing as though there are hundreds of comments, I doubt this one will ever be read, but i’ll give it a shot.

    I’ll be a first-time burner this summer, and I feel incredibly lucky to have somehow gotten a ticket. Luckily as well, 6 out of my 7 friends who registered for tickets also get some. And we’re all excited. I personally feel increasingly lucky each day as I read more about this situation, and I feel for everyone who hasn’t gotten a ticket yet.

    I do however want to stress that I think returning burners are just as important (if not more) as burning man virgins. My friends who have attended say that the events, activities, workshops etc are the BEST part of burning man.

    As excited as I am, and as much as I know it will be an amazing experience and a ton of fun, I’m also very very nervous that I won’t get the “full” experience of burning man, or at least its full potential because only a quarter of the people who want to contribute to events and workshops will actually get to go…

    For next year, I would suggest allocating a certain percentage of tickets to returning burners who HAVE contributed to the event, a certain percentage of tickets to returning burners who haven’t organized any theme camps or activities, and finally a certain amount to first-time burners. Returning burners will need to provide proof that they’ve attended and contributed. Figure out how many tickets are necessary to have events and activities up and running, and allocate tickets that way.

    I think the random draw was not necessarily a bad idea, it was just not thought all the way through. If you have one random draw for newcomers, one for returning burners, and one for active theme camp organizers and activity organizers, next year won’t be such a headache for a lot of people… Just a thought.

    As to what we can do now to fix the current situtation, I’m not sure… But I think that giving right of way to returning burners who have / will organize camps and workshops before is a definite priority.

    Just a thought…

    See you lucky ones in BRC!

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  • Collin says:

    Regarding the population limits – the current limitations in place are primarily related to the massive influx of people arriving at the same time and then leaving (oh, exodus) nearly simultaneously.

    Here is a solution to scatter the transportation alignment and perhaps allow for an increase in the size of the desert city.

    Overstay tickets. Tickets for the hardened who pledge to arrive one day early or stay a day or two late, or both. Perhaps volunteers could even check tickets during the exodus to insure that overstayers aren’t leaving early. By allowing 10k people to pledge to stay until Tuesday or Wednesday, perhaps at a 10% discount to thank them for their services, the population limit could possibly be raised by 10k as well.

    What other variables control the limitations that are in place by the Bureau of Land Management? Can we alter those too thanks to our active community?

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  • Birgin Man says:

    I won 2 tickets in the lottery. I plan to either give the extra to a friend or donate it to a camp I believe in. How do I find that camp?

    This is to be my first Burning Man. Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Something I’ve grown to believe in. I am an experienced camper and am ready for a week in the desert.

    When I received the notice that I had won, I was, and continue to be, incredibly grateful. The Universe has allowed me. It is finally my time.

    I am also excited that this will surely be a revitalized Burning Man. Some of the comments from the long time Burners show a sense of entitlement. I didn’t see that listed in the Principles. I think the lottery system allowed the Universe/Karma to do it’s work. It is a good thing.

    Also, I agree a long term solution IS more land, even buy land. Make it a bigger and longer event. This situation is just a growing pain for something that seems quite wonderful and magic.

    Clearly, this year some more experienced Burners without tickets will stay back in the non-BM world. I’m sure they will continue to live the BM principles as an example to others. That’s how I found out about BM in the first place.

    Again, I am so grateful to have my tickets. You have NO IDEA what they mean to me and what actually going will mean to me. It’s going to be a great year!

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  • HoneyBee says:

    I like Wampa’s idea of making it more difficult to get tickets but the processing of any such hoop-jumping may make it prohibitively expensive and/or time consuming. Personally, I like the idea of sponsoring Virgins. Let the builders of Burning Man get their tickets first, then (if there are any remaining tickets available) allow Burners to sponsor in a single Newbie, with the responsibility of acculturating said Newbie. This would eliminate any sudden influx of demand while retaining the radical self-reliance that makes Burning Man what it is.

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  • Fuzzy says:

    I Do not for the life of me understand why we can not give the gate attendants I-pad’s with photos of all the ticket buyers linked to their credit cards and what not. Is this not an event where the techies are driving the event? That would speed up the gate process, ELIMINATE scalping COMPLETELY, and let us get on with it…

    I would believe that ALL burningman attendants would be willing to give their photos to the website via secure whatever in order to make this happen. It could be a silly little participatory burner thing that u guys could do. I mean don’t you guys have everyone’s info already? There is plenty of time to make this happen.

    I am a burner of 8 years and have finally convinced my family ( My immediate family ie. mom, dad, sister ) to come after all this time. Everyone in my family got tix except for myself… I don’t want to tell them that i can’t go…

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  • Coburn Hawk says:

    As a 7x burner, I find myself with two tickets, my theme camp in disarray and possibly not happening, my art car needing some repair, and one other thing… Something I have not experienced since my virgin burn in 2002. What will I find on the playa?

    Who will be there? What will I see? What will it be like? The only way to find out is show up.

    I am also working on an option for fractured theme camps (mine is among them) to pool together, take the fractured pieces and build something new. Can I get what is left of Deathguild to camp with the remainder of HeebJeeby Healers? Well that may be a tall order, but those who run theme camps are already picking up the phone and asking other organizers “how many people do you have left?”

    Thank you for the communication. Yes it is a mess. But I know of no other community better suited to creatively solve problems.

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  • Ami says:

    Thank you! Thank you soooooo~ much! Thank you for finally addressing this in some detail. It should be easy to reaffirm to oneself that you guys are working hard on a solution. But, when you don’t come out and say you are; when people respond in cold terms, or with robotic-sounding statements; when there’s a lack of acknowledgment or empty… sometimes it’s just as easy to think there won’t be a solution. Thank you for the efforts you guys are making. Thank you for actually offering at least some level of insight. And, in the future *please* continue let us know what’s going on! I can’t possibly explain the degree of difference transparency makes, or the degree of frustration that emerges when everyone in the community is left guessing. Again, thank you so much! Thank you for everything!

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  • Dale says:

    I’m Ok with skipping a year, I hope you figure it out for next year, and with names on tickets, people can still gift, they just have to decide who they are going to gift to.

    Perhaps if you buy 2 tickets, you could have your name on both, and show your ID at the gate for you and a friend to get in together. This would allow you to find which of your non-burner friends can go near the deadline but I can’t see scalpers coming through gate with the person they sold to.

    Of course you’ll have to figure in the extra cost of refund and resale for folks that find they can’t come. But you can charge more for late (resale) tickets to cover those additional costs.

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  • Tim G says:

    Birgin Man – sounds like you got a solution for that extra ticket two posts below (Fuzzy)… Go on – do it and you’ll make this board a much happier place :-)

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  • d says:

    maybe you could allocate a certain number of tickets to each of the regionals for distribution amongst the community. they could then allocate those tickets to the people who have been going for years and who contribute to the city.

    one of my worries with this type of thing is that some of the smaller camps will be excluded from the mix because they aren’t as big or well known as some of the bigger theme camps. hell, who says you even have to HAVE a camp to contribute to the city? what about the person who comes with a tent but has his home brewed keg attached to his bike and offers beer to everyone walking by? or the person who has turned her bike into a musical instrument and who performs as she rides? when we talk about giving tickets to those who participate in the city, what is the definition of participation? is it that you have to be one of hundreds who help with a massive theme camp? i think if that’s the case, there might be unintentional consequences. (don’t get me wrong, i absolutely love the massive theme camps… i’m just worrying about the little guys who also contribute in their own way and who are equally as important to the burning man experience.)

    along with this idea is another side effect: elitism. i worry that when people get hand selected to get a ticket, it can present a lot of other problems. who gets to choose who gets a ticket? obviously that person is going to choose whoever is in their posse first. so then it becomes a game of who you know. i’m still on the fence with this because i’m not sure if that’s a bad thing. the people that they know are also the people who have been part of the community for years and who contribute to the city. but let’s say the person who chooses who gets a ticket doesn’t like someone in the community for one reason or another. would that person still get a ticket? it gives someone more power than perhaps they should have. if you’re going to hand select, perhaps make it a diverse group of people (meaning, people from many camps, etc…) who choose. that way the tickets are distributed to the far reaches of the community not just the big, well known theme camps.

    these are just some ideas and concerns. thanks for ALL the hard work you guys are doing. this is a beast! :)

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  • Nita says:

    Thank you for the heartfelt statement. Much appreciated. I can finally exhale after weeks of anger and say “they ARE listening”. For the first time since the shit storm hit, I feel like the community can start to heal.

    There is no question the remaining 10,000 tickets must go to city builders, theme camps, art providers, art car camps. Without them we have no city.

    There will be the inevitable complaints about how to determine who is a real Burner, and who isn’t. After reading JRS, I feel confident that BORG has the best interest of our community at heart and will do their best to get those tickets into the hands of the people who will contribute the most to our community.

    It’s a huge relief to know that BORG has our backs.

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  • gilbot says:

    The moment that the cup overfloweth, the magma spews forth, the coronal mass ejects, etc, is magical, tumultuous , and messy. Burners don’t cry over spilt milk, they put their face on the table and LAP. IT. UP. Those of us out here on the edges of our culture have been putting some mighty fine regionals together over the past decade-plus. If the Playa doesn’t pan out, Perhaps you’d care to join us for a few? Black Rock City might be the capital, but it is in NO WAY the only city in our great nation of ephemeral metropoli. Wherever you go, there YOU are; how bout a nice change of scenery?

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  • MisterPan says:

    Looks like someone read Alyss Royse’s topical essay on the value of PR…

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  • simon of the playa says:

    No time to explain, Just Get in the Llama…

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  • Tony says:

    There is no way you can allot a scarce supply of tickets to theme camps without coming across like you’re greasing the most connected palms.

    Just remember that we all don’t live in San Fran or are arm-in-arm with the regional heads. If this post is just laying the groundwork for an announcement in a week along the lines of “The following 75 out of 700 theme camps are going to get tickets…”, you are going to have a lot of people even further alienated and angry.

    Maybe I’m the only one who thinks so, but there’s way too much focus on “community”… The community comes from the camps, art and things that go on at the event, not the other way around. New blood is good – let’s see if the virgins step up. And let’s make the distinction between “I am worried Burning Man will not happen” and “I am worried my theme camp will fold and that my friends and I won’t go.” People seem to be saying the former, but I keep hearing the latter.

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  • Jennifer says:

    Thank you for the heart-felt words.

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  • P. Michael Quinn says:

    Thanks much BMORG. I reckon “Fertility” is especially apt. Birthing is beautiful and such, but painful as hell.

    @ Dinkel – as a fellow teacher I shared your conundrum and excitement a few years ago, and maybe this year too. But, no matter who else joins you on the playa, you belong, and it will be fucking awesome. Be prepared though. Those folks in the “..Places You’ll Go..” video were somehow strangely too dust-free.

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  • Jorge Luis says:

    GRACIAS for this update! Transparency and honesty rules! I did not get a ticket and I am sad, nonetheless confident in the BM collective problem solving capabilities.

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  • Gabriel says:

    Great leadership, BM team. You’re also getting a lot of suggestions here. I like the names on tickets suggestion. Also, the obstacles to registering for tickets is solid. My suggestion for the latter would be that, in order to register for tickets, one must pass a 100 question exam on-line that is, basically, the survival guide and the Ten Principles. You must get 100% to pass, but you can retake it as often as you want and you’ll be given the correct answers to each question you get wrong. Not only is it an obstacle but virgins and veterans alike will have to learn/review important information. No more yahoos asking if I had any food to share, because they thought there would be vendors.

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  • G says:

    Reading this thread, a light bulb went off.
    It is a cruel, ironic, and oxymoronic situation you are in. How to be inclusive while having reality impose on you the fact that exclusion must be practiced.
    This may be redundant, and maybe I am not the sharpest tack in the box, but the idea of “filters” is crystallizing in my head.
    BMORG, your mission now is how to cleverly design filtering mechanisms that best preserve the core principles.
    For decades I have loved visiting my favorite nudist hot springs because the nudity is a huge effective filter that only open minded, relaxed, tolerant, less hung up, and in my perception, smarter than average people choose to pass through.
    Filters. They already exist, and always have. That single lane of road already is one, the harshness of the environment there is another. The expense and logistics of getting there are another. The lottery was meant to a filter which unfortunately turned out to be way to simplistic and generated entirely destructive results.
    Perhaps some sort of protocol for RV’s, perhaps the closing of the gate some time mid week are two that appeal to me. The time idea is awesome. I remember someone telling me when I was a virgin in ’03 that the organization liked people to show up & participate over the week rather than just within 24 hours to gawk at the Saturday night spectacle. If one is come to BRC, one must be prepared to live there, rather than visit there.
    You have a very intelligent and creative community here. Maybe with some sort of online mimic or variation of an OWS General Assembly, you and the community could come together to form a consensus and formulate some effective and sophisticated filters that best preserve the Burning Man spirit.

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  • Seth says:

    Transparency is still an issue. I’m not bitter – I decided long before this fiasco that I was not going.

    But I still wonder… what percentage of CA/WA/OR/NV/AZ participants got tickets? How does that compare with the rest of the country? I think BMorg still has a lot of questions to answer. I want to see a map. Something tells me our West Coast friends benefited from this lottery, more so than others.

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  • Twilight Fire says:

    @ Wet Spot:

    About that Official Scalper Camp run by BMOrg idea…

    There would be some Cacophony Society-style perverse irony if BMOrg set up an Official Scalper Camp outside the gate. If done tongue-in-cheeck and in the spirit of the event, it could provide a marketplace of last resort for the people who do have extras and the people who want to get in. But the logistics would be daunting–what if 5,000 dedicated and ticketless longtime Burners showed up for the scan tickets coming through? And what if the same number of unprepared first-timers showed up? Outside the Gate, we don’t have the support systems to cope with what might arise in terms of dehydration, medical issues, etc. (First timers: please please please study the survival guide very carefully!)

    Airport isn’t a registered theme camp, and it was there long before I arrived. The 2006 Terminal Project and the two theme camps that it spawned came long after planes had been flying to the event.

    Airport is its own community, a microcosm of the event itself. There are many dedicated volunteers who build it, decorate it, staff it, and take it down each year. And sadly, Airport is missing tickets for many of its much-needed people.

    I have faith that Airport will find a way to get enough tickets to operate safely this year. And without a doubt, Airport will have a great need for new volunteers!

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  • Andie Grace says:

    Alix – reading every last one of them, and all of them we can find anywhere else, I promise you.

    Coburn Hawk – I love your idea. Frankencamps.

    MisterPan – I don’t suppose it helps that this post was first drafted last week, almost immediately, before the awesome Ms. Royse wrote her post…but it’s the truth. We just had to do some work under the hood before we could get here. I hope things are now moving faster.

    That said, she was right, but we’re not talking about a simple PR problem here. We have been working on the solution to a sort of cultural crisis, not only on the way to talk about it to those affected. As Will Chase has pointed out, just one wrong move could incite further panic on everyone’s part, so we are being very careful about the technical, social, cultural, and infrastructural implications of every word we speak.

    A very smart woman told me yesterday, “Birth is painful.” And I remembered that yes, oh boy it is. Maybe this is, as others have pointed out, a birth labor starting.

    on the ratio of newcomers: me, I don’t know how much to trust the pre-sale survey – it may be that the answers were simply the product of people rushing to get to the part with the tickets. Who knows how many respondents were worried their answer would influence their purchase (answer: no) and fudged the data.

    By my own wide (but still anecdotal) observation I think we have about 1/3 newcomers in any given year these past few, but everyone has a different estimation. I have seen some serious action, enthusiasm, and creativity brought by first time visitors, and it is never more fun for me than getting to see them experience it for the first time or hearing about it when we get home. Growth and energy are positives – private parties are for country clubs. I hope we are all very vocal about welcoming newcomers in this year. I hope they join their local regional groups. I hope they bring it. I think they will.

    gilbot – well said.

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  • Absent says:

    “Between traffic concerns and the limitations placed on attendance by the Bureau of Land Management, that’s off the table.”

    Maybe this is a good time to start thinking about community action to affect this for future years. What would it take to widen 447, or build another road? What would it take to affect BLM’s cap? An individual or even BM staff aren’t enough, but if the whole group started in this direction, working with BLM and the Nevada government, we might get somewhere for 2013… 2014… etc.

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  • Thanks for the communication guys. I’m confident that you are doing the best you can.

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  • Christine says:

    Virgin who was born to burn. Finally making my way home in my 40th year of life.

    Someone grab me and utilize me. Pretty please.

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  • gjenkins says:

    As noted many times over, supply has outstripped demand. One solution is to increase supply. bigger event, regional events, etc … The other is to decrease demand.

    For the scalpers, decrease demand with non-transferable tickets … perhaps with a STEP like transfer process.

    For non-scalpers, enforce an event ideal … for me, I would prefer to see an event entry deadline … something like entry gates close Wednesday at midnight. But, that is just me and my preference.

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  • Giacamogio says:

    1. Burning Man did not listen to the feedback before they created their own disaster.
    2. They hear it now. At least this can be counted as learning.
    3. They wanted new customers more than they wanted their installed base.
    4. They forgot that it is our event, we simply let them host it.
    5. The scalper issue is not relevant to anyone, anywhere, period.
    6. The claims about ticketing system constraints are complete misdirection.
    7. Burning Man didn’t sell out until July of last year. But, March of this year. This means more money, faster, at higher average ticket prices. Nicely played.
    8. Volunteerism will fall off. If Burning Man wants to control our event they can pay us to work it.
    9. This year’s Burn is in danger of being sad. Fewer enthusiastic camps and participants. Less art and lower quality. When you work for yourself there is an X factor that is missing when you are working for someone else who doesn’t listen.
    10. It was all me-me-me before the disaster and now it’s all we-we-we. What a shame.

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  • Giacamogio says:

    Oh yes, and…explain to me again why bigger is better?

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  • Taylor says:

    It’s finally sinking in, I won’t be going home :( So very disappointed.

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  • Dogknee says:

    I’m glad to see a path forward. However, with so many newbies wanting to attend without the theme camp infrastructure , what can come of this? As a seasoned burner I’m thinking this will be my final year. I’m seeing this event becoming more of a rave than anything else. Yes, I’m old. As much as I like the event I think it’s time for my wife and I to hang it up. We’ve had a great time over the years past and would love to continue but I think it is starting it’s death spiral. It’s getting to big.
    In the last two years it has changed dramatically. Now, with cellphone and internet available on the playa it’s only going to grow. If I’m correct on this, I was told there is a Facebook page for Burningman People tweeting from the playa . I don’t do any social networking so I don’t know if the above is true or not.
    It’s no wonder there is so much growth.

    Last year, for the first time I saw people fighting. What’s up with that? I’ve never seen that in my past years. Last year a cop got beat up? This event is changing. I don’t see that it is for the better.

    Then, all the people that are whining about RVs. Get a clue. Yes, I have a toy hauler trailer. While it is only 17 feet long, it carries a lot of needed equipment for the theme camps which I participated in. I pulled it with a pickup truck which carried even more equipment for EVERYONE TO ENJOY!
    I didn’t hear anyone complain every afternoon when I started up my QUIET generator to turn on the margarita machine. Lots of your people stopped in daily for margaritas and quesadillas which we gladly gave to everyone.
    I didn’t hear anyone complain when they asked to use my bathroom in the toyhauler because closest bathroom was to far for you to walk.
    I didn’t hear anyone complain when they used my RV as a wind break so it didn’t blow their stuff away. I could go on.
    For you who want to punish folks with rvs, get a life. We did more to bring people together than to isolate us from the world.
    We by no means are wealthy. For some reason you want to label every one with an rv as rich. Apparently we do a better job of managing our money that those of you complaining about the RVs. If you don’t like us, that’s fine. Don’t camp near us, don’t accept our gifts then slander us for being there.

    This event will continue to evolve. It has to. It irritates me to see folks bad mouthing the powers that be that organize this event. They do a tremendous job getting this thing together. Walk a mile in their shoes. See what they go through in trying to keep this event going.
    It’s real easy to sit behind your keyboards and poke a stick at someone. Go out and try to live it. I’ll bet you couldn’t do too much better.

    I will be there this year but it will be my last time.

    4th of Juplaya is peaking my interest now.

    I hope those of you that will be there this year will have as good a time as I have over the years.
    Let it live so others can enjoy it also.

    Dogknee

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  • johneed says:

    Thanks for the communication!

    I have no tickets and am likely out for this year.

    I think once BRM can assess where key groups are at, you launch MAJOR efforts to get all the birgins engaged with the needy groups ASAP. Doing so will help alleviate the pain, and also address one of the issues many birgins feel when leaving BRC for the first time (wish I had engaged more).

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  • jimmyjames says:

    Veteran burners should be allowed to purchase 2 tickets each: 1 with their name on it and one ticket to gift/sell.

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  • Todd Gardiner says:

    Do all of you commenters realize that we wrote a novel overnight?

    There are 73,000 words in the comment stream, about a 200 pages.

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  • Kimo says:

    Amongst the plethora of comments that the BMorg has been receiving, I hope that this one merits some true consideration from the powers that be. I’m an “experienced” burner… not that it makes me any more credible or deserving than a newbie or virgin. But I can offer my suggestions based upon multiple experiences during the playa population explosion that has occurred over the past 12 years. What follows are some observations, followed by some suggestions: (CAPS are used for quick reference only)

    #1) NOBODY RECEIVES A PHYSICAL TICKET UNTIL JUNE
    Therefore, the BMorg has plenty of time to go back to the data that they’ve collected from those who received ticket confirmation emails and send those people another email – informing them that the tickets they receive will have their name attached to the ticket, either printed on the ticket, or associated to the bar code (whichever is easier to facilitate). The bearer of that ticket will only be allowed admission with a proper government ID, and up to 1 guest (based upon the 2 ticket per credit card limit) matching that of the ticket’s registered owner. If the partipant has a problem with that they have 30 days to reply and they will not be charged, or if already charged they will be refunded. This makes the ticket non transferable, thus making if very difficult for black market sales of tickets. This can possibly flush out a lot of scalpers since they will have no means of changing the registered ticket owner’s information and these tickets can be re-introduced to the distribution system.

    #2) NEGOTIATE WITH THE BLM
    The 2012 permit is still under review with the BLM and future events are suggesting playa populations of up to 70,000 participants. The footprint of the playa was pushed back further into the desert last year to accommodate for the increased perimeter and overall size of the event. Theme camps had plenty of space and you could find large areas of unused space behind the street frontages of many camps. Add 2 perimeter streets and request a temporary increase from the BLM to 60,000 particpants for 2012. Since the BLM receives 3% of the gross ticket sales and coffee and ice sales, they get more $$$. So there is an incentive to them. 7,000 more people isn’t going to make that big of a difference to the infrastructure and logistics of the physical event. But it could be a huge difference in distributing tickets to those deserving participants, especially with the scalper tickets be re-introduced for distribution.

    #3) EARLY ARRIVAL PASSES, THEME CAMPS AND VOLUNTEERS
    Instead of providing 1 EAP for every 25 theme camp members, change the ratio to 1 for every 4, or every 3. This would allow more participants early arrival to establish the camps and complete construction of camps prior to the general opening. This would also reduce the number of people in the opening line on Sunday night / Monday morning, reducing the 6 hour waits.
    Volunteers that register as a volunteer will need to pick up their tickets at the will-call window PRE-event. BMorg will limit the number of volunteers based upon the BMorg’s specific needs. But whatever that number is, registered volunteers MUST pick up their tickets at the will-call window by a specific PRE-EVENT DATE, or those unclaimed tickets will be re-introduced to the system and available for sale to the general public via the website and can be picked up at will-call anytime before 6:00 pm the Wednesday of the event. DPW volunteers, greeters, etc would all fall into the volunteer category.

    #4) FINAL SALE OF 10,000 TICKETS PLAN – 1 TICKET/PER PERSON LIMIT
    Obviously at this point it would be ridiculous to go forward with 4 tickets/per person. Anybody that wants to be out on the playa can make the effort to acquire a ticket in the next round. 1 ticket per person increases your odds of getting tickets 4x more than the previous plan. The BMorg is obviously going to take a look at the art car / art project / theme camp / volunteer participant numbers and allocate a part of that 10,000 to those involved in such projects. The question will then be, how many tickets does that leave to the general burner, you and me? If the BMorg can successfully negotiate an increase of 7,000 participants with the BLM this year (and don’t tell me it’s too late, cuz that’s BS since they don’t even have the permit locked down yet) then this could off-set the tickets they put aside for the project participants. And let’s also get all those other tickets out of the hands of scalpers!

    #5) THE FUTURE – FERTILITY 2.0 MARKS A NEW ERA AND A NEW DAWN FOR BURNING MAN
    This ain’t your father’s Oldsmobile! The population growth has been pretty consistent thoughout the last 10 years, with the exception of the recession year which was flat. The exponential growth that was experienced last year still hasn’t been quantified. How many people didn’t end up with tickets last year? How many veterans did? The population growth problem may not be as big as one might think. But we know for sure that there are more newbies wanting to experience this event each year than there are veterans who are “retiring”. Therefore, there is the obvious need to increase the capacity of this event over time. And though I hate to say it, the social media thing has obviously fueled the newbie interest. A Burning Man Facebook page? Burning Man and Facebook to me is like a turd in a punch bowl. Not really what Burning Man is all about. Nonetheless, it’s time for a major change if we are to maintain the core elements of this event that we experienced ones have come to love over the years and call home.

    THERE IS NO BETTER TIME THAN NOW! IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SAVE OUR BURNING MAN! Ahhh, yes, that was me shouting out at the top of my lungs.

    FINAL OBSERVATIONS
    There were some statements made by the BMorg about the amount of tickets (albeit “virtual” tickets at this point) that have ended up in scalpers hands, and that being an insignificant amount. This is not an accurate statement as the market will perceivably flood with scalped tickets in June when scalper sactually have physical tickets in their hands. Unless the BMorg prevents this – which they can. There are currently in excess of 200 virtual tickets for sale on the Internet today. The sellout of 2011 created the scalper market. BMorg has the ability to squash this aftermarket by employing the ID ticket distribution system earlier described. For them not to do this would be ignorant on their part. The lottery was admittedly a bad idea. Don’t make back-to-back mistakes. Fix what you can now and elimate the scalpers. You have the power!

    And finally, to every one of you burners out there… please don’t assume that you’re more entitled to a ticket than someone else because you’re a seasoned veteran. Every single one of you was once a virgin yourself. Newbies can bring fresh ideas and new art and contribute to the overall event. Let them grow along with us at our special home on the playa. Just a little less dubstep and bull horns please. We are all one family. That’s why we all want to come home each year after year. Peace to all.

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  • Stay see says:

    I’ve never been but was strongly considering it so put myself in the lottery. I won! Hoorah! But turns out I cannot logistically go. I sold my tickets at cost to a LONG time Burner (he was even in the viral video!) who did not get tickets in the lottery. I find the concept of scalping the tickets abhorrent – goes against everything BM is about. Why would someone who is the type to scalp tickets want to attend an event like BM? Ech. See you in a few years when my logistics are more favorable

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  • IZ says:

    This will be a challenging event without many of our respected elders to guide new comers on their rite of passage.

    Okay so if you can’t recall the tickets.. well.. heres what could actually be done to help hold the tribe together.

    *Limit the number of RV’s – at least new people will have to find creative solutions to their dwellings…

    *Names printed on tickets (everyone is saying it….)

    *Buy barcode scanners with all the money ticket sales brought in

    *Don’t charge people to resell their tickets on the STEP program…. any reseller fee is lame.. and discourages use of the site

    *Perhaps issue printed statements with the tickets giving info on the changes to BM and how folks can join up with a camp, share and make art.. ex: The Burner APP.

    Good luck! XOXOXO

    I love you guys and what this event stands for! I know that we can use love, brain power and technology to help us grow. Burning Man has the opportunity to fully become the global force in a new consciousness of love, gifting and creativity. The ten principals can change the world.

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  • Greg (playa Jesus) says:

    Buy the land! Build the roads! Problem solved!

    Since you own it now. Make it year round! Geez… Make it the 51 state… Succeed from the union!!! I’ll move to the state of black rock!!!

    I think your putting a band-aid on a compound fracture. These are huge problems, huge problems need huge solutions. Time to step it up… Move it to Baja California… Buy a 100 square miles out in the middle of no where…

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  • Shenanigans says:

    Hi Andie, always good to see you commenting, makes this process feel like a dialogue.

    To illustrate what kind of actual demand from there is Burners (new & old) as opposed to scalpers, could you let us know how many people are subscribed to Jack Rabbit Speaks?

    I read that in 2008 it was a massive 100 000. Which tells me that demand for tickets should be half to two thirds that number. Four years later, I’m assuming the number is much higher, and the ratio of demand is about the same.
    That won’t include the virgins who have never heard of JRS of course.

    Once everyone understands that the tickets went to burners, but there are more burners than anyone imagined things may calm down a bit.

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  • Courtney Rodi says:

    An idea for 2013…I know regional burns might be the likely next option, but there is something about BRC that can’t be replaced. What if Burning Man on the playa occurred twice (or more) a year instead of 1 event annually. You could perhaps limit ticket buyers to buy for one event or the other (an idea) to maximize who is exposed to the magic that is Burning Man in the desert. Peace and love and hope to get a ticket and see everyone on the playa in 2012.

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  • Alliecat says:

    There was no mention of the low income ticket registration in the latest ticket url. Is this also up for debate? I personally have my ticket. But I know that there are long time burners that have a hard time coming up with the money for their ticket. I believe in the concept that those of us than can afford to pay more, do. In order to aid those that cannot.

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  • AntiM says:

    Andie, hugs, and spread a few more around HQ. Thank you.

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  • Gene says:

    One tier (for next year).

    E-mail everyone to ask for “a name to print on your winning ticket or no dice and your money back” from every winner for this year. That’ll both eff the scalpers and bring some “just for in case” tickets back.

    Have all the entry guys do a cursory check that the ID presented corresponds to the name on ticket. Have them be somewhat lenient. That won’t make the line that much worse. And hell, even if it does – it’ll be for a good reason.

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  • Ray Carre says:

    HI, i am a working hard to be a BRC-virgin.

    My plan for the burn is a bicycle odyssey with a community of boston burners to stage a transcontinental bike ride to get from beantown to the playa.

    I am not the least bit overly concerned that myself nor the remainder of my co-cyclists will be able to achieve a ticket. I put my faith and trust in the community that a little will power and good energy and intention will help us all achieve what we want for this summer and the burn season.

    cheers

    ray

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  • Srini says:

    Given what I have read, I think the last round of open sale for this year should be scraped and the tickets should be distributed on a referential basis to folks who were planning to be the “major participants” of the largest groups and projects (mutant vehicles, theme camps, volunteer groups, and other collaborations). A lot of theme camps (like Decadent Oasis that I was a part of few years back) have a list of their participants that don’t have tickets. We should also ask folks who are getting tickets in this way to do so on an honor basis, i.e. to check with themselves to see if they gauge themselves as a major participant for 2012 (BORG can give guidelines of what that means).

    Personally, my partner and myself who have been participants at burning man for last 8 years and had applied in the lottery system separately for a total of 4 tix & ended up with none. And given what I am proposing above, we wouldn’t qualify for the referential/honor ticket sale part since we are not planning to be a “major participant” this year. Folks like us can try our luck via the STEP system.

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  • Nick Stephens says:

    So, I’ve gone to bm for the last three years, and I would gladly go for at least three more, but this issue of tickets and distribution is one that may well end that streak. Last year was bad enough, I spent days watching ticket threads in eplaya, tribe, and various other sites. I read countless posts from whiny, childlike “burners”, claiming that they “need” x amount of tickets for their wifes/husbands/parents/children/siblings for so many different life affirming reasons. The common thread was this “need” word. It was rare to see an ” I want” or an “I would like” request. I started to wonder what being a “burner” really meant. I however, managed to get a ticket, went with my friends and had a blast. Now this years ticket debacle has just begun, but it’s already shaping up to be worse than last years. Art camps, sound camps and mutant vehicles seem to be falling apart because of the scarcity of tickets in relation to how many people want to go. There is a lot of talk about what to do to “fix” this, both from the burning community and from BMORG itself. Here again we will see abundant use of this “need” to go.

    Well, I have a solution on what to do to fix this. Do nothing. Yes, nothing. You made your bed, now exercise some responsibility and lie in it. When I say you, I mean you BMORG that grossly misscalculated this lottery’s effectiveness and you the burning community that proudly told the entire world how awesome we were to spend a week covered in playa and partying our asses off. Does it come as a shock that a random lottery is actually random? Or that other people like to have fun too? So what if burning man sucks this year because there is less art, vehicles and sound? Odds are good that demand will be down next year. That tickets wont sell out, that scalpers will move on and that most of the 30,000 first timers (based on BMORG numbers) that signed up for tickets this year will have moved on to other events. Think of it as a forest fire. It may suck in the moment, but it creates a vaccum for new growth, and it may just teach some longtime “burners” the difference between “need”, and “want”.

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  • Oz says:

    It’s a big desert. Grow the event.
    “What we can’t change”.. Creative minds can come up with traffic solutions (staggered day, entrance passes, multiple entrance locations,etc.etc ) and BLM policy changes (outside political pressure).
    Let’s not assume anything.

    Also agree w/ funnelling the next group of tickets to embedded burners.

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  • the kitchen b*tch says:

    I went to the burn for seven years. Then life and finances forced me to stay away for four years.
    I want to go home.
    I may have a ticket, I don’t know.
    I do know that first year burners are never really prepared for the playa.
    I know that without veteran burners who do newbie triage the event will be disastrous.

    If the tickets have not been sent out (mailed), look at the credit card statements and call or e-mail each person who bought tickets, then assign the ticket the purchaser’s name and the guest’s name. If they do not know this person’s name but are gifting it they may have 30 days to assign a name. If you cannot assign a name the ticket would then get placed into a pool of available tickets.

    The remaining tickets –
    Get a hold of the infrastructure of the playa – make sure they already have tickets. (med, support staff, rangers, dpw, ice crew, ect.)

    Get a hold of the camps that do provide a critical service to the playa. (Bike repair, locksmith, mechanic, sanctuary, healers, massages, of known proven worth.) How? Most of these people like the gentleman I met one year who unlocked my car have trailers and have been going for years. Most of us have stories. We know, and the rangers, and support staff will know.

    Then get a hold of the theme camps and the artists. Be honest with them. They know the placers, the know the drill, and help them get home to the playa.

    Then look at the tickets left and sell them. Sell them at regional events only.

    Be prepared to hold back enough tickets that some miracles can happen for artists or low income.

    then
    place name and code with a non removable sticker (breaks up when you peel it) on ticket, and show ID at gate, id must match name on ticket.
    Registration for the purchased tickets would be a massive undertaking. It is do able.

    We would volunteer. We would help. We make the burn happen.

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  • Jaimee Bobaimee says:

    I know this is a shitstorm, but I would just like to say that I forgive you guys, I know you are doing your best, and I understand everything was done with the best intentions.

    Even if I don’t get a ticket and can’t attend this year, I’m okay with it. People and organizations make mistakes. It’s not the end of the world and it is not the end of Burning Man. Shit happens.

    My personal motto when it comes to things like this: Don’t agonize, organize.

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  • kelly higgins says:

    Thank you! For hearing and responding.

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  • 76 says:

    This is a great update and has a lot of points I have thought to my self to be true throughout this lottery drama.
    I myself am a 12 year burner who was planning to take a year off this year anyway
    and have watched this all unfold from the sidelines (did not enter the ticket lottery)
    My day job also happens to have connections to those that deal in the secondary ticket market.
    I can tell you many ticket brokers became aware of Burning Man as of last year when it sold out. For sure a few of them entered the ticket lottery within intention to resell, but I am confident the number is small. Could there be brokers sitting a large number of tickets, yes but unlikely. The number of tickets on the secondary market right now is under 100, and the number that has sold so far is probably close to 100 also (about 70 tickets been sold on Stubhub so far).
    I have actually seen how many individual ticket brokers were uploading there inventory of Burning Man Tickets to various internet sites – the number was small
    , between 8 and 12, depending on when I looked at the information.
    So could ticket brokers be sitting on large blocks,yes, but as you wrote there is no evidence of this, and I find it to be unlikely.
    The weather was way too nice last year – this didn’t weed out enough people and increased demand this year way more than usual , plus I am sure there is some ticket hoarding among people who won the lottery.

    I really think what you have to do with final 10,000 tickets is simple:
    1. Make them all Will Call.
    2. Change the Ticket Limit from 4 to either 1 or 2.

    Good Luck – You’ll figure it out – You always do.

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  • joshua livingroom says:

    i have always wondered why you guys dont put names on tickets and make them non transferable. seems like people could still buy them as gifts and just put the recipients name on it.

    i feel as if raising the cost will only make this event more upper middle class white college educated professional than it already is. so if we want to decrease diversity and make it overtly classist and racist than raise prices.

    i believe it should be mandatory to tent camp (by which i mean no RVs) for your first 3 years. like my friend said last night ‘people have it too kushy’, increase the survivalist-uncomfortable-are we gonna die out here factor and a good chunk of the sissy la las will stay home.

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  • Dog Rancher says:

    What if the EI that that is pending is unable to mitigate issues related to the event except by only reducing the attendance to 40K.
    I think you all are getting ahead of your selves. Lets wait for the ES to be completed before selling or exchanging tickets.
    Dog Rancher

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  • Here is a living lesson in what happens to a society when it’s leadership violates a keystone principle and ethic. Burning Man’s principle of Radical Inclusion will be tested, and all the principles created in the world of Black Rock City will be proven true, or a farce perpetuated by the imagination of a determined few San Francisco hippies, or an “I told you so” from the real world straight-laced with its capitalistic, consumer-istic reality.

    I am a 9 year burner and theme camp member, an MPA (Master in Public Admin) and a PMP certified project manager and my consulting company handles multi-million $$ business/civic development, and here are my observations.

    Black Rock City has, on a level never before, been forced participate in the real world, with all the pressures, roadblocks, regulations and resource constraints that pelt each country, society and citizen every day.

    The leadership of Black Rock City failed to stand strong on the principles that all of our Burning Man culture hold highest. As a culture develops, the time will come when it must defend its values. The leadership of Burning Man did not defend (or respect?) their principles. They orchestrated leaving people out. Shame on them.

    Burning Man leadership are thinking like administrators. Like bureaucrats, mired in the logistics of counting tickets, worried about getting ripped off, and refusing to challenge the powers-that-be to expand territory and negotiate permitting, afraid of dealing with real-world government. Does this sound like maximizing profit for minimum effort? What? Burning Man infrastructure can’t handle growth? Change it! Change location! Incorporate a real township! This is within your power!

    Wake up Andie Grace, this is not an “event” with a problem of “ticket demand”. This is a test of a society’s principles. We, the citizens of Black Rock City, have embraced and evolved and created an ideology that transcends 7 days in the desert. We are now a collective who are realizing that our Leadership has not evolved to support our values.

    Leadership must evolve from an ‘event’ perspective to a ‘community’ perspective. To the leadership of Burning Man, we are watching and will wholeheartedly support the right decisions.

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  • Gilgamesh says:

    I really don’t understand why people are so happy with this “apology” from BMORG. All that they have done, and continue to do is to foster the further erosion of the principles upon which our community was founded.

    “Radical Inclusion is the first principle, but faced with a Burning Man event that is limited in population, Civic Responsibility and Communal Effort dictate that we endeavor to radically include those who create Burning Man in the first place. There are, after all, Ten Principles, not just the one.”

    I’ve read the previous quote from within tis so-called apology over and over again, and still cant believe my eyes. Yes, there are nine other principles; so which one is next in your sights now that you have apparently decided, or leaning towards doing away with Radical Inclusion? Decommodification? Participation? Each and everyone of these principles are important to our culture and our community, and they are ALL paramount to the essence of what Burning Man IS. If you, BMORG, or any of us burners start to arbitrarily choose which principles to follow rather than embrace them as the foundation upon which to build and facilitate cultural and social change, then we might as well abandon Burning Man all together.

    Oh, and one more thing, Andie Grace You also state: “A first-come first-served system would not meet the demand either. Every ticket vendor informed us we’d have to use the same type of “queuing system” that meant hours waiting in line at your computer screen – a luxury perhaps not available to many perfectly deserving Burners. And since we did estimate that demand would exceed supply somewhat, we knew that when people rushed in to grab the tickets available, there would be someone left out in the cold – not everyone was going to get tickets who wanted them.”

    No one expects a first-come first-served system would meet the demand . We are all well aware of the fact that some of us, perhaps many of us, would not be able to get tickets regardless of the system used to allocate and distribute them. What a first-come first-served system would do is afford us the opportunity to have a certain out of control over our destiny. We would,as in years past, waited, planned, sacrifice time and effort just for the opportunity to click that link and be rewarded with our ticket Home. This lottery monstrosity you created took that little bit of control away from us and put it in the “hands” of a computer. One that is not only impersonal, but susceptible to outside influence and manipulation.

    I do thank you for realizing that reversing the Main Sale results would be unfair and and couture productive. I can only hope you and the BMORG are blessed with the same wisdom and come to realized that giving preferential status to anyone will only drive the wedge deeper and further widen the tears in our community.

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  • Tim says:

    Less of the RV hate please! Not everyone who goes to BM lives in the US, and 23kg of baggage allowance on planes doesn’t even cover the survival equipment and desert wear. I’m not sure many airlines would tolerate full camping equipment, cookers, sun shades, chairs, tables, tarps, disco balls, etc. I don’t want to be buying all of that stuff every year for both financial and environmental reasons – as it is we have to buy a load of camping stuff which we end up gifting at the end of the burn as we can’t take it home. So go easy on us RV folk (those from overseas anyway) – there’s a reason why we do it, as it’s cheaper (and far easier) for us to do that than is it to set up a homely camp.

    If we manage to get tickets this year you’ll have to come find us after the temple burns – we do some SERIOUS gifting :-)

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  • burninggil says:

    a little word from a “Vet”…
    i’m into logistics and work anonymously behind the “curtain”…
    over the years, much effort and investment has been poured, be it time wise, monetary but especially emotionally and this ticket issue has stricken another nerve….
    we’ve been hit as well…looks like most of our camp won’t make it…and i’m not sure we’ll go at all….we know artists and theme camps in need and might forfeit to them the few tickets we were fortunate to get….after all, an aspect of the Man is about gifting and what’s a giving without sacrifice?…to give the Man away…
    it is what it is..and if it’s playa camping this year[which will not be, but i’m driving my point…], just be it…after all, it’s how it was in the early years and hundreds of newbies poured in every year and that didn’t temper our enthusiasm…..back to the source :)
    stop whining and be part of the solution….all of you out there with extra tickets, pleasepleaseplease post them back to STEP, we NEED those tickets!……..and if you can’t make it this year to Black Rock, just let go…there will be other years to come[i know iknow, it’s all about the moment…]
    you can also go or start a local burn and contribute to the expansion of our community….BE the Man!
    Thank you BMORG for all your hard thinking….we know that difficult – read “unpopular” – decisions will have to be made, but this too shall pass…and the Man will burn on…
    Blessings.

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  • Dog Rancher says:

    There is no permit to date for the event untill BLM completes the EI.
    Assume nothing it just makes an ass out of you and me. I think I will hold on to my 6 tickets till EI is complete.
    Dog Rancher

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  • foxwalker says:

    Thank you for finally apologizing in a real way (unlike Maid Marian’s post) and for finally communicating in a real way. I am one of the “lucky” ones who got a ticket but my friends that I normally go with did not. I am not sure what can be done now with just 10,000 tickets left but I am hoping for the best.

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  • Sam says:

    I know that you folks at BMORG are trying to make the best of this terrible situation, and I appreciate your effort. Last year was my first burn and it was such an amazing and profound experience, thanks mainly to the art cars and art projects and the theme camps. It truly opened my heart. The week after the burn, I came home and fell in love with an amazing and artistic woman who had never gone to Burning Man.

    I really want to share this profound experience with her. We were lucky and succeeded in getting tickets with the lottery. But now, with the ticket problems, I am worried that man of those art cars and art projects and the theme camps won’t be there. Is there any way that the ticket reselling system could prioritize those creative projects that are so essential to the Burning Man experience? I know it may seem unfair, but those who are going want to have something to go to.

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  • The Wizard says:

    The ORG keeps making the mistake of thinking that the event spontaneously arises from random burners, when in fact, the best camps and installations have always been driven by a small group of very dedicated artists. I think burningman has never had more than 10,000 people who make it all work, and this lottery process has gutted the core of artists and builders.

    I hate to pop the egalitarian bubble, but all burners are not created equal. As far as the overall effect is concerned, one artist who can organize a project, raise the money and craft an amazing installation is worth a lot more than some random candy raver looking for a party, or some dude looking for boobies.

    The crews that support the artists are the actual builders of the event.
    You have thrown your crews into the shredder, and what remains cannot create the event we have come to love.

    I fear 2012 will be a mob of random tourists, wondering why no one has shown up to entertain them…

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  • emrah says:

    you aced damage control
    localize the distribution problem
    let camps decide under scarcity first
    (give few large camps 80% of tix they need,
    observe how they queue, then generalize what works)
    reduce your burden too

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  • Bella says:

    Thanks for the apology, that meant a lot to me. Most would not do that privately or publicly, thank you. Everyone makes mistakes and I have made plenty but the important thing is you have addressed the situation and now we can move forward. I can say this has been most emotional for me, I feel like I am watching something amazing happen in front of my eyes and am witness to it but choose to remain silent on this issue until the cards are played out. This is my home now and I want to go there with everyone else that does too. I for one will keep a happy positive energy in presence in mind and action.

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  • burninggil says:

    PS:
    i agree with Gilgamesh…no preferential status….

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  • Grace says:

    With all that being said, and considering all of the disappointed veterans, it is important for all of those involved in large scale projects to reach out to virgins and ask for their help. It is up to us to keep the culture of burning man the way it was and not let it steer towards media oriented attention. Virgins will want to help, sometimes they just don’t know how.

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  • Cousin Dickey says:

    This year was to be my Burn Mitzvah.

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  • Kelly Kerins says:

    Anyone in the BMORG want to give credit to Alyssa Royse for stepping up the PR and copying her suggestions? If you’d thought of this on your own to begin with, you would have said it in your first ticket update. It’s practically plagiarism.

    http://alyssaroyse.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/burning-the-man-burning-mans-ticket-pr-fiasco/

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  • dragonFly says:

    this article is absolutely useless and makes me even MORE angry. basically you are saying… yes we fucked up, we are so sorry (again), maybe we will see you next year when we might have a better system in place. my whole camp is without tickets. i am devastated that i most likely wont be going this year. im in shock, i really can’t believe you could fuck this up this badly. i dont care how it happened…. give us a real solution and quit posting apologies because i dont want to hear it!

    “We have agreed to be as transparent and honest as we can, describing next steps and decisions as quickly as we are able to make them. We are really considering a vast array of options as we continue to absorb information and analyze data.”

    to me this sounds like political double speak for shut the fuck up and sit down. your hosed and we have no solution.

    seriously dont bother posting this kind of dribble. its insulting. give us options and quit making excuses. fuck!

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  • mgr says:

    There will be less outcry than you think, if you simply decide on a course of action that would have been better, refund all tickets and revoke all letters, and then do it all over. As you said, there’s no joy among those who got tickets, because they know the people they want on the playa won’t be there.

    Figure out how to get tickets to the people who really want to be there. There are plenty of good suggestions above; read them.

    If you don’t fix this, you will have 10,000 actual participants and 40,000 Jersey Shore type spectators.

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  • Bobbie says:

    Thank you. We needed a hug and reminder that we matter. The volunteers, art installations, mutant vehicles and theme camps are not just red headed step-children. We have been a major part of the festival’s attraction. I believe that steps will be taken to save these valuable elements. I believe our pain and frustration has been heard.

    As my Mom always said, “Good intentions pave the way to hell”. Intentions were good, foresight not so good. If the reality is that 120,000 tickets were requested, and 40% of those had never been before the writting was already on the wall. The city would be hard pressed to function, as it has in previous years, with that many Burgins. In my camp I have several Burgins each year. They are easily overwhelmed by the sensory overload. They may contribute but not lead. This was a huge red flag. A proactive approach, since radical inclusion wasn’t going to apply to everyone anyway, would have been to cross reference the email addresses against those who purchased tickets in the first six months of 2011 and given them a priority in the lottery. At least a significant number of tickets allocated to veterans would have helped ensure more infastructure.

    I am taking my village but am still relying on BMORG to help facilitate getting tickets into the hands of my critical people. I don’t mind having to adapt and maybe do more with less. I just hope that I am not left trying to do everything with nothing. I am holding on to faith and waiting to see how this shakes out. I certainly wouldn’t relish an event with more than 20,000 Burgins walking around asking “So, where is all this art we’ve heard so much about?”

    While the numbers help to explain a little, speculators/scalpers could still be a significant portion of the 40% who have never been. Or they could have lied and are included in the 60%. I’m sure they didn’t out themselves and admit they had no intentions of going on the survey. There seems to be a big black ticket hole somewhere. I believe that many Burgins are brought to the event through joining friends in established camps. Therefore the 20 – 30% ticket success in those camps included some Burgin numbers.

    Again, I thank BMORG for the heartfelt response to our cries. I will hold on to the faith that they will make decisions based on the good of the larger community. I do not have faith that the STEP system will yield any solutions for theme camps, etc. There just are not extra tickets in the community and we are all scrambling. My biggest hope is that Rangers, Post Office, Center Camp, Newspapers, Radio Stations, Art Installations and Theme Camps will be taken care of first with the remaining tickets. Without these elements, the face of Burning Man will not be what people signed up to see. This is not Disney Land where all the attractions are in place and you buy a ticket and enjoy. This is a collaborative festival where the attractions are created and brought by the attendees for the enjoyment of all.

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  • Dana says:

    Interesting times. I was thinking of attending this year (last minute newbie) but i’ll hold off and plan a little more in advance for next year. Because there is no capacity (at this time) to grow, the lottery ticket system seems fair. I would encourage you to look at the weighted lottery system in place for grand canyon trips to perhaps get some ideas for next years BM? Just a suggestion. There may be some gold nuggets there to help for future BM gatherings.

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  • Mick G says:

    Hey there

    i have been going since 99 and got tickets in the lottery, but am worried about what this year will be like on the playa, with so, so many of my friends without tickets now, so they can’t plan and so won’t attend … I am still going to go and experience this “new Burn” and I am sure love and smile just like I always do …

    Some ideas:

    1. Allow people leaving the Burn to buy tickets for next year!!!

    2. Make tickets transferrable only within a Burning Man website for face value

    3. For this year allow the 10,000 last tickets to be sold to applicants who write in and describe how long they have been going and what they intend to do this year (kind of like low income tickets, but full price).

    4. Keep a database of people who go, so that we can ensure that peeps who go every year and contribute continue to be able to.

    5. Put a request out to the BM community for programmers etc. to build a better system – amazing what a village can do :-)

    6. Don’t allow people to come for the last three days … close the gates on Wednesday night!!!

    7. Put a limit on the size of these gargantuan motor homes and also on the amount of them, so more people would be required to camp.

    And that is about it

    Much love

    Mick

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  • puppymeat says:

    Prediction: While there is much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments, ultimately some form of priority/special consideration will be given to large registered theme camps/villages.

    It is entirely possible to create something awesome in a 2-3 person camp, but if you have a 50-person camp project, you just can’t get it done if only 10 people have tickets (and anecdotal evidence I’ve seen suggests the real ratio is much worse). Yes, it will suck for the 2-3 person camps, but…well, maybe you take this year off and better luck next year?

    I honestly believe there are NO camps Burning Man can’t live without (and I include Center Camp, Playa Info, The Man, Larry Harvey, etc. in that statement, not that they’re in any danger.) If long-time burners don’t get tickets, that’s a personal tragedy for them. If several large, ambitious project only gets half their tickets and so show up without the necessary resources to follow through on their ambition…well, there will be a lot of graveyards of grand ambition just taking up space. And that would be a community tragedy.

    Please note, I’m not advocating this outcome, I’m just predicting it.

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  • Waterdragon says:

    First it is important to acknowledge that the problem BM is facing is good!!! More people are coming because BM and its participants are doing a great job! Yay! This is cause for celebration! We are getting our message out! This also means that more people are likely to want to come in the future as well. Consequently the solution to our problem is painfully simple. If BLM will not relax its restriction of 50,000 then BM must move and find a new home that will accommodate all PERIOD. No one in our family should be left behind! Understandably, we have gotten bogged down in the ticket sale mechanism and forgotten our vision.

    I could be wrong but it seems possible that there are several Indian tribes/reservations in the area that would be more than happy to host BM for the amount of money that BLM is receiving. Relocation to a tribal territory could potentially solve the size, the multiple law enforcement issues (i.e. an Indian reservation is a sovereign nation and all these functions would fall under one tribal police jurisdiction), etc. Additionally, from a social empowering perspective, another positive would be that these local residents would stand to benefit directly from the event.

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  • Playa Kitten says:

    I big heartfelt thank you to the Org. I have not let myself get negative and upset with the Org throughout this, as I know that your intentions are pure and you are doing your best.

    My message for this post is: PLEASE STOP TRYING TO MAKE IT EASY!!!

    I am a 14 year Burner and I am glad that this is happening. I think that as painful as this may be right now, that this needed to happen. I feel like Burners have been slowly losing the STRENGTH that kept it all real. I have always said that if it wasn’t hard, it wouldn’t be Burning Man. And, you are trying to make it too easy on us. When we waited for hours on the phone and then later at our computers, and showed up tired at work, it was HARD, and when we finally got those much sought after tickets, we were elated and in turn, made the very most of our experience on the playa. It added to the excitement!

    Our large theme camp of 180 people now has access to water service, and pump service, and we provide showers with evaporation ponds, a camp kitchen, and on and on. I preferred it when none of this was an option. Many of the 180 people in our camp have only ever camped with our theme camp and don’t know what it is like to arrive on their own and provide for themselves, the whole “RADICAL SELF RELIANCE” thing has been lost on them. In many ways we have handicapped them, clipped their wings. Again, if you make it too easy then a fundamental strength is lost. It is like our theme camp is a microcosm of the macrocosm, and I know a lot of large camps feel the same way. Maybe this will help us reduce and rethink things. We needed this gut punch, and I think the event as a whole did too, to reset things.

    Now we will be working hard to find tickets for the core 30 people in our camp who really do all the work anyways. Hope your STEP works!

    It will all work out and we will ALL be better for it!!!!

    I love you and thank you!!!!

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  • Furthur says:

    I know, it’s been tough on you guys. But you probably have tickets. Your call to the larger theme camps was telling. They clearly don’t have enough to run their camps. But how about us little guys? Like me, who bring a neighborhood bar (and, maybe a bowling alley). I thought of, bought and acquired, bring, put up, run, tear down and then re-store it, by myself. No big theme camp, few helpers. I’ve got years and lot’s of cash and work that has to be in (paid) storage all year. I improve and add to it all year. Well, I did. Not this year. How can i justify adding, let alone keeping, all this stuff if I have to struggle to get a ticket? And what about next year? Yes, the big theme camps are where the big action, the big money, the big effort is. But I also enjoy biking the ‘burbs to see what is in the neighborhoods. For the above reasons, I (we) may have to cut back or even abandon this effort. But without the larger theme camps, and, yes the hundreds of smaller ones, BRC loses the texture of participation and inclusion it had. And, BMorg provides only, well not only, but mostly, the infrastructure, the canvas that is then painted by us Burners to create the fabulous city in the desert (no, not Las Vegas) that is Black Rock City.

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  • jasON says:

    I know this isn’t really a solution for this year, or even for 2013, but to what extent can Burning Man get the BLM to relax constraints on the event? Would they consider a larger population if BRC was somehow structured differently? Considering that Burning Man has as many as 100K highly-motivated advocates in each one of us, don’t underestimate the power of the community voice to affect change…

    Beyond that, I thought the former idea was that Regionals were supposed to soak up excess demand over time. Clearly that hasn’t happened–in part because a singular epic event is hard to resist (solves coordination problems among schedules, allows focusing of limited resources), and in part because the Black Rock desert is a magical place with some distinct advantages. Perhaps it’s time to reconsider how the new BMORG(.org) can revitalize this plan.

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  • rocketgirl says:

    Another benefit to non-transferable tickets is that convicted sexual predators who attend the festival every year would not be able to remain anonymous. Some of them register at the sheriff’s station, like they are required to by law, but it is known among the LE community that that is a small percentage. Many buy their tickets from secondary sellers, and thus avoid their names, credit card numbers and email addresses being logged by actually purchasing the ticket from Burning Man. Requiring names on non-transferable tickets would address this problem,and possibly serve as a deterrent to their attending the event altogether.

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  • I nor did any of my many many friends get tickets.
    Sure I can get a ticket but not everyone can and I know Theme Camps are bailing so why would I want to go to Burning Man at this point?
    You guys really ruined this one.

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  • uh-huh says:

    LOL @ Harry Larvey’s attempted troll.

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  • Have another event. In Australia, or Costa Rica, or Arizona. The point is, take this worldwide interest as the opportunity it is. Everybody gets a ticket. The world is enlivened. Yes, of course, you’ll have to do some work to make sure camps aren’t split up. But just imagine the possibilities…

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  • Meow says:

    Ha! I really don’t envy the medics and the Rangers this year.

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  • Lindsay says:

    This will be my second year. Whatever solution BMorg comes up with, it’s clear that EVERYONE has to step it up this year to keep the playa what it has been. If anyone needs help on a project or more hands and hours to make it happen, I want to be a part of it. bee.bee.lindsay@gmail.com

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  • joeyhan says:

    allocate remaining tickets to certain group won’t solve the problem but will create more problems to explain……..

    short term fix:

    1) sell remaining tickets like before, 1st come 1st serve, at one flat price, $280-300?
    2) put name on ticket, check photo ID at gate
    3) only can sell ticket back to BRC, with a fee, $30?

    long term:

    1) sell tickets like before, 1st come 1st serve, at one flat price, $280-300? this will stop the rush to get cheapest ticket.
    2) put name on ticket, check ID at gate. don’t need to say more.
    3) only can sell back ticket to BRC, with a fee $30? BRC is the only place to buy and sell BM ticket.

    it is not a perfect world and therefore, no perfect fairness.

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  • Lively says:

    Can we find another location to have more than one BM? Maybe even east coast?

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  • djsburn says:

    What’s up everyone!

    The situation with the tickets is really unfortunate, but this will be my first time coming to BM. I feel privileged to be one of the few that was picked to receive a ticket (no matter how much it hurt my wallet).

    None of my friends were able to afford a ticket so it looks like I’ll be driving solo from San Jose, nevertheless I’m going to make the most of it and meet some awesome people and enjoy the vibe.

    Can’t wait,

    Dave

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  • SushiMonster555 says:

    I have been to BM 2010 and 2011. They have been the best times of my life. I went with my best buddy both times and was trying to get a large group together this year to do it right. None of us got a ticket and I am bummed. I know there is much to deal with in this new age of BM, but for the future I think that doing something other than a “lottery system” would be advisable.

    BM is what gets me through many of my days during the year. I talk about it, I plant for it, and I create for it. Every time I come back from BM, I have some new found understanding of the world. It makes me a better person. I want to keep going, I need to keep going for the experiences, the excitement, and the fun!

    The last 2 years that I went, my buddy and I were only able to go from Thursday – Monday since we are college students and BM always starts the 2nd week of classes. It would be nice to see tickets that are cheaper for those who cannot attend the whole week.

    I know you are all trying your best because that is the kind of people you are, we are. The nicest of the nice. The best to be around. The Burners! Thank you for doing all that you have done and all of us commenters will be here if you need us!

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  • Wet Spot says:

    How’s this for a fix.
    A police or fire dept anywhere in the world signs up for Official Scalper Camp Outpost status with BMorg. BMorg confirms their for real. Any one can go to a local outpost to buy or sell tickets. Marked up price goes to police or fire dept..

    Would keep ticket resale on a local community supporting level.

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  • Deanos says:

    Our camp is about 50 people but we have never had a theam.
    so it sounds like if we go as a theam camp we will get tickets

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  • Steve says:

    Terry had some good ideas:

    One price
    No names
    First come first serve

    I think this lottery is bad for Burning Man. Instead of rewarding motivated, committed burners and virgins who get online in January and wait as long as it takes to get their 2 (maximum!) tickets, we have a random system where anyway can register as many times as they want over a 2 week period using various names and credit cards. It dilutes the event to the point where we risk losing so much of the culture that it just becomes spring break in the desert. Bring back the old system! One single ticket price to avoid the frenzy and gaming! Bring back the old system!

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  • Ryan says:

    SUGGESTION FOR 2013:

    I suggest having applications for theme camps or art projects due in advance of any ticketing. The applicant could be required to identify key individuals (with credit card numbers) that must attend to make the project happen. When camps and art is selected for placement, those key individuals will be able to purchase tickets ensuring that the foundation of BM is in existence before the lottery takes place. A subsequent lottery could allow for equal odds amongst virgins and veterans not core to any selected projects.

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  • Sarahsarah says:

    My two cents-

    Make participation mandatory or at least put a premium on it. There is nothing wron with new people coming out to the event, but you but the ticket, then take the ride. This will ensure that even if 60% of the people are new the city will remain intact.

    Though I hate to make rules for participation, I think it’s key and could ultimately make the city, the event and the community so much stronger.

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  • T. McGee says:

    I have attended Burning Man 5 years in a row (2006-2010). Last year my financial situation did not allow me to attend and this year I am traveling to Ireland instead. I do plan on returning in 2013 and after seeing the affect the new system had on the whole community and my camp, I am hopefully looking towards a better solution and pleased to read the above that everyone is doing their best to solve the current problem. As curious as I am to see the impact this situation has on this year’s event and community, I can’t help but worry that it will be “radically” different. And even though the event is different in so many amazing ways every year, I worry that the camps and art this year will be affected so much, it will be different in a negative way. I worry for my fellow campmates as only a handful of about 40 received tickets. But I am sure you have heard the same from so many people, so I will move on. My two cents…can’t the organization sell tickets to the event as one would to a concert? They have only a certain number of tickets available, the have a date that tickets go on sale and at some point they sell out. You will never find a solution that will make everyone happy or make it easy for everyone, but this seems to be the most simple and fair approach. Even averaging the price tiers to one price across the board would make things fair and simple. You can even keep a certain number of your low-income tickets to apply for. And making the tickets “limited transfer” (or however you want to describe it) will eliminate scalpers across the board. If someone buys a ticket and plans change, they can either re-sell them through the Burning Man organization or submit a form that “im selling my ticket to Joe Schmo at face value”. A confirmation letter from the organization can easily be brought with the ticket to the gate. Again, just one more idea to consider or toss. I hate seeing the community in such negative spirits when we are all usually planning costumes and installations and camp construction. I can only imagine the stress you are all feeling and I am hopefully that something better and solid will come from all of this.

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  • jamie smith says:

    the growth of BM has always felt too fast for me, the first year the streets got bigger [2006?] was totally disorienting, and time to get from point A–>B was distorted.

    … if new applicants account for 40% of registration, how about only allowing 10% [or something like that….]? i guess i’m just not that much of a radical inclusionist, given the current state of affairs, and what is at stake. good luck ya’ll…

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  • Dr. Pyro says:

    I’ll add my two cents worth. I understand the problems the BMOrg faces and I respect that. I also know they will do the best they can, under these rather unfortunate circumstances, to do the right thing. I hope they can set aside tickets for the theme camps; I know Barbie Death Camp certainly could use another 74 at last count. But maybe I’m being naive, and have more faith in our fellow burners (as stoned as many of them may be) than I should, but here’s a thought. I know the BLM is not anxious to increase the number of participants on the desert. Logistical concerns and all that. But if, for argument’s sake, they have 58,000 tickets available this year and increase it by 10% to roughly 63,800, but let it be known that the hurdles we face is with exodus, would 10% of those of us attending Burning Man change our exit strategy? I know I would. If rather than leaving at 2 p.m. on Sunday or noon on Monday, leave at dawn on Sunday or wait until Tuesday, that would solve the exodus burden.

    And let’s say that didn’t work; if 10% more people equals (I am making this number up) 20% more time in line and the average exit time currently is 5 hours, you’re looking at 6 hours instead. Is there a burner out there that wouldn’t be happy to wait an extra hour in line to exit in order to spend the week at TTITD? Hell, I spend that much time munching on Indian tacos. So I think the logistical nightmares that the BMOrg envisions, along with the BLM in their infinate federal wisdom, may well be mitigated by the sheer fact that burners are different from other people. Again, only a rather small minority will have to change their plans to make everything work. Add another ring road along the parameter and live to fight another day.

    Doc Pyro, Mayor of Barbie Death Village

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  • bonnaroo boy says:

    Burning Man is gay

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  • A says:

    A very good response. However you did not address, one way or the other, the idea of making tickets non-transferable THIS YEAR. Based on the early entry system it would seem possible. I’m hoping this was excluded from your response because it is still being discussed, but based on the number of people who suggested it I would have thought you would at least let us know it is a possibility. If you made tickets non-tranferable you could collect the following information.

    1. Name?
    2. Where are you comming from?
    3. Number of times you’ve attended Burning Man?
    4. Are you currently associated with a theme camp?
    5. Would you be willing to work with an established camp?

    You can use the 10,000 remaining tickets to make sure core participants from established camps can make it and use the data you gather making tickets non-transferable to pair up orphened burners and virgins with established camps that need additional help.

    Virgins are awesome, for God’s sake we have special ceremonies for them at the gate, but we want to make sure we have something to show them once they get there.

    Well done, but you still have a long way to go and in a short time. Reach out to the community for expertise in technical areas you need help with. I’m guessing we could have a moon shot from the playa if we gathered all the technical knowledge available in the community. Last year we built a giant working clock, I’m sure this year we can manage a non-transferable ticketing system.

    Also, perhaps this situation calls for reconsideration of the theme. I think a hopeful theme would be “Rebirth”.

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  • Andie Grace says:

    Gilgamesh – What I mean about first come first served is that if we were all standing there at this scale waiting to buy the same limited number of tickets, and we all dove for them at noon when the clock struck…the luck of the draw would have left the same number of people out in the cold, and if you ask me, it would have been across the same distribution of new and returning visitors (and ticket speculators). Like a bunch of birds diving for the same worm all at once — how is that more fair?

    Shenanigans – there are 164,000 subscribers to the JRS.

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  • Alexandra Bialkin says:

    Thank you for working so hard on preserving our community and handling challenges. Although I was disappointed to hear that a lottery process was chosen as a solution, and disappointed at no tickets, I have faith in our BM administration and will continue to. Our family will not rescind our vacation time requests, continue planning our camp, and will continue to seek tickets. See you all there! :)

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  • IT'S ROB!!!! says:

    HEY! My girlfriend and I got tickets! It’s our first year in graduate school (wayyy over in new hampshire) and my first trip farther West than Pennsylvania, and it will be my first time on a plane (I hope). I hope us newbies don’t kill burning man. That would make me sad.

    I can tell you that when we put our names into the lottery, we were unsure if we would/could even go if we got tickets. But then we did, and then we watched the “Oh the places you’ll go” video and we were just like… Fuck it this has to happen THIS YEAR! So that’s why we’re coming down. Always wanted to go but never had the means, no we do, its happening… I hope.

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  • Artin says:

    ADOPT THE AIRLINE TICKET MODEL.

    1)First come first serve.
    2)Cheapest tier ticket is registered per individual. Non-sellable, non-transferable.
    3)Medium priced tier is registered per individual transerable/giftable ONCE through STEP program.
    4) most expensive ticket is limited quantity but is not registered to a person. Thus is giftable/transferable without STEP.

    The argument that this is logistically difficult to manage is not genuine. Airlines have been dealing with these logistics for decades and there are many solid, battle tested sales models in place.

    It’s a model tha works, is fair, eliminates scalping, and provides a mechanism to resell or gift ticked if need be. The added management overhead on BMORG is a given considering the scale of the event the revenue that’s generated by the ticket sales. Hire more staff and take care of it. Airlines, casinos, hotels… it’s the same model more or less, it’s market economics, not rocket science.

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  • IT'S ROB!!!! says:

    P.S. I’m totally down to help with stuff at BM

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  • Reframe Betty says:

    Many thanks for retracing your steps – it was a great help in getting me to where you are.
    With so many newbies and so many theme camps and collectives shorted, how about a place where they can connect? How radically inclusive are we anyway? Yes, training is a pain in the ass so the sooner ones starts, the better. Let each group that wants to invite newbies develop their own “application” on their own websites. All BMan would have to do is set up a networking page, categorize the groups and post links.
    Thanks again for inviting us in on your process. Though I may have to wrestle my husband for his ticket, I am fascinated to see how it all takes shape. Betty’s pie shop will materialize somewhere, I have no doubt.

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  • Kimo says:

    @ Dr Pyro…. 74 more tickets needed? Really? So a couple hundred dusty Barbie dolls marching into an oven qualifies as a theme camp? Other than the wine bistro and pancake breakfast, I’m failing to see what the big contribution is to the playa. From the surface it appears that over time you’ve been able to create a village with a very small contribution to the overall experience for everyone else.

    I’m not attacking you here, but I’d like to hear how your request for 74 more tickets is about making a better experience for all, and not just personal greed for the exclusive “club” that you’ve created? Would BDC not survive with half of its’ membership this year?

    Just asking

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  • will forsyth says:

    I sure hope that all of the hard working people who make burningman happen get there because the prospect of riding around the desert and finding only weekend warriers and frat boys scares me. I have hosted several groups suchas this,(used to be a summer cam director) and they contibute nothing, take no responsibility and make only a huge mess. BEing drunk, yelling “woooo! ” and cruising around looking to get laid does not contribute to the art, community or culture of BM. These people are more like intestinal worms! (Paracites and pain in the ass).

    The idea of a lottery is ok, but given that the Burningman event is mostly participant driven, we need to find a way to get people ( GROUPS) capable to pull it all off in place first. New people are good, just less likely to participate beyond “individual participation”. Requiring volunteering seems like a good thing. I am ready to help now that I am returning.

    I have a feeling that a combination of opportunistic scalping and fearfull over-buying has occured. That being said, lets not discount the power of social media in the spread of interest in Burningman.
    I just got the internet in my home, and did not really know about the scale of Burningman when I first went. I went with friends. The suprise of waking up on day one to see a giant “trojan bunny” coming out of th dust was truely awe inspiring! I am commited to do what I can to contribute.

    I am sure that when the Ipod generation sees all the coverage (we post) online they mostly come for the party. If it looks like Disneyland, its likely they are unaware of the work that goes into it. Be carefull what you post ( because like the girl who announced her birthday party on Facebook) everyone might just show up!

    Im rambling: good letter, names on tickets, one per person, participation manditory, find a way to protect the core and the people who think of BM as a way of life and not an event.

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  • Christina S says:

    This will be the first year I get to attend Burning Man.
    I had purchased tickets in 2009 and then was unable to go when several people bailed and plans fell through, so I sold them under face value to others in my city who wanted to go (I would rather “lose” some money than just have the tickets go to waste).

    Myself and two friends have been working on plans for how we want to be part of this event this year. The three of us had planned to camp together and have an awesome interactive art piece.
    However, at this point, only 2 of us have tickets.
    We’re all first timers for the playa this year, but have participated in regional events and get-togethers with friends and organizations for several years.

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  • mimosa says:

    First off – the blog was well done, professional and clear – even if i don’t really like everything you said.

    I have concerns and a suggestion.

    Suggestion first –
    If 40% of the tickets are going to newbies and, lets say, another 20% go to those who had 2011 as their first year – then we could be looking at 50%+ of the population being first or second year burners. Let’s admit it – if 2011 was your first year, you got off easy and didn’t really have the basic challenges that those of us who have been going for years have lived and thrived through.

    IF they, the “new ones” are going to be a majority, or near majority, of new and near newbies – THEN why not engage them to TAKE A VETRAN to BM. In the past it has been “Bring a Newbie” – now, they might have the upper hand, or ticket in hand, to bring a Vetran. Ordinarily it would be a vetran bringing a newbie, or a newbie bringing another newbie. Think about it. Make them get invoived – do a call out to all newbies to sell that extra ticket(s) to a vetran instead of bringing another snot nose :>)

    Concern now –
    I feel abandoned by this process. This would be my 4th burn and I do not claim to be a vetran – however, for the past two years i have volunteered for soooo many things – and not been chosen. I came early last year and worked my ass off for my camp – I donated hundreds of dollars to projects because I can’t offer any expertise to help – only some bucks. I was a good Burner – a moop maniac – shared, cared, cleaned up after people. But all this is the ordinary stuff of BM – I am not a special burner, just a ordinary one. I am not an artist and my outfits aren’t the stuff worthy of You Tube. I would do more, want to do more and each year I’ve reached out to do more. I got shut out of the lottery and now I think I will get shut out of the remaining 10k tickets. My theme camp is so strapped for tickets I expect them to distribute extra tickets according to “expertise’, “worthiness” (aka years of service), or perhaps “popularity”. I am afraid that I won’t make runner up in any of these categories. I’m gonna be left in the dust….

    I also feel that BMorg has changed the rules on me. No prerequisite for participation?

    All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others….

    sniff, sniff.

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  • Moth says:

    Thank you for posting this. It helps a great deal to know what is going on and that we’re being heard.

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  • “No event organizer or ticket seller has solved scalping completely.”

    When is the last time you bought a ticket from a scalper at the airport?

    Now i am NOT suggesting that ALL tixs be sold this way….how about a special 1 tix per person for theme camps organizers who plan their lives around this event each and every year?…….it can still be a lottery, only for long time theme camp burners….you will know who the person is and if tragically they are unable to attend the event for some unfortunate reason they must sell it back to BM and just like a plain tix penalty fees apply…etc…then BM can resell the tix to another theme camp….say 25% of tixs being sold this way?

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  • Steve says:

    One price
    No names
    First come first serve

    I would add this too:
    If a lottery or some other system is used in 2013, those that don’t get tickets get automatically reserved for tickets for the NEXT year. It’s only fair. Then in January of the next year all those people get emails asking them to confirm and provide a credit card number to secure those tickets. If they changed their minds and don’t want to go, they decline, and the tickets go back into the open sale.

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  • JoanDelilah says:

    Hi. I have never been to Burning Man, but I am praying with all my heart I can get there this year. My life is undergoing tremendous transformation and I am feeling called to go down to The Desert and be there for this in a huge way. I hope that this will be the magical culmination of a magical time in my life, and I am literally dreaming about it regularly.

    I don’t know how I can get a ticket, and I don’t yet know anyone to camp with, but I am already a radically self-reliant individual and even if I don’t find any camp or group to go down with, I can get there with enough of the right gear and supplies for two and a stack of gifts I am already working on.

    I don’t want to be a tourist. I want to be a full-fledged part of this. I would be ecstatic to be able to offer my time and labor to the community, as a simple pair of hands, or using my 15 years of technical and operational security experience.

    I’m not sure where to start or what to do next, but I really want to come down and contribute, and I just felt that maybe coming out and saying that would be the right thing to do in the wake of this situation.

    I would never want to take the ticket of long-time burner, and I would never want to pay a scalper, but I can afford a full-price ticket, and I can afford to sponsor a low-income ticket too, and I can certainly spend a good chunk of my weekends and free evenings working to make this happen.

    So there; I have added my voice to the crowd. Please do with it what you will.

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  • Michael Everett Brown says:

    Andie Grace;

    Thanks you for your detailed explanation of the ticket situation. And all the extra hard work that you and the rest of the staff are doing to improve it.

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  • Barry SwagMart says:

    Burning Man has grown through so many obstacles over the years. Each of those surmountable obstacle’s has created a better Burning Man experience every year.
    The valuable imput by those concerned Burners will create a better experience for all of us.
    Most of us believe that none of this ” Perfect Storm ” was created intentionally.
    There are no Problems, Only Solutions.
    See ya, on the Playa.

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  • Gilgamesh says:

    Mr Larry Harvey,

    Thank you for finally making it official. I completely disagree with your decision, but at least now that’s official this whole thing can move forward.

    I am deeply disappointed to see that your solution to the problem your board created by ignoring the warnings of the community, translates in nothing less than turning your back on the very principles the project was founded on. The principles that YOU based this amazing creation on.

    For years I’ve tried to educate those claiming that the project was nothing special. Now I must eat my crow, you Sir have just made it official, Burning Man is truly for the Elite. Those with the money to buy a ticket at any cost, and the privileged ones rubbing elbows with those holding the power.

    Sad… so very sad.

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  • IDjoe says:

    I have question . . . Tickets that were ‘awarded’ to purchasers who left the questionaire blank are considered sales to whom? Newbies? Previous Burners?

    Sorry if the question has been asked or answered. I haven’t seen it.

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  • T says:

    Guess a ticket recall isn’t going to happen so, perhaps:

    1) Could you assure us that the number of years attended was purely for statistical purposes and played no part in the draw?

    2) Could you possibly dedupe addresses of successful ticket ‘winners’ (shudder) and if they’ve won multiple sets of tickets using different cards registered at the same address to limit them to one set of tickets and put the rest back into the pot? Hunt down scalpers or multiple bidders, and take their tickets off them. We’ll support you.

    3) Would it really be that hard to print names on the tickets and make people show ID which corresponds to the original ticket purchase? Wouldn’t even add to the wait time – get more volunteers further back in the line and do the checks whilst they are in the queue, slap a sticker on the vehicle of those who have been been cleared, and all those who have to go to will call are checked there? I know some people want tickets to be transferable – but 2012 might have to be a year of tough love to try and stop this from happening again. If I manage to get a ticket, I promise I’d come and help out.

    I am trying to be positive, but there are only three possibilities here: there are a lot of scalpers, or a lot of people who have been doubling or tripling their chances of getting tickets (both in my mind going totally against the ethos of Burning Man) or demand has increased significantly. There must be quite a few burners out there sat on extra tickets, who now get to decide who goes.

    On a more positive note, I do think a lot of people will have got tickets ‘just in case’ and that over the next few months there will be quite a lot in circulation. I don’t however hold massive hopes for STEP as it’s just too soon after the lottery and people won’t have made their minds up yet if they made a speculative purchase.

    All I want is for burners (old and new) to be able to stand on the top platform of the man at night, look out across the playa at the art cars, the lights, the music coming from all directions, and say ‘fucking hell’ in total amazement at the sight in front of them (probably with a tear in their eye at the same time). It’s the most amazing experience I have ever had, and I’m sure it will end up being incredible, regardless of the form it takes.

    We need to undo any unfairness in the process to rebuild trust. I used one card, for one bid. That’s what anyone who believes in BM would have done, and I’m presuming this is not what happened. But perhaps we have too much faith in all Burners, and it’s horrible to start feeling cynical about it. Last year a bloke stood at the front of the crowd throughout the temple burn and refused to sit down, despite people telling him how important it was for them to be able to see it – it was disgraceful, far worse than a fight. A fight at least implies emotional – he just didn’t care about anyone else there. I really hope he hasn’t got 6 tickets.

    BM is amazing, no wonder more people want to go – I have raved about it to enough people and encouraged them. I have probably contributed to the problem. Take out the scalpers, take out the multiple bidders, and at least it’s fair, even if lots of us don’t get to go. At least you know you had a fair chance.

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  • ramon says:

    What about limiting the amount of tickets to two or three per credit card? So even if you have ten credit cards you still have to go through the process all over again each time? It’l slow it down enough that it gives the right people the time to get a ticket.

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  • Huggy Bear says:

    Here’s the translation:

    “We realize we made a dog’s breakfast of this ticketing situation. We know that now. And we feel awful about it. Truly awful. We know many of you got screwed out of tickets and won’t be able to attend. Even lifelong Burners are going to miss out, and the thought keeps us up at nights.
    But here’s the good news: even though we know we messed up, and we feel bad about it, you’re still screwed.

    Bye!”

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  • Leigh Mueller says:

    Thank you for the beautifully written exposition of the problem. I have been traveling sans computer for months, and wasn’t even aware of the problem until this week. I had assumed that tickets would be sold on-line in March as usual, so I’m pretty bummed to learn that most of them are already gone. As a long time Nevada resident, and visitor to the Black Rock Desert when it is empty as well as full, I would like to say this: If you don’t get to go this year, maybe take some time to bring a few friends and go experience Black Rock when it is empty. It’s like camping on the moon.
    The solitude is astounding. The place abounds in magic and visual tricks. I have spent nights on the playa utterly alone, and in some ways found it as or more transformative as when I was a citizen of Black Rock City.
    I’m keeping hope that I might get lucky and get a ticket when the 10k run opens, but if not I will keep the spirit of the burn alive and be grateful for the past years of fun and wonder.

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  • Wet Spot says:

    This might be fun in the future-
    Multiple city/art areas (more people). Maybe the cities have different themes. Human built & powered mass transit between cities. I’ve always wanted my human powered commuter train to have some poofers and a bar for safety.

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  • Danica says:

    Excellent article.

    IMHO: Reserve the last 10,000 tickets for art camps/theme camps/art cars. if you are submitting an application to bring those things, add your credit card number and number of tickets needed, just like with early entry passes. Distribute like early entry passes.

    Shambhala (Nelson, bc) has begun to run in to this problem as well. It’s a much smaller area, and with about 12,000 tickets sold out in days, it’s difficult for the “old crowd” to come. However, long-time volunteers, vendors, DJs, etc. recieve guest list tickets with their applications. I know that it is a for-profit festival and therefore much different, but perhaps it is necessary to have some recognition for the returners and the builders.

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  • uh-huh says:

    “bonnaroo boy Says:
    February 10th, 2012 at 11:00 am

    Burning Man is gay”

    Hence the demand.

    Hey did you know that Atlanta Motor Speedway has a NASCAR event on Labor day weekend? You should go.

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  • Darrell says:

    I am a two-time burner. I didn’t go last year but this year my girlfriend (newbie) and I are planning to attend. Of course, we very sad at the way things have panned out, but very much encouraged by this post. There is hope.

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  • Juju! says:

    Hellooo there! I know you have received a whole buttload of ideas for future ticket sales to help solve the current issues in the system. Well I have one, too! I am firmly in the camp of making tickets non-transferable, i.e. having the buyer’s name printed on the ticket. No option of the buyer selecting another person’s name to print on the ticket, though, as Stub Hub could make up a bunch of Playa names, and whoever buys the ticket could claim at the gate that “My crazy great Aunt Wanda who bought this for me thought it had to have my Burning Man name on it, lulz.” So only the name on the buyer’s credit card would go on the ticket. Or, if the person buying is also buying one for their luvvah, then the buyer’s name would go on both tickets and they would have to be present with said luvvah at the gate to say “Yep, I got the ticket for this sexy beast.”

    But, what if the buyer ends up not being able to go? Fear not! They wouldn’t have to eat the cost of their ticket just because shit happens. So create a Burning Man ticket resale website, *just like you are planning to this year*, where someone with a ticket who can’t go has the option of selling it to a Burner, and only at cost! If it’s a year where not all tickets sell out, then to get a Burner in need to buy that ticket instead of just getting one from the main ticket site, the one selling would then probably have to sell it for cheaper than what it was originally purchased for to make it more desirable, so it could be a deal for the buyer instead of the buyer and Burning Man does not lose anything. Then, the person who bought the resold ticket via your site would be able to print out a receipt of this transaction and bring it with them when they show up to Burning Man, as proof at the gate that the reason the name on the ticket doesn’t match the name on their ID is a legitimate one. And CLEARLY state far and wide that ONLY this website will be allowed for re-sale. Period. Print outs of e-bay ticket sales or other such denizens of the tubes will not qualify.

    Voila! There you have it. No more scalpers, no more hoarders, no more lottery system, no more $1500 tickets, all tickets only sold or resold at cost, and no worries of someone being stuck with a ticket if they end up not being able to go. IIII like it. :o)

    Dusty exes and ohs,
    ~Juju! The Fishmonkey.

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  • Wilburner says:

    Thank you! Your informative essay has made me more inclined to continue pursuing tickets for this year. I am guilty of talking my brother and my girlfriend into going to burning man with me (or as it turns out, trying to go to Burning Man with me) this year.
    One idea (and I have no idea how the logistics would work) – sell tickets for the following year at the current burn inside Black Rock City .

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  • GOS says:

    I think a lot of the occasional burners must have registered. They may not go, but want the power to decide that on their own, not because tickets sell out. And come July they can bow out AND make a profit. Why not enter the lotto if you’re unsure? There’s nothing to lose and lots to gain.

    Balancing inclusivity and making sure the event isn’t full of unprepared spectators instead of the builders of BM is a tough job. Thanks for working to preserve the event!

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  • eMagellan says:

    Thank you for your honesty and clarity around the ticket purchase issue. It is distressing to hear that many worthy Burners do NOT YET have tickets. This might all work out pre-Playa… But like other folks, I wonder if there is a way to incorporate the other principles on equal status with radical inclusion. I think Burners who have done art projects, volunteer work and other forms of participation before ticket sales should be in a priority group, similar to the higher priced tickets this year. Tiers for a lottery at each level could be: 1. “participating” Burners; 2. high-priced tickets; 3. regular tickets. There are accounting issues and some administration issues to manage “participating” status, and that status would time-out unless renewed, but those who build and sustain BRC and BMC would have a better chance at coming back, while we still include a lot of other Burners and first timers. Good luck everybody.

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  • Dennis says:

    Ill echo a vote that others have said.

    BAN THE RV’S, tents only.

    I bet you’ll see a lot of tickets make their way into STEP early on and just think how much friendlier, quieter, cleaner it will be on the playa. It might even make the journey into and out of the event smoother and quicker.

    BAN THE RV’s, tents only.

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  • nobody stranger says:

    nothing that comes easily is appreciated for long. Change is always good, we overcome adversity and are always the better for it. I’ve been the last 8 years and i can tell you what you already know, no two years have been the same. When i heard last years that it was going to be very “brotastic” and that our home was going to be invaded by people some felt didn’t deserve to be out there i replied “let them come, maybe what they need to open their eyes to the world around them is us, as we are pretty phenomenal (that’s both pretty and phenomenal). And now here we are where more and more and more and more people wish to be devirginized. begging and aching to give their virginity…to us. Perhaps what we all need is a dissolution of us and them and to realize we are all we. Humanity, a community where a helping hand and a sympathetic ear can transform minds and hearts. It starts in each and everyone of we, you and me together.
    I’m not saying i was all hearts and stars over the new system, but i do know i’m not helping by attacking those who are doing their best to help me get home. It’s reassuring to know that they are thinking and thinking and thinking about how to fix what we as a community have expressed are major concerns.

    I did not receive my ticket in the lottery but have no fear of not getting a ticket, what will be will be. if i don’t go i will miss my home and my hearts who do attend, as they will represent us to them and show them that together we can change, ourselves our mindsets our beliefs our way of life our society our very concept of who we are and why we are here. (then again we can do this everyday, but burningman is a break down the doors in your mind and let loose the children inside outside into the big full of wonder wide world kinda experience)

    Word to your mothers

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  • playadust says:

    andie – thank you for sharing the update with the community; we know you in the HQ/ORG are people with hearts and connections to the culture just like all of us – your response created a deep breath that everyone needed

    the “entitlement” game has to stop…no one person/theme camp/artist is more “entitled” to a ticket more than another
    the negativity and blaming has to end, what kind of energy are you all putting into this? what you put out you will receive ten-fold
    where is the space for possibilities? and the space to welcome new potentially just as talented and creative beings into the community?

    it’s called *change* people…it was bound to happen sooner or later…not many can deal with change all that well, I get it

    there is something to be said for anything created in the year 2012, there is opportunity to change the outcome – even the virgin burners have a chance to shine – this year’s burn will be different, as they all are, and beautiful as they all are – it will be what you make it – it’s all perception anyway

    the concern is the timing of the the open gate…the weekends are what kills the ‘vibe’ of the burn, my plan is to leave prior to that happening

    holding two tickets, answered the survey, registered once (the last day of the 2 week reg period) and received two tickets

    let’s leave the planning of 2013 for after this issue is managed and we set out for the dust

    we’ll all get there…if we were meant to be there

    blessings

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  • Papa Rain says:

    1) I am still unsure how our core collaborative community will get tickets to attend. How will this happen?

    2) This is an idea to increase the number of people who could come to the event. I don’t know if this is possible, but what if buses were organized to take people to the playa to limit the number of vehicles and traffic going in and out of the event. Maybe there could be some tickets released which required entry by bus. Exodus could be improved and more people could attend.

    3) Is there any way we can attach tickets to a name this late in the game. My guess is this would force scalpers to give up their tickets and more people might be willing to give to the STEP program. I love being able to give tickets but it seems less important than preserving our community.

    Thank you fellow burners for participating!
    Dusty kisses

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  • Too Sad says:

    Too many veteran burners here venting about their 1st World Problems. When the headlines read, “Burning Man Sold Out!” the fine print should’ve stated how the hypocrisy of many burners is finally exposed. Other comments here say this much better and in a nicer way, but I’m lashing out in pain because I’m seeing my home divided and now I’ve none. This dysfunctional bickering is what I want to escape through BM. This whole disaster is just too sad – the next Seussian video parable about BM should be The Sneetches.

    As for the suggestion of checking IDs at the gate, I thought BM was all about checking your id at the gate. The experiment was just that – an attempt at solving perceived problems and it didn’t elicit the best results; therefore, maintaining an entity’s word and values during adversity is worth more in the long run than keeping around some self-centered albeit very talented egos. Anyone who feels that they are more valuable than another human in any context is not a true Burner.

    I hope that a phoenix will rise this September and reignite my faith in this movement. I hope that BMorg sticks to their word on this year’s ill-fated plan in spite of the veteran narcissistic protests (sibling rivalry of this degree is simply horrific by burner values). I hope that next year, ticketing will be an open, effort-to-earn-entry ticket system, NOT seniority-nepotism-money. I hope that BMorg sees this ticketing issue as a symptom of a bigger problem they need to solve.

    Experienced burners have an opportunity to be true leaders and grow regional burns. That is the ONLY way that this movement can realistically, organically and healthily grow in the Default. Is that fact really too difficult for people to understand? If BMorg did anything different next year, it should be to support satellite Burns as a necessary extension of the central Burn.

    The current BRC already exceeds capacity and this is proven by the very existence of this symptomatic conflict: that everyone is being forced to pick which of the revered BM values as being more important over another just to put the whole event together. Some people see that this event is a boon to the Reno region, but it is also an incalculable, tremendous stress on resources for the host site. It’s easy to tell oneself that they are doing a favor to a community by dropping in to express their humanity and creativity and then cleaning it all up and going away for a year. I know that there are programs and Burner groups who address this, but by and large, there is a simple majority of attendees who just don’t get the whole picture. So, the answer is, it’s time for the Man to give birth.

    Until next year, when we’ll discover if BM will evolve or completely succumb to the dark side powers of the Default World that has overtaken it, hope everyone finds a way to accept this situation as it is and love each other and not take anything for granted.

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  • Marc "Marco Pollo" Harris says:

    Thank you for this message. It helps in the healing process. Regarding ALL tickets, my suggestion right now is as follows: Treat it like airline tickets. Attach names to ALL of the lottery and open tickets sold, with a 2-3 week window for purchasers to send the names. If names are not provided (or no response), then the ticket cost will be refunded (and tickets put in the STEP). Name changes should not be permitted, or possibly done for a big fee, to discourage changes. This way, more people who DO KNOW that they plan to go for sure, can hopefully get tickets, and many of those that are thinking, MAYBE THEY’LL GO, will decide now. Doing this would go a long way towards improving the morale of the community. *And also thanks for all the hard work at the BORG being put towards a solution!!

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  • Paul Berick says:

    I’m a first timer who feels so fortunate to have gotten a ticket. Many of the Burners who lit the fire in me were not so fortunate, and some are really bitter. Even if the huge demand and indiscriminate fairness which seems to be causing this “conflict” costs BRC some of it’s big pieces, I’m very confident that the souls which meet in the desert will form temples not made of hands, more beautiful than ever before seen. The new blood won’t disappoint, just let us come together and burn.

    Have you thought of doing a Burning Man II in the same summer? Only allow people to go to one or the other. BRC can’t hold twice the people in the same place and time, but it CAN hold twice the people in the same place in two times.

    I’m excited and feel so destined to be in BRC with you all, I am fearful that I won’t have anything to offer though.

    See you there! – Paul

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  • Marc "Marco Pollo" Harris says:

    Oh yeah – If names on tickets slows the entry, so be it. At entry, there could be “spot checking” of IDs to reduce the wait.

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  • keeks says:

    Thank you so much for that. We needed it. Sometimes it’s hard to handle the simple fact that you guys are not just the coordinating forces that be, but you are also Mom and Dad (symbolically) and we all just want to hear you say, “It’ll be alright. We love you.”
    And I am sure you do.

    But I am still rendered completely confused because your numbers still do not seem to add up.

    If, as you say, 25% to 30% of camps were ticketed (though I HAVE to say something here…I am a 5 year veteran and know a huge amount of Burners and other Burner Camps and across the board most of the camps I have spoken to are doing numbers more like 10% or below. Camps are disbanning right and left. My own Camp, that is stretched between NYC and LA, are having a skype meeting tonight to decide if we are bailing.)

    Back to the point…if what you are saying is that 70% to 75% of the Burn this year will be newbies.
    And then you say that 40% of the people applying for tickets in this lottery where saying this is their first burn. THEN…40% got 75% of all the tickets??

    How did the Newbies get so LUCKY???

    How did the 40% (less then half) manage to wipe out camp after camp?

    I like Newbies. I was one once. But I do resent them for what feels like the Gods of fortune like them better.

    Unless that’s not what happened.

    I say…as well as a lot of other peeps..put names on tickets starting THIS YEAR.
    Even though there are only about 100 scalped tickets on websites now asking upwards of 3K, every business man knows that timing the release of a product it what it’s all about.

    The “gifting a ticket thing” is a lovely idea who’s day has come and gone (obviously). Once along time ago “the right to bare arms” actually was a good thing. You never knew when those pesky Red Coats could come sneaking back. Now anyone who wants to play paranoid militia man in their backyard shooting at the neighbor’s cat has the right to do so.

    Sometimes we need to adapt.
    Plus there’s no tickets to gift anyway.

    Put names on tickets THIS YEAR and you may see a huge amount of tickets coming back, as people who got them, who NEVER intending on going, have only one course of action.
    STEP.

    I would LOVE to see you all screw over those eBay monsters.
    As sweet and loving as you all are…sometimes you gotta fight a little tough.

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  • Pants says:

    I think all ticket sales should come from the regional organizations. Even folks in the boonies could find access to one near them – and it might encourage more local communities to create their own. This fosters the “take it home” element and would force newbies (and veterans too) to make contact with their local burning man communities and maybe even get more involved with them.

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  • Lory 'Moopeye' Osterhuber says:

    Thanks to all who write level-headedly about this emotional topic. I guess our collective rites of passage are continuing! Speaking as a core member of our 10-year old theme camp, AOXOMOXOA, and so you know for your data collection, only one member out of 30 received one ticket, and that one was at the highest price level. So we had a .033 % success rate in getting tickets. My suggestion for the upcoming sale on March 28th, is to limit the number of tickets per purchase to “1.” The idea that only 2500 orders could have a chance for 10,000 tickets (because the current purchase limit is “4”) seems crazy in the face of the demand. Thanks, also, for the hard-working, hard-thinking, big-time creative souls collectively in the Burning Man front office and in the community at large. We’ve weathered storms before. xxxxoooo

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  • cthulhu says:

    As a newbie who got tickets, I feel a bit like I am “in ur event, ruining ur fun.”

    I would love to participate/volunteer/haul materials and hammer nails, etc. All I can think of in the way of suggestions is to have some way to match theme camps with all the virgins coming.

    Even if it is just a bunch of people camping in the desert with a few drinks between them…will it be that bad? I of course have nothing to compare it to, but my understanding is that it is the freedom and possibilities that make Burning Man “home,” and although home without its long-term residents can feel empty, I do hope that the people who do attend will be able to Bring the Experience, as it were.

    I know I look forward to focusing on giving of/from myself, and am just worried about the “overwhelmed” feeling that people say can afflict well-intentioned newbies.

    I love art and thumping bass, but really, as long as there are people trying to creat e an intentional community, I think it will be alright. It might not be as much of an amazing spectacle, it might be a fuckton of work, but what do people bond over more than shared experience? Shared labor.

    (Of course, I really have no idea! I might be wrong, but I hope not. Everyone seems so amazing that it will be hard NOT to have a good time! Hug a sparklepony, etc.)

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  • BlueBlazer says:

    I have been following the event for four years, have listened to weeks of chatter after decompression, and watched my social circle filled with new friends and contacts from this amazing thing.

    Here’s what you are getting out of me: An able bodied, soon to be member of the CCC who has time and a brain. I urge all virgins to step in and contact theme camps now, to offer your time and energy in the development of something new. Go out to the camps and show them that your ticket didn’t go to a scalper, it went to someone’s unlikely champion. The person who was always an asset but just happened to be 200 miles away last year.

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  • TheCapitalist says:

    I want to add a bit more to my previous analysis. As Andie Grace stated above “Game theory won out over good wishes.”However, regarding scalpers, she also stated: …we will collaborate to do what we can to starve them out.”

    The BORG is quite naive to think that you could starve out holders with profit motive (“Scalpers”). The only perceive wat they could do that is to delay the shipment of tickets until June. Unfortunately, since the BORG cannot identify Scalpers they would have to put all ticket holders, including those without profit motive (“Burners”) in the same boat.

    This strategy will have the unintended consequence of driving scalper prices up since Burners the market will have a smaller period of time to settle. By attempting to contrain the market, prices will skyrocket. This is much like the backwards thinking of rent control. Take a look at rents for tenants that already have apartments in SF. Now take a look at rents for new rent-controlled apartments in SF.

    In any case, it does not matter much. If the STEP program continues as predicted, you hippies will immediately witness the massive failure of the program and your “trust” in the community. The uproar will be massive and the distribution of tickets will have to be modified.

    BM might end up sucking for most of you. As for me an my harem of Sparkle Ponies, we will have a blast either way. Oh yeah, on behalf of myself and my fellow TicketLords, I hereby declare the minimum price for the commodidity of a face value ticket to be: PRIMA NOCTE!

    Fellow TicketLords: Do not sette for less than Prima Nocte – we can starve them out!

    If the BORG wants some good ideas, email me. I’m pretty worthless when it come to the amazing art at BM but when it comes to exploiting markets – I will fuck you all.

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  • Midnight Sun says:

    Some suggestions for 2013 ticket sales …

    (1) Art installers and theme camp organizers/members get first dibs on tickets – say around Jan 2. These are the “true participants” without whom Burning Man cannot exist. Camp theme, rough design/concept, approximate total number of members and their roles must be submitted on/before that date, to prevent gaming the system this way.
    – Four price tiers for these tickets (see below).

    If there are any tickets left, they are apportioned as follows:

    (2) 90% standard ticket sales – remaining tickets sold in staggered tiers, starting on these dates:
    – Jan 15 (most expensive) – 30% of the standard tickets (tier 1)
    – Feb 15 (middle) – 40% of the standard ticket allocation (tier 2)
    – Mar 15 (cheapest) – 30% of the allocation (tier 3)

    (3) 10% low-income tickets – available by lottery (tier 4)
    – Registration starting Jan 15, closed Feb 15, notified by March 1.
    – Those who didn’t get tickets in the low-income lottery automatically get the right to buy one of the “cheap tier” tickets that go on sale March 15.

    * Except for the low-income priority for cheap tickets, sales are first-come, first-served as always. BMO makes this possible by buying extra bandwidth for the first 12 hours of ticket sales on each of these four start dates so their servers don’t crash. If I am willing to stay up all night, take the day off work, or talk someone else into sitting in front of a computer for hours just so I can get my ticket, why shouldn’t I get priority?

    * BRC is all about participation. This was clearly evident the first time I went (2001) but the most recent time (2010) there were a lot of people who weren’t creating anything and didn’t even bother to turn themselves into art. I have no problem making it harder for nonparticipants to participate, if you get my drift …

    * This system would mean planning farther ahead, which is not a big deal for repeat offenders ;) I am already locking down participants for a 2013 theme camp.

    However I suspect that there won’t be a ticket problem next year. The dearth of theme camps and art at BRC 2012 will likely turn this event into a flop, which means we’ll be back to “true participants” next year. I’m fine with that. Having attended Burning Man with 30,000 participants and 50,000 participants, I didn’t notice more creativity when theire were more people.

    Sorry if I am duplicating other posts. I couldn’t read them all. Everyone is participating :)

    Midnight Sun

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  • mamacat says:

    there is no solution.

    We created a perfect world where everyone wanted to go. resulting in its imperfection.

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  • Susie-Qsie says:

    Hmmm…I doubt it, but maybe just ask the newbies to sacrifice and submit their tickets to STEP? Maybe a wonderful surprise would come to us all.

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  • Emma Shagwell ;) says:

    Hi –
    Thanks for this post. I am looking forward to continuing to hear news. I am a hopeful first time burner who did not get a ticket. I recently moved to SF from the east coast, so I am of course disapointed with the difficulty in getting tickets, not just for me, but for all the burners who want to attend 2012.

    Since you asked for comments/suggestions, I thought I would send this on.
    Given that I am new here, this may be a silly suggestion, but why not offer “Early entrance only” tickets in 2013. I would argue that theme camp members are mostly there to set up in the beginning of the week, and a lot of ‘ravers’ just come for the weekend and the cool show. Early tickets could be offered for the $240 price, but you can only get in using them if you show up by Monday or Tuesday. Scalpers wouldn’t like it – they would have a harder time selling ‘exploding’ tickets, and Theme Campers would probably love it – getting a cheaper ticket. If someone in a theme camp can’t come early, they could still buy with other methods, but we might not see the “only 25% of my theme camp got a ticket.” Just a thought. Hopfully the Man wants me at the Playa and I’ll find my way to a ticket. If not – see you in 2013.

    M. Okamura says…”Be kind, be loving, be courageous, and find acceptance…”

    LOVE
    Emma Shagwell

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  • Andie Grace says:

    T:

    1. nope, no connection. How you answered the survey was not connected in any way to your purchase.
    2. We did/are.
    3. it may be possible, good question, and we’ve certainly heard enough people say they support it as a solution…it’s in the dialogue for sure.

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  • T says:

    Thanks Andie, greatly appreciated that you’ve taken the time to respond. I hope you manage to get some rest over the weekend!

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  • Scott Dodson says:

    Thanks for the effort! Whatever you come up with, great. My ideas are for next year.

    For the lottery phase or first phase make it so that tickets are tied to an individual, are non transferable and non refundable. Airlines don’t let you sell your ticket. Any tickets left over can go into a general sale. That will eliminate ticket speculation from the first wave of purchases. Only the committed will buy as you will be going or you will be gifting your ticket to a shorter exodus line for the rest of us. For the second phase, still tie the ticket to a person and if they want to sell it goes back to the org minus a healthy fee.

    While things are all slowed down at the gate checking ID’s give out wrist bands which differentiate 21+ and minors. This could help the camps stay out of trouble. The bands could also designate an E-lot or a place to stage and park for exodus, if we are going to be stuck in queue for 8 hours can we just get in queue and park rather than jockey lanes and watch vehicles break down?

    I love you freaks! The burn will be as is always is. Whatever we bring will be there, whatever we don’t won’t.

    2012 baby!

    Scotty

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  • Habibi says:

    My be I missed this… Threads are getting long these days…
    Does anybody know how many tickets were sold right away in 2011 and how many were sold in the months after until they were none left? Is there an official information about this?

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  • Jason Conover says:

    I think you should skip that last sale and let the larger theme camps buy those remaining 10,000 tickets. Without those art installations and sound camps, Burning Man won’t be the same beautiful, immersive experience we all look forward to.

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  • Gaspar says:

    I’ll be attending BM for the second time this year, I did it on 2011 and my wife couldn’t but she needs to live this extraordinary event. So we are going. Whereas the random selection process is without a doubt the fairest way to give out the tickets, it cannot deteriorate the quality and spirit of this marvelous experience. It occurs to me, and probably to all of you, that the best way to keep it both fair and amazing is by awarding priority tickets to the people that are basically have made the festival as incredible as it is. I don’t exactly know how many people does that mean but wouldn’t you sell the 10.000 tickets left to those people? If things are how you explain all the fresh burners have already gotten their ticket and maybe you can distribute those tickets in a case by case basis to balance things out. In any case the power of the dessert makes a lot for the festival and won’t let us down! best to all

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  • Daniel R. Nelon says:

    Thank you for posting this. My partner was able to get a ticket, my plan was to accompany her to her first Burn and share this experience with her. Going alone your first year can sometimes be a bit frightening and overwhelming. This being the first year in many I haven’t had a ticket available to me, I was pretty upset. I completely agree with the STEP plan and doing your best to eradicate scalping, but the lottery system has fragmented communities. I already have the time off from work and my art installation is near complete. If I’m not able to go with my partner this year, I will be devastated.

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  • BE Shark Jumper says:

    Plain and simple BE has jumped the shark. Might as well sell tickets to the highest of bidders and open it up to corporate sponsorship. Now is the time to milk this cow until it is dead. Like all great things, first you have the innovators and then you have the tag alongs. This is now a tag along event.

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  • Terry says:

    Hey folks,

    This will be my 11th trip to the playa. Ordered one ticket and got it, although a ton of friends didn’t.

    I only have one comment/suggestion. To encourage the powers that be to create a system that is truly fair and defensible, I hope that all BMORG staffers (yes that means Marion, Danger, LARRY, etc) should participate in whatever system is eventually arrived at. To set up a system for figuring out who can attend, and then bypass it for any burners seems inherently unfair.

    Of course, you could always turn it around — give out tickets to BM volunteers first, which would definitely pump up the number of DPW workers, ice sale volunteers, etc.

    But I trust you see my underlying point — if the people who set up the system don’t agree to participate in it, then it truly is not defensible as a reasonable solution.

    T.

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  • Fuzzy Bunny says:

    — “Every ticket vendor informed us we’d have to use the same type of “queuing system” that meant hours waiting in line at your computer screen”

    I find this statement impossible to believe. Ticket Master sells out of tickets to Madonna and Britney Spears in 5 – 15 minutes on a regular basis. These are concerts held in 50,000+ stadiums. Yes, you get in a queue, but their systems can handle the work load. This option has been available for years. Years ago you said you didn’t want to use this system because you didn’t want the big commercialized corporation to get the surcharges involved, that you wanted it to be handled by a company that was Burner owned. It was well intended but naive; which was proven out by the ticket failures of the next few years.

    Why is it that Ticket Master can sell 50,000 Britney Spears tickets in minutes, but you claim they can’t handle selling 50,000 Burning Man tickets?

    As many have said before, part of radical self reliance is doing what ever it takes to make sure you do what ever is necessarily to get your tickets when they go on sale.

    In the spirit of full disclosure; I am one of the lucky few that got my tickets and I’ll be going no matter what the outcome is when all the dust settles. And if you’re a first time Burner with a ticket, find me in AZ and I’d be happy to help you understand what it means to participate so you can make this years Burn better than last years.

    Oh, and I’d really like it if you return to the old policy of printing directly on the tickets “No Spectators, You Must Participate.”

    If anyone knows Sam from about a dozen posts back… “Is there any way that the ticket reselling system could prioritize those creative projects that are so essential to the Burning Man experience? I know it may seem unfair, but those who are going want to have something to go to.” … can you please explain to him that there is nothing to ‘go to’, ‘those that are going’ are the event. We need to explain to him and his new girlfriend that they need to figure out how they would like to participate and help create Burning Man, not ask the ORG to prioritize the cools stuff so his girl can see it too.

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  • J says:

    I hope the negative comments about newbies – that they shouldn’t get tickets, should have to volunteer, should hand over their tickets if they got them – doesn’t translate into how they’re treated at the event. I totally get that experienced burners setting up art etc are core to the event, but I just wanted to say that as a first timer myself, this attitude makes me nervous. My friends have gone before when I couldn’t, so I was really excited about going this year. How many other experienced burners take newbies along each year?

    One thing I think was crazy about the system (not sure if it was mentioned already), was that I had a friend who should have got tickets, but because his credit card company needed to verify the charge before it went through, he lost them. That sucks.

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  • Matt says:

    “2 weeks Says:
    February 9th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
    You may not be able to “reverse” the lottery, but you can still require ID wtih the tickets.”

    Agreed. This may go some way to, if not stopping the scalpers, at least making their life difficult. No paper tickets have been issued yet. When they are, have the name of the purchaser printed on them, unless you’ve formally applied to have the name altered, if gifting to a friend, and no entry unless the names match, or, as someone earlier suggested, if you’re there in person with the person whose name is on there (this allows gifting).

    If you are unable to attend, and want to gift the ticket with your name to someone else, then this has to be done through this website. I’m not saying scalpers can’t still get around it, and money couldn’t still change hands outside that transaction, but it adds a stumbling block.

    Also, seconded for a grandfathering clause, as long as that applies to people who have been in any year before, and not just in the previous one – it shouldn’t penalise long-term burners who’ve had to skip a year or to but contributed loads in the past. And I say that as a first timer this year, whose veteran friends are currently scrambling for tickets.

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  • nykol says:

    1st time in 10 years I’m able to take the trip and was unable to get a ticket. If I do get a ticket next month, I plan on gifting it to an established member of the community, but I have this to say:

    I have put time and energy in involving myself in the community, volunteered, joined groups and am still, although not attending, going to do all I can do to contribute to those members of my region that are getting to go.

    Everyone is so against the ‘newbies’, but if they were interested in attending in the 1st place, they are more than likely interested in participating seeing as that is a main part of the culture, no? Can’t the established camps welcome newcomers and call out to them for help for their participation to their camps and still have success in the creation of their art and installations?

    It’s my opinion that this can be turned around and still be a success…even if everyone who wants to come home is not able to, pieces of them can be brought to the playa via their camp and community.

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  • LionKimbro says:

    I really want more people to know Burning Man. So, I hope that there are *2* burns in 2013.

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  • Don Kushner says:

    I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the integrity the Burning Man admin is showing about this situation. I wish I had it in me to give up the tickets my wife & I were awarded, but I have to say that we identified 2012 three years ago as the most viable time in our lives to attend; it is likely the only year we can do this. As a couple who devote our lives to the arts & the non-profit world, this is literally a chance of a lifetime for us.

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  • T says:

    But Gaspar, you can’t change the rules now. Many of us, whether rightly or wrongly, entered the lottery system at a certain level, and some of us lost out, because it made no sense to spend more money than we had on the highest tier (and because our banks may have refused the transaction if we’d gone higher!).

    If we failed, we thought we had STEP and the final 10,000 to fall back on, by which time we could have had the extra money in the bank to pay for the higher tier. To change the rules midway through the ticketing process makes it even more unfair. You either scrap it and start again, and make it 100% fair, or you analyse the data, isolate the scalpers and the multiple bidders, and increase the availability of the tickets. Take it back to a level playing field.

    There is obviously a notable difference in feeling between those who did, and those who did not, get tickets. If you got one, congratulations, you will undoubtedly have an incredible time and maybe we would have passed each other with a massive smile on the playa at some point, both having the times of our lives. Turning around now and saying – holy shit, there might be fuck all to see and do when I get there, let’s now change the rules to ensure I have the best time possible, is WRONG.

    If you take out the scalpers, take out the multiple bidders, and still don’t get a ticket, at least you know you had a fair shot. Prioritising camp tickets at this late stage would just ensure that the (probably very small) proportion of Burners who played the system, or trounced all of the principles of BM and bought off a scalper, have won a second victory. Any prioritisation should have taken place before the open sale, not during it.

    This debate is not about virgins versus vets, RVs versus camping, it’s about fairness and having a fair shot at getting back to the Playa again. If it’s fair and you lose, you take it on the chin and try again the year after.

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  • Mayasav says:

    Best way to proceed 2013: Let all theme camps that have registered in the past register, provide an exact number of people that compose the theme camp with their names and give priority of ticket sales to the theme camp members (this ensuring that previous burners and participants get to attend, and weed out scalpers… Then, raffle off or sell all remaining tickets.. Only logical, fair, and keeping the participant’s best interest as priority.

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  • Ezekiel Steffens says:

    I am a three time burner who missed out last year and wanted to make up for it this year. I think that the former system should have remained in place. I don’t believe that raising ticket prices is a solution. At least the old system rewarded those who bought early, and everyone had an equal shot at different tiers. Even if the tickets sell out in minutes, it was fair. The lottery system implementation projected fear and concern, and this translated into a real sense of scarcity to the ticket-buying public. I honestly believe the old system at least gave the public a sense of permanence and continuity, even if the number of prospective buyers increased. At least former burners would not feel the additional stress of working within an alien system. It really is too bad that the majority of tickets are already gone in this new framework, as every long-term burner I know currently does not have a ticket, even my former boss Steve was left out in the cold after being at the event every year since it’s inception. The only person I know who currently has a ticket is my friend Pierre, who went for the first time last year. It’s really a shame. The landscape will be vastly different this year, and with such a high amount of new burners, the question arises as to whether the framework that provided former burners with a great deal of entirely free services and a variety of spectacular theme camps will even be around. I’m stunned.

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  • Rooster says:

    It may have already been stated but I would suggest a application process for those who add to the experience (themed camps, Bike lenders, kitchens, Etc.). These preselected folks would get to buy their tickets before the the regular tickets sales. this would not only encourage more utilitarian and ergonomic projects to add constructively to the event, but wold create a bit of competition pushing them to create bigger and better ones to vie for the acceptance of their application. It will also infuse the “new blood” aspect wherein many greenhorns will attempt to enter in this fashion and so bring a a fresh pool of art and events to the BM. another variation on this idea could be if there are a certain number of applicants that you cant seem to pick you would create an simple voting mechanism on your site and let the community decide on which they would prefer to see out on the desert.
    This way even if you were forced to do a lottery again next year you will still at least not take a big hit to the artistic and communal structure of event that so many love and may in fact increase it.

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  • Andrew says:

    I will be attending BM for the first time this year, after several years of desiring to do so, but never having followed through. Many of my friends are burners in the LA and SF regions, and many of them are active camp/theme participants who are disappointed that not only have they not secured tickets, but the threshold of veteran participants to keep their camps and cultures alive is likely to not be met this year. I’ve read the blog on this page and have a better understanding of what seems to have been a perfect storm of supply/demand effects, but also hoarding mentality in the purchasing process with the “probable” outcome of scalping at inflated ticket prices down the road. I had thought of a way to maintain the lottery process in the future while preventing scalping and hoarding incentive, and after a little more understanding of the issue, I think there may still be a way to improve even this current year’s (2012) process to disincentivize (or even punish) potential scalpers. I haven’t read the many comments above, so I’m not sure if this idea has already been discussed, but let me share…
    Why not LINK the tickets that were purchased by a single credit card or single purchaser in such a way that they MUST enter the event at the SAME TIME, no exceptions. While this idea does “slightly” punish the tradition that BM tickets can be purchased and “gifted” to others, it only does so for those who “gift” a ticket but who enter at a different time than the gifter/giftee. Yes, this would be an inconvenience for two people who used one credit card to purchase their tickets, but it would virtually ELIMINATE the incentive of scalpers or ticket hoarders, even now that their tickets have been purchased. A scalper/hoarder would now be selling a ticket that ONLY has value if that ticket enters the event SIMULTANEOUSLY with any ticket/s that were purchased and LINKED by a single buyer/credit card. Anyone trying to enter BM with a scalped or “resold” ticket but not in the presence of the original purchaser/credit card would simply be turned away. Scalpers/hoarders simply couldn’t manage to profit from this scenario, and in fact could LOSE money or RUSH to sell them back to the STEP program for fear that they have a ticket that nobody would want to buy. BM ticket sales could impose this rule NOW, and simply say that anyone whose credit card has been charged will be subject to this new requirement (eg group purchased tickets enter as a GROUP only), and if they do not agree to this new requirement, they can receive a full refund on their tickets BEFORE they actually receive them. Not sure how legal it would be to change the entry requirements of group-purchased tickets this late in the game, but the solution could certainly help in 2013, and might even be something that could remedy the 2012 dilemma insofar as discouraging scalping and reselling of hoarded tickets.

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  • TimeLess says:

    I was a virgin of the burn last year. However I have been to a grip of other similar musically styled festivals and have many friends who are long time burners. The raw and pure vibes at the burn are rivaled by none! After the event last year i immediately started working on a wildstyle mutant vehicle, which now that i am unsure about my chances of getting a tix i have halted progress on…damn. My comment is that, it seems that participation/creation/contributions to the experience are not a direct function of how many years somebody has been…Although there is most likely a significant correlation…Be careful about using number of years attended as a pure proxy for involvement/contribution potential.

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  • turgid storm says:

    I’ve been 12 times since the mid 90’s, and sadly will not be attending this year, too much hassle and drama. I guess what irks me the most, is that the powers that be were just trying to wrest any financial gain from ticket scalpers, and instead ending up giving them all the power. Ick. BM is all about newbies, for sure, I get that,(who else would have sex with some of the regulars?) jus kidding, but.. the people who make burning man.. i .e. the camps and the artists.. and thus the core foundation/people, need to get precedence…and respect or it will all break down. BM will end one day.. maybe in a hundred years.. or maybe this is the beginning of the end, when it loses it cool. And something cooler fills the void.

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  • Patches says:

    I seriously doubt anyone would be patient enough to read all the posts, but just in case…

    First of all I would like to say that I really do appreciate the work that is done by the orgs to make BM happen. I can go forever on the topic, but in short – Thanks, guys!!

    Unfortunately the ticket situation doesn’t fall into this “appreciated work” category, not for the lack of effort, though, but rather for “what the hell you been thinking” reason.

    Apologies are long overdue, the results were obvious way before the lottery started. Acknowledging it now is better than nothing but could be considered _only_ as a starting point for some new developments.

    It is interesting, how quite a lot of people generally do believe in laws of nature, but think of themselves and their deeds as of exceptions that could defy said laws. However whats done is done, lets take it from here.

    Ideally the results of the lottery should be voided, $ refunded and the whole thing started from scratch with Nontransferable tickets 1 per person. Doesn’t seem it will happen though and I can see more than one reason for it. So…

    For the remaining 10K tickets – make them Nontransferable assigned to the same name as on the credit/debit card. 1 ticket per person. At the gate check ID & ticket. Yes it will suck for a few, but will work for the most.

    Also, you can limit daily sales to say 2k first come – first served tickets and stretch the whole sale to 5 days, which would give people some timing flexibility

    Same thing goes for STEP – 1 ticket per person with name.

    Provide the refund for those, who cant attend (life happens) and turn these tickets to STEP.

    For the future (hopefully we have one)
    1. Nontransferable tickets with names. 1 per person. Yes, it will kill ticket gifting – something has to be sacrificed so the rest survives. Moral – buy your own ticket.

    2. Refunds for returned tickets and turning them to STEP (impose say $50 fee so “just in case” buyers will give it a second thought)

    3. Make all the tickets the same price – luring people to buy early is no longer an issue, imho.

    Oh, and yes I did get tickets through the lottery, but at the moment it somehow doesn’t really make me happy…

    See ya in the dust
    –Patches

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  • Terry says:

    One other thought — it seems clear that the BMORG must do something they probably don’t want to do: determine what percentage of newbies is desirable/allowable and come up with a system that enforces it. Because from this point on, there will ALWAYS be more people wanting to go, than the event can host.

    Personally, I think that no more than 15% of the city each year could/should be first timers. Otherwise you may lose the vibe which makes the playa home for so many people. This isn’t “fair” or “right” or “nice”, it is just necessary.

    If the playa turns into just another “spring break” destination then I will end my decade long involvement with the event, and cherish the memory of what once was.

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  • Catharticus says:

    If you close the gate Wednesday at midnight, you won’t have 30,000 people showing up for the weekend expecting Black Rock City to be ready to amuse them. They’ll have plenty of time to help something that resembles the BRC cityscape.

    My camp is The Green Hour, and we want to help you solve this problem. You can find us on the e-playa. I’m ready to volunteer. Cheers!

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  • Jwebber says:

    Suggestion for next year:
    Have theme camp registration/placement before tickets go on-sale and offertickets to those participating first. Then used the remainder to sell as a first come first serve, one per order ticketing system. If you end up not being able to go you must sell your ticket through STEP.

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  • Derek Dukes says:

    Short version:
    Newbies – Allocate ~10,000 tickets each year to open market 1 ticket per person released close to the event date.

    Theme Camps – Allocate 10,000 tickets to large scale ‘theme camps’ through an application process max
    tickets per camp at 50, allocate and distribute early.

    Core Burners – Allocate 30,000 tickets each year to open market pre-registration sale at tiered pricing 1 ticket 1 person.

    The Glue – carve out some x,000 tickets as needed across all groups for artists, admin, rangers et al. but cap this number at no more than 5%? of total tickets, the city’s mgmt need not scale linearly with the event.

    Bonus Round:
    Create serendipity – let this years attendees pre-buy gift tickets for next year’s event at this year for things that are awesome or people that are blowing your mind or the person you just met who’s the perfect person for going but hasn’t got a ticket.

    Pre-registration – Let each burner pre-reg for next year’s event at this year’s event, cap this at some number each day, suspend pre-registration by wed. the week of the burn.

    Long version:
    Getting to 50,000 tickets in a free-ish market, but fair-ish market kind of way.

    Keeping it Fresh: According to BORG census data (which is from 2007 and 2008 and at this point pretty dated, what gives?) about 20% of people at each burning man are ‘unsure’ if they will return the following year and about 2% ‘will not attend’. Let’s assume that number is pretty consistent year to year. Simple math 50,000 * 22% = 11,000 (pretty close to the number of tickets left this year). Also, a 22% ‘churn’ year to year seems like a pretty decent amount of ‘newbies’ year to year. So put 11,000 tickets on sale close to the event date and keep the 1 ticket 1 person limit.

    Supporting the Base: Theme camps provide the foundation which the rest of us are lucky to fill in with participation. If the community values the camps contributions we need to enable them to logistically plan as many camps spend tens if not hundreds of thousands to get awesomeness to the playa. Let’s create an allocation and a program for distributing tickets to camps with a max allocation (not free) of 50 guaranteed tickets per camp. Again simple math if each camp qualified for a full grant of 50 there would be 200 ‘large scale’ theme camps that would exist and have logistical capacity and more likely that number would be in hundreds of camps more as the vast majority of theme camps could do with far less guaranteed tickets and still make it to the playa.

    Supporting the Core: This leaves us with about 30,000 tickets that can be allocated to repeat burners. These are the folks who actually read the JRS each time it hits their inbox, are aware of the various cut-off dates for art cars, camp placement etc. the core that plan what they are doing next year as they are sitting in exodus. There are enough tickets for these people and they’ll jump through the hoops to get them as long as they can be reasonably guaranteed to get a ticket so they can make plans. So create a simple pre-reg on the playa process, with decreasing number of slots as the week goes on and reward the people that show up early and come every year and who likely support the art projects and theme camps on and off playa. Yes, i’m saying that membership has its privileges, because we know that is the case and it is what keeps burning man centered and grounded in that base. Think of these tickets as the burning man middle class.

    Serendipity: This is a less fully baked idea, but it is tied to the notion that burning man is a community of like minded people who usually have some common connection: art, music etc. When you find some one who should go, but hasn’t been you’ll try and make that happen. When ticket prices were lower, I’d buy an extra ticket each year and gift it to a friend or someone I’d met who had never been to burning man before. I’m not much of an artist, but I’m one hell of an enabler, and that was how I started participating. Additionally in the past 16 years, I get my tickets the day they go on sale (including this year) I’ve missed 2 (’06 and ’07) events which I had tickets to and have gifted all of them the 2 years I couldn’t go. I would love to be able to pre-buy 1 ore more tickets for the following year’s event at the lowest tier so I can have the opportunity to bring someone in to the burning man fold, sort of to pay it forward.

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  • Krueger says:

    I’ve been to BM three times in the past five years, I do not have the financial independence or the means to make it every year and this year I have already decided to not go, pre lottery registration. This does not mean that I am not involved and I do care about this discussion about what Burning is and what it will be. 30% of theme camps and art projects currently have tickets is a very scary prospect. I am really hoping that my comment does not get lost in the noise. That said here is my two cents that I would like to add to the conversation:

    Back in the day, pre Entheon Village it was Bob’s Camp and made up of almost entirely of newbies and that became Entheon Village.

    The Great Lakes C.O.R.E. Project of 2011, which I had the pleasure of working on and burning had several “virgins” who showed up early and busted their butts on a collective project.

    Just because you have not yet made it to Burning Man it does not mean that you are not a Burner.

    New people, first time burners who happen to have or will have acquired themselves a ticket, do yourself and Burning Man a favor, get involved!!! Find a theme camp, an art project, a Mutant Vehicle, a group of Burners that are planning to bring something awesome and help out. Step up and make things happen, replace some of the core members that are not going to get a ticket this year.

    Theme Camps, Art projects, MV owners, and veterans; Find these new people and bring them into your fold. Do not wait to introduce them to what Burning Man can be when you and them are on the playa, do it now. Get them involved in what Burning Man will be for 2012. Some of the 70% of your needed bodies and people will get tickets via the STEP program, have faith. The reality is that not all of them will be able to procure a “golden ticket”. You have a new army of burners to take up the banner and make up the difference. Take advantage of them.

    This is imperative so that we can fill the void the lack of tickets has caused and so that Burning Man can maintain it’s creative advantage and ignites the spark of imagination that cements what we can do and do do in the real world.

    I understand that this is not a total solution. I do believe it is a step in the right direction.

    Please, if you are reading this share the idea of reaching out to new people in your community and get them involved in projects and theme camps and mutant vehicles now. You need 10 people on your crew and you have 5 tickets among yourselves, find some new people to volunteer to help you out and Inspire them to do something now.

    If you are new and have never gone to burning man, find a theme camp, art project, and see how you can get involved. We need you to help make Burning Man 2012 what it will be, for I will tell you from experience it is so much more then an eight day party.

    Krueger
    also known as Ranger Phlogiston

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  • TygerCub says:

    While I am disappointed that I may not be able to attend this year, I understand. But it’s difficult, and it kinda hurts. Since first learning of the event last year (yes, I am one of the newbies) it’s inspired a yearning in my soul to be among the wonderful, open, creative people that appeared in the videos and experience the same transformation that I read about in the blogs. It was a feeling of severe homesickness for a place I’d never been.

    But if something like BM is as great as everyone says, then it’s only inevitable that it become something everyone wants to experience.

    Maybe it could be a twice-a-year event? Or perhaps it could be hosted in two locations? Either way, I know the logistics will be a full-time job for those who plan the event.

    Whatever the solution, I wish everyone love and luck! I eagerly await the outcome with hopes of getting to the event in the near future.

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  • Chris Norland says:

    I thankfully won tickets this year, and it will be my second BMan event.

    Since there as so many first time burners attending, we should focus on morphing them INTO the community, since so many vets will be outside.

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  • Todd Gardiner says:

    There are now 300 printed pages of comments on this thread. Over 94,000 words from 538 commentators.

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  • Ms. Charlie says:

    As a virgin to the burn, I would like to know how I can help preserve the cultured community that is the fabric of Burning Man. I feel that many virgins alike, want to experience the burn we’ve heard so many glorious stories about. I think newcomers would really benefit from being involved in a camp and aiding in the continuation of tradition. Is there a way to see what theme camps are in one’s area and what kind of help they need from eager volunteers? I feel that many newcomers are fearful of coming forward due to the obvious backlash and lack of direction. It’d be helpful to have an easy to access outlet for our eager hands.

    This will be my first burn and for years, I told myself that 2012 will be my year. Due to unforgiving commitments, I’ve been patiently waiting for this experience and I plan to make the most of what’s to come.

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  • spotter says:

    Thanks for posting that information. I know this must be Harder on Borg then it is for the burners who won’t make it home this year. And I have a very bad feeling it will be a DARK YEAR both emotionaly and visualy this year. With that many newbes this year i see it being a bunch of F–ked up people walking around looking for all that free food and drinks that won’t be there (how stupid is that anyway to expect that really is what happens)this year since most of the interactive camps just won’t have the manpower or $$$$ to make that happen.
    I’m still up in the air about coming this year since i have no ticket yet. I certainly can come again if i want to do another ???? project but right now i’m working on getting a new team together as many from last year have just thrown there hands in the air and said F–k It.
    Let’s just all hope that the plan for next years ticket sales may bring the doers, movers and shakers back that won’t be here this year.
    I know we all have great hind sight now but you were warned by many posts i read and i sent last year that this lottery would not work. So please take everyones thoughts in mind this year and after you come up with a plan role it out for feedback. You have a lot of great minds in the burner community, so please listen to us.

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  • Chris MacPhail says:

    Time for Burning Man to procreate. Multiple weeks or multiple locations.

    Expanding the single event to 70,000 or 90,000 would ruin it.

    Rationing doesn’t solve much.

    I hope the childbirth is not too painful.

    The people denied tickets this year could be given priority or perks for one of the 2013 events.

    If a competing organization springs up, that’s good too.

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  • Chris Fox says:

    For 2013:
    40% +/- reserved for purchase of (large?) theme camps.
    Theme camps already register for space and placement on the playa, this system could be built out to allow them to buy a certain block of tickets.
    This should keep say 80% of the folks who want to keep participating in a large theme camp comming back year over year. There will be that 20% that will need to pickup their tickets through one of the other sales.

    40% +/- for returning burners. We need major theme camps to have the carnival esplanade and that back bone of events, music, art, and perfomance. We also need a bunch of folks who know to bring tents that don’t have mesh flaps, and what is required to attach a tent to the playa, we tend to bring extra, we tend to bring burner virgins and make their experience amazing and safe. (this could include 2 ticket max, which would allow a burner to bring a virgin safely)

    20% +/- Open Season. If you really want to show up, never having been & hope for the best, there is a way, though not a particularly easy one.

    percentages are random, I’d love to see more transparency into the numbers of attendees in different groupings (theme camps, returning burners)

    You are meeting every day on this issue? Wow, what an opportunity for transparency! Let’s get some meeting notes, a read only v-team with a suggestion box.

    I do project management work for a living, I’d take a look and add my 2 cents in a (hopefully) constructive way, I’m sure many other burners will too.

    Burning man has changed over the last xx years, and will continue to do so, I have different, though no less life impacting experiences now than I had in ‘94.

    Change is part of life.

    —————————
    For 2012:

    Why can’t we as burners and/or citizens approach the BLM for a population cap extension? A process exists I assume, I understand that Burning Man has been working with a population cap, which they are trying to grow, exceptional circumstances require exceptional action. Burning man has been extrodinarily good about the use and maintenance of the land where we build BRC. That + the “need” to up the population to get the returning folks in, can be made as a health and safety concern.

    How this will be fixed next year is needed (imho) to show making a last minute bump in the pop cap won’t become a yearly fiasco.

    At least ask.
    And be transparent about who is asking who and what the answer is. We have power to engage with our civil servants (in a professional and constructive way even!)

    We are Political entities as well as burners, we can follow up with our elected officials, we can follow up with BLM.

    It may be too late to raise the cap for 2012, but sayin “it is so” doesn’t give Transparency into jack.

    Public info on previous years BLM process
    5 year operating plan from 2011:
    http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nv/field_offices/winnemucca_field_office/nepa/recreation/0.Par.1113.File.dat/2011%20Operating%20Plan.pdf
    Hey, looks like it takes about 3 months for a permit to be issued. Good thing it is 2/10/2012! :P

    The decision letter for 2011:
    http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nv/field_offices/winnemucca_field_office/programs/recreation/burning_man.Par.53554.File.dat/2011%20Special%20Recreation%20Permit%20Decision.pdf

    Compete with data on how to contest the decision (including the 50k cap perhaps?)
    Also how to contest the decision, and the basis on which the decision can be contested (can the 50k cap alone be contested?)
    Based on the following measures:
    1)the relative harm to the parties if the say is grated or denied.
    2) the likelihood of the appellant’s success on the merits.
    3) The Likelihood of immediate and irreparable harm if the say is not granted, and
    4) Whether the public interest favors granting the say.

    Questions regarding an appeal or stay may be directed to Cory Roegner, Project Lead, at (775) 623 – 1770 or by email to wfoweb@blm.gov
    Email messages should reference “Burning Man Event (Roegner) on the subject line.

    Radical inclusion, radical participation.
    It’s not just for 1 week a year.

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  • Alex Weber says:

    Wow! So many comments and such an exciting time for this community. I’m grateful to be in such capable hands. Very interested to see how this all turns out! Best of luck BM crew :)

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  • Madge the Manicurist says:

    Kudos to everyone for their thoughtful ideas. I have one nit to pick with some of you who want RVs to be banned from BM. (I used to be one of you.) Last year I asked one RVer, “Why the big rig?” Instead of telling me, he brought me inside to SEE why: he has sleep apnea and hasn’t been able to tent camp in years. He said many of the peeps in the RV camp had issues (health) which required electricity and NOT just for the comfort level at all, i.e., AC. His neighbor had a CP child who needed the electricity for the daily suctioning of his lungs. But that kid was amazing! I saw him shooting around on his little go-buggy which had been all decorated with sparklers, etc. (Anyone see him? He wore a re-breather shaped like Darth Vader’s head!) The sleep apnea guy BTW was one of the most active Burners on the Playa, being a carpenter and all. He assisted MANY camps with their construction issues. So, I no longer support a ban on RVs. Some folks actually need them if they want to participate.

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  • forklift says:

    We are a small camp with big plans for this year. New members to BRC abond now
    and those of us that would be their mentors and in some cases hosts will be absent. I hope they have an awesome first burn all the same.

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  • Brandon Frederick says:

    Don’t mail the tickets out. Make everyone who drew tickets show up at will call with the credit/bank card they used to purchase them. Pros: prevents scalping. Tickets that were going to be scalped would be sold back long before the event. Cons: processing at the gate would take forever! And require more volunteers. Also get a count from the large camps as to how many tickets they need and give them first shot at the 10,000 that go on sale next month.

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  • Jay says:

    BACKGROUND: This will be the 2nd, 3rd and 4th year for most of my Burner group. We are young in the community and we know this. At the end of last years burn we realized we were at a point where we wanted to step it up and give more to the playa (Rather than just snow cones). We have been planning, saving money, doing research and putting together a strategy to host a really great event. This may not be possible now as most of our camp did not get tickets. YET…..

    PROBLEM: Those that do have tickets still want to make sure we participate more and create something for other burners. Lots of burners may be in this spot and lots of camps, art projects ect are missing members.

    SUGGESTION/SOLUTION: Burning Man create a site where large camps and art projects that are sort on manpower (physical and money-wise) can request help from newer burners.

    I know we all want to be with our friends and old comfortable communities but lets not eject before we can see if we can salvage.
    Adding new blood to camps seems to fit in the idea of community and assures that some of our favorites are present.

    Thoughts on this?

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  • roland says:

    We have 25 people in our camp, nobody got any tickets. But the scalpers are listing 70 tickets for sale???!
    those 40% who said they are first timers – 39% are scalpers and have no interest in going.
    I would really like to know of all the tickets sold last year, how people showed up and how many where left unsold in the hands of scalpers?
    And this burning man ticket resale site, what will prevent the scalpers from flooding the system only to hoard even more tickets???

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  • GBC says:

    Thank you for sharing your efforts with us. I am hopeful that 2013 will bring an excellent new system that is as fair as possible.

    As a long time burner, I understand the need for our theme camps, art projects, and other large scale projects; however, I encourage you not to distribute the 10,000 remaining tickets to these camps. Based on the figures we are seeing, there are significant amounts of ticketless veteran burners who are part of the playa experience whether or not they are part of a big theme camp or a small camp that gifts PB & J lunches. Big and small come together to create the community, and that should not be sacrificed.

    In STEP and the open sale, please limit sales to one ticket per person and connect the ticket to an ID. If there is a more reliable way to control scalpers from getting tickets, give the folks who got the rejection letters from the initial sale priority with the 10,000 tickets.

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  • harinama says:

    As someone said, this does appear to be a systemic removal of oldtimers, with the intention to turn BM into a new event with a lot less infrastructure and more fresh faces. Established long-term theme camps are seeing 25% with tickets, while i’m hearing about some new camps that got almost 100% tickets.

    HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

    To me it really feels purposeful, no matter what we are told, judging by the ticket distribution numbers. Maybe this is just a convenient way for BMORG to change BM to their liking and kick us oldtimers to the curb?

    To me this really feels like the end of BRC in my life. Unfortunately, what do i do with the camp infrastructure that exploded in my garage over the last 5 yrs? Sell it i guess..

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  • JasonAZ says:

    Wow, I am so glad I didn’t get tickets again this year. Look at all that newbie hate. I think some camps’ and veterans’ egos are so big now they are actually eating themselves. How dare you. The core values of BM are dead. Now we will have ticket favoritism? Some are better/more worthy than others? Newbies don’t contribute? I am sorry, I forgot that all the artists are only veterans. I love the stereotyping of newbies.
    Last year was gonna be my first burn but really wanted to keep my job and not sit all day 23000 in line online. This year the lottery cluster fuck. But it brought the true colors. Time to bury the Man and think of something new. The people that go will make due with what they have. Some people on here got it right. BM is not what is used to be or stand for. It mirrors regular life so much it is sickening. I don’t need to pay $300 to see that, I can get it at work or on the street. Regional burns are the future, get back to your roots. F this commercialized overpriced I deserve to be here more than you I pretend to include all but fuck you if you aint in my camp bullshit facade.

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  • roland says:

    How can we plan for our camp and art work. some of this takes the whole year to plan and put together, NOW I’M INTO MY PROJECT 6 MONTHS AND NO TICKET!!??

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  • David Hard says:

    Thank you for this! I’m sure a lot of us who were initially frustrated with BMorg deep down knew that you had to be just as bummed out as we all were. We needed a statement like this to bring us all together and let us know that we are all part of the discussion. Thank you for opening up to the community and sharing with us all of the forces that are at play, not just with ticketing for the 2012 Burn, but for Burning Man from here on out.

    Based on what you’ve disclosed to us, one thing seems very clear to me. The physical size of Burning man needs to find a way to expand in order to accommodate the growing number of people who want to participate. If not, the principal of Radical Inclusion becomes muddied and diluted and we risk creating a culture of privilege and exclusion.
    I realize that expanding Black Rock City is off the table for this year at least. But moving forward, we should begin looking at creative and sustainable ways of making more space (think density!) for both veteran and new burners alike to be able to return to Black Rock City year after year without the fear of wondering if they will be admitted or not.
    Burning Man has moved before, I think it’s time for the man to make like a nomad and move!
    I have no doubt that BMorg has been working on the occupancy issue for some time now. They had to have seen this coming. One only needs to look at the exponential growth of the festival throughout the years to see that this day was coming. I’m just surprised that more wasn’t done sooner to keep the population from topping off like it did last year. I would love to see the Black Rock City planners and organizers reach out to the community more and start setting up workshops, charettes, and brainstorming sessions in order to come up with exciting and radical new ways of looking at city planning and actually implement those ideas at Black Rock City. If you are looking for ways to get newbies involved, This is it! I’m sure there are countless artists, architects, urban planners, business people and community leaders in the Burning Man community who have a whole wealth of information to contribute. I would love to see BMorg organize monthly planning meetings through out the year and open up a discussions to bring new ideas to the table. The answer is out there! Let us help make it a reality.

    Burning Man changes people’s lives! I certainly changed mine. I would hate to see new people be denied the same experience I had . Let’s all work hard to find a way to restore the principal of Radical Inclusion rather than just come up with a band aid solution to selling a limited number of tickets.

    xD

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  • Sherry says:

    First off, thank you BM for trying so hard to find something that works. I’m sure with our combined efforts, we’ll figure it out!

    Secondly, I think having my name on my ticket is a great idea. It’s easy enough to list the names of the peeps you’re getting tickets for. (unless you’re a scalper) and it’s not a big thing to require a photo ID at entry (even kids have passports and state IDs.)

    Now… For all the burners who Poo-Poo the mass of virgins coming this year: This is NOT a bad thing. Virgins are just burners who haven’t had the opportunity to participate, yet. I’ve gone 5 yrs in a row, and have brought 3 virgins to the playa over those years. Showing them the wonders of the playa is one of my favorite things! They see the playa with the wonder and amazement that fades after i’ve seen the same art car for four or five years. Yeah, I know what’s up on the playa now, but i’m kinda numb (been there, seen that) to the awesomeness of it all, until my virgin friend points and exclaims, “Wow!” at a pee-jug pyramid. Then we talk about hydration, and sanitation, and art made from stuff from our bodies… and I’m inspired! (the gradient of light golden yellow to almost orange as the pyramid grew and peeps didn’t drink enough water was acctually rather a good visual representation of the importance and influance of water in the desert!) But without my virgin friend being amazed by it, i would have just hurried by it, hoping they dump it out soon.
    Virgins have very FERTILE minds.
    And if there really will be 40% virgins, then I think they will be inspired. And they’ll go out into the world better for it. And us regular old burners will also be the better for it. Maybe inspiring stuff I can’t even imagine until some noob makes it, or does it.
    But there will also be tourists. The people who got dragged along, who sit in their RV all day complaining about the weather, wishing they could BUY something from a vendor like at all the other concerts they go to. TOLERANCE, people. The tourists won’t come back.
    If you go to burn, and come back the next year, you’re a burner. You probably found family on the playa, or GOD. (He’s there, too. If there is a God, He’s a burner.)
    Virgins turn into one of two things: Burners or tourists. The good thing being that the burners come back and make the community better, more robust, While the tourists get the T-Shirt and DON’T come back.
    I’m bringing a virgin this year, too. Because my burn is better that way. And next year our community will be better for it. (good luck on figuring out how to fit us all in one spot next year.)
    Oh, and one last thing: Please keep ticket prices within reach of the poor in our community, who spend their money and time on awesomeness, and because of such hard work, have lots of awesomeness, but not much cash. I think having to write a little essay is a good idea. Will deter a few scalpers and give people a chance to get their ideas on paper (so to speak).
    Thanks.

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  • KevinH says:

    I don’t know if you’ll read down this far, and I don’t think I can say anything to help this year, but here is an idea for next year.

    This system involves 2 lots of tickets (for each tier of tickets you want to sell).

    First, you carve off a certain percentage, lets say 50-70%. Those tickets get offered to people who actually showed up with a ticket last year (trade them their current ticket for a lottery #). For everyone who activates their lottery #, there’s a random draw like this year. This offers a decent degree of continuity between years. Note that there could be some scalping of vouchers, but paying for a chance to have the opportunity to buy a ticket isn’t exactly going to rake in big bucks

    Then after all of the first lot are either bought or past some time deadline, the remainder goes up for a uniform price auction. Keep the auction open for 2-3 weeks, so there’s no need to rush. This both gives new people a chance to come and allows a tribe to pull together to buy that last member of their group another ticket. There’s very little incentive to scalp under a uniform price auction. Notice also that now once you’ve gotten into the system, you are eligible for a voucher for the lottery next year.

    I think this would be about as fair of a system so you could get. You can adjust the first lot % to get the right mix. Too high and you end up with an elitest system, and one that encourages scalping by past-participators (though once you scalp once, you loose your chance for last year’s lottery). Too low and you might as well just do everything on the uniform price auction, which personally I don’t find too bad, but probably some would gripe about. Getting that right mix might take 2-3 tries.

    Anyway, enjoy the dust!

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  • Calamity says:

    Two weeks of Burning Man. 50k people each week. The man burns twice. (officially this time.) Everyone gets to go. Double the pleasure; double the fun.

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  • Yvel says:

    Thank you for the acknowledgement, apology, and invitation for feedback. This would be my seventh year with the Black Rock Boutique. We collectively share leadership. Last year was my sabbatical with no role or responsibility. It rejuvenated me and I learned a lot. I was one of the key organizers of our camp. After so many years, we created a collective with a shared vision. We have a solid crew that filters new people in every year via a mentoring/sponsorship program. That has worked for us, and is likely a similar system that other theme camps and art installation crews rely on. That is community regeneration. Right now it is safe to say we have about 3 tickets for a team of 30. My proposal: please reserve the last batch of tickets available for organized collectives offering a service or interactive experience. For example, when we apply for placement, dimensions, and EA passes, it is based on our vision for the year and amount of bodies we need to make it happen. We would be happy to request a ticket quantity needed and forward our money as a collective and sort out ticket distribution our selves. We may not get all the tickets we ask for, but we cannot reasonably foresee having the Black Rock Boutique in its present dream realized with only 3 ticket holders. Thank you for listening and considering this option.

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  • Jim Hobson says:

    I suggest two simultaneous official Burns for 2013 at different locations. I also suggest all tickets by Will Call. Yes… I understand that this is a LOT more work, but it is possible.

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  • JasonAZ says:

    1) One ticket price, first come first serve
    2) Move the venue to accomodate growth (Is Burning Man about community or a tract of land??)
    3) If you can’t move do it twice a year
    4) You buy a ticket, you pick it up at the gate.
    5) Don’t give lame apology, especially ONLY AFTER MANY people mentioned a lack of one on the posts days ago

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  • TallKul-1 says:

    Thaks you for the open & honest posting.
    I didi not get selected inthe lottery, but hope as a 5x burner; which supports and volunteers and performs fire breathing; that I will be able to bring wife (3x burner) again to experience what is an amazing experience.

    I realize you have /are checking into all possible meas to accomadte, but where the rubber meets the road (or wherefoot meets the playa!) one possible ides would be to look into expanding on a temporary basis 1) increased occupancy fo rthe the 10 day period to accomadte the growing crowd AND 2) temporarily increase the exits to help with the eternal exit wait time..

    I am able to help if needed, I am in Sacto.
    Thank you !
    Tallkul-1

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  • taraaa says:

    I think that rather than theme camps saying they dont have enough tickets for their projects to go ahead it would be a good idea for the theme camps to recruit people who HAVE tickets to work on and be apart of them, especially virgins who otherwise might not have a project to be apart of.
    Rather than saying virgins are just going to be spectators and this year just wont be the same, lets get them involved now and give their fresh blood some jobs to do!!!

    If you have jobs that need to be done in your theme camp i urge you to find some virgins to do them and lets get excited about new ideas!!!

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  • ShaDe says:

    So here’s the deal, I live life without apology, and as such I don’t expect an “I’m sorry” when shitty things happen. I actually want something a lot more potent, I want an honest explanation of the mistake and circumstances of that mistake as well as a plan to not make such mistakes in the future.

    What this official response does is not satisfactory. At first glance it seems like we’re finally hearing what we want to, but there’s such a critical oversight it is insulting.

    What I want to hear about is why BMORG didn’t listen to us when we said “this lottery system is a really bad idea”. Oh now our voices can be heard, now that it’s too late and the community is hemorrhaging. I have lost no support for the BM community, but my trust in the ORG is pretty much shot. If I want my voice to be heard as just another one of the masses I’ll vote in a presidential campaign. I thought there was a perspective that held the communities thoughts and knowledge as important. Obviously there is a perception in the ORG that the community can’t tell what they need, the ORG knows for them. Except obviously that’s not true, before tickets went on sale every BM forum and discussion board featured the BM community speaking up about their distaste and concern about the lottery ripping the community apart. That is what I want to hear from BMORG about. Why weren’t they paying attention to us until it was too late to address our concerns? What, if any, actions were taken to account for the communities outcry before such an elementary mistake was made? After hearing about the lottery it literally took me 30 seconds to come up with the exact scenario that has played out and I’m by no means alone in this.

    I have a lot of love for the burner community, it seems for now I’ll have to take it to regional burns. Hell maybe that is the reasoning for this fiasco, get us all to make our regional burns into what we can’t get at BRC this year. At any rate, I’ll be headed to Nowhere this year, maybe I’ll see some of you in Spain this summer.

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  • Roo says:

    Maybe this is way off, and it is too late to consider for this year of course, but have we considered holding 2 Burning Man events? A couple weeks (or month) apart, maybe? Since we have outgrown our capacity then this will continue to be a issue. What if we expanded our timeline instead. I know, you guys stress as it is, getting everything put together. But I think, as a community we could make it work. 2 Burning Man’s, 2 separate but equal experiences. Perhaps some of the Art Installations get to stay for both. If we could manage a bigger crew we could get another man built and ready. This maybe way off, I know, it takes a lot more time than that. I’m still a baby burner (been twice, can’t go this year) and even though I try to keep tabs on all the amazing things this community does, it still blows my mind. But if we distributed theme camps between the two, we’d have a different experience with each. Unless we find another location to grow into. Anyway, I don’t know, and idea to consider for the future of our community now that the word is getting out. What do you think?

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  • roland says:

    I have been going to Burning Man since 2002……. I can’t believe this is happening!!
    I am frustrated beyond words………….
    Burning Man has changed my life like nothing else……………
    only to be denied entrance…………….

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  • roland says:

    I mean……. I’m sitting here……. crying!!
    this just blows my mind

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  • SwarmOfOne says:

    You say we can’t grow the event: “Between traffic concerns and the limitations placed on attendance by the Bureau of Land Management, that’s off the table.” What are these non-traffic limitations?

    If it’s traffic, I suggest converting some of the 10k remaining tickets to “Bus In Only” tickets. From a traffic standpoint, one 45ft D4505 carries 55 people in the equivalent road space as two or three cars. Buses could leave from major cities, including large Reno parking lots. BM volunteers could board the buses prior to BRC to check tickets and speed entry using a Bus Only entry lane. BMORG could also organize a BRC shipping/receiving center for large deliveries of supplies.

    200 buses carrying 50 people each would bring 10,000 people with little traffic impact. Bus-in-only tickets would make a great negotiation point to counter BLMs traffic concerns. What are the other BLM concerns that limit attendance?

    In the future, BM could sell entrance tickets for vehicles and people separately.

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  • Carly Hope says:

    this may have been said already, apologies if so! but…would it be possible for bmorg to set up a system for those of us who are first time burners to somehow join and contribute to the theme camps who are lacking members? yes, i am a “newbie” but would love to do everything in my power to avoid being simply a spectator.

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  • Sherry says:

    OMG! JAY made a great suggestion:
    SUGGESTION/SOLUTION: Burning Man create a site where large camps and art projects that are sort on manpower (physical and money-wise) can request help from newer burners.

    I’d love to see that up. It would do a lot of good for theme camps short on volunteers with tickets (V’s w/ T’s). And it would be a great way for virgins to get contact with a theme camp before arriving on the playa.
    The Jack Rabbit Speaks (jackrabbitspeaks@burningman.com) would be a good way to get the word out if a group like this is formed.

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  • Marshall says:

    My brother writes: “My Burner veteran co-worker says why dont we harness the energy and creativity of 20,000 frustrated burners and have them go to Haiti or fix up some downtrodden community (like Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation!)”

    That’s a novel approach. BMorg finds something constructive to do for all the burners that did not get tix. Something in public service. You still have time to put something together.

    The BMorg could turn from a zero into a hero. (With positive press to offset the cluster likely happening at the playa.)

    This could become a regular event, with “spill-over” burners becoming valuable contributors to the local community. And, they would be invited into the playa after the event to help clean up.

    Regards, Marshall

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  • DAwn says:

    Hi Andie – Excellent post – I really appreciated hearing from all of you – I can appreciate how agonizing all of these decisions are – some one is going to be left out no matter where you go from here and I can understand the heartbreak.
    Just a quick response on the “duplicate address” comment from “T” – please be careful on this. A number of us share space with roommates that have the same address. Example – my roommate got tickets for her and her boyfriend. I -did not. I am still hopeful and would be really bummed if the fact that financially I need/have a roommate screwed my chances of getting a ticket because we shared the same address…….. thanks!

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  • For the first time in 7 years I am thinking of not going and did not feel thrilled for a ticket.

    My advise
    – Put more tickets in a physical location
    – Reno – Melting Pot, San Fransisco, New York, Denver, etc. —- My dad buys my sister’s and I tickets “for Christmas” every year but he does not have internet in his home so he usually goes to Melting Pot in Reno. You have completely made the event for technological privileged people which is what you were trying to stop. Tickets in an actual physical location opens the door to those people, takes off pressure from net sales, and increases the location’s business. INCREASE tickets physically available in store.

    -Tickets should go up in price as time goes on (though people are able to pay more if they can afford it) You jump on it in January it literally pays off because it is more expensive later.

    -Before individual ticket sale you need to have theme camps, art projects, individual artists, etc (people contributing to the event and filing paperwork) file their paperwork with a list of names ASAP (before January). Award the crew/camps/organized group a certain number of tickets they need (While still saving some for individuals for later sale). Example: A theme camp of 120 people registered need to get 100 tickets for sure to function. Let THEM decide who NEEDS the tickets, the rest of the camp can do the individual sale. Being able to buy more tickets for the high price before the main sale is the WORST you are giving privileges to the rich. Privileged the artists and organizers for first sale not the wealthy.

    -There is NOTHING WRONG WITH IT SELLING OUT. Yes, it sucks. But most of the people who didnt get tickets when it sold out are the people who werent SURE to go before. You are only making scalping worse because people who went for 12 years dont have tickets and their desire to go equals more willing to pay more.

    -If individual ticket sale gets too crazy use a similar admissions process like colleges do. Those who arent willing to put the work in to “apply” dont want to go as bad as the rest.

    Regardless, I think sending more ACTUAL tickets to many PHYSICAL locations will take pressure of the online sale on the first day and even the field – wait online and in store depending on your capabilities. Have actual tickets go on sale in stores the same day and time online. There are major cities that participate more than others – you know this – use this. Put tickets in stores in LA, Reno, San Fran, Portland, NYC, New Zealand city, London, Dallas, whatever – you have the data.

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  • Chris Blake says:

    I would not want to be you right now.

    Shit happens.

    I appreciate your immense efforts, pain, transparency, and frequent updates.

    Hang in there.

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  • Gryphon O'Shea says:

    Make it a first-come first-serve system that cannot be purchased on the web… If people have to spend days camping out with hard cash at a ticket vendor to purchase a ticket, this will totally deter scalpers and distinguish the committed from those who are not.

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  • Tiffany says:

    Straight and to the point:

    I received a ticket.

    This will be my first time going.

    I have a group of friends who went last year and a good portion of them did receive tickets (about 6ish people?), which is great. Very few of them actually bought more than they needed. Maybe one of them did and it seems as though those tickets are being sold to people within their group who didn’t receive them. I myself only bid for one and only up to the second tier price point. I left it up to serendipity to tell me whether or not it was my time to go to BM. I received my ticket at the second tier. I’m going to Burning Man.

    Ok, nitty gritty details out of the way, here are my feelings on the whole situation.

    I was (and still am) looking forward to connecting with the Seattle area community to get involved in projects and what not as the year progresses.

    However, I wonder where that leaves me in the scope of things and opens up a lot of questions.

    Will there be resentment from those that didn’t receive tickets? (probably not, people seem nice enough, I just worry about those types of things)

    Will the groups schism because people aren’t able to participate (or don’t want to participate due to even having to participate in the lottery system or are just over the ticketing fiasco) and make other plans, therefore making projects no longer conceivable?

    Is the community going to change drastically from what I heard and drew me to even wanting to attend Burning Man? Granted, everyones experience is different, but there is that community aspect that I feel may have been tarnished, again, could just be me.

    It’s been disheartening to say the least that there is this sense of “drama” surrounding this year, especially for my first burn. A number of my friends outside of my camp, long time burners, did not receive tickets. It was these people that had told me about how wonderful the experience was and that they couldn’t wait to go home. And then, to see their disappointment in not getting tickets was heart breaking. There were even some who didn’t even attempt because they didn’t like the lottery system in general. While not at all intentional or even incited by them, I feel a sense of guilt at even having the chance to participate in something they have been part of for so long. They are part of the history and I wanted to create and share in that potential history with them this coming up year. So, with that, I still feel conflicted.

    I am sure that I am not saying anything new or profound. But, I felt like I needed to get it out there. It’s been a wild one already and I haven’t even seen the highway to the playa.

    I still plan on attending. I try to look forward, optimistically, that there are still months ahead of US (yes, us) to make Burning Man an amazing experience. Working together with my local community, my group of friends and the BM community in general will hopefully spawn a more optimistic outlook and a good experience for all those participating.

    But for now, I sit and try to wade through the disappointment on the forum, on FB, all over the internet really, trying to find ways to push forward and make mine and hopefully others experience something they will remember for years to come.

    With that off my chest, I have no solutions on the next steps or the long term, but the community seems to have some pretty great ideas, some pretty brilliant minds, and should be confided in for the future of Burning Man. You seem to be doing that. Keep on including your community and their voices in the backs of your minds and you will resolve how to make the majority happy in the long run. Because with the size of an event this big, the reality is you can only cater to the majority. What does your majority say?

    Cheers,
    Tiffany Smith

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  • Jim Hobson says:

    I’ve gone to every burn since 1997. A friend sold me his second ticket, so I can go again this year if I choose to. I’m lucky. I like Taraaa’s suggestion of theme camps recruiting virgins who have tickets. Personally, I don’t feel that “old timers” like myself deserve any special access to tickets from the Burning Man organisation.
    We’ll see what happens with my theme camp this year. We do a lot of art and performances. (about 20% of us have tickets).
    As I said in my previous post, it’s time to procreate. Simultaneous official Burns at different locations, with all tickets at Will Call, a name on each ticket. I’d like to volunteer to help make this a reality.

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  • Jake says:

    “…grandfathered, minimum attendance requirement, essays, mandatory volunteer hours, earn to burn, it’s nothing without the veterans and theme camps…”

    This sounds less like a community of radical inclusion and more like a private club. The next step will be a membership committee of veterans who reviews applications and selects only those who meet predetermined criteria–a sure path to homogeneity.

    I do not like to gamble, so I applied for the Pre-Sale and was awarded tickets. How many of the veterans who are so desperate to attend made every effort to secure a ticket, even if it meant paying $30 – $180 more? That seems a small price for something that matters so much. If you cannot afford to go, you cannot afford to go. Differential pricing does not overcome the lack of means.

    The amount of whining and bellyaching in this forum has turned me off to the event. I have cancelled my travel reservations and plan to profit as much as possible from this organization’s failure to manage the most fundamental dynamic of supply and demand economics.

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  • Jim Hobson says:

    Oh yeah, and close the gate on Wednesday. That WILL cut down on the tourists.

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  • BurnerGirl - Lisa Campbell says:

    First, thanks. Now, as you say, BMorg needs to focus on solutions.
    You have a chance, here.
    With 10,000 more tickets, make the selection of those from a *burned-before* ONLY pool. Yes, the organization might piss off some newbies. But already “25-45%” of your looong-time community could certainly be pissed off right about now.
    And if you need it — the reasoning? **One does not know how sweet the pie is until tasted.** Best bet, make sure there are enough bakers THIS year, as well as next, to ensure the pie is even produced.
    Slice it this way, friends.

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  • BurnerGirl - Lisa Campbell says:

    10,000 tickets go to those who have *burned-before* is a good step in the right direction of solutions. You will not make everyone happy. But it is not illegal; not out-of-line with principles; not the greater of all evils.
    Should Burning Man NOT have some of its institutional aspects — traditional mutant vehicles, core theme camps, customary activities, established BRC destinations, time-honored veteran burner-family — even your newbies will not understand the true community that Burning Man is.
    I’ve been a part of a theme camp for my last two years of BM. This year, I have participated in planning two Art Projects and begun prep with one theme camp. I, for one, would sacrifice not going to the event if I knew that the instrumental veterans (who could take our projects and camps) would get tickets.
    How to separate those key *burned-before* folks out of the 10,000 pool, I have no idea.
    Keep your focus on the solutions. Look forward to the 15th.

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  • Matéo says:

    Thanks for acknowledging what’s going through all our minds.

    Our camp (Boosh Camp) has been part of Barbie Death Village 3 of the past 4 years, and we’re aiming to having a huge theme camp this year (Boosh!).

    We were slightly more fortunate than a lot of camps, but we’ve got less than 50% of our key people with tickets, and less than 20% of our virgin campers with tickets. We’ve even encountered some internal splintering directly caused by the ticketing debacle. This makes us very, very sad and we’re scrambling to figure out exactly how we’re going to get the rest of our camp to the playa.

    We’ve got massive plans to bring our ball pit back down, rebuild the 20 foot viewing platform (complete with fire pole), 15 foot lifeguard chairs, and maybe even an mutant vehicle. We were going to secure storage in Reno, but we can’t do it without resources (both people resources and financial resources (that come from camp dues, donations, etc)). If we can’t get critical mass, we’ll have to scale back our plans and in the worst case our camp will fold :(

    If you’re thinking of sending tickets remaining from the open sale to theme camps, could you please let us know how to register our camp?

    Placement/Theme Camp registration isn’t until 3rd Wednesday in February, which is perilously close to the open sale and past the STEP program. We’ve gotten all our documents ready in order to apply for placement and theme registration.

    I’d love some help on clarifying what our next steps should be!

    Lots of love and hopefully we’ll be able to share a dusty drink on the playa this year.

    Boosh Camp
    -Matéo

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  • Star says:

    Thank you so much for this informative update Andie! It is good to know BMorg is working on a solution :) Much love!!

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  • Mark Novak says:

    This problem is with us because the organizers ignored the rules of economics. These rules are in full force now precisely because the event has sold out – the supply trails demand so now tickets are a scarce commodity.

    We know how to deal with such problems.

    1. A tiered price structure cannot be fair on its own. Someone who wants a cheaper ticket must not win a lottery, or be early in line, but actually do some work – contribute to the event, be part of the staff, volunteer in their community, etc.

    2. For full priced tickets, there is a system that researchers have proven multiple times is fair and efficient – it is called a “Dutch Auction”. It would make tickets more expensive (hey, supply trails demand!) but it would ensure a non-lottery, market determined price. Burning Man would end up collecting more money, which it could refund back to the community by way of helping out with the cost of theme camps, art installations, or flat out donations to charity.

    3. Scalpers must be dealt with, and the only way to do this is through elimination of secondary market. Name on ticket is an easy way of achieving this.

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  • Dustin says:

    exceptionally well written, thanks Andie. On other sites I suggested using the ticket database from past years to give the rest of the tickets to those with ‘seniority’, assuming that out of the 40,000+ tickets already allocated many are going to newbies. This would insure our community, which has to include the builders, holds together. I’ve been blasted and vilified for this suggestion but stand by it.

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  • bandle says:

    It seems a lot of angst is being spent on the notion that the lottery allotted huge numbers of tickets to scalpers and newbees. I personally doubt that reality. Someone should invite current ticket awardees to participate in a survey to get a better handle on where tickets landed. One category I’ve hardly heard anyone mention is what I’ll call sporadic returnees. These are people who love Burning Man and have participated multiple times, but they haven’t been 100% devoted to return every year. I know (and love) some of these people, and I also know that they wait until the last minute to commit. I’m willing to bet that following the shortage of tickets last year, a lot of this year’s ticket requests came from people who thought they “might” go, and it was easy enough to enter the lottery. Of course the problem this raises is that, by the percentages, out of all the sporadics that requested tickets, a third of them now control tickets, and they may continue to be less than 100% committed until perhaps the last few months or even weeks before the event. Meanwhile two-thirds of those 100% committed will have to suffer the angst of waiting until the less committed tickets are released.

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  • Hazel says:

    Nice letter in all the circumstances. One of the first rules in life is when you have to eat a shit sandwich, take big bites and get it over with. You did that and thanx for it.
    Seems with the cards you’re holding there is little choice but to manually allocate some or all of the 10,000 remaining tickets to the “deserving”. And again, congrats for subtly flagging that and helping manage expectations. Good luck with figuring what “deserving” means!!
    For this year, put a lot of effort into matching newbies (many of whom WILL want to contribute and not just watch) with camps who need warm bodies. Make it easier for people who really want to be a part of the event to be a part of the event.

    And some thoughts for next time.
    1. One ticket per person doesn’t work. I’m going with my wife, traveling from Australia, and a situation where one of us gets a ticket and one doesn’t simply doesn’t work. Not all Burners are single.
    2. The 3000 $420 tickets told us some people are willing to pay more. I suspect some are willing to pay a lot more. So start the ticket sale with an auction of, say, 5000 tickets. Or, even, 5 auctions of 1000 each one after another. Scalpers won’t play this game for a number of reasons and it will take some of the heat out of the secondary market because the high rollers (IE, the guys who can and will pay) are dealt with without driving the secondary market.
    3. Use the extra revenue the high end auction brings to increase the number of cheaper tickets so the high rollers are subsidizing others. Maybe that is their gift.
    4. Also use the additional revenue to add admin resource so you manually allocate a number of tickets (maybe an equal number as the auction-but maybe you need more) to the “deserving”.
    5. For the balance, the system you used this year probably works though some sort of qualifier (volunteering requirement, or a short email on why you want to go) might help and, again, the extra $ raised from the folks who can and will pay can add the resource you’d need to administer this.
    6. I suspect the logistics would kill you but making all tickets “will call” and requiring ID would stop scalpers dead. Not sure you need it though.
    Bottom line is you have created an extraordinary community that more people want to be a part of than you can handle. In a way that’s incredibly cool. Embrace it and deal with it.
    IMHO, some of the Burnier Than Thou, “Burning Man will die without us” stuff on this board is a tad uncool and undermines that.
    Let’s not need 500 Burners to change a light bulb, 1 to change it and 499 to say they liked the old light bulb better.

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  • Jim Hobson says:

    If my theme camp (Comfort and Joy) isn’t able to get it together this year by acquiring tickets for our core members, or recruiting new people who have tickets, I will still make interactive art with a couple of friends. It will be on a smaller scale, but that isn’t necessarily bad.

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  • Lucky says:

    There will always be fresh blood cycling through the city: the Org does NOT need to facilitate this.

    What DOES need to be preserved is the respect and confidence of the camp leads who work all year to bring huge u-hauls, speakers and artcars to the event and blow minds.

    I couldn’t be happier everytime some random kid from France shows up and gets their world blown.

    But it has ALWAYS been the hard-core vets who have MADE b-man what it is.

    Should have made the tickets nontransferable.

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  • Virtual Mark says:

    This is the first year I decided not to go to Burning Man.

    Ticket drama x10. I have so many mixed emotions.

    I’ve been on the playa 13 times in the last 15 years. One year, no vacation time because of a cross county move. Last year, CA surgery of a close friend during BM week.

    Yep, I have a storage unit in Reno for Burning Man gear. I’ve been involved in 6 large art projects, been part of AEZ for many years, been a volunteer for many years and sponsored several newbies.

    Part of me is angry. The energy I’ve invested to become part of the community feels tossed aside. Like how your cell phone or car insurance company prefers new customers to existing ones.

    Part of me is sad. All things change, end.

    Part of me is concerned. Who teaches the values?

    Part of me is grateful. I appreciate the efforts of BMorg and the difficult decisions that were/are made.

    A heart-felt, Thank You!

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  • Phoenix says:

    Welcome home, playa virgins. May you find a playa everything that you hope and welcomes you openly. This email is a needed transition from the chaos that followed the lottery system. I have many friends who failed to get tickets and are thus quite frustrated. Hopefully this will calm the waters somewhat.

    As a 5 year veteran who has always participated with an art camp, I was sadden to hear how many of the other camps are currently under-ticketed. I have been very lucky to receive an early entry pass each year and although I do not plan to attend in 2012 (no art piece), I think I will limit my future visits to only the pre-burn week. Although the greater burning community is a pleasure to experience during the burn week, I prefer getting down to basics with the core community. I welcome all of the newbies, but there is a huge difference between the ‘private’ entry of pre-burn and ‘public’ event that is burn week. Hopefully the dedicated newbies out there can join a camp and experience the playa as it once was.

    The 2012 Burn will certainly be an interesting time, and I look forward to seeing how the greater Burner community responds to this transition. Happy Burn!

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  • Zesmeralda says:

    Thanks for the letter!

    Future suggestions:

    1. Eliminate scalpers – a name goes on every ticket with exchange only through BM organization.

    2. The lottery means tier pricing won’t work – if you do a lottery you need one price – just take an average price and use that.

    3. To preserve core structure – allocate a percentage of tickets to prior burners and have that lottery first.

    4. Everyone else goes into the remaining lottery

    5. Accelerate the increase attendance permitted by BLM – you have 70K in the future – make it sooner.

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  • mournlight says:

    Thank you for your honesty.
    Ideas:
    1) Require 8 hours of volunteer before allowing purchase of first ticket, verifiable by regional burn organizers or other trusted servants.
    2) Increase ticket prices moderately but still allow low income tickets
    3) Allot an amount for each registered camp/art project, give them until February to buy them before making them public.

    I think that Teddy’s video, as awesome as it was, may have single-handedly caused too much interest. The timing was horrible. I hope that many people bought tickets based on that who will back out when they see what they actually need in order to be self-sufficient. Hopefully those tickets will become free for others and not scalped.

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  • J says:

    The argument that ‘I’ve been before and therefore should be able to go again’ can be countered by ‘I haven’t gone so I should get a chance to experience it’. It’s a pointless debate.

    IF you do allocate the remaining 10K tickets to people with theme camps, this should not necessarily exclude first timers. It shouldn’t be so difficult for people to accept that newbies might be able to contribute. And the talk about how newbies aren’t going to appreciate the community is right – they’re not going to because many of the comments on this blog will make them feel excluded.

    Finally, it’s worth remembering that while it’s great that some people go every year, for some people that’s not possible. And for some people, going to Burning Man is going to be a once in a lifetime experience, and that should be ok too.

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  • Clint Samples says:

    Thank you for posting this response. I’m one of the still hopefully returning burners, though I have not been awarded a ticket. I will be attempting the STEP program as my next option, and hope for the best. I have faith that the virgins who have been awarded tickets this year will be bringing an incredible amount of creative energy out to the playa. Oh the places they will go, and hopefully you and I as well.
    I believe that BM will grow from this experience, as it has from all before it. Each year a new man will rise. I am sure that this year will not be the end of growth, or intelligent adaptation.
    For those unsure, have faith, and for those celebrating their shiny new tickets to the greatest city on earth… see you there.

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  • free says:

    I agree that BMan needs those core artists to create the scene that is the vibe of BMan. The ORG. Can’t cash in on all their free efforts if they can’t come and build. It. It sounds like HQ bit the hand that feed s it. I think as always a section of tickets should be for those most intregal to the creation of the experience. Sadly Hippies are full of #&%&$& and by and large freeloading mooches. SP HOW WILL YOU EVER DISCERN WHO REALLY IS WORKING ON EACH PROJECT.? At music shows we have to do a pre show sweep just to get all the phony setup people back outside. It will be so aabout who you know, if a panel decieds who gets first crack at the tickets.
    Just sell 50,000 tickets first come 1st served. At one price level. Then issues a max of 5000 tickets for core projects and their participants. This gives sufficient time to pan going for those who get tickets. We will have many cool camps still but not as many from previous years. Practice radical self inclusion over RADICAL SELF DELUSION. It is time that some of the pro burners and their endless talk of manifestation uit infesting us with a bougois clique. We should all be equals. Already their are nonstop braggerts who’s only claim to fame is how maany times they’ve gone to the BURN. Let them move on to a regional burn and create the reality they so wish to see…a bunch of members only camps. I like the strife and sillyness that comes with newbies. Not always but in this case we have a staunch tried and true system so we can handle it. The regionals are our only way to continue growing as a community. Grow or die. We are now top heave and also too full of burners who resemble that little guy in the monopoly game with all the ribbons and medals. Black rock has become Park Place. Let the pros go help by landing them on Conneticut

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  • Yumms says:

    Giving tix ONLY out to large(r) camps is not fair, every year I go solo, I contribute and I gift as well. Please dont distribute tickets based soley on people attached to theme camps, bman is not made of camps, its made of people!

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  • Taxidermy says:

    DO NOT PUT NAMES/BAR CODES/PHOTOS ON TICKETS
    first off, there is a lot of people who go to burning man who don’t even use identification, like crazy hippie squatters who hop on some mystery van with their tickets and show up on playa, these kinds of people are very important to the event. Secondly, I think it’s also important that the experience be gift-able and not just for the folks who know about burning man and really want to go….like I think I should be able to meet someone who doesn’t know about Burning Man and I should be able to give them a ticket if I have an extra just because I feel like they should experience it. Thirdly, a big part of burning man in my opinion is being able to escape your “real world” identity for a week so you can find yourself, and being forced to bring your ID with you and have a ticket with your face on it defeats the purpose (which is one of the reasons I also am pissed about how all the esplanade bars card now and shit. you shouldn’t need identification at burning man)

    -Taxidermy

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  • Nonya Damn Bidness says:

    Clearly, nobody on the Burning Man staff was ever a math major. I could’ve seen this fiasco coming a mile away.

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  • roland says:

    This is capitalism at its finest. Dollars is the only thing that says ” listen to me”

    Nobody is going to hear us you guys…………

    You know, being on the playa…………creativity just flowed like water

    but now we’ve got these blockheads with cement shoes….. selling tickets.

    there’s just too many messages, nobody can read all these.

    SHOULD HAVE MADE THE TICKETS NON-TRANSFERABLE!!!

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  • P3AC3MONG3R says:

    hmmmm……why not just have 2 Burning Mans in one year? There would be enough people…..

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  • Emma Gieselman says:

    I suggest making a site where established theme camps…the ones we keep hearing only have about 25% of their members with tickets…and have people with tickets, veterans and virgins alike that aren’t with any theme camps, art collectives, etc. volunteer to be in their camps. So basically, they’ll be radically including new people (not necessarily newbies) into their camps as dues paying, fund raising, heavy-lifting, brainstorming members.

    From my personal POV (ive been burning 4 years) ive seen the big theme camps not really taking any new people on…yes, it makes them run like a well-oiled machine but it keeps people at an arms distance when trying to join. I looked into joining a few one year and many didnt want anyone or had an application form for you to fill out online and submit and I guess it was just a popularity contest? No thanks. Yes, they would like their friends who know what their doing but things are changing and we have to change too. My friends didn’t win tickets either, id like them there too but I accept that probably wont happen.

    I’ve been setting up my own little camp and finding free space for 2 years now making new friends every year that are looking for a place to camp. Im ready for a different year and hopefully I can join a camp based out of San Diego if they’re ready and willing to have me. My boyfriend and me both…we both have tickets (no extra-sorry).

    I think there are many burners in my same boat and just need to know where the help is needed…c’mon .org reach out! We want to help! I want to help get those camps there! There are plenty of us who aren’t virgins, have tickets, and just need to know where to turn…you’ve shown us the dire stats now help us get in touch with these camps and give our assistance…I want to participate! Just show me who needs me…

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  • Spilt Milk says:

    Hello there burning blog writers,

    I thought the lottery idea was a beautiful idea, but unfortunately like other beautiful philosophies it didn’t quite work out. This would have been my first burn but I didn’t get a ticket. I noticed an idea one of the vets had brought forth and that was to volunteer. I was planning on heading to burning man alone, and volunteering would be the perfect way to meet people in the community and cause a lasting impact on me. I’ll try one more time for a ticket but I may as well hope I get chosen as a volunteer.

    Thanks for the sentiment, I appreciate this piece and heart-felt apology.

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  • Shoegunk says:

    My neighbor suggested to suggest selling thousands of extra tickets… and they keep track of attendance at the gate… when someone leaves, someone else goes in… drives down price of the scalpers

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  • Shoegunk says:

    Yumms – Interesting… I kind of agree, but it was the theme camps that offered substance in my opinion the first year I went… but that was 13 years ago… But there was way less than now… I heard that they have only gotten 100 theme camps this year, when last year they had over 1000…. I think my first year was the best… interesting… but only 25000 people went that year… hrm…

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  • szander says:

    So, just curious, was this explanation written by a highly-paid PR company BMORG hired?

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  • Woodeye says:

    This is about trying to shore up the existing foundations of the community. BMORG already decides “value” in camp placement, footprint/space allocation and grant funding. Use this as a guideline and combine it with direct feedback from the camps about what their ticket needs are vs the tickets they currently have. A camp needs to have been in BRC consistently for the last 3-5 years, establishing it as a recent, ongoing, contributing part of the community. Records exist about camp/village placement and who has bought tickets, so this info can be verified. Compile the list of these “crucial” community foundations and devise percentages of offered tickets based on space allocation and anecdotal feedback. Ashram may say they “need” 50 tickets and they only got 12 but that doesn’t necessarily mean they get offered 38 and game the system. Maybe they only get offered 15 or 20 tickets at this stage, then the camp needs to make some decisions about who they deem are crucial members, and this wouldn’t exclude them from using STEP or trying for the remaining tickets in March. Suddenly Ashram now has more than half their needed crew before STEP or the March sale kicks in.

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  • Renard Sur Trempoline says:

    Complete bullshit.

    1) I don’t think I’ve seen a more hubris-smeared, shiney-eyed half apology and I’ve been a burner for 8 years. Really amazing. And not in a good way. The next time you actually apologize to people, actually mean it. At least get someone who does mean it to write the apology. Some of us can smell a narcissistic fuck bag from a mile away and whoever wrote that letter is a certified sociopath.

    2) This overcomplicated foolishness is undermining the life’s work of literally hundreds of artists and event creators who now can’t plan and therefore probably won’t invest in anything bigger than a Weber grill and a few tofu burgers. What do you think people are going to do when they get to the middle of a dry lake bed and there’s literarily nothing interesting going on? As much as you hate dealing with them, and as bitchy and self-satisfied as the big camps and big art are, THEY ARE WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THE BURN!!! Take away that and you have a really dusty rainbow festival. Yay.

    3) You guys are clearly incapable of handling this any more. You should scrap things now and reboot while you still have time, preferably with more capable leading. If you had any integrity at all you’d be looking for your own replacements.

    4) You literally created a panic with your idiotic phased lottery. Did no one realize that the uncertainty you created around getting a ticket would exponentially inflate demand? Did you really think that 200000 people actually wanted to go? That that lame Youtube video was enough to triple demand? And that you’re doing a good work by being ‘radically inclusive’? Wrong and foolish!!! As I HOPE you’ve figured out now, people have friends with credit cards and every entry didn’t represent an actual individual. I’m going to guess that you probably had about 70000 actual people trying to get a ticket, and since you haven’t been able to get it together to actually lobby the Nevada state government to change the rules (which in itself is fucking stunning), instead of only shutting out 20000, you probably shut out more than 35000. Good job ‘radically including’ people.

    5) It would be rude of me to not offer a solution, so here it is:

    * Give everyone back their money
    * Go back to the original model of online and outlet sales
    * Hold them in 1 phase
    * No more fucking tickets. Sell a slot on a list.
    * Scrap S.T.E.P. (which was fucking stupid and frankly beyond your abilities to begin with). If people want to transfer a ticket, make them do it in person or via a phone call and only with verification that each person is a real INDIVIDUAL (this means single, real person). This way NOTHING can be resold without you mediating it. No scalpers, you control the price point.
    * Charge whatever price you think reasonable. Control the numbers this way. Hold back a number of tickets to grant or provide to camps or artists or whatever. No one questions how hard it is to put on something of that scope and the resources are there as long as you don’t FUCK the people who you signed up to host.

    If you start now, you would be able to completely reduce uncertainty, allow people to plan and have plenty of resources and credibility to do continue to thrive.

    Renard

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  • Pingles says:

    I wonder how many virgins are reading these missives from the BMORG? I suggest an email to all who “won” tickets summarizing the above and describing what will be expected of newcomers (advance contact with camps, participation, etc.). This might encourage some virgins to turn in their tickets, which can then be distributed to the veterans without whom the event will greatly suffer.

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  • mark P says:

    I have nothing against virgins. They are important to BM. But they will not experience the hurt that us veteran burners will experience during that week if we get shut out . Please take this under consideration as you go forward. It really will be painful. there is already so much anxiety out there building up.

    I know its off the table now, but expansion is inevitable in the future….. . . .

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  • Rob says:

    Maybe there could be 2 burning mans this year, one a week before the other

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  • Tomas Neumann says:

    I think the idea of Emma Gieselman is great!
    Encourage veteran camp to invite newbies to compensate for their members who cannot go.
    I personally never been to BM and it was a long dream for me, to move to USA and get my vacation planned out to attend this year. Sadly I was not confirmed for any tickets. I still hope for the STEP to get me one. But what then. Then I am lost. I would gladly join a camp, offer my energy to help creating a great experience for everyone. Allow me to become a new part of this, although I dont know any veteran camp yet.

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  • Jeremy says:

    maybe there are a bunch of ticket-holders who would voluntarily surrender their tickets. just ask them. i personally did not get tickets this year and did not even try. i have attended 7 times since 1999.

    that said, however, if i had tickets and received a nice email from the burning man corporate office requesting that me or anyone I know could surrender their tickets for a full refund and lots of good karma, i would gladly do so. there are likely 10k other ticket holders like me…

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  • Azrielle says:

    There are lots of “playas” aka dry lakes in Nevada, and many are fairly remote. Why not organize a second or even a third Burning Man for the overflow.

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  • OhVOMIT says:

    I believe I spent more time scrolling down the comments of this article than actually scrolling to read it, which I am thankful for. We all have so much to say, and now that we know the bmorg is actually reading/listening let’s let the ideas flow. I still side with the I.d idea. Even IF it meant requiring identification for the one who purchased the tickets. If the ticket ends up being gifted or part of the STEP program then You allow a small window of opportunity to get it registered in the new name. we have people in our camp that got two tickets under their one credit card and on address, but the tickets are both accounted for, meaning that, we are willing to show and HAVE the actual I.d for each person on those tickets. The scalpers get smoked out, unless they attend themselves of course making their own ticket ligitamit but they would have to give back the others. People worried about It taking longer at the gates, so what. So we have a few more people around to cross check their paperwork to the tickets and I.d. I think that anyone who has ever been, or is going would be willing to sit a few minutes longer to make sure Burning Man was being done right.
    I love newcomers, and not having requirements to attend, otherwise I may have even been rejected when I started going myself. But, the idea of Burning Man becoming a social MEDIA extravaganza, doesnt sit well with me. Some People(not many, but enough)go or want to go because entertainment shows tell them too, or small parts of it in movies strike interest in the wrong reasons to attend. We all know that going “home” is a significant part to each year of our lives, and is all we prepare for over the next 365 days til the man burns again. There obviously will be a lot of first timers, and also ” one timers” In my opinion. The one timer being the person that heard about it from media or some other source, making them want to experience it at least once in their life. Last year was a big year because of the anniversary, what would be a better time right? Along with this year and maybe a few more after ,but the ” hype” that the media puts on it or the “hype” of the “cool new thing to do” will eventually die down. That is not what the Man is about. It won’t end up being just the “rich”, or the “rv people” going, it won’t be the next coachella, or sold out concert. this is our utopia. One week a year. It is our home, and I believe like a lot of others, bmorg is listening, and those who need to go will.

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  • Boxer The Horse says:

    4 out of 10 will be first year Burners…..God help us, every one of us…..if I find a ticket, I promise to step up my game and volunteer a shit load more…I promise

    p.s. We still gonna BURN him? (We being us if I find a ticket, of course)….so sad and weird it’s almost funny…..almost as funny as when the bike rack broke and we dragged all of our bikes until they were completely useless….there is a challenge every year

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  • Harpo says:

    Phoenix
    Rebirth from the ashes
    New and different is scary
    I will be back some day
    BM will continue to be great
    Just not this year

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  • Branden says:

    GSP mentioned it above about running BRC multiple weeks and I like that but why not just make Burning Man a two week event?

    As I understand it, the BLM 50k restriction is based on average daily attendance, which is how you’re selling 55k tickets in the first place. If this is true, then why not simply add a week to the front of the event?

    The larger theme camps can and do already arrive early and so why can’t you count them being there a week early as the event being open for attendance? The first week you’d likely be at an average of 20k or less. Which means in the second week you can have 80k or more and still meet the daily average.

    Just asking….

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  • Nick says:

    Thank you to everyone who is working so hard to keep it going. I think names on tickets would be huge. Then if you can’t go you should be able to log with you guys and sell your ticket for face value or gift it through your website so that when the new recipient gets the ticket it will have their name on it. Or if it is done to late to be sent to the persons house they should have a confirmation code that they can tell the check in people at the entrance and they look at the list and ask see your id to tell that you are that person. Also for theme camps and other large art groups that make the BRC world go round, make them submit early and ask them to please note the minimum amount of tickets they will need to participate. Looking at their project you can judge if the number is valid. Then they, being the art and theme camps that make it what it is, should get those tickets before the main ticket sale starts.

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  • Michael says:

    Hey – wow, a conundrum, but I think finding a way to give out the remaining or reclaimed tickets to the stalwart burners is the answer.

    I also like the idea of ID’ing every purchase — even if you allow multiple tickets per person you know who got them — maybe have some criteria for how many can be purchased.

    It seems expansion is inevitable . . . so I’d start anticipating a change in location or whatever is appropriate to move in that direction.

    Perhaps limiting new burner numbers, having a reward system for contribution in the past, etc.

    Good luck! Some day I’ll make it, but looks like not this year.

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  • Amanda says:

    2010 was my first year. I knew relatively little about the event, but I volunteered for pre-playa events that year, helped with a theme camp, and brought an art installation out to the playa. I had no funding; I quite literally put EVERYTHING I had into that project. I ate from the food bank and lived in a bus for two months. But I finished it, and I brought it, and my lame ex-boyfriend didn’t finish lighting it (obviously I needed to exhibit a little more radical self-reliance there), but other than that, it made it, and I was proud of it, and glad that I had something to bring to one of the only places in our society where real art (versus graphic design in advertising) is valued.

    Last year, due to the birth of my son, I couldn’t even go, but I still made an art piece to send out there. (Once again, my lame ex screwed up the project by not bringing enough gas for the generator.) If I couldn’t go, I at least wanted a piece of me to be there (my placenta was in that sculpture!), and hopefully it was something that brought some joy or tears or amusement to someone who stumbled upon it.

    This year I’m working on another art project, one that is way better than the last two. It’s much more interactive, made with mostly recycled materials (all of them have been), and my lame ex isn’t part of it so everything is going to work this time! I have two dear friends collaborating with me on the project, we’ve amassed most of the materials we need, and we’ve started a fundraising campaign with a little bit of success.

    Only one problem: I don’t have a ticket. Only one of us got a ticket, and it will take at least 3 people to set it up. I know that even if I don’t get a ticket, and our other team member doesn’t get a ticket, the one who does will be able to find some wonderful burner souls to help him put it up, but dang, that’s a lot of responsibility for him to bear alone. Just give me a half-time ticket – I’ll go in pre-event, set it up, leave for the whole week to clear up space for one of the 50,000, and come back in to take it down and clean up all the MOOP when the party’s over. I’m serious about this.

    My point in sharing this very long story? Tickets need to go to the people that actually make it happen, whether they are first timers or 26th timers. I brought an art installation my first year – other virgins can do some heavy, responsibility-filled participation too. Without the art – the theme camps, art cars, installations, and performance art – what would it look like? There wouldn’t even be anything for spectators to spectate.

    If the event is going to continue to be held on BLM land, perhaps applications for ALL tickets are in order, like the applications for the former scholarship tickets.

    Perhaps these population limitations will force the eventual expansion into regional events, which hopefully would maintain the same spirit of anticommodification and free and beautiful self expression. Or perhaps the solution is looking toward private land. Possibly group-owned private land to deter formation of some kind of dictatorship? (Check out permaburn.org)

    Desert land tends to be pretty cheap.
    There are a lot of flat, empty places out there…

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  • luckysevenstar says:

    truly a remarkable statement. it must take much courage to face the music like this and there is much opportunity in the lessons learnt on this occasion.

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  • kayden(Eye Candy) says:

    I was introduced to burning man’s culture and principles a few years ago at a small regional burn called the rise of the phoenix in black rock York and was able to bring with me what ended up being “THE” theme camp. this nice small gathering was a teriffic place to begin getting to know a part of the community and find out that there were even more amazing and wonderful people out there We ended up with about 65 burners many of whom are in the core of my memories of our regional burns to date. I haven’t -YET- made it out to the mothership but have learned to step up and volunteer and even now help to lead and soon shape our own playa del fuego. I look forward to being able to attend BRC in person in the (near?) future…..

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  • Kevin says:

    Forgive me if this has been said before;

    I somehow doubt there is the resources to actually go over a minimum of 25,000+/- essays about “why i should get a ticket”. ditch that idea, its bad and unrealistic.
    its already been said that printing names on the tickets was beyond what they wanted their level of evolvement to be, and went the whole other direction with the lottery system/step; let the people buy up all the tickets and they’ll sort it out with step.. clearly this was the wrong approach, and they are now aware of that.
    after reading the letter above, i propose this: what about a “queuing system” that was for more than one day, like rather than be able to register for two weeks, just sell X amount of tickets every day for two week? wait a month or something, release some more. maybe incorporate names on tickets and/or max per person. or something along those lines. and anyone who is unavailable on wednesday can get them (possibly) on sunday or whatever day they are available. if they didn’t get them the 1st day, try the next. as the days go by odds get better. not an all day ordeal, and seemingly more fair than the lottery right? theme camps should have their tickets dealt with in their register process, mutant vehicles too; whats you theme camp all about? how will you clean up after? how many tickets do you need… completely separate from the general admission. I’m sure nobody would mind seeing only 45,000 or 40,000 tickets available because 5,000 or 10,000 (totally made up numbers) are going to the “bones”. something like that SEEMS like it’d work, from my (what could be naive) perspective.

    now will somebody sell me 2 tickets for such an awesome idea?! (please?)

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  • Steve "Swifty" Upstill says:

    There’s nothing in this post about something that seems obvious to me: why not ask the people who “won the lottery” if they really NEED their tickets? …and maybe return them to the pool if they don’t? It seems to me that giving up a ticket (that you maybe got through over-ordering) to enable some particular project to get to Burning Man is a spectacular, and spectacularly cheap, form of gifting.

    The key would be specificity: to connect lucky people with particular needy people, ala Kickstarter. Handled properly, it would motivate the givers and give the project-ors a great charge of positive energy.

    Anyone?

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  • Michael says:

    Lemons into lemonade.

    TWO, Burning Mans this year :)

    Problem, solved!??!

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  • Rongo! says:

    There are lots of ways you can distribute 50K tickets to 70K people and a lottery isn’t the worst way. The standard way is to simply let people bid on them and the highest bidder gets them. Surely you like a lottery better than that? (First come, first serve wasn’t great, either.)

    I hate to be the “silver lining” guy but this might be the best thing ever. Burning Man has turned into “I can spend more money and effort on my mega-camp than you can” contest. This may force people to go back to being really clever and making better use of the people they DO have.

    If you DO have a ticket, consider volunteering to a camp that might be short handed, showing up early and working your ass off for a few days.

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  • eddiebe says:

    i’m a burner for 18 consecutive years, not just attending but building a group camp each year, sometimes an official theme camp, but most years just creating a tarps-and-bungies home base for family and friends on the playa. glorious times.

    and then this year no ticket. yikes. not just me, but several other regulars.

    so my camp and my campmates are in limbo, tho they are offering to pay scalpers prices to buy me a ticket so i can create the camp as usual.

    is burning man going to become just a large collection of rv’s gathering for a week of polluting and carousing like your standard snow-bird encampments? with lots of gawkers and no theme camps? could be.

    here’s my pome on this topic:

    ————

    the jackrabbit shits!

    today the black jackrabbit spilled its guts.

    says tickets are sold out, and now so are we.

    burning man as we knew it dies henceforth.

    score another disaster for the myth of 2012.

    i’ll surely get a ticket somehow, and my pals to –

    but now we see the flaw at the heart of the dream,

    because when you hit the limits then it’s all over.

    radical inclusion fails when you go exclusive.

    egalitarianism fails when people prove unequal.

    empathic society fails when ruled by sociopaths.

    even joy of life fails when surrounded at the end.

    but oh well what the hell.

    yea, those magical times –

    we there, eternally abiding

    in reality on the playa,

    freed from a merkin dream.

    eddiebe

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  • wildcard says:

    I have been to numerous festivals all over the world. I have had tickets for burning man in the past but been unable to go. This was the year. Now Without a ticket the allure is gone. It saddens me to read all the posts of broken hearted burners. Change your ways bmorg. Loring Air Force base in northern Maine, hard to get to, scenic, has hosted several successful large festivals. A bigger venue could solve it all..

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  • David Jacob says:

    Here are my suggestions for what they’re worth:

    Raise the cost of the tickets and donated extra funds to charity.
    Of course, continue and possibly step up tickets for low income burners.

    And most importantly, PUT NAMES ON TICKETS!
    There was a time when airline tickets could be bought and sold. That time has gone, and should go the same for BM tickets. Allow refunds, with a reasonable fee, up until a certain date and issue a new ticket for every one returned. Airline tickets are not scalped, and neither will BM tickets be if this is enforced!

    By the way I am still looking for two tickets, for me and my parter Wren, whom I met on the Playa!

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  • Kim says:

    My husband and I are virgins with tickets, and I have to admit, extremely excited. Our son convinced us to go but has no ticket. I am worried he won’t get to go and we will not get to experience this community with an experienced burner. I now wish I had bought one for him. I think the rest of the tickets need to go to the 75% of long time burners especially the theme camps. And please reserve a lot for the lower income.
    Thank you for this post. This is a great community!

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  • MZRD says:

    TO ALL WHO CAN:

    Please answer this stream of questions:

    What is the maximum number of people that will be allowed by the Bureau of Land Management on the playa? (will they ever allow 100,000 or more people?)

    How important is the Black Rock Desert? (too important to leave the playa for a new location if the Bureau won’t allow the event to grow?)

    How many more people are allowed to attend this year vs. last year? (Is the rate constant?)

    I have only attended a regional burn and, having made the decision there to start saving money right away, had been looking forward to burning man 2012 since BEFORE burning man 2011 even opened the gate but I had accrued very little in my savings by january, so small an amount that I feared a ticket at even the second tier would cripple my savings to the point that travel to the playa would be impossible. (I live in michigan). Then, a friend (the same friend what brought me to the regional burn) told me about the low income/scholarship program. so I thought: “Great, I’ll let the universe decide if I get to go… I’ll enter for the low income ticket. If I get it, hooray! If not, I’ll just keep on saving for next year and get apply for pre-sale tickets.” However, once all the tickets were sold and people started rumbling I got concerned. Now, I just don’t know what to think… I’m not even sure that I should apply for the ticket after seeing all of the “burnier than thou” comments for the last week or so. What if I’m awarded a ticket, show up, set up camp, get excited about walking around with my contribution and making new friends everywhere I go, but every time I mention that it’s my first time and that “I got to buy a low income ticket by the grace of the flying teapot” I see faces turn away to hide how upset they are, I’ve just shifted their paradigm just a bit south… I don’t want that.

    In short, I’ll not be applying for the ticket, I’ll just go to Lakes of Fire and keep saving for N E X T year.

    In Closing, I have a few suggestions:
    Ticketing:
    Sell tickets in four “rounds”
    Round 1: BONES
    Auction tickets in groups of 5. minimum opening bid of 800 dollars
    (sales open to veteran BUILDING burners only for their teams)
    Round 2: VEINS
    Auction tickets in pairs. minimum opening bid 600 dollars
    (sales open to veteran burners only)
    Round 3: BLOOD
    Auction tickets individually. Minimum opening bid 100 dollars
    (sales open to public)
    Round 4: Open Sale
    Tickets sold max 2 per transaction until they are gone.

    This would provide a MASSIVE influx of cash to the org and also ensure that everyone has a fair shot at a ticket. You could of course still have a small pocket allocated for low income/scholarship tickets.

    ADMISSION:
    I feel like it might be nice if everyone had to attend a regional burn BEFORE the big burn. Give the prospective virgin a nice little dose of the community so they know where their head should be going in.

    Lastly, The org has to realize that more and more people will want to come every single year. interest will NOT wane. The city must grow.

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  • mark P says:

    *** PLEASE Find a way to expand in the most creative way possible for 2013. ***

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  • Tuba Heatherton says:

    I was looking forward to returning to Black Rock City in August. It doesn’t look like there will be room for me. I’m sad.

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  • Just want to go.
    Please tell me how I can get in.
    Remember “Woodstock”?
    Worked then—- can it work after 9/11??

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  • Thanks for the fine response. I can only imagine what a tough time this is. We’re counting on you to keep trying to do the right thing.

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  • BigBunny says:

    Holy Cr*p there are alot of comments on this letter! WOW just WOW!

    First off the resounding sense of entitlement of so many people is a huge turn off! HUGE! Sorry large theme camps, art cars, performers… etc. Its about equality not entitlement.

    ITS YOUR CHOICE TO COME, TO PARTICIPATE, TO SPEND YOUR MONEY, TO NOT EARN ENOUGH MONEY. YOUR CHOICE, YOUR CHOOSING!

    Life is full of decision making, and the outcome/consequences of those decisions.

    Frankly its sickening to hear so much whining! In fact I am not going because of it, the event stinks of death/redundancy. New blood should be ushered in, old school folks just deal with it and if you dont get a ticket then bring your kick ass skills and knowledge to another event. Or better yet go and create another event with other fellow burners!

    Let Burningman evolve! It gets so tiring seeing the same art cars year after year, same camps doing the same thing… trotting out the same crap and thinking they are creating. YOU NEED NEWBIES TO THINK THIS SHIT IS COOL!

    Don’t give any more power to theme camps, sound camps, or art cars! ITS NOT THEM WHO MAKE Burningman, its the people! ITS THE CONNECTIONS MADE out there that make the event. RETURN THE EVENT TO THE ATTENDEES.

    Now I am not saying there should not be large camps or art projects, read below

    So suggestions…
    1. Don’t care about the ticket issue, I trust the office will handle it.
    2. Stop with the entitlement whining or saying “if ‘your’ friends are not going your not!” WTF? ITS ABOUT MEETING NEW PEOPLE! EXPANDING YOUR BRAIN by LISTENING TO THEIR IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES. HELLO!
    3. IF an art car has been on the play say 3 or 5 times its time to put it to rest and let another creation come into this world.
    4. Set a # of years lg theme camps and sound camps can have playa set aside for them. This might help keep it fresh out there and give rising burners a chance.
    I know it takes a ton of money and effort, and planing to get a theme camp together, I have been and active member/participate of an esplanade camp for over 8 years and have volunteered many many times building with DPW. I fully understand the logistics and costs and the crap one has to deal with to go.
    5. Install a system where theme camps over 20 people and can put in a request for tickets with detailed plans for what they are doing and why they need the requested # of tickets. Set a cap on the amount of tickets available to them. Have an early date for submission and cut it off once past the date if all spots are filled. Award them their tickets in the first round so they can get to creating their vision. This hopefully will allow their core builders to get to the playa and accomplish their goals.
    All theme camps awarded tickets this way should be evaluated on their build and interaction with the community. Did they ‘bring it’? Did they do what they said they were doing to do? Did they enhance the experience of all? This can be done by a community of revolving ‘judges’ for the lack of a better word.

    6. Limit the size of an RV period! and I love the suggestion to put them towards the back!! Great idea (sorry I don’t remember who above suggested that), less impact onto the playa in areas that see lots of traffic from tent and rv campers.

    This is a great time for Burning Man Office and WE THE PEOPLE to flex their $$ power to Nevada. WE CAN all take our asses somewhere else to have a good time. In this bad economy we should be shopping for a deal and new location.

    Also love the idea of WestCoast and EastCoast and maybe more burns. This would help with the environmental impact. Sad because I love meeting so many different people and hearing what they have to say, but it might be necessary with the increasing costs to go and travel. Plus lessen the negative impact on the environment.

    Good luck to all, going and not going. Lets create something new on the playa and in our own LOCAL COMMUNITIES. We do not need to drive out to the playa to connect with one another!

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  • scott _ )'( _ K says:

    Thank you BMorg for your sincere efforts!

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  • Corey says:

    The veterans are doing a great job of making first-timers feel unwelcome at this event.

    Reading this forum could lead one to believe that Burning Man is a private event held primarily for those who have attended previously.

    I am a first-timer who purchased a ticket in the Pre-Sale. I recognized that paying more would increase my chances of getting a ticket.

    Now, I have no interest in attending an event populated by disgruntled veterans who harbor hostility toward new comers.

    In my mind, “BM” now stands for “Bitch and Moan.”

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  • Nic Damery says:

    I’m a virgin from Florida. Turning 18 in June. I head of BM about 2 years ago and ever since I head about it, I knew from that moment that it was Home and I needed to be there.

    6 months ago I decided that this year, 2012, was the year I was going. In the past months working part-time at a grocery store making 7 dollars an hour and trying to balance a steady social life, school, and being a member of a competing Bagpipe Band, I have saved $2,000. The reason? I need to buy a ticket for me and my friend no matter what it costs me, I need to buy our plane ticket and pay for a ride to BRC.

    I have spent every day the past 6 months reading updates, talking with long time burners and keeping a positive mindset that I WILL be going this year and the following years to come.

    I’m homesick and need to meet all of you, because here, I’m not welcome.

    See you there – as long as my intentions pull through.

    I love you brother, I love you sister.

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  • Pat- Part II says:

    I got about 1/2 way through the feedback and a couple of things seem very clear to me…Vetran Burners who did not get tickets are pissed off. So where in the Burning Man Manifest does it give “seniority points” for veteran burners regardless of just how many years you have been there…it does not and should not…I for one think the system worked within the restrictions of the number of tickets allowed…50,000. So what are some options for the future…
    1. Apply to whomever sets forth the number of tickets allowed to be sold to increase the number of people allowed on the Playa by whatever the number needs to be…65,000, 75,000 whatever. If we are denied to increase numbers which is OBVIOUS we must seek out a new home and say goodbye to Black Rock Desert and embrace a new destination that will carry the number of Burners that choose to participate…life is evolution…always changing…we have got to roll with it.

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  • Renée says:

    I’m wondering if some ticket holders, newbies or otherwise, might be willing to give up their ticket if they know it would go to a ‘core’ theme camp or art project that is currently in danger of collapsing because of a lack of needed ticket holders. If there was a way to direct tickets to camps who are considered ‘core’ contributors, maybe that would help people to decide they would like re-sale of their ticket to be their contribution to the community. That would be a pretty significant offering. Maybe the STEP program could facilitate something like this? Of course, then there will be the challenge of determining what camps would fit into that category and how many tickets they may get…

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  • Jim Hobson says:

    Hello everybody, I’d like to share some ideas and ask for your comments. For what it’s worth, I’ve gone to every burn since 1997. A friend sold me his second ticket, so I can go again this year if I choose to. I’m lucky. I like the suggestion of theme camps recruiting virgins who have tickets. Personally, I don’t feel that “old timers” like myself deserve any special access to tickets from the Burning Man organisation.
    We’ll see what happens with my theme camp this year. We do a lot of art and performances. (about 20% of us have tickets).
    In my opinion, it’s time to procreate. For 2013 let’s have two simultaneous official Burns at different locations, and all tickets sold at Will Call, with a name on each ticket. I also suggest closing the gate on Wednesday. That will cut down on minimally participating tourists. I’d like to volunteer to help make these suggestions a reality.
    Finally, if my theme camp isn’t able to function this year, due to not being able to recruit enough ticketed new people and losing too many seasoned regulars, I will still make some interactive art with a few friends. It will be on a much smaller scale, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
    Please feel free to email me at rubus.discolor@gmail.com

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  • Jim Hobson says:

    Oops. It didn’t printing my email address. Let me try again: Rubus.discolor at gmail dot com

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  • First off, congratulations Burning Man: the social experiment is working. People care about their community and what happens to it. Well done. We’re doing it.

    Second, what the guy above me said is brilliant.

    Third, IT IS TIME FOR US ALL TO BECOME TEACHERS.
    It seems there are precious few “veterans” making it out this year. Though I’ve only gone three years, I’ve been referred to as a veteran Burner. Whatever. The lifestyle sits well with me as it does countless others I’ve met who have never been to the Playa.

    Point is, whether us Burners are going to Burning Man or not, it’s time to take the ethos viral. I decided not to apply to the lottery mainly because I didn’t feel in alignment with the consumption of resources (on all levels) the Burn requires. Instead, I’m participating in generating new systems of living based largely on the ideas espoused by Burning man and conveying and exploring them through smaller intentional gatherings. Wherever you are, CONTINUE BEING AT BURNING MAN. Gather together in circle. Connect with others living in community. Tap into your surroundings and your friends and their friends and start living the way you love to live when you’re in the desert. There is nothing stopping you. Burning Man doesn’t have to happen just once a year, ya know.

    Last year was my favorite year. It was mind-blowing. I was completely altered afterwards. How do you top that? So I decided I wanted someone else to have that experience. That’s my gift this year.

    Organize whom you do have. Set up some manned kiosks at the portals and center camp where 1st time burners can come to plug into camps and learn how to make kick ass theme camps. Staff them with seasoned veterans and have lists of all the theme camps that need help running or didn’t get built at all. The city may not ever get built, but a whole city of people will have gained invaluable experience.

    As for the spectacle aspect of Black Rock City, those coming for the first time may not get to see that in full form. If they want it, they’ll learn that it takes a strong community and see what happens when exclusion and exclusivity (due to external forces or otherwise) exist on a grand scale. And they’ll find ways to eliminate that so everyone can play… or they won’t, they’ll expect it to all just be there for them, and they’ll write Burning Man off and they won’t come back. They’ll either learn another way or they won’t.

    Eventually everything falls into equilibrium. Burning Man kind of feels like a microcosm of our society right now; we’re at the same tipping point as the whole planet; we’re finally experiencing what happens when we exceed our means and slam painfully up against our limitations; we threaten to fall apart.

    I believe in us, Burning Man! And as long as we’re breathing, we’re continuing to create it. First timers: MAKE SOMETHING AWESOME. Bring it and make Burning Man how you’ve envisioned it from hearing the endless fucking stories from your friends. Don’t wait for Burning Man to show itself to you, show all of yourself to the most Beautiful City in the World. You’ll come to call the desert home, and then you’ll find home everywhere.

    My name is Wren LaFeet. I have performed theater and dance for most of my life. I am currently Nomadic (based in Portland, OR) with the mission to re-establish Social Partner Dance as an Integral Facet of American Popular Culture. I teach a style comprised of a synthesis of techniques, called Fusion, principally to electronic dance music with the awareness that it can be danced to ANY GENRE OF MUSIC.

    “A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.” – Emma Goldman

    Nothing, if not love. Without love, nothing. Blissing it all.

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  • supa-alex says:

    I had tickets so I am ver happy, but the system is NOT working.

    My suggestion:
    – NAMES one tickets, like plane or train tickets
    – if people can’t go they can only resell their tickets to BM (or an official system such STEP for last minute tickets)
    – charge a small fee for changes (so only people who really want to go buy tickets)
    – if the demand is still much larger than the supply, have a lottery but with options for artists, theme camps, etc.

    Hope this helps!
    a

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  • moab says:

    thank you all for your hard work, diligence and integrity. it is so appreciated! :)

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  • Yumms says:

    Oh yeah, you gotta get out of your vehichle on entry anyway. Will call all tix, names on tix as people get them, only way to sell tix is through step- with option in step to do a direct transfer to specific people for those who sell to friends. This way everyone is accounted for as well, meaning better statistical info for you guys.

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  • Michael Lohr says:

    2013

    Everyone knows for Burning man to work, The the majority of participants must be Burners. The exact numbers can be fleshed out later but I suggest a 75 to 25 percent ratio. (75 percent veterans)

    Now upfront there will never be a 100 percent fair way. Using this system people like me may not qualify, even though I have been several times.

    So who qualifies?
    1 All former Rangers, and other Staff automatically qualify for two tickets each.

    2 Former established theme camps from the years 2000-2010 Ticket Dispersal would be based on prior attendance. Example Camp X had 50 people in 2009, they could apply for up to 50 tickets in 2012.

    3 Artist. This applies to burners from prior burns who contributed registered art on the Playa.

    4 Music. Select groups such as Opulence qualify for X number of tickets for them, support staff, Djs etc.

    5 Private lottery drawing for former burners. This is done through an application process. Almost everyone has is a picture of themselves at burning man. One must submit a picture from a previous burn and a current picture. Both MUST clearly identify you as being the same person.

    6 The remainder or left over tickets are completely open.

    Ticket Dispersal…. ALL Tickets will have the name and a printed picture of the person on the ticket. Tickets are non transferable.

    2014

    Time to get radical!
    Two Burns!
    Burn One 3rd week in Aug.
    Burn Two 1rst week in Sept.

    People can only attend one burn. (with the exception of staff and certain artist)

    One week for the transistion in between burns

    ( For the naysayers that will claim there isnt enough time. Baloney. If they can put together Madonna half time show in 5 mins theres is always a way)

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  • Will Shulman says:

    The BM organization should offer to BUY back tickets from the public at a higher price than they sold them so they can sell those tickets to crucial camps. $500? It might cost some money, but it would be a very gracious gesture that solves the problem in a fair way, and separates those who really want to be there from those who don’t.

    -will

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  • Mark says:

    Change what you can, accept what you can’t.

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  • Buggybob says:

    As a non burner(someone who has not been to BM but thought maybe someday I will) I get to witness this migration every year with amazement because I live in Reno. I hope you all can figure this out. Maybe it is time to change things up a bit to get back to the place it all started Good Luck

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  • Tim says:

    Nice to see this response.

    The most inspiring and encouraging post I’ve read all year, however, is this one, from Mal-Mart.

    http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.phpf=283&t=53975&sid=b07943450ad6ab038d7ab1f0879c45a6&p=798572#p798572

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  • Tim says:

    Nice to see this response.

    The most inspiring and encouraging post I’ve read all year, however, is this one, from Mal-Mart. (Tried to post the link, it failed, here’s try #2…)

    http://eplaya.burningman.com/viewtopic.php?f=283&t=53975&sid=b07943450ad6ab038d7ab1f0879c45a6&p=798572#p798572

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  • Dale Oak says:

    As a 10-time burner over the past 15 years I find the org’s response SORELY lacking.

    a) I call BS on the idea the scalpers aren’t a major part of the shortage. growth in demand has been in the range of 10% each year for the past 10 years, and then *BOOM* one year it’s 300%? No.

    b) Bman-org could relatively easily keep the lottery results, but offer those winners the chance to list their own name, and that of a friend, rather than give paper tickets which are so easily scalped. This keeps the *actual* lottery winners attending, and shuts out scalping.

    Your hope that people will use the alternative system is naive. Your lack of willingness to actually *change* anything is disappointing.

    Creativity and magic in my life will surely survive.

    I fear that the culture of burningman however will not survive this mess unless it’s fixed.

    Now.

    With action, not words.

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  • MODIFIEDBEAUTY says:

    This will be my seventh year burning. But I am going to STEP my ticket. This has become a festival of elitism and entitlement and I want nothing to do with that. I don’t want to be around a bunch of downright RUDE veterans. Many of you have obviously forgot what Burning Man is about. I cannot in good conscience call Black Rock City my home anymore when there is so much hatred and adherence to the status quo. Goodbye, community.

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  • blueberry bob says:

    The first step has to be printing names on tickets. I thought I was missing something when the Organization did not do this when they knew it was going to be a sellout…it seems so obvious. This is the way to stop scalpers, period.
    You can still institute a non-transferable policy for this year because the tickets have not yet been sent out. Make ticket ‘winners’ declare who is going and offer refunds for any returned tickets and I believe you will see tickets come streaming in to help those in need. The most important thing when an event gets to the “sell out” stage is to stop any incentive to scalp.

    In the future, start the sale on the 1st of December and it goes from there. All the theme camps that go every year can buy their tickets right away without an uneven edge over virgins or anyone else. Be very clear during the sale that any returned tickets will be subject to a $100 exchange fee (or some other figure that hurts) which will prevent people from just buying tickets on the hope of going, they have something to lose(then put that $100 into low income tickets or extra bathrooms etc.) This will make it so the tickets get sold slower and all you will have to do to get a ticket is to COMMIT EARLY….if you snooze with your decision you potentially lose……

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  • Moniquitis says:

    I am b-virgin. My partner and I and 2 friends (all vgins) did not get tickets. We put in for 4. But oh well. We would like to suggest that the next 10k in tix go to the camps. Please fix this for next year!

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  • Klaatu says:

    40,00 Virgins…. YAY!!!! This will be the best burn ever! The lottery is the greatest thing that has ever happened. This will bring us all back to our roots…
    [this will be my 15th burn in a row, which really don’t mean shit!]
    Hey BORG, your doing it right…
    Love, Klaatu

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  • Heikki Ketola says:

    After 11 burns in the last 12 years I missed the boat as far as 2012 tickets go -so I won’t be there in 2012. At first I was upset, but not so anymore after thinking about the past.

    The BM I remember used to be very playful and interesting. Over the years the playfulness was becoming less and less -BM was growing up, becoming more serious and less playful. I started seeing camps that were built with slick money rather than goofy playful fun imagination.

    My impression is that in 2012 there will be a lot more of plain gawkers (dressed in some unimaginative garbs they rented from a party rental store), and a lot fewer of participants in their not-purchased ready-made garbs. It seems to me that 2012 Burning Man will be as much a participatory community events as Disneyland’s Electrical Parade is such a thing.

    I would bet that Burning Man will be a great financial success in the future, and Burning Man will be a successful entertainment corporation in the years to come. Keep me on your emailing list when Burning Man Inc has its first stock offering. We’ll all make some serious money with it. How goofy and playful is that?

    -heikki

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  • Columbus says:

    I taught cultural change anthropology. Seems like BM is on the verge of discovery . . .
    the natives want to hold on to their existing culture and it’s now 1492, with “newbies” landing on the shore. We know the story, the natives and their societies/cultures were decimated. How long will it be before there are McDonalds and Nike theme camps? The sign at the gate may read: Welcome to Burning Man Inc.

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  • oumuhai says:

    I never believed in any of that end of the world 2012 apocalypse B.S. but now we have the eminent possibility of no burning man for myself and a large percentage of our own camp, long time burners, theme camps, volunteers, artists and the whole fabric of our culture, and it makes me sad. Well, I guess we should be just be like the “Man” and burn. I say if we can’t change this situation, then let it burn. I know its hard to think of all the camps and artists that may not make it. I can barley believe what it has done to our camp and our plans for the art car and art projects and our community. I have gone seven years in a row and before January I never would have considered not going because it really is Home. But this year I hear myself saying the unimaginable, “this will be the year I skip burning man”. 2012 will be different in many ways but let us not be afraid of change. Let it burn and out of the ashes we may see a new form of burning man emerge.

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  • Boxer The Horse says:

    Have we forgotten our secret friend, the one we haven’t really seen in a few years….dry Winter, it’ll be back this year……dust storms, for days and days, dust storms…..haha

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  • General Chaos says:

    Thank you, BM org, for the explanation. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to go home. I was there in 2001 and 2002. I was given a scholarship ticket in 2003, but had to pass it on to someone else…
    Since I’ve been gone so long, I’ve fallen out of the loop. I know, I know, my fault, but I do wish I’d heard about the lottery somehow so I could have even registered.

    Since then, the group I went with originally (The Seattle Chupacabra Policia) has lost two members – Caleb (Shooter) and Dominique (Officer Poison). I know some members of our other chapters have passed on as well.

    I want – no, NEED to get out there to mourn them properly. I suppose I won’t be able to do that this year, and I guess that’s ok.

    That said, we have a small, new little group here… me, another vet or two, and a whole pile of virgins who have done well in other desert conditions who want to experience Burning Man. None of us had the faintest idea about the lottery system, and none of us have tickets.
    I suppose we can find a regional burn… I just hope this all gets fixed by next year.

    General Chaos
    Badge #001
    Chupacabra Policia

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  • ez says:

    BRAND NEW IDEA???
    I’ve been reading these post and others like them for several weeks now and I have yet to see this suggestion or anything like it.
    ECONOMY 101.
    AUCTION.
    Most everyone agrees this is a supply and demand problem. Supply is fixed. Therefore demand must be manipulated to match it. How do we decrease and even out demand? Let the free market system set the price.
    There are ~50,000 tickets, auction off ~1000 a week over the entire year starting immediately after this years burn. Completely eliminates any scalping since there will be no further profits to be made since all tickets are sold the FIRST time by BMORG for what the market will bear. No need to hoard since another 1000 will be auctioned next week. Everyone pays what they are willing to pay. Sure the first few weeks prices will be high, but no scalpers will be buying will they? Nor will anyone buy more tickets than they need. And no one will pay more than they are willing to. And then thing will settle down….
    I suspect prices would fluctuate somewhat (or perhaps wildly) during the year and there would have to a baseline start price which would guarantee BMORG could pay all its bills. Any profits made could be funneled back into art projects or chosen charities or invested in a permanent location or whatever.
    Price fluctuations during the year would give everyone a chance to buy in at the baseline price. Some may even get bargain tickets. Perhaps randomly there could be a very short (say minutes or hours instead of all week) auction for a few lower priced tickets. No automated sniping allowed.
    And Auctions are FUN!
    An existing auction platform could be used or a BM specific site created.
    The remaining 10,000 tickets for this year could be a test run, although since the supply is perceived as being probably lower than it really is, prices could be artificially inflated, but again do it staggered over time, say 1000 per week. It should become obvious after a few weeks what the prices really should be. Or just start anew next year.
    There could still be low income tickets, maybe even more. But my guess is that prices would stabilize at not far from where they are now. Much of the supply shortage we are currently experiencing is created by this artificial system and is not real.
    If you think this is an idea worthy of further consideration please repost so we can be sure BMORG sees it.
    BTW, veteran burner, has 2 tickets, but not sure if I will use them or pass them on to camp mates this year.
    We can solve this problem. Think outside the box!

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  • burninggil says:

    you don’t wanna know how many times i’ve been at the man ;) but i’ll say this: who is to say who or who can’t come to BM?….let alone who deserve more to come than others?….
    let the man be!…..
    after reading a lot of our posts, i maintain that the tickets should be on “first come first serve” basis…for the rest i’m not sure…ID or not ID?…til the whole world is Buddhist, you will always have scalpers :)
    some are calling to fix this by 2013, but folks, you can’t “fix” anything if the demand is greater than the supply…..it’s as simple as that….
    time to turn gaze towards local burns…
    blessings

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  • Howie says:

    I’m one of those who wanted 2012 to be my first Burning Man. I’m a seasoned traveller from Australia who’s been to many countries and festivals. I met some Burners while in the UK last year who inspired me to attend my first burn as I am greatly encouraged by events which foster a vibrant creative community. In Australia we have some festivals which have a similar culture. I would have liked to have come to share some of my experience with Burning Man, and take some ideas and experience back with me.

    Even though I have the time off work and the resources to travel, I missed out on a ticket. Not that I’ll give up just yet though. My alternate plan is to try STEP. Otherwise I will utilise my resources to attend the second Australian Burning Seed event – which would be much less stressful, but probably not as much fun or life-changing… but I’m young and there are many more years ahead where I may be able to get out to Black Rock City!

    If my prospects for getting a ticket in 2012 are improved, my plan is to connect via the internet to a community of like-minded folk in California / San Francisco and contribute some financial resources towards a creative project. Then I would travel out to the US a couple of weeks before the event and help with the final preparations leading up to the event, and then travel out there with them for the event. If you are someone who is part of a community or group who might like to have me around, give me a hoy! I can discuss my skills and experiences with you and perhaps we can work something out. my email is howie_monster yahoo com au.

    It’s awesome how as a community people are very proactive, open and forthcoming about their views associated with the ticket drama! Burning Man seems to attract awesome people – and its inspiring to know that there are more than 50,000 of us out there – unfortunate though that we can’t all be there at once – but hey – we have the internet – and maybe one day we’ll have the hugest gathering of people on the moon or on Mars?

    Keep it real everyone! Big love from Howie.

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  • burninggil says:

    and *please*…stop the “vet vs virgin” bs …it’s just so…well…hm…so “retard”….

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  • Jeeves says:

    Maybe this is a minority view, but I’m uneasy with hearing that BMORG is going to create a ticket system to favor large theme camps, citing these as the most important element to the Burn. They’re incredible, no doubt, but isn’t there an element of spectator mentality in thinking that we need these amazing spectacles for Burning Man to be great? That the big show is the heart of Burning Man?

    Personally, the thing that makes my spirit soar – the thing that brings me back year after year – are the amazing personal interactions that happen on the playa like nowhere else on earth. Strangers I’ve shared deepest fears, greatest joys, cleansing, sacred tears. Words on the temple. A ten minute love affair with a unicorn. Fire spinning under desert starts.

    Do I love what Burning Man has become? Hellz yeah! Do I really need dozens of phenomenal dance clubs? Thousands of mind-bending art cars? Was Burning Man boring before theme camps? Not so sure. Should they automatically get all the tickets? Maaaaybe. But the real heart of Burning Man is the community of burners and their countless small acts of creative madness.

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  • We did a large-scale wind sculpture installation on the playa last year 2011, “Kinetic Metamorphous” which was featured in the film clip that went viral. Because of our participation, which by the way each year has increased, we made some great contacts and friends. We were planning to join a long-standing group and do even more art projects in 2012. In the past we have collaborated on some large scale projects including the Mantis Art Car and the Solar Powered Hammock Carousel.

    We did NOT get tickets and it presents an issue in that without tickets and lead time our ideas and projects for this year may not be feasible. Our friend who got us to the playa the first time many years ago who has attended for I think 13 years also did NOT get tickets.

    So I feel at a big loss and am loosing my enthusiasm. I spent hundreds of dollars last year on costumes thinking they would last me for years. I usually keep my eyes open all year for the perfect Burning Man this or that. What am I to do??? I didn’t get that awesome hand painted Italian mask I saw last week because I think we may not go this year and more impactful my art car idea is dying as even if we do get tickets there just may not be enough time to pull it off.

    Last year by now the art car our group worked on was well underway. Maybe it is a good thing as we have spent thousand of dollars supporting art projects on the playa and maybe our pocketbook will be fatter if we do not go. But the disappointment comes with a cost. Maybe the era of Burning Man is over for us?

    I feel that first time burners should be embraced but my experience is that it takes a year or two to get up to speed. I interacted with some first time burners last year that I found were not open to the gifting culture. In fact it was kind of funny how I offered these amazing cups I had printed up for the event and a gal turned me down until she realized that her friends were accepting my offer and I was indeed giving away something “Cool” and of “Value” I get that most people think that you don’t get anything for nothing of any value. She admitted that she thought I was offering her a dirty cup that I picked up off the street when I offered. But the story is telling of how some first timers act.

    Every year I have attended I have plotted out how I can give more. I thought I was ultra organized this year registering so early and I am noticeably disappointed and ready to let it be a thing of the past. The Burning Man phase that is now GONE…. amazing and inspiring but GONE. Even my associates that did get tickets are disappointed as they feel they will not be joined by all of us, so they are not sure they want to go either or that this may be their last year!

    A predicament for sure!!! I appreciate all the care and thinking you are doing on the issue. What will be will be. Good luck with your process of trying to figure out how to make it happen without all of us who have supported the culture year after year. ;( It will evolve and maybe it will be better? Hard to know.

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  • I’ve been to burning man twice. I’ve been part of two theme camps. i say, i’d like to go back every year, forever. i didn’t sign up for the for the first lottery. will i, and others like me be left out?

    also, playa very big. who is the blm? are they reasonable? do they like us, collectively? flexible?

    foresses

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  • RnoRenee says:

    Dear BMORG,
    Thank you, I accept your apologies and I will be there again for my 8th year…this time with an awsome Art Car and as part of an amazing Art Project Installation…. and this time with an even greater level appreciation for all facets of this wonderful radical expression of freedom and Love. Your authentic and genuine heltfelt plea has touched me and I vow to be a better burner than ever before…contributing in a deeper and more indentifable way than I ever have. I’ll be hnest, for a minute I kinda felt like we were breaking up and now I feel like we are making up… yay, we all know how awesome the make up is! I trust that with open, honest communication we can achieve anything. There is Only Love Between Us and “Us” means all of us…. Staff, Ranger,Volunteers, Theme Campers, Artists, Newbies, Oldbies whatever.

    Blessed Be, let’s do this thing! RnoRenee

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  • Djacques says:

    Hey all good people out there. As a quick note the weather has been extremely forgiving the last 2 years. Dust storms in past have been absolutely brutal. The precipitation was generous the last couple of years, settling and hardening the playa surface, minimizing the dust, and allowing great conversations of experiences to travel far and wide by the newbies that attended for their first time during those periods. With this established this years attendance may experience the biggest whiteout in Borgs history…stay tuned.

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  • Djacques says:

    On another note, there has been some great input from long time burners and newbies, but there has been some equally terrible, unrealistic ideas as well. This may be the year of the ‘perfect storm’. I am disappointed I didn’t get a ticket, but I am not emotionally destroyed either. I do find the organization by its response has become a victim of inability to do anything because it is ‘frozen’ in making a ‘radical self reliant’ decision by all the influx that they previously were not listening to, but are now overwhelmingly listening to now. This is unfortunate. I am on the fence about this year, after several years of attendance and will be anticipating what the outcome will be at the end of August. That said, have you seen the ticket prices on ‘stub hub’? 5000 bucks for 1 ticket! The ‘bucket listers’ that hire concert construction crews to prepare their camp and park their giant rv’s to a ‘circle the wagons’ I most certainly will not miss. Maybe the outcome and conditons of weather in the desert this year will reset the event…stay tuned.

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  • Bonnie Toye says:

    why dont they make 2 or 3 burning mans?….either at 2 different like locations…or a few weeks apart?…….allowing different camps to be there at different times…as well as growing and having new big camps enter?

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  • Djacques says:

    If you’ve ever sat down and had a couple of bites of your favorite ice cream vs. Eating half a container it occurs, at least to me, my over indulgence has spoiled my want, need, joy, experience and further anticipation of my next 2 enjoyable tastes for the next time I sit to have such a tasty dessert. The term ‘too much of a good thing’ was brought about for reason. More than a week of Bman and or having it 2-3 a year would ruin the event. Think about it.

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  • spike says:

    In the theatre, we say that high ticket demand and sold-out houses are better problems to have than not enough ticket sales. You all are doing the good work. Please save a low income ticket for me.

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  • Francisco says:

    Change is always hard. There will always be downsides.

    I love you and I love burning man. It has radically changed my life, and I carry it with me where ever I go. Whatever happens, it will be perfect, and I thank you. Once you’ve been, or seen, or heard, or felt, or shared, or listened, burning man can never end.

    Thank you for creating the most incredible community on Earth, and for working so hard to maintain it as it grows!

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  • Dirt Wheel says:

    I feel that everything is working in it’s most perfect order. I’m positive this is all needed in some way. But why are we messin’ with this 50,000 shit. Seems as though other problems would be more welcomed than if we can cram another 50,000 in a wide open space. Let’s go 100,000. Let’s really light this fucker up and get another playa in place, immediatley! Exactly on the the other side, mirrior image. Duelling playas. I don’t want seperation. I want infusion. I want us to spread out. But, come together once a year. I want to hear that crack of human existance over the playa at nite. Bigger, brighter, faster, stronger, sexier. I want the energy to a bigger collective of itself. The biggest art piece of all. Picture it! Talk about a new sense of wondermint…………Dam! I hope I get a ticket!

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  • DARIN BASHAW says:

    I apologize for all the grief. This tremendous response speaks to the general love of an ideal and frustration with the laws of scarcity. I could not read all these post, my eyes got blurry and spirit deflated. Maybe this has been mentioned, I do not know. A partial solution to the problems of vehicle egress, and excess demand, might be to impose a vehicle tax. Nobody approves of the phenomenon of inward facing, Class A motorhome districts, and general fallback plan of industrial cocooning in RV’s. Perhaps by instituting a vehicular fee, graduated: <20ft.=$25.00;20-30ft.=$100.00; 30-40ft.=$300.00; and over 40ft.=$500.00. Trailers would count as either additional vehicles, or within a certain length, depending upon advantage. Exceptions should be allowed for certain art cars, and theme camp transport vehicles, which would receive fee waivers. Combined, perhaps with an overall reduced ticket price, this surcharge would be fair. If the result is a greater emphasis on carpooling, and general evolution to smaller vehicles, it might be easier to justify an increase in ticket allocation. At the very least, this might discourage the sort of folk who would rather hole up in an air-conditioned mobile palace then participate.

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  • Micouri says:

    hi. I’ve haven’t really been to an event like this before. I haven’t bout tickets im just saying hi like you asked. I just herd about this last year from people who went. I’ve never been good at being involved in a community. but from what i am understanding from this is not every one will be able to go this year. I can wait one more year. For one i cant even get any where near to affording it right now, and even if i could i wouldn’t get them from scalpers. I will do what ever it takes to get in (to a certain extent of coarse) but not at the cost of some one missing out on , from what I’ve herd, is a life changing experience. If i get the chance i would volunteer for any thing you offer next year. this looks like something i wold truly like but I can wait. have fun at the burn:)

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  • playa name luke says:

    test

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  • julia says:

    i find the strong emphasis on and distinction between new vs. old timers disturbing. are newcomers really the ‘life blood’ of burning man? surely not. maybe the new life source energy but surely the blood and bones come from the integration and dedication of those that have already experienced and committed. there really ought not be that distinction or definition of who contributes or benefits more though BMORG certainly seems to have made that fatally flawed distinction . . . such a discredit to those that have put so much into what makes burning man what it is . . .

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  • Mike says:

    Think bigger. Get a bigger sandbox. Stop limiting what apparently Burning Man wants to become, its not as if you have no practice its just gonna take more of everything. Psssst its 2012 more and more are waking up and realizing that we are really Spiritual Beings having a Human experience in Human form from Star dust.

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  • Sage Baker says:

    I have great compassion for all impacted by these circumstances from long-standing triable elders to the wannabe noobs. (and even the grifters and opportunists). By profession I am an Industrial Shaman or if you prefer, a Management Consultant with a specialization in leadership development. I work with big ass companies, Fortune 200 infidels and I help them by bringing the focus back to the vital function of happy people that believe in what they do. We call that engagement. It used to be called esprit du corp. By avocation, I am a systems thinker. Full disclosure, I’ve not been to BM but I cheer loudly from here for everything that it represents and I feel strongly that the 10 principals collective are one of them most important concepts to come out of the 20th Century. Also, I ate deadly nightshade when I was 4 and tripped for two days and spoke to lizards so I got that going for me. So I know some things.

    Like many of you I saw this coming. Like my mandarin tree last year. It produced so much sweet fruit (>1,000) it almost killed itself. It put everything it had into fruition and nearly starved when it got ahead of itself. I love that tree – it’s makes many people happy. The fruit tastes like candy and causes people to want to eat a lot of it. When I saw what was happening I had to cull all the remaining fruit, cut it back by 1/3 and put it on life support with compost tea and love. It’s coming back … no fruit this year but it’s alive. It was close. I expect it will live a full and productive life and I will feed it differently in the future and cull the fruit routinely now – which is sad to do.

    What’s my point besides the loose analogy above? Growing is hard. It requires hard decisions that can seem brutal. It requires bringing balanced thinking to bear. Most of all, it requires that we be clear about what we want to be to whom we serve.

    One of my clients hired me to help them with a challenge: they wanted to retain all of the qualities and virtues of a small company while they grew huge internationally. After I heard their plans of four new outlets a day for the next year all over the word I said, I can’t help you. I can help you stay small and the same or I can help you be big and different still good but not as intimate and familial. This of course was not what they wanted to hear but that what they needed to hear. They appreciated the challenge and hired me and my company to help. By now some of you are probably saying there’s nothing in big business that applies to Burning Man… and that’s where can be very surprised. You see, I told this large company that they needed to think about helping people to continue to feel connected by building tribes. These tribe are all aligned around a certain set of goals and principals. Sound familiar? I helped this company to grow huge. There were other things we did beside building the tribes but I don’t want to get too far into the weeds here.

    This is the point where the mandarin tree analogy fails.

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  • Gene says:

    Repeat suggestion, slightly modified.

    Starting in a month, every purchaser gets 2 weeks to submit names to be printed onto their tickets. If no names are submitted – money is refunded, free tickets go into BM coffers. If name is submitted but plans change – ticket can be sold ONLY to BMco. who can then change the name and distribute it first come first served to the “ticket wanted” line list.

    Yeah, name checking in line at the gates. Big frickin’ whoop. Won’t delay the process much. And will stop all the scalper bastards – problems solved.

    Do it.

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  • Mike says:

    Administration let me know how I can help, how can I go, how can I make it so everyone that wants to go go? Let me know If I can give in a productive way to help this amazing gigantic life changing event expand. You have my e-mail addy. Or do you need me to verbally tell you? Do I need to call? Who do I call?

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  • playa name luke says:

    PLEASE READ THIS

    Iv done a lot of talking with my buddies and we think this is the best way to move forward!

    Who are you trying to make happy? The residents that signed up and got a no. Ok, DO NOT sell the 10000 tickets on march28th first come first serve. Everyone i know is hopping the STEP program might work. SO FEED IT!
    The people that are complaining are signed up for it right? SO USE IT! If you make this decision quickly more theme camps that got a no and signed up might get yes and start. Lets admit it if you didn’t sign up for the STEP program your probably not that serious. People that change there mind (we all know them) will also decide they don’t want the tickets and FEED THE STEP system.
    Look, I DO NOT know if this will or will not work, but it seems to me that the people complaining got a NO. They didn’t say i didn’t sign up and i didn’t get a ticket. I thank the playa gods that i got a ticket and will be able to go home this year but i am crying inside because my family is in pain! Please know i do not blame you for anything. I also do not think that scalping is the MAIN problem. Its SUPPLY AND DEMAND! Short and simple. PLEASE PLEASE At least think about what me and my friend think is the best way to go forward.

    P.S. Hugs only, no hand shakes on the playa!

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  • Sage Baker says:

    I have great compassion for all impacted by these circumstances from long-standing triable elders to the wannabe noobs. (and even the grifters and opportunists). By profession I am an Industrial Shaman or if you prefer, a Management Consultant with a specialization in leadership development. I work with big ass companies, Fortune 200 infidels and I help them by bringing the focus back to the vital function of happy people that believe in what they do. We call that engagement. It used to be called esprit du corp. By avocation, I am a systems thinker. Full disclosure, I’ve not been to BM but I cheer loudly from here for everything that it represents and I feel strongly that the 10 principals collective are one of them most important concepts to come out of the 20th Century. Also, I ate deadly nightshade when I was 4 and tripped for two days and spoke to lizards so I got that going for me. So I know some things. I’ve spoken with the lizards routinely.

    As did many of you, I saw this coming. Success can suck. Like my mandarin tree last year. It produced so much sweet fruit (>800 beautiful orbs) it almost killed itself. It put everything it had into fruition and nearly starved when it got ahead of itself. I love that tree – it’s makes many people happy. The fruit tastes like candy and causes people to want to eat a lot of it. When I saw what was happening I had to act harshly…. and culled all the remaining fruit. I cut it back by 1/3 and put it on life support with compost tea and love. At one point it looked completely dead but the branches were still suplle so I knew it was there still. This year it’s coming back … it has no fruit this year but it’s alive and looks pretty again. It was close. I expect it will live a full and productive life and I will feed it differently in the future and cull the baby fruit routinely now – which is sad to do. Kindness is that way.

    What’s my point besides the loose analogy above? Growing is hard. It requires hard decisions that can seem brutal. It requires bringing balanced thinking to bear. Most of all, it requires that we be clear about what we want to be and to whom we live to serve and … how big we want to be and when.

    One of my clients hired me to help them with a challenge: they wanted to retain all of the qualities and virtues of a small company while they grew huge internationally. After I heard their plans of four new outlets a day for the next year I said, I can’t help you with that. I can help you stay small and the same or I can help you be big and different still good …better than anyone else in their field. This of course was not what they wanted to hear but was what they needed to hear. That’s what industrial shamans do. They appreciated my perspective and hired me to help. By now some of you are probably saying there’s nothing in big business that applies to Burning Man… and that’s where can be very surprised. You see, I told this large company that they needed to think about helping people to continue to feel connected by building tribes. That these tribe be all aligned around a certain set of goals and principals. Sound familiar? I helped this company to grow huge and different. I’d have been as happy to hep them stay small but the board of directors wanted big. So did the shareholders. There were other things we did beside planting and cultivating the tribes but I don’t want to get too far into the weeds here.

    This is the point where the mandarin tree analogy comes up again. You make BM too big and it dies. You cull the fruit and cut back the branches considerably and some…possibly many people don’t get to experience the sweetness. One option would be to take cuttings from this magnificent specimen and transplant them to other places. There are other options here but the process necessarily starts with this what do you want? What matters most? (As an aside, there is a arcane field of CADM – Computer-assisted Decsion-Makeing that mimics a medicine wheel that would work here perfectly) There is some disagreement on “what matters most” simply because BM is so many things to so many people. I will say this. You do not need to go this alone – there are many parallel situations and circumstances that we can learn from in history. It’s seductive to view BM as wholly unique but it is in it’s essence a festival… a gathering of souls bent on renewal and fun and magick. It’s also a large organization now. And all organizations from covens to corporations move and grow and die and morph in known ways. Even the “utterly unique” virtual communities on the web have precedence in the hunter clans of Africa. Don’t be trapped by thinking you need to craft a utterly unique solution or solution set just because we’re so vastly different and unique.

    May I suggest the process might go fastest like this: reach some accord on what you want BM to look like in the future and work backwards. I’m happy to help if you’d like. My gift if you’ll have it. Some of what goes on in “organizational development” is applicable here. Some is decidedly not. I think I know the difference. The lizards told me.

    – Zardoz/Vista CA

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  • Sad says:

    Thank you for your letter. It was much needed and appreciated.
    As I see it, this situation could still result in a number of positive or negative outcomes. There is one outcome, however, that would be truly regrettable in view of such demand, frustration, and angst. It’s the possibility that many tickets will not be used at all because they will be held too long, and not sold or gifted by people who have extras or simply not be purchased due to high price (from scalpers or anyone else). This outcome may not affect a huge group of people, but it would still be sad since this situation could be minimized by registering tickets with names to be checked at the gate. I guess the question to ask is should people who want anonymity or the ability to gift and be recipients of gifts be given a higher priority then people who are now struggling to get tickets?

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  • Amy says:

    Next year, have three dates for ticket sales. Ex: Feb 1st, 5000 tickets at lowest tier, 5000 tickets at mid tier, and 5000 tickets at high tier. Feb 8 5,000 tickets at lowest tier, 5000 tickets at mid tier, and 5000 tickets at high tier. Feb 15, 5,000 tickets at lowest tier, 5000 tickets at mid tier, and 5000 tickets at high tier. Or something like that. It gives people 3 chances to wait in line.

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  • Alexa says:

    I’m a veteran burner and the whole situation with tickets is sad and very discouraging. Call me naive but i really didn’t expect burning man to go mainstream quite yet.

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  • Mike says:

    Why cant we build another highway that will route people to black rock. Also make a permanent city that will be called ” Support ” how ever many miles away to not be part of black rock city, but to support it and the other towns that have to deal with all the traffic during the weeks of Burning man?

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  • Mooncalf says:

    Suggestion: seeing as tickets haven’t been sent out yet, why not, today, put a mechanism in place to let those who won more tickets than they need give them up for an immediate refund? Given the prevalence of over-registration, you know there are tens of thousands of tickets out there in the hands of well-intentioned Burners who ordered 3 when they needed 1, or 10 when they needed 4, and would now love nothing more than to get their spares back into the system as quickly as possibly. Why make them wait for the STEP program? You have their emails, you have their credit card details. Email everyone who won tickets today with a link they can click to return tickets for an immediate cash refund and I bet within a week you’ll have an extra 10,000 tickets back in the pool for distribution to those who need them.

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  • siaubas says:

    Find a new place with more capacity.

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  • Rob says:

    Marshall has one of the best responses I’ve seen so far.

    “My brother writes: “My Burner veteran co-worker says why dont we harness the energy and creativity of 20,000 frustrated burners and have them go to Haiti or fix up some downtrodden community (like Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation!)”

    That’s a novel approach. BMorg finds something constructive to do for all the burners that did not get tix. Something in public service. You still have time to put something together.

    The BMorg could turn from a zero into a hero. (With positive press to offset the cluster likely happening at the playa.)

    This could become a regular event, with “spill-over” burners becoming valuable contributors to the local community. And, they would be invited into the playa after the event to help clean up.

    Regards, Marshall”

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  • Columbus 2 says:

    I’ve read comments about using the ticket system similar to the Glastonbury Festival, so here is what they do because they sell-out each year:

    Registration
    Everyone who plans to the come the Festival must register, and that includes children aged 13, 14 and 15. Each ticket sold will feature a photograph of the person in whose name it is registered and will be non-transferable. So if you plan to buy tickets for friends or family you must make sure they all register!

    Registration does not reserve or guarantee you a ticket when they go on sale some time in October, exact date to be confirmed, but if you don’t register you will not be able to buy a weekend ticket for Glastonbury Festival 2011. If you opt to save this information you will be able to use your registration number again in future years. Make sure the e-mail address you provide is one to which you will have long term access.

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  • Joost de Natris says:

    Some words from a dutch BM virgin:

    I’m a BM virgin from The Netherlands and lucky to have a ticket which I got in the first presale round. It cost me a fortune but I’m happy to pay the amount if it means that others can get cheaper tickets this way.

    I haven’t experienced what BM is yet, what it means to people and how people can long for going back home. But I’m dead curious and eager to experience it.

    Now with all the confusion going on, I’m starting to worry a bit wether I will be visiting a true Burning Man or something less than that.

    Someone here wrote about newbies and veterans and that in the current situation BM needs veterans most to maintain its true character: “the ripping sound has to stop”. I think my experience this september will depend on the energy veteran burners put into BM. I think I will need their welcome, their guidance, their spirit to be able experience what BM really is. And it will depend as much on me as on any other I will meet out there. I think I can add to this – I want to contribute. Even more so now.

    Even though BM needs its veterans, radical inclusion and a limited number of participants imply the possibility that BM will be without any veterans at a given moment. The question then is: what is BM really? A very exciting and daring thought. I think we all have a part in this and a posibility to make it work. Veterans could explain and show newbies what it’s like, what can be done and how they can participate to the community. Newbies could look for ways to contribute, ask veterans for possibilities, join up with theme camps, join projects etc etc. It will have to come from both sides to keep the community going. The ripping sound could be an excellent opportunity to show what BM really is about.

    So, here’s what I will do: I will look for a camp I can join and add to, I will look for voluntary jobs and I’ll see if I can find a way to get a samba band togehter on the playa. (anyone want to join?)

    Looking forward to meeting you all out there, veterans and newbies alike!

    Joost de Natris
    The Netherlands

    Thank you very much to BM organisation for a very honest and open message.

    My suggestions for 2012:
    – urge newbies to contact theme camps and to participate in groups, jobs, art projects, etc etc
    – urge veterans to invite and welcome newbies in their groups
    – extended possibilities to make art, installations and such

    And for 2013+
    – names on tickets (reselling only via BM organisation)
    – 1 ticket per person, plus possibility to gift tickets (with names on the tickets)

    good luck!

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  • nncoco says:

    – “Without our core collaborative community, the fabric of Burning Man could fray and tear apart. Regardless of all good original intentions, that ripping sound has to stop.”

    I read this as, “Some or all of the last 10,000 open sale tickets will be distributed to theme camps, art car camps, sound camps and art collectives.”

    As a Burner since 1998 I fully support this decision. As far as I’m concerned, theme camps are Burning Man.

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  • Jeff says:

    Fertility 2.0! And with an abundance of fertility comes over population. Burning man itself has become too fertile. Its ideas of inclusion, freedom, and self expression combined with the spontaneous love, gifting, one of a kind art, and engulfing flames that have made the burn what it is year after year is spreading exponentially. I believe many of us can feel its power in our heart.

    It certainly appears that this is an extremely delicate turning point. I do not have the answers but I can offer my thoughts and give you what I think are the best suggestions I’ve thought and heard so far.

    1. Every theme camp last year that received early entry passes, should get at least that many tickets given to them. At this point, they should be considered staff. They are the people that go a week early, work everyday, 17+ hours day and then stay a week late and clean up and break down. Without them, almost any burner will tell you, tickets would not be sold out, it would not be the most desired event in the world. Give the theme camps and artists the tickets they need to survive this intense transition.

    2. If you cant just give them the tickets, take the 10,000 divvy them out to theme camps and art projects. I lost the lottery, was planning on getting one at the secondary sale, but I will forfeit that opportunity for the soul of burning man.
    I have the seen the devastation in my friends 15, 16, and 17 time burners who slave every single year, year after year for the burn. They are the fabric of burning man, and their fabric is tearing. They have built theme camps, art installations, “The Temple” and much more, they don’t have tickets.

    3. Putting names on tickets could definitely solve some problems; however, then there automatically becomes some giant burner list of every attendees name, you have to get carded, it just seems there is a lot of drawbacks. However, what if all the tickets just became will call, you already have name and credit card info, seems like this could solve some of the scalping dilemma .

    4. A lot of people think the playa is too magical and amazing to ever move the burn. However this could be an opportunity to allow the fertility of burning man to continue to grow. Find somewhere near where you can have 100..200… 300,0000 people. Imagine how amazing this would be. It would be truly radically inclusive. The theme is Fertility 2.0. What’s the 2.0 mean???? The 2nd playa by chance? One that will truly allow the burning man ideas, philosophies, and community the ability to still be FERTILE

    5. You said no refunds… might not be legal… However, If the venue changes it certainly could be. Logistical nightmare and expensive. I get it. This is a guess here (I would say 90% of every burner that didn’t get a ticket would be in favor of a complete lottery refund, and about 75% of those that did get tickets would also be in favor of a complete refund, because their friends aren’t going) How much would it cost, a lot! How many personnel hours to do this, a lot! Change the venue refund all the tickets this is nearly impossible; however it IS possible. With enough work and dedication a barren, desolate, and remote desert turns into the greatest city in the world for 1 week. Anything is possibly and now might be the time for something Drastic 2.0

    No longer a suggestion but an offer (I could make this happen logistically, and given the opportunity I would make it happen. If you want my help, email me)

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  • nncoco says:

    This is the best ticket solution I have read:

    “Find out what the bare minimum number of tickets per theme camp/art piece would be needed in order for them to function and give them priority if they agree to participate year to year. I’m talking camps that have been contributing to burning man for 5+ years who have clearly paid their dues and are dedicated to the progression of the event. These are people who fund-raise, spend their own income, and contribute countless hours at an event they receive no monetary gain.
    Allow a second tier for newer theme camps and let the rest of the tickets be open sale, first come first serve.”

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  • Mr T. says:

    I was about to come to burning man for the first time.

    It’s been 6 or 7 years that Burning Man is listed in my french electronic music magazine among to the top summer festivals.
    For thoses 6 or 7 years, every year I did more research, and every time I considered going to BM as a serious option when panning holidays. But I never had the time or money or motivation to go on my own, or ability to motivate others to go to burning man.
    So it remains on my to do list for that long.
    I almost made it with a friend in 2011, but he finally let me down so I did not go, swearing to be finaly part of the family in 2012.

    So this year, I made everything right, timing is right, money is right, friends are in. There was no question I would finally made it to BM this year.

    The unfortunate ticket events are really not playing our favor to attend, but I won’t let it go. THIS IS THE YEAR !

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  • IDjoe says:

    What is Burning Man?

    Ten Principles:

    1. Radical Inclusion

    “Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.”

    All the reasons why some people should be given ticket preference < 0

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  • Lederhosen says:

    Dear Burners!
    Three people from Austria were trying seperatly to get tickets. I confess that we all asked for two tickets to maximize our chance. None of us got any at all, unfortunately. Its our only burningman chance 2012, because my wife and me will stay in the US for only one year to do research getting payed just enough to survive. Our friend visiting got friend with burners and would appreciate to meet them with us and come together at this fabulous place they told us. We hypothized you might be even checking ip adresses to find out from which part of the world people wanna be part and that our chance is bigger, if you see that people from 10.000 miles away are ambitioned to participate. However, we see a small light at the end of the tunnel to get affordable tickets to contribute to Burning Man and we keep flying towards this light!
    Greetings from vienna!

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  • Andre5000 says:

    * We must now attend to preserving the fabric of our culture.
    Yeah, I’ll do my part when I find a ticket -_-

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  • Mirror says:

    Some great ideas above.
    I like
    – close gates Wed or Thur.
    – 2 events per year rather than expanded conjestion and traffic in the streets
    I like the experience of an intimate community of 30k to 50k!
    – 1st group tickets – a % of tickets alloted to theme camps & Art projects – they are putting the time, effort and money into the projects that the rest of the community enjoys..

    Elders are important parts of established communities. Young ones learn from the wisdom of elders…

    How many people did enter the lottery or how many tickets were requested in the lottery? I’m guessing there may have been over 120k ??? I wonder what the number was?

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  • #50,001 says:

    2012 SCALP-A-PALOOZA

    The minute that BMOrg saw this demand/supply problem coming immediate action should have been taken to get their arms around all the possibilities that it implied.

    My heart goes out to all who will NOT be able to enjoy playa hugs this year.

    My heart goes out to all theme camps that will lose team mates this year.

    My heart goes out to husbands/ wives, family that can’t be together out there this year

    My heart goes out to BMOrg for having this crisis management situation at such a late date.

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  • IDjoe says:

    Theme Camp, RADICAL INCLUSION

    A stage with a back drop on which is printed in large letters:

    What is Burning Man?

    Ten Principles:

    1. Radical Inclusion

    “Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.”

    3 seated judges – BMORG, a newbie, and a seasoned Burner

    Participants will have 1 minute to present why they should be given ticket preference . . . why they are more essential . . . why they embody the BM spirit more . . . why BM just can’t do without them.

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  • John a says:

    I love how everyone is avoiding the truth. Burning man, as it was, ended with the sellout last year. F fine. The party has always evolved on is own. Now it will be more of a rave and with much less participation. You could argue this but you would be wrong. If the new people were creative and participatory they would have gone before it sold out. These are followers. No problem with that. I just don’t really want to go again. So let’s move on. Time to find a new location and start again. Create or destroy something right now if you are in. more to come……

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  • Tom P (AKA Smart Cat) says:

    BM has previously doubled in size, but it never sold out until at the last minute in 2011. This means those that are the bedrock of the community were still able to be there to shepherd it. A lack of experienced core contributors is the issue, not the fact there will newbies.

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  • mary ellen (sr. marymotown) says:

    sorry, yes…but blah,blah,blah….happy for the peeps that got tickets. sucks for peeps that don’t. hmmmm. 12th year burner, volunteer @ Camp Arctica with Ice Queen, art project last year for first time and theme camper with memorial martini bar. I know you know…I want to be optimistic, however, as I hear you all say..”NOT everyone will get a ticket..”my heart sinks. It’s the big thing WE look forward to all year. Our old motorhome, golfcART car, costumes, bar, lights, friends, etc….. heart sinks and breaks.

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  • brigit delaney says:

    sorry, yes…but blah,blah,blah….happy for the peeps that got tickets. sucks for peeps that don’t. hmmmm. 12th year burner, volunteer @ Camp Arctica with Ice Queen, art project last year for first time and theme camper with memorial martini bar. I know you know…I want to be optimistic, however, as I hear you all say..”NOT everyone will get a ticket..”my heart sinks. It’s the big thing WE look forward to all year. Our old motorhome, golfcART car, costumes, bar, lights, friends, etc….. heart sinks and breaks.

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  • rachelbeth says:

    I have been a few times: 97, 2005, 2010 but it is not possible for me to go regularly. For this reason, I always joined an established group/camp to help.

    I want to echo the suggestion that virgins be asked to assist with larger camps who can’t pull it off without additional human resources.

    I also liked the idea of instituting some kind of volunteer/ participation requirement for everyone to get a ticket. Those who already have theme camps are good, but others, especially newbies, should understand clearly that full participation is what makes it work (not a spectator sport).

    I can’t go this year but very much hope to return. I hope it will all work out and not go the way of the Renaissance Fair.

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  • Habibi says:

    If supply cannot be increased, demand must be lowered.
    That’s called ‘selection’.
    Yes, that’s an ugly word.

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  • John King says:

    The random lottery approach has been used successfully at the regional Texas burn, Burning Flipside, for a number of years. We’ve been dealing with the supply/demand thing for a while. We also require a photo ID for each ticket. However, we’ve never had the kind of exponential increase in demand that appears to be the case for BM 2012.

    Reading through these comments I see a lot of skepticism regarding the idea that a major factor in the ticket situation this year is due to the increased global visibility of Burning Man in the past year due to media coverage and social networking. Personally, I believe that is precisely the case. Not that there aren’t other significant factors as well. I’m sure that last year’s sellout increased the number of people buying extra tickets this year in case their friends or family couldn’t score one. However I don’t think the true impact and accelerating nature of social networking has sunk into the general public consciousness. If the demand for tickets has increased exponentially then I don’t know that any ticketing process can, in and of itself, completely address that process.

    It’s not just Burning Man, folks. Things are speeding up all over the world, in all facets of society and culture, tipping points are being met all over the damn place with little or no forewarning. Every country, every culture and sub-culture has experienced, or is beginning to experience, major paradigm shifts. Especially in institutions involving open, perpetual growth propelled by positive feedback loops. It is often disconcerting and disruptive for all involved. But it is an inevitable feature of systems evolution. How do we adapt?

    I’ve been participating in the Burning Flipside for 6 years now. This year is my first year at Burning Man. And yes, I am one of the fortunate ones that scored a ticket. I realize that the BM I participate in this year will probably be very different from those of the recent past. But I will do everything in my power to roll with it and offer my time, labor and love to the community in an effort to support and augment the critical infrastructure and operations needed to sustain whatever emerges during this unnerving time. That will include greater pre-event collaboration across theme camps and volunteer groups. I refuse to let cynicism or resentment into the equation.

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  • David says:

    Thank you for your candid apology and explanation. My camp and I, along with many others, were very excited about coming strong this year with an extensive camp. We ordered a dozen tickets and none of us got one, which must have been some sort of statistical anomaly.

    Since November we have written thousands of words of perspective plans and debates on strategy. Now, our epic email brainstorming threads have contracted into a trickle of ‘… well, I didn’t get tickets either… so…’ skirting the idea of no camp? or not going at all? We are still trying to all get tickets, but are leaning toward all giving them back for resale if we can’t all go. We still have hope that as soon as we know that this is happening for us that we can muster the excitement and put together something worthy all the fantastic things that other burners have given to us over the years.

    So, my obligatory 2 cents:

    1) Ditch the idea of ‘radical inclusion.’ Where demand > capacity, radical inclusion is impossible. Besides, it hasn’t been an honest notion for years. The price and difficulty of the event excludes people. This is ok. But I’m calling for an honest self assessment here because this notion seemed to drive this year’s train wreck. I have met many people who simply cant shell out the cash and time to get here who are offended by this radical inclusion notion. I love burning man for what it is and am proud to be a part of it, but they are right.

    2) Allow whole theme camps, mutant crews, and artist groups to get tickets early. BM is an arts festival. The quality of the art depends on people being able to cultivate creative group excitement over a long period of time. Individual ticket sales for an event that only makes sense as a group hamstrings us. Statistically, there’s a very small chance that a quorum of us will be able to go. As a result, all of us are having a hard time getting into it.

    3) Once a certain percent of contributors are set, then open the rest of the tickets for a QUEUED selling system. I’m not sure where you got your info about people having to wait for hours to buy on a queued system. As an IT professional, I can tell you that this is simply not the case.

    4) Make tickets non-transferrable by simply putting people’s names on them and checking photo ids at the gate. Sure, last minute swaps are good, but this can be done through you guys up to a cut off point.

    5) Consider allowing a certain number of people who couldn’t attend one year to get early dibs the next year. No one has to go every year if it means that some people can’t go ever.

    Ok, so 5 cents. In the end, though, you guys are doing one of the most amazing things around. It can’t be easy. Thank you so much for your efforts. Keep an eye out for me on the playa. I’ll be cruising around on a bike.

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  • Gi says:

    If the idea of guaranteeing tickets to established theme camps is instituted in the future, then IMHO, totally new theme camps should also be included in this via some sort of proposal / application submission process. New theme camps are awesome too and this measure would be a direct facilitation of creativity and freshness.
    This dovetails well with my submission here a day or so ago about filters . . . . . this would be a great way to filter for participants over spectators.

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  • jolly roger says:

    Ok. What if the BMorg moved the event to another location starting THIS year. Maybe private land. Where there was NO population cap (well, say we could go up to 150,000); would that make you happy? Would that make everyone friends again? Would it put that dopey smile back on your face every time you heard the words “Burning Man”. (The smile you are ALL missing so badly now.) You bet! would it fry every scalper? yes (Especially if the tickets were ALL $320. And with no population limit none of the scalper “Over-face-value” tickets would move.) So contact all your theme camp contacts, your org friends, your friends who are sad that you don’t want to talk to them. Call them and explain this “everybody WINS” solution. Would it be easy? No. Would it be a good, “new start”? Yes

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  • Red the Dirty says:

    BURNING MAN 2013: MITOSIS

    Twice the people want to go to Burning Man? HAVE TWO BURNING MANS.
    Why not? I’m not talking about Regionals either. I’m talking about hard, dusty, hot, cold inhospitable Black Rock Desert. It’s big enough. Have an East Camp and a West Camp who burn at the same time. They could compete for which camp is awesomer. :) We have the space. If that many people want to come we obviously have the man power. People who have a theme camp or just want to camp together have to register together to make sure they end up at the same site. Others can state their preference for which camp they’d like. No guarantees if you didn’t register with a group. Don’t like it? Don’t come.
    That’s evolution.

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  • Cobalt says:

    As I am sure you now realize, while it is great to want to be “fair” and not show any special treatment, this event (really any event of any size) needs to have it’s core.
    My suggestion would be look at is as a trade show, without venders and speakers you have no show. So, a certain number of tickets need to be designated for the structure of the event. This is above and beyond “staff” tickets and art grant folks. For example: say 10,000 are designated for established theme camps (not the whole camp but enough tickets to be able to establish the camp) and 10,000 for other art, infrastructure and support (spouses of key players etc.). These selected (proven) people are given a week pre-sale to purchase their (non transferable) tickets. At this time the remaining tickets go to a lottery system. You could certainly have scholarship tickets etc. This would leave lots of room for virgins and repeats alike. The people who are given the opportunity for designated core tickets can change annually. Say a group established a great new theme camp one year, they can apply for a chance to get X number of tickets in the core sale the next year.
    This would encourage more people to participate as there would be the possibility of ensuring access to tickets the next year.
    Theme camps would be encouraged to actively recruit ticket holder to join/participate in their camp, making camps more inclusive (as one of my friends mentioned many of the larger theme camps have become cliquey)
    This really is not a matter of preference or special privileges it, is a matter of necessity, without a core there is no even. Due to the limited nature of the event you MUST ensure that your core (and their support) has access to tickets.
    ALSO – Attach names to tickets – transferable only through the site – you could figure out a way to make this happen even up to and during the event for those late gifting.
    ALSO – Sell tickets earlier – NOVEMBER. This will give people more time to plan, make necessary exchanges, theme camps and artists to recruit ticket holder to their projects.
    Finally – Thank you for everything that you do!! Your efforts are appreciated!!

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  • Red the Dirty says:

    Or just do what the burner’s post ahead of mine said. :) That sounds good too.

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  • Slutty Goat says:

    Seems to me that the only thing BMorg can do to salvage this year is to encourage as many attendees as possible to make a theme camp or to hook up with an existing theme camp, art project, or infrastructure. Provide ideas & tutorials for newbies on how to build a theme camp. Encourage existing theme camps to recruit new blood. Make and heavily promote a section of burningman.com where theme camps and attendees can meet and collaborate.

    It is clear to me that the major problem this year will be a scarcity of theme camps and art projects. Every theme camp I’ve checked in on is either throwing in the towel or scaling back drastically. I think BMorg has painted itself into a corner on the ticket issue and there’s very little it can do to change this year’s ticket structure without pissing somebody off or creating a logistical nightmare.

    For 2013? Make radical-participation mandatory (or very highly encouraged). Yes, I said it. Doesn’t matter whether you are a virgin or an old-timer, but you must either be with a theme-camp, art project, or volunteering for something like the gate, temple guardians, camp arctica, etc. At the very least, give those who are radically-participating ticket priority.

    Otherwise a situation has been created that encourages a bunch of desert campers and discourages cohesive theme camps, art projects, and activities.

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  • Blue Manchoo says:

    It breaks my heart to hear it, but I appreciate the clear and detailed explanation. In particular, the numbers – they really put the writing on the wall.

    I’m going to deliberately cease my efforts to acquire tickets, to very slightly increase the odds a more mission-critical person gets to go. This would have been my 5th year. I will miss you all, but I’ll see you in 2013 I hope.

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  • Bryan M says:

    **PROPOSED 2012 CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN**

    I am a small camp, 7 time burner with a ticket…and with many dedicated burner friends who do not have tickets. So, with that background, take these suggestions for whatever you think they’re worth:

    *To My Fellow Burners:*
    With many of the builders/creators locked out, it is almost a certainty that things will be different this year. From reading these posts it appears that some of us welcome this, most of us fear this and the rest of us are unsure what the hell to many of any of this. In my view, the only thing for us to do now is make the best of it. So here are a few ideas:
    1. If you don’t have a ticket and really, really want to go, plan as if you will find a ticket. If the numbers are correct, there will be a huge supply of unwanted tickets once they are actually released. If you don’t get a ticket, but you’ve prepared, you can still burn, just not at BRC…find a new place…maybe you’ll start something of your own :-)
    2. If you have just enough tickets, really BRING IT this year. If you’ve ever considered increasing your own personal level of participation, now is the time. Whether it is volunteering at an existing camp/project or doing your own little project…now is the time. This is the time for new green shoots to emerge amidst the devastation of the former giants that went before us. Many have complained that the event has become stale, well now is the chance to freshen it up!
    3. And, if you are one of the lucky that finds yourself with an “extra” ticket…please consider gifting or selling it to the most spirited burner you know that did not get one.

    *To BMorg*
    A simple crisis management framework that I learned from a mentor and have applied in my own business more than a couple of times:
    1. What went wrong?
    2. How do we fix the mess?
    3. How do we make sure this never happens again?

    1. No need to rehash this, but hopefully we can agree that trying to deny the natural functioning of supply and demand curves is like trying to deny that gravity does’t exist on Earth. This is not a political, economic or social statement…it is simply fact.
    2. Send out all tickets now. Do not wait for the summer. The sooner the scalpers and hoarders can engage in their trade (as distasteful as this may seem), the sooner tickets will find their way into the hands of actual participants and, thereby, restore some community confidence in this year’s potential. Ask the major groups, artists and theme camps how many tickets they need, sell them twice as many…let them determine how the extras should be awarded.
    3. Go back to the way tickets were sold last year. Servers may crash and wait times may be long (hey, no biggie we’re used to — dare I say enjoy — dealing with inconvenient situations required to be a burner). And, scalpers may scalp, but things will sort themselves out — by definition, no scalper wants to go to burning man.

    *To Burners and BMorg both:* Thanks for everything each and every one of you do. I love y’all!

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  • Christopher Overstreet says:

    Get rid of the RV’s. Don’t allow advertisements. (Remember back when being able to see a U-Haul Logo was faux pas’?) Also, start discouraging photography again, I know we can’t stop it, and there are many photographer’s, but nothing speaks tourist better than having an iPhone out to “capture memories”. Discourage the lazy observers in these ways and it will never be a sell-out event.

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  • Habibi says:

    @Christopher Overstreet: No photos? This is planet Earth, remember? ;-)

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  • Roger says:

    I am a volunteer at Center Camp, and a founding member of a theme camp.

    I did not secure a ticket for me or mine and I am wondering why my past and future contributions of Black Rock sweat equity did weight the ticket distribution more to the core city builders.

    Can you imagine Black Rock City as just another burb! Think 90% burgens campers and 10% payed staff providing services.

    Like a Sun, without a core it will not burn very hot or long without that BURNING CORE. So all you burgens better step up and Burn.

    And thank you for the update.
    R

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  • Robn Parsons says:

    Thank you Andie for the apology and the explanation. I still don’t understand where some of the comments are going, so I finally skipped to the end because I too would like to encourage our community to hold on to the strength that formed this exquisite, wild group of artists, musicians, performers, scientists, engineers, humanists, designers, poets, writers, actors, and lovers and more.

    My first year at Burning Man was 2007. I had been wanting to go for years – years! I heard about the event in 1988 when my son Blaze was an infant. My husband and I decided we’d go some day when the baby was older and my husband could get some time off from his job as a project manager for the set building industry. In 2006 our 18 year old son announced he was going with his friends Cat and Sherief. I said, ” You little shit! I’ve been wanting to go for years!” We laughed and cheered him on and built Burning Guy and lit him on fire the same time the real man was burning.

    The following January 18, Blaze was in a terrible car accident. The windshield of his Mazda 3 crushed his forehead splintering pieces of bone into his frontal lobe. After the seven hour surgery we waited by his bedside for signs of life. The surgeon told us that there didn’t appear to be any brain activity. Blaze was a popular Heavy Metal musician playing in LA clubs since he was 14 and over 100 people had gathered at the hospital to hear the results of the surgery.I gathered his closest friends in the courtyard. We held hands and worked out a schedule so that each of them could see Blaze, because it could be the last time. When Sherief went in to the ICU room, he brought with him a ceramic medallion that had been gifted to both of them at Burning Man ’06. He cradled it in Blaze’s opened left palm. We watched in amazement as Blaze took it and lifted it to his other hand and pressed so hard that the raised emblem created a image of the man on the back of his right hand. My husband and I looked at each other and said, “We’re going to Burning Man!”

    Blaze was only 5 months out of the hospital, walking with a cane, vision impaired and suffering many other effects of traumatic brain injury including behavioral changes when we borrowed a motor home and took him back home – the place that meant so much to him and the vehicle we had used to visualize his recovery. It was a difficult year to say the least, but what I learned was how wonderful, unassuming, and giving the community truly was. We lost Blaze out there for 24 hours. The Rangers worked with us relentlessly. Every person we passed promised to help us. Blaze had fallen asleep in a “book mobile” art car parked near Center Camp when the book mobile went back to his camp, Blaze was disoriented, and then someone had changed the street sign on Jungle to their camp name. To make a long a long story shorter, Ranger Beast found Blaze or Blaze found him just a block away from our camp.

    The next year I signed up for Blaze and I to camp with the Lamplighters because it was to be just me and him and I felt that I needed to be with a camp, but Blaze decided not to go. For the next three years I camped with the Lamplighters and dedicated my time with them primarily as a Robe Tender – I dressed the people that we recruited to light the lamps.

    I have served as a Lamplighter Robe Tender (ironically I can’t be around the Kerosine because I am a Lymphoma survivor and the fumes bother me tremendously – I told Snotto the director of LL that I was like a moth to the flame) a Temple Guardian, a Greeter, a mural painter at Center Camp, I’ve blocked off dangerous “virtual holes” in front of BMIR with my crazy brand of humor, I draw portraits with “bits of man” charcoal from the burnt man, and I last year I provided a “seal” for the Scarab Truck for the Core Of Regional Effigies, BUT I am not with a particular theme camp.

    I know that Andie has said that no preferential treatment will be given to theme camps; nevertheless, I keep seeing comments that want to reward the theme camps and do not recognize the importance of individuals out there who divide their time among theme camps but also gift their energies as individuals.

    I didn’t get a ticket (YET), but have resolved that I may not be going out the playa this year. I am pushing for my daughter to apply for the low-income ticket because she too provides out there as an individual educating people about Leave No Trace in a effective way.

    I’m asking people to recognize that ALL of us make up the community whether we are WITH a theme camp or not.

    I am going to the Town Hall LA Regional Meeting today. I hope to help with a project off the playa, and then if I am lucky enough to find a ticket through the open sale or STEP I’ll continue my support on the playa. At least a little part of me will be out there on the vast playa that I so love.

    I encourage everyone to find those within your local regionals who need your assistance regardless of whether you will be going to the event on the playa or not. Help build the art cars, help with the pre-build for the Temple, help inventory the supplies for a major theme camp, donate clothes to costume camps, send that guy some water for his project, donate money if you can to kickstarter and other fund raisers. We are ALL STILL BURNERS!

    Much love – Robn aka Really WILLING to embrace the moment.

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  • Daniel Joneses says:

    Thank you BM crew for posting this acknowledgement. I can appreciate the gravity of what you must be feeling given what I am seeing from my fellow camp mates and burners. There is a lack in the synergy that is all part of the experience of gearing up for the burn, and there is a real sense that the organization itself is out of touch with its own community. This is a real threat to the very nature of the gathering. That being said we are going to rally and make it work this year, but this is with a sense that this burn may be one of decline with less of its core intact…hopefully that will not be the case. All that being said, I think we all understand that your intent is in the right place and I thank you for all the hard work and feed back. These are my feeling on the matter and below are my suggestions that I hope will be heard and considered;

    For the present: Reach out directly to the big theme camps that you know are out there, and offer them tickets ASAP. Don’t make them wait, take corrective action today to show that this part of your family is important and appreciated. I’m sure you can set aside 5,000 tickets or so and aggressively correct some of your errors. This is not a new policy, just a correction…and it doesn’t need to be perfect for everybody. The rest of us can limp along and wait to resolve the ticket drama. I build a camp for 12 people have been going for years and don’t expect specal treatment, but the major builders do deserve special treatment given that this problem was not their fault.

    For the future: Embrace some of the principals we profess and let go of this need to control the process…..let it go! The price of perfection is too high, allow for some screw ups and scalping…nothing is perfect. As in life things can and will take care of themselves but the more you try to control the worse its going to be. If you want to curb scalping them create a great internal trading site that stands for good principals and let the people who want to trade there do so, and if they don’t then so be it. In other words, encourage good behavior but let people do what they want.
    Waiting online for hours to get tickets was frustrating, and yes surprisngly complicated, but it was also over much faster than some drawn out tiered lottery waiting game and trading scheme.

    Lastly;

    Radical concept for resetting the clock if you dare;

    And one crazy idea, since this is burning man after all……consider changing the venue for a year…like a Phoenix you will rise from the Ashes.

    Show the BLM and local community that the support that burning man provides can indeed go away….The Nevada desert communities benefit from us and they need to be more supportive….I like law enforcement at the burn but more and more it is seeming like a police state out there and they can cooperate with you if we have greater support of the local community.
    New comers are great when they are coming through friends and veterans or seeking us out…being promoted by Huffington post etc threatens to bring enough ‘tourist’ new comers that the soul of the burn can take a new course and you will be stuck hosting an art and concert event more than a community event…..beware.

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  • Magnificent Mark says:

    The problem of too many scalpers vs too many Newbies is a moot point. The scalpers can be dealt with using a airline-type will call system, where you pick up your ticket at the gate by showing ID (preferably in Gerlach, as opposed to the dusty playa itself).

    At some point however, maybe in the next year or so, or even this year, Burning Man will be overrun by first time people intrigued (and rightly so) by the goings on they’ve been hearing about for a while.

    The key issue is how to keep a core (10,000?) group of people returning year after year while still distributing tickets in a reasonably fair system. The lottery was a great idea for the fairness part, but sucked for the keeping_theme_camps_together part.

    One possible way to do this is by limiting demand, ie making it more difficult to attend, but in a constructive manner. For example:

    Require that all burners (not just Newbies) must volunteer for at least one 3 hour shift, preferably early on in their stay. That might actually deter some tourists, but I imagine experienced burners would have little difficulty in fulfilling their 3 hours. And on the constructive side, it gives Newbies an easy way to meet others and could help introduce them to the BM event.

    Make tickets more difficult to get/change/cancel. Sell some non-refundable/non-transferable tickets early on. Limit people to one per ticket. Require background checks and urine samples. Not saying do all this, but stricter ticket policies would help cut down demand, while allowing very dedicated people first crack at tickets.

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  • Kate says:

    I know that many of the same ideas are being repeated but here’s what I think may help:
    When buying tickets in an open sale, the ticket buyer could be prompted on several questions which influence their priority over tickets. These questions could include:
    years attended? (veteran burners should have a better chance at tickets than virgins, there are no if’s and’s or but’s about that fact!)
    years volunteered? (with whom, how many hours)
    are you installing art?
    do you have a mutant vehicle?
    Something along those lines. As burning man becomes more popular in the press I fear that more “virgins” aren’t really interested in the culture, just the party. This is alarming to me. I think veterans and people who are legitimately contributing to the culture should have a higher chance at tickets (like artists, volunteers etc..)
    Also, if a ticket is awarded, that ticket number should be associated with a name. You can’t just sell off your ticket like a scalper. Perhaps an ongoing ticket system could be enacted. If the person with a secured ticket number can no longer go, they can sell their ticket back to Burning Man directly (for Burning Man to resell). I think this would discourage people who “aren’t sure” and leave more tickets for people who KNOW that Burning Man is where they will be.

    I will say that something Burning Man did right for ticket sales this year was low income. I really like the will call only system. It has your name on it, and it is not for anyone else. I think this “your name, your ticket” idea should be incorporated next year in main sales.
    Those are my ideas, ball’s in your court. Live. Love. Burn )'(

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  • Ragan K. says:

    I’ve never been to Burning Man. Finances and work have always dictated my ability to be involved, and until this year, I’ve never been in a position to go. I really, really want to go this year, and yearn to experience the magic and transformative experience I’ve only heard about.

    That being said…
    I don’t have a ticket yet. But I would gladly wait for my first experience to ensure that those who create the magic – who are there every year – those who are such a critical part of the community who make the Burning Man experience what it is, can also be there.

    I will continue to follow the story. Maybe I’ll see you in BRC this year, maybe not. But if it comes down to me, or the guy who builds some epic installation for so many others to enjoy – he can have my ticket. And hopefully someone will do the same for me, next year. =)

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  • Pig Pen says:

    I wanted to take this time to express my own frustration with the ticketing process. I understand that the word has gotten out about Burning Man and it is an experience that more and more people want to be a part of. I get that, believe me…I get that. But how can the “experience” continue to prosper when long time burners who provide the infrastructure to the “experience” do not have tickets? How will this affect newbies who have been told how amazing this project is when they will not be able to to see what has been the core to Burning Man in the past? Without the infrastructure from long time burners to help build the community, the experience will not be the same. The way I see it, the playa will become a bunch of revelers coming to see what all the hype is about, only to be disappointed because they will never see or experience the full sense of the community that older burners have put together over the years. I am not saying that we should not bring in new faces and personalities. What I am saying is that the basic foundations should be built first and then bring in new faces. In history, all communities have leaders and elders who help maintain the infrastructure and offer guidance. I feel that this should be in place to some degree as well. I do agree with the idea of making the ticket process harder with essays, mandatory volunteering, and priority given to past community burners. This will allow those who are part of large theme camps and older and wiser burners to be on the playa each year. I understand that this will make a lot more work for the employess of BRC but I think that will help to preserve the infrastructure a little better. I am also sure that older burners will be more than happy to help sort through all the paperwork. Additionally, raising tickets prices will help to pay for their time.

    I appreciate all the hard work that has been going into resolving this matter and I trust that an honorable solution will come of it. Thank you to everyone that has voiced their opinions and who is working to make 2012 another great year. I still wish I had a ticket though. I hope that STEP will work but I do have my doubts because I know that every burner that I have talked to is scared that they will not get a chance to participate this year on the playa.

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  • La Louve says:

    2011 was my first Burn. I had followed news about Burning Man for at least 20 years but never thought I could participate because I have asthma. Then some long time burner friends suggested I bring an RV and camp with them near one of the medical outposts.

    The brilliant weather and playa conditions of 2011 made for an ideal first burn. I was part of an art project that installed a labyrinth, I gifted my own art to pretty much everyone I met. I cooked dinner for rangers, I bought extra ice to give away. I helped my neighbors with tools and equipment. I made pilgrimages to the temple every day to journal goodbyes and apologies and gratitude. I shared tears and stories with a lot of burners out there, healing through our collective grief. The Sunday of the temple burn I smudged its perimeter, stopping to talk with and thank as many of the build crew and guardians as I could. A very empathetic ranger took one last rememberance into the temple for me.

    I rode my bike every day deep into the Playa to take in as much of the magnificent art as I could (thank you Bijou Theater!). I went out at night to experience as much of the fire art as possible. I helped with perimeter safety around one of the CORE effigies on the night they burned.

    I went to one theme camp, where I had a blast learning Cuban line dancing.

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  • La Louve says:

    2011 was my first Burn. I had followed news about Burning Man for at least 20 years but never thought I could participate because I have asthma. Then some long time burner friends suggested I bring an RV and camp with them near one of the medical outposts.

    The brilliant weather and playa conditions of 2011 made for an ideal first burn. I was part of an art project that installed a labyrinth, I gifted my own art to pretty much everyone I met. I cooked dinner for rangers, I bought extra ice to give away. I helped my neighbors with tools and equipment. I made pilgrimages to the temple every day to journal goodbyes and apologies and gratitude. I shared tears and stories with a lot of burners out there, healing through our collective grief. The Sunday of the temple burn I smudged its perimeter, stopping to talk with and thank as many of the build crew and guardians as I could. A very empathetic ranger took one last rememberance into the temple for me.

    I rode my bike every day deep into the Playa to take in as much of the magnificent art as I could (thank you Bijou Theater!). I went out at night to experience as much of the fire art as possible. I helped with perimeter safety around one of the CORE effigies on the night they burned.

    I went to one theme camp, where I had a blast learning Cuban line dancing.

    I spent the warmest part of each day inside, making art that reflected the journey of my soul on the playa. I ran my generator and a/c for a total of two hours for the entire week i was there. I demooped every day when i was out and about, and I left no trace.

    I’m an artist and I came to Burning Man primarily for the art and the temple. I came away with so much inspiration and appreciation for everything that went into making my first burn so magical.

    I hope the infrastructure needs come first in solving the ticket problems. Without the people that make the city safe and accessible, the DPW, the Rangers, the medical teams, the gate people, etc etc. you won’t have a successful event.

    And I hope the artists come next. Without the temple and all the art on the playa and elsewhere, to me it’s not Burning Man.

    I have twenty years experience in putting on large scale events, from both a credentialling and safety perspective. I’d be happy to volunteer some time to help make sure things go as smoothly as possible for everyone.

    I do think the Glasto model is worth considering.

    Just my two pence.

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  • G says:

    “Participation
    Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.”

    As a volunteer since 2005, IMHO, the labor that one puts out at Burning Man is essential to, and deepens the meaning and enjoyment. It is probably impossible, but somehow preferentially ticketing those who participate, rather than spectate would be awesome. BMORG must preserve, nurture and grow the Participation principle.

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  • G says:

    First set of tickets sold go to staff, camps, and artists, then the remainder of the tickets are open to the everyone via whatever method. Perhaps that remainder of the tickets then gets split. Half are sold in 5 different lots, each at a different time and date online first come first served basis. Lastly the remaining tickets via lottery giving the losers in the first come first serve game one last chance. Institute a ticket-buyer link of some sort, and resale only via BMORG STEP channel.

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  • t-bone says:

    Of the 25 or so people we normally camp with, only 2 received tickets.

    The sad thing is that 2 other people I know that got tickets admitted to me that they said “all the right things” on their ‘application’ for the supposed “random” drawing…. they falsely claimed that they “drove a mutant vehicle; that they had been going for more years than they really have; that they were artists; and even part of a theme camp”!!
    Even though NONE of this is true!!…. and they got tickets.

    I did NOT say that I was part of a theme camp. I did not say I was an artist. I did not say that I have been more years than I really have. I’ve only been 3 years….
    I can not include my bicycle, no matter how decorated, as a mutant vehicle.
    I ALWAYS dress up! I always gift, and spent the entire week looking for ways to be ‘part’ of the community: last year our entire camp wore zentai suits and roamed the playa and other camps in a silent demonstration of dance and to create something fun and pleasing for the others on the playa; but I do NOT consider myself to be part of the Infrastructure that actually puts Burning Man ‘on’! Essentially, I am a participant and one of the people who has learned to appreciate all that the theme camps and Integral Burners do to make Burning Man Happen! I do not believe that any Newbie can understand or appreciate the people that actually BUILD and become the infrastructure of BM. Without them….. I just can’t say…

    Sorry…. but a Burning Man full of newbies or people like me may still be “Burning Man”…. but only in name, and because some shit will burn on the playa…. But it won’t be what it has been, or could be,…. and I’ll stop short of saying ‘what it Should be’, but it’s tempting.

    By refusing (For whatever reason?) to follow the suggestions given time after time, to place a name on each ticket, and to squash scalping for real!…. then you have to admit that the result is going to be Much more expensive tickets, whether you raise the ticket price or not?! Scalpers are going to make the extra money! Not BMORG! And it makes me wonder if someone involved in the process doesn’t have a conflict of interest?? It wouldn’t be the first time…. and before everyone gets freaky on that, consider the amount of money we’re talking about? Do the math, people… 50,000 burners at just $300/ticket= $15,000,000.00 That’s 15 Million dollars, people. Add $100 to 200 more for the assumed 20,000 tickets already in scalper’s hands….or more… and we’re talking a mere $4 million more. !!! Don’t tell me someone can’t be ‘bought’ in the burner community? Whatever. Conspiracy theory, or no? perhaps irrelevant?? only for those who already have tickets!

    For those of us without tickets, and a “theme” camp of our own that we spend over 6 months putting together (but not one that puts BM together!), it’s a little too late, and a dollar short.

    Too bad. Sad. Trust….. for me, it’s thin or gone.

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  • Dr. Bungee says:

    BM is a many faceted jewel. There is the art, the music, the INCREDIBLE people, the flames… People come here for all the above, and so much more.
    Last year, after the Trojan Horse burn, I was wandering down Esplanade, wondering where all the people went. I met some new friends sitting on a giant chair at about 7:00, and started chatting. “Where is everybody?”I asked. “They all went to the rave camps”my new friend answered. I continued on my way toward Center Camp, and thought this is great. It felt more like a Sunday night ( with all the fantastic stuff still in place ), than a Friday. I found a little place playing some LIVE music, a jazz-rock-techo-funk mix. At it’s peak, the crowd was maybe 80 people. Room to dance, make new friends, and just enjoy the moment without having to impress anyone. I wandered some more, not knowing what lie ahead. Many encounters later, I stumbled back into camp after dawn.
    People come to BM for many different reasons. The dramatic rise of the raving sector, and devolution of its music is obvious to anyone who has been here more than a few years. I remember a story in “Piss Clear “about the large sound camps bitching about not getting any grant money, and how expensive it is to put one of these together. There was talk of splitting BM into two events, one for art, and one more focused on “music “. I for one find myself spending less time on 2:00 & 10:00 every year. Last year I went to two of the “BIG “shows at Opulent & Hookadome, and although the spectacle was entertaining, the vibe was a little on the aggressive side.
    Two Burning Men?? It’d been talked about before. Split the ravers, and the artists up?? Let theme camps decide which event to attend. Not an ideal solution, but at this point, what is? Here are two more crazy ideas. Improve the Jungo, or Smoke Creek roads for better access, or put a train stop on the Southern Pacific tracks.

    During my approximately 120 days and nights on the Playa, I’ve had uncountable conversations with other burners. There is a recurring topic of how AMAZING BRC is. To think that from where there was nothing ( an empty canvas) it has been transformed into this Disneyland-Mardi Gras- Fourth of July-New Years Eve…with deep spiritual meaning, is truly incredible. The logistics of bringing so much stuff to such a remote place, and putting it all together in such a short amount of time, it boggles the mind. I’ve said and heard many times, “The people who put this on are geniuses”. This includes the artists, theme campers, both big and small, and yes the BMORG. If these people could be put in charge of Default, the world would be a much better place. Well, it looks like Default is disrupting our little slice of heaven. BM has faced numerous challenges over the years. From getting kicked off Baker Beach, to attempts by Washoe County Commissioners ( that means you Ms. Webber) to shut it down, to hostility from Bruno ( Gerlach belongs to HIM). This is the biggest challenge yet. Divided we fall, but working together we will prevail. I don’t have a ticket, as does over half our camp. I’m still hoping to go, but if I can’t, I’m hoping the camp carries on without me. The trick is to teach those left ( only one builder has a ticket) and maybe some virgins, how to transform 65 pieces of metal conduit, 2000 ft of bungee cords, a trampoline and a parachute, into the Yabba Dabba DoMe.

    It’s not that I’m feeling entitled, more like, in some small way, essential. And like so many others, abandoned.

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  • Keri Steele says:

    Nicely written!

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  • eleanor says:

    I am a new burner who was lucky enough to get a ticket in the lottery. Reading about the potential impact of this on the burning man community and arts projects makes me feel very guilty and I would suggest that other first-timers might also feel like this. I would much rather give up my tickets to established burners who’s plans are being put at risk by the lack of tickets than go and feel bad. If the organisers felt it appropriate to set up a ticket exchange with preference for established burners I would think people would see that was entirely appropriate and fair.

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  • Nurse Katie says:

    First of all thank you. I am sure you are all doing your best to keep up with the many attempts that we are all making to find solutions to the ticketing problem. I just read such an attempt (at the link below) which brought me to a solution of my own that I would like to share.

    http://dalelarson.com/2012/02/why-is-burning-man-still-selling-tickets-at-all.html/comment-page-1#comment-25362

    I feel that it is clear that we need a system that can address a myriad of issues and I don’t know that any one person can truly do that alone, so here is my contribution….

    A possible solution could be breaking up ticketing tiers by type of participant rather then price.
    large sound and art contributing camps apply for X% of the tickets
    groups working on art installations, cars, interactive projects apply for X%
    participants volunteering at the burn apply for X %
    individual and smaller art projects apply for X %
    and of course newbies can apply for X% of the available tickets

    Theoretically this would allow for more control over the mix of participants, which is clearly necessary. I am truly concerned about participating this year if only 30% of established participants and camps will be there and 40% are all newbies. If that ends up being the case I foresee disaster! You can’t have the spirit of Burning Man when 40% of the people there have never experienced it before and my not even know what it is! Its not fair to seasoned participants or those experiencing Burning Man for the first time.

    Right now this is a top concern of mine along with the significant lack of my own fellow campers (and art car) not currently having tickets.

    Thank you for listening.

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  • JC Dill says:

    I have attended Burning Man when it was fairly small (1996) getting larger (1997) big (2004) and bigger (2009). I had hoped to attend again this year. I have a very simple suggestion for how to handle ticket sales in the future: Sell 50% of the tickets thru camps. Existing camps get the same number of tickets as they had last year, and the camp can decide how they want to allot the tickets to existing campers and to new burners. Have camps sort among themselves who can pay full-price for a spendy ticket, and who needs a low-priced (subsidized) ticket. Each camp needs to submit a camper plan that shows what their theme is, their art contribution, how they are splitting ticket sales among new and old burners, among full-price and subsidized burners. Each camp should have some of all of the above. This will help create more community for camps, it will be more important to be in a camp early on, rather than joining a camp at the last minute, or just showing up and camping on the outskirts by yourself.

    Second, the BLM and county need to increase the attendance permit for the venue. We have to be brining a TON of money into the BLM and into the community each year. Why put a cap on it? What would happen to the BLM, to Gerlach and surrounding communities if we moved the event to a different location? It would be BAD for them. So look into different locations. Give them some more incentive to accommodate our growing family, or else lose the whole thing.

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  • Harry Fuckin Pothead says:

    You mother fuckers act like it is such a hassle to throw a fuckin party. Move it to private property you fucks! 2011 should have been somewhere else. When I first started going I just assumed it was common knowledge it could never sell out. Ive got virgins i want to bring and i dont even know if i can bring my fuckin self. Im sorry for cursing, i love you guys, but you have fucked up bad. You are going to cause a massive smash through your gates and people are going to get hurt/arrested because of you. IF BLACK ROCK WONT HAVE US, ALL OF US, FUCK THE PLAYA. MOVE IT NOW YOU FUCKING MORONS!

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  • Sassy says:

    This would have/or will be my 14th year. My partner and I got two tickets but not one other person we know got a ticket. Our camp usually ranges from 10-25 people. We’ve had an art car since 2003. It is a lot of work to make it out every year but worth every moment. I have brought many virgins out and love virgins but my concern is the community is based on respect, acceptance and participation. Some of the virgins I have brought out really couldn’t handle the playa at all. They have stayed at camp and didn’t venture out too far. It can be very overwhelming for some. Some get way too drunk, do too many drugs and freak out. That is NOT what BurningMan is about. That is what mass media likes to portray. Imagine most of BRC filled with scared people, people not willing to let go of the “box” that our outside world consists of. One year I remember we had some people coming from poor towns outside of BRC and were raiding camps during the burn to steal generators, bikes etc. That vibe doesn’t resonate with the principles and people of BRC. For people that don’t know what our community really is how do we expect them to respect our philosophy. I remember when the Man stood on hay and there weren’t huge clubs and bars but there were a lot less people. We were hoping for 25,000 people so that the BLM would allow another year. Now, with 60,000 people mostly virgins and half of the veteran camp members our city will have less art, less music, less participation. Is this a way to allow BurningMan to finally burn out? Maybe. We know that over the years the police force has grown and has invaded our city. It feels as a police state just like our “real” world. You don’t see drunken fights happening on the street corners. Larry got out just in time I guess. His first year out and it feels as if the “energy” that is BurningMan is gone. Money was NOT the primary interest for the people of BRC. You never knew who you would meet. Who cares how much money they had or what they did for a living. You were sharing a common way of life and self expression. BORG has encouraged regional burns. Is this because they knew this would end? I am wondering should I go this year? Is it going to be a big “frat” party? Will it just be mayhem when a bunch of virgins don’t know what the hell to do? I am waiting to see if my veteran friends from all over the world will be going. Will Thunderdome be there? That is a BurningMan staple. I am very sad since BurningMan gives me my light, strength, creativity and energy for the whole year. Hoping BORG can work this out but it looks bleak. Sassy.

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  • HK says:

    Thank you, endlessly.
    I for one, am completely satisfied that you are on the right track; and I stand ready to do what I can to make this a memorable burn.
    (In no small part to atone for my earlier stridency …however warranted…)
    Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  • Arcane says:

    how about 2 Burningman Festivals a year . Have them 6 months apart that way you have twice as many people able to go . People who may not be able to get the Aug time off may be able to get another time off. Spread the wealth around . the second one may start smaller and regain that feel as it grows

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  • Helio says:

    I see calls for an untransferable name on ticket strategy. Good idea, BUT to be realistic there must be a mechanism to eventually transfer an unwanted ticket.

    I suggest:

    1) Name on ticket – good for that person only, UNLESS

    2) With a username and password a ticket-owner can go online and transfer the ticket to a person of their choosing (unlimited times till a certain cut-off date?). Once the ticket owner is no longer the original printed name, it must be picked up at Will Call by the new owner with ID where it is verified against a list (also before hand at B’man office?).
    3) By logging into ‘their account’, the ticket recipient can verify his/her name associated with the ticket, and if desired transfer the ticket (on-line name change).

    3) Will Call would need to have a list of tickets that have been ‘transferred’. BORG would then also be able to track the name history of every single ticket and I’d think easily weed out scalpers.

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  • nncoco says:

    To call the lottery a failure is a little premature given the fact that 50,000+ people are still going to be there in 2012. If one of them isn’t you or your bestest friend you have every reason to be disappointed but the system did not actually fail.

    I admit that I got the tickets I needed in the pre-sale because I could see this whole thing coming like a big hanging curveball.

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  • nncoco says:

    1. Every theme camp last year that received early entry passes, should get at least that many tickets given to them. At this point, they should be considered staff. They are the people that go a week early, work everyday, 17+ hours day and then stay a week late and clean up and break down. Without them, almost any burner will tell you, tickets would not be sold out, it would not be the most desired event in the world. Give the theme camps and artists the tickets they need to survive this intense transition.

    As someone who led a registered theme camp (never again) I can say for certain that those people are indeed staff and should at the very least be offered all the tickets their camp needs at a fair rate and perhaps a small number for free. These tix could be subsidized through higher prices for those of us who can afford to pay $420 in the pre-sale.

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  • Judi and Mike Space says:

    We have wanted to make the giant leap on to the Plya for several years now, but prior committments have prevented the SpaceLaunch to BRC. Yes, the video made a big impression, but for us, this was the year to finally do it regardless.

    I actually visited your offices just as the lottery results were being announced, and the scope of the problem wasn’t quite clear. The laws of unintended consequence have you in their grip. We are hopeful to be able to get tickets and are committed to doing whatever we need to do to contribute to the community to maintain and sustain it even though we don’t yet fully understand the gestalt that is BRC.

    We look forward to the next iteration of the ticket adventure.

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  • Mitch says:

    I like this idea from Dr. Bungee above:

    >>Improve the Jungo, or Smoke Creek roads for better access, or put a train stop on the Southern Pacific tracks.<<

    There has been some indication from the Bmorg that the Exodus traffic jam is viewed as the limiting factor on population. Adding exits, and potentially entrances, could solve that.

    While it would cost many millions of dollars to widen route 447, I suspect improving Jungo Road would not be that much of an undertaking and one that might bring some economic benefits to the area anyway. People arriving from the East could come in that way.

    The train idea also has merit. What if parking was provided in or near Reno, and people could load up their supplies and come in on a train? Have big pull carts to take your stuff to your camp? It doesn't seem like that should be all that hard or expensive to pull off.

    Finally, I notice that very few people leave by taking Route 34 to the north (i.e., turning right at the BRC exit. What if there was a second exit that only allowed people to go that way? If that road needs improvement, get it improved, but it's mapped as a hard top and you can get to Alturas, which is where people coming from the Pacific Northwest go anyway.

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  • The Shaman says:

    Does anyone else think something isn’t quite right about this whole thing? This site has an interesting taken on the Maths and the likelihood of scalpers being the ones who caused this problem – http://www.burners.me

    maybe the problem will just mysteriously go away after the STEP recycling ?

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  • numbers says:

    PLEASE BE HONEST ABOUT HOW MANY TICKETS ARE REALLY AVAILABLE.

    The data from all of the posts, the statistics from all that I know in the community, and the numbers of tickets available from scalpers, show that the numbers do not add up.
    I estimate that the real number of tickets released in the “lottery” is closer to 22,000. All you math geeks out there, do the numbers!

    I think that BMORG, freaked out when they saw what was happening and stopped the sale midpoint. This looks like a big PR move to me. When everyone gets their tickets, BMORG will be able to say, “we told you it would all work out”.

    As to the posts….way too much entitlement in the posts…too many snobbish vets that think they are way cooler than everyone else….the virgins that have been posting sound like they will be great, still hoping for tickets. Anxious see how it all evolves.

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  • Patrick says:

    “We’re working non-stop to understand what happened”.

    I don’t believe that. You know what happened: scarcity. Scarcity is incompatible with the 10 Principles. No, not all 10 Principles, only some of them, and most obviously the first one. But we need all 10, not just some.

    This isn’t about radical inclusion meeting the other 9. This is about the inability of current system to support radical inclusion any more. You tried to define radical inclusion as ‘people who win the lottery’. Now I hear you saying that after a “core collaborative community” is included, then we can radically include… people who win the lottery. Um, I really don’t see that as a sustainable solution.

    You aren’t going to solve the scarcity problem for 2012. 2012 is SNAFU’ed, but we’ll muddle through it. Yeah, yeah, it was better last year. So long as it’s a one-off, I like to imagine that the long-term effects will be minimal.

    We need to solve it for 2013. This current scarcity is an artificial barrier. It didn’t exist two years ago, and I just find it unbelievable that the Burning Man experiment can’t work for more than 50,000 participants at a time.

    If you are going to work non-stop understanding something, let’s work on understanding how we get to the next zero.

    Let’s design the event for 500,000.

    – Patrick
    Once (and Future?) BRC Ranger

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  • nncoco says:

    Volunteers can be recruited at the event to help set up camps. This will get virgins involved for a potentially rewarding experience. This can be done at camps or at at center camp like they do for cafe workers.

    Strike is another issue…

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  • Huggy Bear says:

    Christopher Overstreet-
    Maybe you need to start your own event. An event that caters to smug elitists such as yourself.
    Just a thought.

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  • Luc says:

    Just want say our theme camp “Cereal Thrillers” got 0% tickets.

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  • keeks says:

    “Private Parties are for Country Clubs”…that rocks.

    I have read and re-read these posts for the last two days. And I hear all your voices.

    I feel like I’m hanging out with you all…on the desert…in a sandstorm…and you introduce yourself. And you’re beautiful…simply because you are.

    And I see all these names above, and some I recognize. Some I would love to meet.

    This post has nothing to do with what “to do” or my “2 cents”.

    I just want to say how awesome you all are for talking to each other and hearing each other and expressing any and every idea you have that may help this massive boo-boo.
    Collectively we are trying to figure this out.

    I’m moved by it. And it makes me proud to be a burner.

    I didn’t get a ticket. But it ain’t over til it’s over, right?

    And there’s always next year.

    Miss you all

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  • KraigSF says:

    First Off, BMorg – thanks for acknowledging the extent of the problem.

    My partner and I went to our first Burn together in 2005, after only a few months together. In 2010, we got married on the playa. This year we are hoping to celebrate our anniversary on the playa, and like many, we don’t have tickets.

    Every year we’ve brought virgins and gently assimilated them into the experience. One year I remember dragging 10 virgins out of their RV in a dust storm and out to the Deep End, explaining that they were missing one of the most memorable experiences on the playa! Some years we’ve been part of very large theme camps, and found that we love being in a camp of 10-20 people. We do things on a small scale: gifts of ice cream and popsicles to people dancing in the hot sun; art installations of colored spandex and tents for shade; exchanges and repair of costumes. Only 1 person out of our camp from 2010 got a ticket this year.

    Whether intended or not, the last few years have already pushed camps like ours to the margins because we’re not organized enough to go through the formal theme camp application process. In 2005, we arrived on Monday and camped at C. Last year we arrived on Monday and camped on J. I totally agree that theme camps are what make burning man, but does the city have to be dominated by “Big Box” camps? One of my favorite art installation camps has basically the same installation they had 7 years ago. 7 years ago they had a couple dozen people; now they occupy an entire city block. Said camp does not need 200 tickets to put up their art installation; the extra 150 people include plenty of tourists.

    I agree with:
    – Non transferable tickets
    – Making in harder to get tickets (audition, application, wait on crashing servers, etc).
    – Closing the gates on Wednesday
    – Charging RVs a higher fee than cars
    – Some kind of program that requires participation
    – Ensuring that theme camps have an appropriate number of tickets (but let’s be sure this doesn’t become an “old boy” network program)

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  • Harmony Villandry says:

    Thank your for your words. Only one person in my camp has a ticket, which is crazy. I feel like that is a word I use to describe Burning Man all the time, “crazy” it’s not a word I want to use went talking about my ticket home. I know we all feel that way about BRC, It’s the week you take off work for a vacation, it’s the reason you don’t sleep the week before trying to get you camp ready, the reason we make art that changes the world, is to go home for even just a day. Burning man has changed the world, and those of us that have been have changed the world too. So who are we to tell someone that has never been to BRC that it’s not their home too. If HQ is looking at the registration for every person entering the lottery then maybe only set aside 500 tickets for new comers trying to find their way home. I would hate not to be able to go home…………

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  • Katie E. says:

    I am a first time burner and I have been dreaming of the day in which I could make the journey to BRC. This is the one place in the world I thought I could go to get a taste of what Heaven (if such a thing exists) would be like. People coming together to love life and each other. I hope that the BM community is one that will not let problems get in the way of good energy. Any other scenario would be… in a word, unbearable.

    Burning Man 2012 will be a GREAT year. Creation comes from destruction. Negativity will NOT ruin burning man this year. This is the year in which virgins will feel obligated to bring their energy and creation to the table without even knowing what BM is really about. It is the year in which veterans will feel obligated to represent the burners who will not be in attendance this year. What an opportunity to rise above the forces that want to keep this festival down?!

    Life is short and we are all impermanent and (YES) precious. Let’s make 2012 a year to remember!

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  • Lazlo says:

    Thanks to Andi Grace and the Org for the update. While I’m certain that the apology is heartfelt, what I am glad to see is that the severity of the situation is in the forefront of your discussions. I look forward to seeing what you decide to do in the announcement planned for February 15.

    My fiancé and I have our two tickets, but are now unsure whether we will attend. I’ve offered my suggestions in two postings responding to Marian Goodell’s initial post and one in response to Trilo’s. I have argued that the lottery system, as implemented, allowed scalpers to grab a significant portion of tickets which will trickle out into the market after all the event tickets are distributed, which will be too late for many camps and long time core burners. I believe it crucial that the Org do whatever it can – now – to get those tickets back, and into the hands of burners. I am disappointed that your most recent post says “there is no clear evidence that scalpers are holding all those tickets.” Nobody thinks they got them all. But they got a large number – probably enough to make a significant difference to the character of our city – and not acknowledging that fact is ignoring the big pink elephant in the room.

    Andi Grace stated that “[n]o event organizer or ticket seller has solved scalping completely.” I must – most respectfully – disagree. Airlines sell hundreds of thousands of tickets every day and there is no scalping whatsoever- tickets are registered to names and IDs are required to use them. Need to cancel; fine, refund to the airline you bought it from (less a service charge if applicable) and the ticket is available to the next person inline, also with an ID. Scalping problem solved.

    Andi Grace writes that they received “nearly three times the number of tickets requested than we had available tickets.” So the odds of getting a ticket should have been about one in three – and as there were supposedly no preferences given for any particular demographic, virgins, core burners and professional scalpers should have had the same one in three chance to get tickets. But the data I’ve seen seems to indicate is that less than 20% of core camp members got tickets. Our core group of friends got 4 in 12, but our theme camp (that has been registered on the Playa since 2005) has 5 out of 82 (as of last year) and neither the founder, her new husband (whom she married in BRC last year), nor our camp leaders got any. How can this be? Were the virgins just more lucky? I don’t think so.

    There is a huge difference in motivation, ethos and strategy between burners and scalpers. We – for the most part – followed the rules. We requested what we needed. After several weeks of talking to hundreds of burners, I have heard of exactly four small groups (couples actually) that ordered more than they needed. None got more than they needed, one got what they need, and three got none at all. I’m sure some burner groups may have tried to get more for their friends/camp mates. Andi Grace says they think there was a “fair amount of over registration” which appears plausible. But I don’t think its anywhere near enough to alleviate the problem and, even if so, it won’t self-correct fast enough to solve the immediate logistical problems the core contributors now face.

    One thing we know for sure – scalpers registered for as many as they could get, probably in the thousands. And if the odds of getting a ticket were one in three, then professional scalpers (with the ability to beat basic scrubbing techniques) got one third of the tickets they applied for too…

    The issue for today is this: we know from Andi Grace’s post that the Org thinks only “25-30%” of the “necessary tickets” have been received by the city’s core participants. While that is truly alarming, I must say that from what I’ve seen, that number may be a bit optimistic. It looks to me like – on average – less than 20% of the necessary camp members have tickets. The study I posted previously (on Marian’s thread at 4:55pm on Feb 9) shows that of 44 camps, with a total of 1991 people, only 356 members received tickets and 1635 did not. That’s 17.88%. While all of them may not be absolutely “necessary” for the camp to function, the data also indicates that more than 85% of camps have less than half their members holding tickets and more than 63% have less than a quarter of their members holding tickets. Five camps, more than 11% of the sample, have none at all.

    But even if the Org is correct that about 25-30% of the necessary tickets are in the hands of the “core” burners – those necessary for the event to be what it is – that is a catastrophe that the Org must remedy unless they want to allow – as Andi Grace so eloquently describes – “overwhelming interest tear apart the social fabric that is critical to our culture.” I must say that this is the absolute best description of the problem I have seen. Kudos to Andi Grace for that statement.

    By differentiating “core burners” from others, I do not intend to even infer any difference in personal value or worth as between any two people. But, pragmatically, there is a difference in the value to the event of having core members attend. They build the city, provide the money, time and toil to build the camps and the art, provide the music, man the gates, light the lamps, guard the temple and make the Playa what it magically becomes every year. Granted, virgins are a lifeblood of Burning Man. We were all virgins once, some of us longer ago than others. Andi Grace says that the survey they reviewed indicates that “about 40% of ticket buyers” were first time burners. That’s amazing! So there are going to be plenty out there this year. But I don’t believe it a violation of Radical Inclusiveness to recognize the difference between core and non-core participants and to adjust the upcoming ticket sale accordingly in an attempt to salvage the artistic and social fabric of the event.

    The Org should do everything it can to make sure that the necessary infrastructure of Burning Man, the theme camps, artists, and long time core participants receive the lions share of the remaining tickets.

    I continue to believe that the problem is – to a significant extent – caused by scalpers. The Org also thinks that a significant number are held by people that over-registered or bought just in case they might decide to go later. Different motivation, same result. If a system promptly correlating tickets to names, making them non-transferrable and refundable (less a service charge that increases over time) was implemented immediately, that would go a long way to fixing the problem. If 5000 tickets, or more, suddenly went back into the hopper, they could be resold – through theme camps – in a single day. If done quickly, it might allow the next sale to go forward as planned.

    But if not implemented, or if it is and not enough tickets become available, then the Org should either cancel the next round and distribute those tickets to the core infrastructure of our city, or at a minimum, allocate a significant percentage (80%) to core participants. To the extent any are sold in the next round, they should be limited to groups of 2 (couples should be able to order in pairs) and linked to names and IDs.

    One additional suggestion: theme camps that are close to critical mass, but need a few extra bodies, should immediately post for new members. Be it through ePlaya or other social networks, if you have 30 and need 40, you should be able to find some new bodies. Take in a mix of virgins and returning burners. Appoint a virgin wrangler if necessary. (I’ve been our camp’s virgin wrangler more than once, it’s a blast!) On the other hand, if your camp needs 50 and you have 3, I just don’t know what to say other than to tell you you’re not alone.

    Let’s concentrate on fixing the real problem; getting tickets into the hands of those necessary to build Black Rock City, and out of the hands of those who wish simply to make a buck on something they will never understand.

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  • #50,001 says:

    IF YOU DIDNT GET A TICKET AND YOU ARE A VETERAN YOU ARE AN ANOMALY.

    IF YOU ARE A VETERAN AND YOU DIDNT GET A TICKET YOU ARE AN ANOMALY.

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  • Benno says:

    Thank you, Lazlo. Once more you find the right words and once more you help the discussion by writing a good summary.

    There is one thing a disagree with you. Let my explain by confessing. Yes, I applied for two tickets, although I only need one for myself (so far). BMOrg just made it too easy to enhance chances this way. What I did NOT do is using multiple credit cards, like those of my friends or family members. But every couple has two credit cards and I think I am not wrong when I say that most of them used both, meaning they applied for four tickets. This easily doubles numbers – don’t you agree?

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  • Etti says:

    I appreciate the soulsearching and regret in the part of BMOrg. Perhaps the main lesson here is that it would have been more useful to gather ideas about handling increased demand BEFORE rather than AFTER the fact: if the community is valued, it should have been included in the decisionmaking (and in the spirit of the new democratic turn of becoming a non-profit).

    My husband and I attended BM in 2011 for the first time at the invitation of our son. We felt we belonged – we wanted more. This year we were not awarded tickets… which is particularly awkward as my partner applied for an (academic) grant to write about BM. If the grant comes thru – we cannot accept it if we have no tickets, and we will have wasted the organization’s time in awarding it to someone else.
    I haven’t read through all the comments here – but enough of them to get a sense of what’s at stake, and what might work (for the future.)

    1. When there is finite space and a finite number of tickets – it is clear that some spontaneity must be sacrificed – as you wrote: radical inclusivity does not mean that all comers can fit in the same space. Once that is recognized the issue is how to assign the space/tickets in a way that honors BM traditions and remains fair.

    2. You need to determine what proportion of veterans and newbies (BM core and new blood) and what proportion of theme camps, art projects, and individuals would preserve the character of the BM experience.

    3. Have the theme camps apply early AS CAMPS – with a project description and indicating whether they are veterans or new – and award them tickets (whether thru lottery or assignment) so they can plan their projects and attendance. NOT ALL camps who apply will get tickets – but at least the camps that do can be sure of having their needed members, and adequate time to prepare. In subsequent years, camps who did not get to come in prior years could be given priority.

    4. Release tickets for sale to individuals – and yes, ONE TICKET PER NAME – later in the year – this is the best way to prevent scalping, and make it easier for people to buy tickets post-holidays. This would also allow tickets to be priced the same – since scalping would be thwarted. I would love to see the class system eliminated from BM. (That’s RV’s as well as high priced tickets.)
    One ticket per name would NOT eliminate GIFTING TICKETS – after all, anyone can send out an e-mail to select friends to say “I will be happy to pay for your ticket”.
    5. The proportion of veterans to newbies could be maintained among individuals as well by indicating prior attendance on the ticket request – and it is not unreasonable to ask newbies to volunteer in some capacity and thereby integrate them with the community more effectively in their first year.

    These steps would work – though they may require some extra staff (volunteers?)to balance the needed proportions of various participants – in years to come, within the given limitations. Not everyone who wants to come would get to come every year – but there would be enough circulation to keep it fair. Meantime, the regionals could get more active to accomodate those who are not on the playa in any given year – as the present experience suggests, BM attendance will grow.

    As for the present year – I cannot see an equitable solution; we will hope for tickets still, with whatever method BMOrg will devise to patch up this bad mistake.

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  • Etti says:

    I should clarify: the GIFTING of TICKETS could even be done by one individual buying numbers of tickets – as long as names are supplied, and those individuals identified on entrance to the playa.

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  • Panda Cat says:

    Attention Editors

    Please do not post the first message. I hit the wrong button.

    I will retype and resend.

    Thanks
    Larry

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  • baboon says:

    There do seem to be a lot of people who plan to make this year their first burn, myself included.

    It seems to me that the veteran burners have some sort of subtle hostility or resentment towards us newbies. An event which prides itself on inclusion is suddenly beginning to feel very elitist. I don’t want to go if I am going to be judged based on the fact that it is my first year. I very much so plan on contributing and participating. The main reason I got interested in BM in the first place is because of burners who I have known who have come to ME to tell me that they think I would love burning man and be a great part of the community. I felt personally invited. That is, as opposed to somebody who stumbled upon that youtube video and thought “oh that looks like a fun party, maybe I will do that instead of bonnaroo this year”. I have a friend who loves to go to festivals. Any type of festival, shes there. She loves a good time. I mentioned I was trying to go to the burn this year, and she got excited. It was obvious she only wanted to go because I was going and it was ‘the thing to do’ because her friends were doing it. I understand how veteran burners might think we are all like that, but we aren’t.

    Just because we are newbies doesn’t make us worthless. I understand that there are people who have been going to burns for years and their investment is an integral part of the event. But growth is a part of life. How fitting, if this years theme is fertility, for us to maybe we should consider what the new generations of burners have to potentially offer?

    Why don’t you guys simply make it easier on new burners to get more thoroughly involved, instead of prematurely assuming that we will be simply leeching?

    I read somebody mention that there could be a challenge involved in requesting tickets, such as proof of volunteer hours, I think that is a great suggestion.

    Also, as far as the lottery, it very clearly gave an advantage to those who were willing to spend more money, from a mathematical point of view. I completely understand where you guys were coming from by implementing a lottery system, but it was flawed from the beginning and I am glad to see you own up to it.

    Just a thought: is it so crazy to consider a new location? Other festivals draw 70, 80, even 90,000 people…

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  • Panda Cat says:

    What’s with all the vile hatred of RV’s?

    In my case, my little twenty-one foot Class C is all that stands between me and sleeping under the bridge.

    I understand that some people can afford a big Class A motorhome and all the comfort it affords. I can’t. But at least I don’t have to sleep outside at night. And when I leave BRC, I don’t have to travel anywhere to get to my house. I’m living in it!!!!!!!

    I “won” the ticket lottery. But I’m having serious doubts about attending. If I don’t attend, then my ticket will go unused. Because I made the decision to have my ticket at Will Call, I cannot sell it on the open market. I can’t “gift” it to someone else. Only I can pick it up at the gate (with my conformation email and photo ID). But with all the problems with the lottery and so many members of the core camps without tickets, what will be there if I go???? More newbies like me without a clue as to what to do?

    Everything I’ve read says that you have to experience Burning Man to understand it. If none (or most) of the main theme camps and long time Burners are not there to create whatever it is that they create, then what am I supposed to understand? How am I supposed to fit in?

    I’m beginning to think that maybe I just blew a shit load of gas money on a ticket to nothing.

    Am I the only virgin that feels this way?

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  • Miss Fortune says:

    Bravo, Bravo, Bravo. This is the response that has been needed for some time. I applaud the thinking, concern, and action going into responding….and I applaud the community for standing by hopefully and supportively during this fucked up / amazing / unprecedented time in BM history.

    I’ve been attending BM for two decades. Sporadically, not every year, but often enough to see a trajectory happening. I’ve also been attending Coachella Festival for 8 years. As the Coachella Festival has increased its population, selling out last year and this year expanding to two weekends AND selling out again, it is clear to me and to those who attended the festival in those early years versus, and with less frequency, the latter, that the more the attendance has increased, the more the quality of the event and overall experience has declined. There seems to be a point past carrying capacity, beyond which an event’s popularity and “type” of attendance and attendees (the curious, the spectators, the Jersey Shore girls) ends up, sadly, diluting the experience. Coachella 2012 isn’t the same as Coachella 2002, which in many cases is a good thing, but in other cases is very much NOT good. Only those who attended “back in the day” realize this, of course, but when the heart, the core, the soul of an event is missing, what unfolds is such a shadow of the former event that the originators and die-hards stop coming. (And then Pepsi sponsors it and/or Jay-Z comments on it an suddenly Eames is back, ya’ll and somebody names their baby after it. Or something. But I digress.)

    I guess what I’m saying is RIP burningman. I don’t think we can go backwards. I think visioning is important in going forward. But I don’t think BM 2.0 will be the same, or can be, or necessarily should be….I just hope that what unfolds isn’t so diluted that the soul (and thus the power) goes missing. That’s what has to be preserved, and I know that that’s what the core group in LLC is working on preserving. If Burningman 2.0 – the main event – loses its heart, its integrity, and its authenticity, then we who have seen glimpses of that heart annually since the late 90s should own up to what’s happened – mainstream America – hell, Mainstream Planet earth – has caught on to our “secret” – so let’s burn down Burningman 2.0 – let’s preserve the memories of what Burningman was without diluting it. And let’s carry, then, that torch outward into our regional communities, staging regional events, with regional core groups. Let’s let the next generation, BM 2.0, have their inventors and mad scientists and Distrikt Camps…..but let’s make them create them. Let’s HELP them create them. Let’s spread this event far and wide. And then, every 10 years or so, let’s rent a fucking island somewhere and have a reunion party like no one has every seen in their lifetime.

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  • Mahkah says:

    thank you! make things happen :)

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  • Fred Goss says:

    Brokedown Palace found in 2011 at 4:30 and Divorce were awarded 2 out of a needed 16 tickets to bring the camp back. Big time puzzle. We’ll be there, but I’m not sure how.

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  • Paul Danyew says:

    Dear Burning Man,
    First of all our camp is not a theme camp. We did not want to be located among the sea of theme camps, with big generators and closed off access. We have attended every year for the past 8 years. We have participated as Greeters, Dispatch at the emergency services every year, volunteered at center camp coffee detail, helped to assemble center camp, volunteered at the airport on the radio ( Unicom ), and helped on various art projects. We are THE TRIBE OF ELDERS. Our theme is WE WILL LISTEN TO YOU. We have helped hundreds of burners that have come into our camp with problems. Many were crying from broken expectations or relationship problems. Some were considering suicide. Others told us that just the fact that we were there made them feel more secure. There is always a concerned person to talk to. We also have done magic, music, massage and yoga. We’ve had 8 to 15 camp members. We have brought many first time burners to the playa. None of our campmates were successful in acquiring tickets. Our camp mates come from New York, North Carolina, Colorado, San Francisco, and LA and at this point it looks as if our camp cannot come together..
    Offering past burners an opportunity to purchase tickets, the more years attended the earlier the offer, providing they have requested them, would go a long way towards holding the fabric of burning man together.

    Paul Danyew
    Denver

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  • Babalu says:

    Ticket demand is at an all time high and supply is limited (market economy) dictates we should raise prices to limit access; but nobody wants this because this is in direct conflict with our burny cultural ideal. We want things fair with equal access across the board and so we come up with the unforgiving unbiased uncaring ticket lottery. The outcome of this is fear/panic anxiety of the unknown followed by disappointment resulting theme camps falling apart, Veteran burners & other essential burners were left out on the cold and art creators unable to accompany their creations to the dessert; it’s all a lil koo koo if you ask me.
    So I propose the following “BM Staff” should be guaranteed a ticket and so the number of BM staff should be predetermined and limited (if it’s not already) ; so as to not create a loop hole in the system. Or else next thing we’ll know there will be 50,000 ranger wannabes. 2nd People making public art projects on BRC grant monies should be granted a ticket this is already limited by the grants themselves so no real loop hole here, since artists have to submit proposed art projects; positive side affect of the guaranteed ticket here is that it will encourage people to propose kick ass art.
    Ok this is where it gets good instead of one lottery I propose 7,8,or maybe even 10 little lottos. Ok let me explain:
    Theme camps and club camps also very important to BM, most theme camps are composed of tight cluster of friends. If your most of you friends cant go because they are ticket deficient your theme camp will not likely not survive at least this year. So I propose the following in the future…….Theme camps MUST register all official members with BM officials (number of official members per theme camp needs to be caped) prior to ticket THEME CAMP lottery registration day; Here is the important part: The theme camp as a whole would register for lottery not its individuals. The camps would compete against other camps ONLY. This way if you camp win your all going! Yeah!!!!!
    Positive side effects are that this will encourage people to join theme camps and thus participation and cooperation will increase this will also discourage spectators.

    We also need predetermined number of tickets allotted for BM Virgins; defined as in person that has never been to BM. And Spectators: defined as in not staff, not artist working on public art, not affiliated with theme camp, note Virgins are not spectators. All self confessed virgins would enter in the BM VIRGIN lottery and since these ticket numbers are limited some will get them and most will not but the event is guaranteed a healthy amount of Virgins. This concepts repeat for self confesses spectators and every other category BM officials deem necessary for the for vibrancy and diversity of the community. I’t either this or do 2 burns per year at BRC to meet demand XD
    Please Comment

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  • DMT says:

    Please, BMORG, save camps like Paul’s. Save all the camps. PLEASE.

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  • Corbin says:

    Some food for thought……
    While some might be optimistic about virgins going out to the playa and kicking some serious dust, I have my reservations about a virgin-heavy burning man. If there are not enough veteran burners out there to share their knowledge, it could lead to some serious problems/challenges. Here two on my mind: MOOP might get out of control and lead to a harder clean-up of the playa. Not following safety guidelines and recommendations might lead to more injuries; having a crusty-vet around to show you how to not maim others accidentally is helpful. I guess the vets that are able to go should invest in a bullhorn in order to get their point across. If you area virgin and are reading this.. PLEASE DONT FRACK IT UP!!

    I have to repeat the comments posted by others that this Winter has been quite dry so far, which might produce some pretty epic dust storms. So if you hate dust, you might want to not go this year & then maybe you could sell me your ticket… my lover needs one too.

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  • Josh says:

    3 time burner here.

    I haven’t attended in years, but feel the need to chime in. I’ve seen suggestions above referring to “priority” or “legacy” ticketing, where folks who built the burn get first dibs. I would like to strongly voice my opinion in support of this option.

    Someone wrote: “Offering past burners an opportunity to purchase tickets, the more years attended the earlier the offer… would go a long way towards holding the fabric of burning man together.”

    What an understatement. This can’t be stressed strongly enough. In fact, if it were me, I would recall ALL TICKETS THIS YEAR and start over with this framework. Right the wrong right away. Newbies may be the lifeblood of the burn, but if the veterans aren’t there making the event everything that it is, the newbies will have nothing to enjoy.

    I distinctly remember my virgin year, and here’s my truth: The greater good for Burning Man is to evolve. Embrace this new framework, and as veterans drop off and no longer attend, newbies will have the opportunity (in a lottery) to take their place.

    It is better to have a million newbies waiting year after year than to have a veteran who built the burn be shut out even once.

    -Knot

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  • Babs says:

    I just want to say last near was completely nuts. It was my 4th year… thought about taking a break but some friends talked me into it…. so…. let the journey from hell begin!

    I was part of the Salvagery Artist Collective in Reno, we had the building the temple crew used to build the temple last year! I received a personal email from BURNING MAN saying that I would be getting a ticket because of my involvement in the building of the temple. So the dude who was giving out those tickets SCALPED MINE!
    Im sorry but some of the temple crew people sucked, yeah u built an amazing temple but this does not leave you except from having some manners, i HAVE NEVER GOTTEN SO MUCH ATTITUDE IN MY LIFE WALKING INTO THE TEMPLE CREW BUILDING AT THE SALVAGERY….. yes you have a hammer and combat boots get over yourself. Talk about Burnier than thou vibes in that place… holy crap…..

    I will find out his name but what a freakin jerk! I ended up getting a ticket for $300 dollars from a friend of a friend whos camp I was staying at the saturday before the event! I am sure this was unheard of last year!

    So anyways get to Burning Man and the BLM searches my trailer for 3 freakin hours! They told me they had a “tip” that i was a liquid acid dealer. I literally cried sitting against the tire of a cop car for an hour in booty shorts at midnight and I had to pee so bad. They completely trashed my trailer, like didnt just mess it up but threw everything everywhere and on the fucking ground, all because this jerk named Joel M Lipperts sold me a peice of shit trailer and lied to me with no paperwork on it and fucked up electrical and a break light out his email is jlippert@unr.edu, yes feel free to write him hate mail, I don’t mind at all.

    So i get a 250 dollar ticket form BLM for not having a registered trailer and to top it all fucking off the BLM straight up lies to my friend bullys ( and by bully i mean completley mind fucks her into letting them search her car) (while I was getting pulled over she waited for me patiently down the road a bit with her emergency lights on) They end up writing her a ticket as well for $500. Obviously BLM fucked up last year because as I am getting ready to show up to court about this bs the head of BLM calls my cell phone…. and offers me a “deal” so that I will not show up in court he also called my friend, his name is Mike Marquart his email is mmarquar@blm.gov, he is responsible for a complete nightmare mind fuck before i enter burning mans gates, because he is in charge of this department (http://www.blm.gov/ca/news/newsbytes/profiles/marquart-ridgecrest.html)
    So burning man all i have to say is get your shit together because last year made me realize how shitty people can be and how you are being dominated by BLM because they completely ruined my burn and i will not be paying you a fucking penny or a second of my time besides this pissed off rant. Why should i pay a bunch of money to get searched for 3 hours and written a 250 dollar ticket? not to mention countless hours preparing.
    I almost left last year right after I got there, no joke.

    If you are interested in more details let me know. My friend currently has a lawer to deal with her ticket and fine from BLM.

    Thanks

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  • I Decided to join our Regional Event (Nowhere) in Europe to make the planing easyer. It’s also a less expensive solution and less complicated to bring an art project there. I’m still sad to not getting to brc this year but i think we have to make some compromises. I’m sure soon or later we’il laugh about what happened in 2012 and solving this situation will bring this event and community a big step further. its all a process which isn’t easy to handle because of all the always changing circumstances. But we’il make it! Thank you all for your grate work and behaviour!!! )'(

    Hugs from the Alps

    Jamiguel

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  • Arnold Ziffle says:

    Hey everyone, I’m just reposting what I heard was a leaked document that BMORG was planning to post in June. But this was written before the initail ticket lottery, so who knows what will actually happen now?

    Burning Man 2012 Exodus Lottery

    Since the lottery for handling the limited availability of entry tickets was so well designed and executed, there will be a lottery for Exodus tickets to handle the limited traffic volume that the road out of Burning Man can handle.
    In an effort to create equal opportunity for participants to exit Burning Man 2012, vehicles will be allowed to exit Burning Man at three different times. There will be two rounds of etickets provided by a random-selection process, followed by one round of open gate hours. (while the remaining capacity lasts, no pre-registration required.) We will also offer a Low Income Ticket Program for those with vehicles built before 1975. More information about the Low Income Program will be posted soon.
    While we recognize that everyone would like to be able to exit Burning Man, not everyone will be able to. But don’t panic, we anticipate that most everyone who really want to exit Burning Man will be able to, and for those who do not get out, there is always next year, and you will already be on the playa!

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  • stephmopho says:

    Oh My God…..Arnold…..ive been so consumed with getting in…..I have not even thought about getting out.

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  • cheryl says:

    NOt sure if anyone has suggested this but… within STEP if the reselling ticket holders had a choice of selling to the community or to a theme camp/artist, then some fair priority could be made to make sure more main participants are there.

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  • Sam Brown says:

    Growing capacity is THE solution to this. Put it back on the table. It’s the answer.

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  • forstilo says:

    Burning Man is a private event on public ground.
    BM Org makes the rules, e.g. “it is up to each participant to decide how they will contribute and what they will give to this community” or “There are no rules about how one must behave or express oneself at this event”.

    If there will be arriving 8 of 10 Burners as newbies they will create their own Burning Man. If the chosen of the experienced burners will arrive more or less by themselves the number of yearly similarly built camps and re-arriving art cars will decrease significantly as well as the number of block-sized placed theme camps.

    Yes, if BM Org sticks to its own rules, especially concerning the ticket sale in March, there will be a Burn different to the past years traditional countercultural Burn, a real Burning Man 2.0!

    Why not?

    I would love to see it!

    Unforetunatley I’m one of the non chosen. It hurts, after 4 Burns in a row, with 4 own art installations, not to be able to participate in this highly important Burning Man year 2012. So it is more Hope and Fear to seeing this Evolution with probably changing Rites of Burning Mans Passage from far away.

    Anyway, I try to buy my ticket. A regularly priced ticket – no chance for scalpers! If this wonder will happen I set up a memorial for the non chosen as my tis years art installation. As 2008-2011: Theme art, but this year related to the real theme of the year.

    If it will happen as to expect: See you next year, or the year after, or after, or …

    Just a suggestion for the 2013s official art theme: The Year After

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  • Elizabeth says:

    Am uncomfortable with this term “core collaborative community” that is being bandied about. I mean, who can really decide that? While Barbie Death Camp is an interesting phenomenon, I too have given and given and given again – building an amazing art car, performing in Conclave – but I have no CAMP to hang my ticket on…I know that I am as much a part of the “core collaborative community” as anyone else – including the large theme camps. I must say that I reject the notion of deciding who this “core collaborative community” is, if it involves ticket preference in any way.

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  • forstilo says:

    I agree with you, Elizabeth – TOTALLY!!!

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  • U2pilot says:

    Hello Andie,

    If you are personally reading every comment, I wonder when you find the time to sleep.

    Thank you for telling us you screwed up, are really sorry, and are actually working on solutions. That was important, and effective. While comments on Marian’s article were about 10:1 negative, you inverted that ratio. Confirming people are believing your message of hope, StubHub seems to be showing a near-freeze on sales and what had been a rapid increase in the minimum offering price. Good job!

    I understand the governance model for the board is consensus, so it is even more encouraging to know everyone at the top had to be in agreement with what you wrote.

    There are a handful of suggested fixes that have been posted over and over and over, so I won’t add me support for a particular one (in this posting), but I will thank you for taking a complete re-do off the table.

    Instead, a few topics that haven’t gotten much discussion:

    1) STEP pricing. It appears from what you’ve said that if a $240 ticket is returned, you will resell it for $390, creating a windfall profit. If that will not be the case, an early announcement of same could head off a new wave of discontent.

    2) STEP fees. I believe you are on record saying there would be processing fees for STEP. If true, and nothing is done to squeeze out viable alternatives to STEP, there will be little confidence or participation in the program. And if the scalpers are not made whole on their investment, they will have grounds to come after you for their losses. Clearly there will be costs associated with STEP, but you will almost certainly be shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t absorb those costs.

    3) Lottery pricing. There was a widespread misunderstanding of how the lottery worked, but the bigger issues have pushed any discussion of that aside. Still, we were asked the MAXIMUM

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  • bab says:

    Didnt burning man start out as a small event?

    What makes you ‘better’ than a somebody else just because your first burn was an earlier year? I almost dont even want to go this year because of the way the ‘veteran’ burners are acting. So much elitism. Saying that burning man is “over” because of all the new people. Saying that people need to be ‘taught’. cmon. Most burners I know went in with an open mind and figured it out.

    What if BM had been capped at 30k instead of 50k? How would many of you feel then?
    There will always be somebody more experienced and less experienced than you are. that is how life is. Dont pretend for one moment that your presence at the burn means so much more than anybody elses.

    You cant claim that THAT many people are ‘significant’ to the event and at the same time look back and say “yeah BM was so much better when it was smaller” those statements contradict themselves. give me a break.

    (this is pointed mostly at the other comments, not at the BMORG who seems to understand each point of view…)

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  • FHornAmy says:

    Dear friends,

    I am a newbie to the BM event. This does not mean that I’m a newbie to BM. I have loads of friends and family who’ve attended this event every year since practically it’s inception, and every year they beg me to come. I haven’t because of life circumstances, namely a 10 year relationship with a partner who had little desire to do that sort of thing (I was young and love struck…). I am now in the midst of separating from my husband (a dear dear friend) and finally gave myself permission to attend BM this year (paying for it on an artist’s income).

    All this being said, I put my name in the lottery for a single least expensive ticket. To my joy and amazement, I got it! The catch? None of my friends and family got a single ticket. What is suppose to be a rebirth experience for me in this crucial time in my life is now bringing me great sadness. I understand that BM is suppose to be a magical place of tremendous awakening and growth. Now it just feels mostly like confrontation and chaos. And I envisioned having my community there with me…

    Sad but hopeful,
    Amy

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  • U2pilot says:

    Weird. I’m not sure why my work in progress posted before done. Continuing my thoughts:

    3) Lottery pricing. There was a widespread misunderstanding of how the lottery worked, but the bigger issues have pushed any discussion of that aside. Still, we were asked the MAXIMUM we were willing to pay, not the tier at which we wanted to compete. I think the majority of entrants thought they had a shot at cheaper tix, but no one appears to have won at less than the most they said they were willing to pay. Please address this topic and tell us what happened. Did people who won at the $240 level get charged $390 since that was what they were willing to pay?

    4) Potential IT problems. I got two rejection letters for my single entry, and many others have said the same. That doesn’t help. Is it possible the same programming error left you erroneously believing you had 40,000 confirmed sales when the actual number is half of that? Please confirm the problem with double-rejections is understood and didn’t have other ramifications.

    5) Many have suggested giving priority to prior attenders. You know about me because I’ve bought my tickets on-line, but what about the walk-ins? It may be heresy, but I don’t have stubs for all of my prior burns.

    6) I didn’t win the lottery, but I have a friend who did and will let me buy their extra ticket. Even so, I could support registration to the name on the ticket, and winners of 2 must accompany the person for the second ticket. Many would be hurt (my friend lives in a different part of the country), but that would pull a lot of tickets into STEP.

    7) I had thought most of the tickets were in the hands of scalpers, and then I watched the great Seuss-inspired video. Maybe this will be the year of the virgin. Without the art and most or ALL of the registered theme camps, they may arrive to find something very unlike what they saw. Can you tell us what percentage of tickets are going to virgins, based on your pre-sale survey? That might help with the sting if the majority of the final 10,000 go to the people who provide the color and support that makes Burning Man so much more than a big party.

    8) Some have suggested doing away with RVs, which is to say they want to impose their lifestyle choices and values on others. Some have bought RVs specifically to take to Burning Man (I’m one), and others have already paid large, non-refundable deposits on rentals. I hope this idea is a non-starter since it would hit a lot of very solid participants (8th years, camp organizer and center-camp volunteer in my case) very hard.

    Thanks for the clarity, and for listening to everyone.

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  • Babalu says:

    This ticket lottery is tearing BM apart. We need 2 burns per year to keep with demand and still keep things as we know them. Name suggestion for second event of the year: Burning Woman.

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  • Rayne Nereid says:

    “Yet out of the ashes of this tragedy we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era…” -Scar from Disney’s “The Lion King”…was thinking of Phoenix quotes… from a virgin burner…Peace Love Unity and Respectfully yours,

    ~Rayne

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  • MojaveRose says:

    Good grief. Why is this being made so complex?

    No names on tickets. Way too cumbersome to deal with at the gate. What about those who can’t make it for a legit reason?

    TWO tickets per person. Period.

    First come. First served.

    Life isn’t always fair. If someone really wants to go, be on your toes and ready to get your ticket(s). If you don’t get in on time, oh well. And no poor me tears either…

    Stop the whining already. The specialness of BM is now just a bunch of BS….

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  • SumSum says:

    Continue sales as years previous with a warning that all tickets purchased will have the name of that person on the back of their ticket. That might slow down scalpers or horders.

    Controlling distribution of tickets: Why not scan the name of the person on the back of the ticket when purchased, show proof if ID, and if that person bought too many and needs to sell one, there needs to be a swap or exchange of name on the back of the ticket in person with a stamp of approval that the name was exchanged by an authorized distributer like Sports Basement…

    That might be too easy or may not work great, but worth a try.

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  • Steve V. says:

    My wife and I were virgins last year and have tickets for this year. Proud to be a former virgin, but feel the constant label of “newbies” to be a put down by some writers. We did not formally volunteer, but were very much involved in helping out fellow campers, gifting, and were constantly on the go. Have already deciden on our volunteer commitments for this year. Interestingly, everyone around us with one exception were veteran burners, none in RVs, and and were not involved as volunteers and mostly stayed in camp. A couple of them needed the most help in setting up structures and asking for the loan of forgotten necessities. Almost all got there late and left Saturday.

    So, away with the stereotypes. This will be figured out by the community and the Burn will roll on.

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  • james says:

    BOYCOTT STUBHUB and other sites that sell secondary tickets (to anything).

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  • SSDD says:

    “#50,001 Says:
    February 11th, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    IF YOU DIDNT GET A TICKET AND YOU ARE A VETERAN YOU ARE AN ANOMALY.”

    If you didnt’ get a ticket and you’re a veteran, we’ll see you at Juplaya.

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  • pigtails and pocket says:

    To Mojaverose….(a few posts up)

    You are SPOT ON!
    Put self reliance back on the individual!
    Thank you, could not agree more!

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  • p23 says:

    I went to BM for the first time last year. I went early, and helped build up our theme camp. During an amazing evening, I realized that I might have attended the last good year at BM. I talked about it with my veteran friend, and he agreed. It just felt like going over a peak, like all good things must come to an end. I hope I am wrong on that last point. 2011 was truly an incredible experience (The energy was amazing!), and I will cherish it in my memories for as long as I live. I was not able to get a ticket this time, but I hope that the new folks are able to experience, and contribute to the magic that is, “Burning Man”.

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  • Collie says:

    To start off with, I am a 4 year burner who did not manage to get my tickets through the lottery this year, so in all fairness, that is the position I’m starting from. Some of my campmates did manage to procure tickets, and some did not. Unfortunately what this means is that the camp as a whole will not exist, as those who did get tickets do not have access to the RV’s, building resources, or alternate vehicles which were going to transform into art cars. At this point we as a microcosm of burning man have to concede that getting the tickets we need to fill out the gaps and really make our contribution is not a realistic hope. So instead of building and participating as a single camp with the resources to welcome burners in and share experiences with them, we are having to send out a very loosely knit conglomerate of people scattered around in 3-man tents.

    This is our woe, and I do not write this expecting the Burning Gods that Be to fix my plight as they have worries on a larger scale than mine, but just to provide feedback about the effects of this sales system. From the official statements it is clear that ours is an all too common problem and that while there will be more people than ever at the event, there will be far too many individuals and not enough groups to maintain the level of experience that we have seen throughout the years.

    I implore the organizers of the event not to implement a system of ticket sales even remotely similar to the lottery, because while the first come-first served system had its problems, it was at least not random. People who wanted to go could plan ahead to have a day off from work, or drink a lot of coffee into the night and be at their computers, ready to queue.

    With the desert having limited resources and society having a seemingly limitless interest, there is going to be NO TRULY FAIR WAY to sell tickets. People will be left out. Period. This needs to be understood and accepted. Grandfathering people in starting in 2012 needs to be an idea which is scrapped, as you yourselves have admitted that too many core participants are bowing out of the event this year. Names on tickets will be another catastrophe at the gates. Keep things as simple as possible. Do not overcomplicate the issue by trying to balance the scales. Some will get tickets, some will not.

    This year’s lottery was designed to be fair, and failed because there is no such thing as truly fair when demand exceeds supply. The issue here does not seem to be fairness, but practicality. You need to allow people to plan together without fear that half or more of their camp will be excluded by the selection process itself and not by the faults or inabilities of the participants.

    If you want to eliminate the unbearable first-day “lines,” spread the sales out over a few days or even a week! 10,000 per day over 5-6 days, or 20,000 for 3 days or even 30,000 for two days to cut the lines in half.

    Just please, Keep it simple.

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  • Krunch says:

    Time for a new set of thinking about Burning Man. It is clear that Success has brought enough attention and interest around the US and the world so that the confines of Black Rock City are no longer enough to contain the energy and spirit that the Burning Man community has created.

    To hope and expect that BLM, and the other host of government agencies involved will allow a major expansion of BRC to occur is pointless. Even if they did, the infrastructure of the roads and surrounding communities are simply not there to support it (imagine what Exodus would be like if BRC had 75,000 or a 100,000 trying to leave!!)

    To put it simply, it may not be the same again, at least not north of Reno.

    It is time for the community to start thinking outside of this (and reading the posts it is already happening).

    For this year, it would be great if BMorg (or others) could start thinking about setting up events outside the playa. A friend of mine suggested setting up an event at Treasure Island for the SF Bay Area folks where a live stream of the burn could be broadcast to and provide a venue for local artists to show their stuff. This is just an small example. The Crucible in Oakland once had Fire Arts Festivals where people could bring their fire oriented art cars etc. A decompression for the depressed who can’t go. If BMorg could help set up events like that this year, it would at least be a salve for the wound of not going and allow members of the community a chance to get together.

    Looking into the upcoming years, we need to think of the fire that was started in the high desert of Nevada throwing sparks around the world. Regional burns in places like the Australian outback, down in the Mojave, in the plains of Spain, etc; anywhere where people will be required to be self reliant, art can be showcased, and of course really big things can be burned without causing a conflagration. New cities beside Black Rock; a global nation based on the principles that have made Burning Man such a success needs to be created.

    The genie is out of the bottle. Between the new communication of social networks, great burns, and the curse of Success, as with many things in nature, Burning Man has reached a critical mass. It is time for the cell to replicate.

    I have loved my burns, supporting my theme camp, the community, mutating a vehicle, all of it. My memories of BM are some of the best of my adult life. I will not ruin them by chasing the dragon. It’s time for new thinking, to bring not just a handful of people into the spirit of radical self reliance, abandon the corporate branding, reach for the artistic and spiritual selves, to let go of the default world and embrace the different and the other. It could be time to embrace the exponential growth, and to bring on the world. This may be the that chance.

    Of course it could also just be time to hope for some really bad dust storms in 2012 to weed out the tourists and yahoos and get things back to normal in 2013!

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  • Chameleon says:

    I would like to suggest that the big core groups be listed with the amount of tickets they need. perhaps then a system can be put into place where people can ‘vote’ in certain big camps with their extra tickets. like we have camp a, b, c, d, e, f, etc. now say i have an extra ticket and enjoyed camps a and d, i could ‘vote’ my ticket to those camps. if camp a gets enough tickets to support enough of their camp, the voted tickets are released appropriately. because enough people have volunteered their tickets to camp a, my ticket would then be awarded to them, and so on.

    that way burners can get somewhat of a say on what is brought to the playa? and it gives major camps a chance to complete ticket numbers to bring themselves and their art to the playa and perhaps even run for the spot of elected camp. this is a city, right? shouldn’t citizens already attending be able elect what structures their city has?

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  • todd says:

    attn: Panda Cat
    There is a refund system if you don’t pick up/use your ticket. There is a way to have the name changed on your ticket at will call. check out tickets.burningman.com for contact info.
    Not everyone hates RV’s. A shit ton of people use RVs, campers or trailers at BRC, and another shit ton, like me, are jealous of those that do! I’m not jealous of the expense though. Been using the same tent through 6 burns and endless other camping since 1997! Buy high quality tents with aluminum, not fiberglass poles and you can too!

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  • larry says:

    A lot of vets like me wouldn’t be sad if the sound camps were absent. I do like Distrikt. I don’t like the a$$holes that pump their deafening bass all night, every night, including from mutant vehicles (sound car, not art car) in residential areas until 8 am.

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  • Kris says:

    As a newbie burner I totally agree with having to volunteer or right an essay to go! I want to be there with all who make it/have made it so beautiful! I will say the negative attutudes do not help. To the pervious post about BM being repetitive and redundant,why do you go?! I get feelings are hurt, but what do those words help?

    As stated earlier, i think there should be a site where theme camps missing crew and funds can link up with newbie burners. I would love to help, make new friends and be part of something big!

    Please know there are a lot of new folks like me who have spent hours researching, devising, planning and doing whatever it takes to be part of the magic. Not all of us think of this as a “sping break!” However, moving forward I would totally support an application systems for the art cars and camps becuase that’s the number one reason I want to go.

    Don’t hate your new friends already. You’ll guarantee 2012 to be a bad year if you go in with a bad attitude! There’s still hope!

    Much Love and Light,
    Kris

    I’ve been reading the boards and think that there are MANY who bought extra tickets for friends out of fear and those tickets will end up in the hands they were meant for.

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  • bobalish says:

    People… Some of you are suggesting even greater control and regulations than the mess BMORG has already created. This is not the Burning Man I knew. Sad.

    The Super Bowl sells out every year. To get a ticket is a celebration in itself, and yes, expensive. Half Dome is crowded and now there are regualtions about how many people can hike on a rock. Waaahhh, my favorite restaurant can’t seat me; there are no more seats in the movie; there’s traffic; someone ate the last brownie… This is what happens when things get popular.

    To suggest more regulation and easier access to the “popular crowd” (theme camp elitists) is ridiculous.

    All this control and complaining has created this mess, and we have only ourselves to blame.

    In the future, just sell the 50,000 tickets for one price until they are all gone. Let the people figure it out; don’t try to control it. The social experiment and beauty of the BM community has now seen its darkest side….

    Come on, be real. The only people that didn’t get tickets last year were the procrastinators, the non-committed, and the cheap-ass bastards who didn’t want to pay in advance. Who were those idiots. BMORG’s reaction to those people imploded the Man….

    Sad.

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  • Fotografikk says:

    Registration? How about application?! I spent three weeks on Craigslist looking for a legitimate ticket to “Rites of Passage” in 2011, (a strategy i have had no issues with in years past), and held my early entry status long before that… 90 percent of my responses came from scalpers. Lets address that first… IF scalpers had to “apply” for their tickets the way I sought mine in 2011, there wouldn’t BE any scalpers, due to the irreverent replacement of desire versus privilege of an organized scalping ring of credit cards. No scalper would care to work so hard to apply for the rights of a ticket.

    Treat Burning Man as a proper VIP event, with an itemized list of participants who have been carefully selected in each of their categories, from the workers, participants, registered festival participants with valid ID at entry, and special entry for participants who have large vehicle and set up responsibility. Lets not lump everyone entering together for hours on end at the gate. I lost a day and half of early entry time for what… four hours to get in and thirty hours of endless theme camp RV placement… five times I needed to move our RV due to camp disorganization and protocol. Our theme camp lost a large amount of planned square footage, which caused the RV displacement issues. My early entry was not given to me by them, therefore my time and energy was wasted for disorganized purposes. BRC should be a well-oiled machine regarding ticketing and entry, as well as camp real estate and the workers who provide for them.

    It’s time this Burner Community stepped things up a few notches and take a cue from the pros who have been organizing large events for years (Ahem, Oscars anyone??) BM is a very large event now, with all the real organization issues the default world encounters. Theme camps have their own issues, while Burning Man has a constant struggle to maintain their priorities while dealing with real-world issues increasingly present as BRC grows and permeates world culture. It simply is not efficient to be crewed with unskilled (but enthusiastic) volunteers and a team of organizers who are resistant to delegating responsibility and roles within each of the theme camps.

    What if each camp applied for their minimum work force/supporters/funder ticket groups and had an allotted number for the job, like early entry? That would ensure they get their work done. BM then could allot some general admission tickets to each camp, and save some for those not registered in a camp. Those tickets would only be available upon arrival and ID presentation. This would ensure a balance of workers and genuine burners, vet and birgins. This is a similar scenario to the “native passes” for Burning Man. I realize it creates a lot more work, but aren’t are contributors worth it? Sure, we might need to tell Google and Ticketmaster to tone down their force numbers a bit, but that at least will deflect corporate takeover of the burn itself … Supply and demand equals greed, it is a human reaction to scarcity and privilege.

    Is it time to provide regional burns in different areas as opposed to one thematic event to keep it’s grass root production credo intact? Unless the scalpers are directly dealt with, access is no longer up to BM, but the almighty corporate account.

    I wish you all the wisdom in the world to overcome this state of human nature.

    Burn bright,

    JL

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  • Fotografikk says:

    PS, I don’t have a ticket for 2012 either!

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  • cheryl says:

    It seems that the Burning man community needs to adopt a non transferable ticket policy and begin the process of having those who have received tickets in the first round of the lottery resister the tickets by the name of who will be using that ticket. These names will be matched to the credit card holder.(Who is hopefully one of the ticket users!) Along with the registration of the intended user, a survey inquiring if the ticket holders belong to a theme camp, if so, the name of the camp in past years, amount of people in the camp, amount of camp mates known to have received tickets in first round, and the estimated minimum number of people to run the camp.

    Send an email explaining the need for registration of names and results of not registering. If the credit card holder does not register the ticket holders names, no tickets will be sent nor charged. At least one of 2 tickets purchased should match the name of the credit card holder. . A problem lies in those who used someone unrelated to purchase their ticket for them. In the future this problem could be solved by registering the names of holders pre-purchase.

    The non transferable ticket will weed out the scalper tickets which could be refunded to the STEP program, no questions asked. Require picture I.D. at the gate with scan-able bar code tickets.

    The information from the survey can give a better idea of percentage of theme camp ticket holders. With this info, the second round of ticket sales may be limited to theme camp members to insure the community stays intact. These can be offered to the card holders who registered but did not receive tickets. The survey presented prior to registration would let you know who these burners are.

    In years following 2012, have theme camps register prior to mainstream ticket sales to determine amount of tickets needed to support the community as we know it. Determining a minimum number of burners per camp needed to run the camp and setting aside these tickets for the camps might be necessary. As with mutant vehicles, the Burning man committee may have to determine which camps are of most benefit to the entire community, and which camps will receive options for ticket purchase pre mainstream sales.

    This probably sounds like a lot of monitoring, it is. Unfortunately we live in the default world where everything is more complicated. Good luck.

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  • MissT says:

    I understand both sides of this coin and after reading this it has made things even more clear to me. I went to BRC last summer with a group of friends, half of whom were first-time burners and half of whom had been for years. Last year, the returners persuaded us to go because they wanted to share the experience and their beautiful community with us. I am so thankful I went. I met my best friend and had the most life-changing time with people who are so dear to me.

    I see the issue from both sides because this year I was awarded with 1 ticket (which is all I registered for) and so was my best friend (he only registered for 1 as well). However, I have countless friends who were not awarded with any. None of my friends registered for tickets they did not need or with intention to redistribute them and I have had many discussions about what they thought of the process. Since they would all be first time burners they felt like the survey before registering in some way alienated first-timers. After hearing their explanations as to why they felt this way, they had me convinced too! After reading this, I think the same might be true, but I have changed my view point as to why this occurrence might be so important.

    All the new people who registered for tickets and did not get them, or those who did, would beyond any doubt all be amazing contributors to the community in some way. What those people lack, and what I lacked last year was the knowledge surrounding the commitment and effort it requires to live in the self-reliant environment BRC brings. It’s very difficult to explain the nature of Burning Man to those who have never been. They may feel like they get the picture, but the picture is much to large to capture in photographs, videos and stories.

    The culture that is established within the community comes back to one thing – the people. For those new people who have only seen the photographs, watched the videos and heard the stories, it will be difficult to recreate the culture that is so dear to the community. This does not mean I wish to have replicated experiences this year, but let’s be honest, living there would not be the same without the grandiosity that some of the veterans of Burning Man bring with their incredible art installations and art cars. Without the art, what is left? Who can imagine looking across the playa and not seeing something amazing they just HAVE to ride their bike out to experience?… I sure can’t.

    One of my friends was adamant that she should have been able to fill out her survey for a second time with an added comments section. She so desperately wanted to plead her case, she wanted to prove to Burning Man that she was a burner at heart, she was a burner who had not yet been because the timing was never right. She feels like she is ready, but this time the timing might not be right for Burning Man to be ready for her. While this idea was a good one, it would be next to impossible for 10,000+ pleas to be read.

    The only suggestion I have is to change the ticket process next year. Each person should be allowed only one ticket. A lottery was logical, the only difference should be that more tickets should be set a side for those who make BRC run like the magical dream it is known to be. Another idea could be to allow burners the option to buy a ticket (one per person) for the next year as they are leaving the gates. No scalpers will be IN the city leaving on the sunday or monday. I also hope no one gets so desperate that they purchase tickets for the exorbitant amounts I have seen on certain sites (although I have heard that sites like stub hub have frozen the Burning Man tickets that are currently on their site.)

    Upon my sadness of realisation that most of my friends will not be awarded with tickets, I know that it is for the best and I truly hope with all my being that those who made my virgin-no-more trip to BRC so amazing last year are those who are awarded with tickets. I send my love to Burning Man, love to the community, love to those who are so obviously working around the clock to fix things, and I can’t wait to see what is in-store for all on the playa <3 202 days until the man burns!

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  • Edward Frake says:

    First of all ,thank you Borg for your post. Also thank you to Lazlo and Simon Cheese. Two very good posts.
    My wife and I have wanted to attend the Event for some time now ,but our very limited income since the crash of ’08 has not allowed for it.
    This year one of our son’s and his wife wanted to buy us tickets ,they read as much about the Ideal of BM. And the “gifting ” part really moved them. They have small children and jobs so they won’t be coming for a few years yet. They intered the lottery one time,asked for two tickets,were willing to pay up to the second tier. We won 2tickets at the $240 price. After reading 250 or 300 comments this last week or so we feel extremely lucky.
    I for one think the idea of names on tickets ic the only way to knock out the vast majority of scalpers.
    Email all winners of lottery ,ask for names to go with ticket. Neither needs to be the name on credit card.If you bought two tickets email two names. Everyone has one Week to respond. My guess will be about five or six thousand tickets will come bake at the end of that week. Add those to the ten thousand you still have and take you theme camp/artist/art car list and fill in as many of these core people as possible.Maybe some of the larger camps only get 80 per cent but many 25 to 50 person camp will be made whole.
    The issue of expanding . Just adding up the tickets from all the sales you plan on all ready add up to 57,000. I would suggest you add another three thousand to the low income people . Something tells me that the differce between 57,000 and 60,000 is not to big a stretch .
    I had no idea that many people were showing up for the weekend! Close the gate tuesday night at midnight.
    Expand the number of people that can come come early to help the set up. I think ther are many virgins who would LOVE to do that. I know the wife and I are up for it.
    Also other people have asked for you to set up a page to match up virgins with camps that need us. We would love to camp with a small or large group. We are ready to throw in whatever we have ,” fiscally , physically,spiritually, !
    Please hang in there people! We already love you without ever meeting you. You are us and we are you. The freaks ,the outsiders,freethinkers, those of the expanded mind.
    See you on the Playa.
    Carolyn and Skip We are in Minnesota , contact us at skipfrake@gmail.com

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  • Gina N. says:

    why not make two Burning Mans?? o.O

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  • Bonnie says:

    I have never been to burning man but I am very active in regional burns. The burn community has changed me for the better. I would not be who I am today without the elders in my camp. I am hoping to attend this year but if it comes down to me or them being there I want them to go. I think the remaining tickets should go to the people that have previously lead camps and art projects. LOVE you guys!!!!!!!!

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  • BeachBum says:

    Thank you, Andie, Will Chase and Maid Marian for your heartfelt comments, for all the work you do to make BRC happen each year, and for the BMORG’s commitment to go forward in the best way possible from here, even if it involves significant changes.

    A few ideas, my two cents:

    2012:
    A) It’s not too late to put names on tickets and require an ID match at the gate, in the same manner as the airlines or Glastonbury. Terms & Conditions #22 says that you have the right to do so:

    These Terms and Conditions may be changed by Burning Man
    prior to the Event, and if so the revised Terms and Conditions
    will apply to you. Your use of the ticket for entry to the Event
    signifies your binding agreement to the Terms and Conditions
    in effect at the time of your entry to the Event.

    B) Allow those who can to leave on Tuesday to do so to spread out the exodus. This may allow the event to be oversold just a bit more, especially considering that more of the specifically ticketed people may not be able to make it at the last moment. As well as many of the potential virgins may not understand the difficulty of making it to/from the playa, and not really understand the gear and supplies one needs to bring to participate and survive a week in the nasty dust, and they may also decide to not show up at the playa at the last moment.

    2013:
    A) A major problem with 2012 ticket distribution is that people who desperately want to participate are put at an equal footing of getting tickets with scalpers and those who just saw that BM is a cool “festival” and wanted to get tickets as a lark. And, everyone in between. The overriding question that needs to be asked is:

    “How to get tickets in the hands of the people who deeply feel the
    connection to Black Rock City and desperately want to participate?”

    Beside the obvious ticketsnames, one normal tier instead of three, I’m in the camp that recommends an application with scores and weightings for previous and current participation in interactive camps/art cars/art/regionals/volunteering, an essay on what BRC means/will mean to you, distance traveling, and preparedness. And, then a lottery with percent chances in the lottery based on these weighted responses.

    Thanks for all you do, and my heart goes out to our friends who we won’t see in the dust this year.

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  • Gregory Jackson says:

    Hello Burning Man!!! I have only one suggestion for you. Make it illegal and prosecutable to sell tickets above face value. That way you won’t have scalpers entering your lottery system with 8 credit cards and getting a ticket while I am left out. I am a four year burner and run my own theme camp and I did not get a ticket this year. I plan for burning man all year and now there is a serious road block. Sites like e-bay already have tickets up for $1000 dollars. Can’t you guys do something about that??? Can’t you write in a clause with the sale of the ticket that says that you can be prosecuted for selling a ticket for a price above face value??? You guys wrote that there is no way to stop scalpers, but that would help.

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  • Doc Squat says:

    I’ve heard there are other events besides the one on the playa. Unfortunately, rather than being events unto themselves, they seem to be teasers.

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  • SailorDoug says:

    Move to a location that will allow a greater population. Do it this year. Everything evolves and so will Burningman. This can be done. Anything that can be imagined can be done.

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  • Columbus 3 says:

    I just don’t get why Borg did the lottery? There are ticketing companies that routinely handle football, baseball and giant concerts and other festival ticketing. Cowboy Stadium holds 80,000, Yankee Stadium holds 57,545, yet they don’t have ticketing problems when there’s a big game and tickets sell all at once. Maybe for next year (2013), Borg might consider setting aside 10-12,000 “season-type” reserved tickets for people with art projects, mutant cars, organized theme camps, etc. Those folks register separately and buy their tickets before the general sale.

    After the reserved sale, go back to the open sale of first come, first purchased with a limit of 2 per sale — must complete a form with name, etc, which is then bar-coded onto a ticket match. Tickets can be easily scanned at the gate and all purchaser info retrieved instantly from Borg data base. There are plenty of willing tech burners that can write programs for all of this. Borg already has a special submission process for “low income” folks to screen them for tickets. This can be expanded to include what I read are the “core” camps, lamplighters, etc. Have theme camps (etc) register in early December 2013. Borg can have 4 weeks to sort through info and see how many tickets might be needed. There can be a limit of, say, 40-50 max per theme camp, art cars, etc.

    Anyone else buying a ticket in late January goes through a ticketing system like concerts, sports games, etc. — and extra tickets can be held in reserve for any special circumstances.
    Names & bar coded tickets, only transferable at STEP.

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  • U2pilot says:

    @Gregory Jackson

    Scalping is legal in Las Vegas.

    Burning Man does not have the power to create laws. They can create rules that apply withing the event, but that’s it, so “prosecuting” in a court of law isn’t possible.

    On the other hand, a ticket is a contract, and it might be possible to add a non-resale provision. At best, such a provision would be of dubious legality and enforceability. If present, and if someone violated it, the only avenue for legal recourse would be a civil suit against the seller for damages.

    Perhaps false assertions were made in the acquisition of tickets by scalpers and fraud would apply, but the courts aren’t going to be interested in such a minor and essentially victimless offense. (Victimless? Read on.)

    Given that Burning Man has no application/qualification process and discriminatory admission policy, and the buyer of the scalped ticket would thus not have been denied admission if they had been the original buyer, it would be extremely difficult to show any damages. Civil courts award damages for losses, not enforce penalties unassociated with losses.

    And in terms of victims of the scalpers’ fraud, if the event holds 50,000 people and 50,000 people who want to attend get in, there are no victims. Only people who didn’t get into a sold-out event.

    Sorry, but this isn’t a fix for the problem. On the other hand, forcing everyone (which included scalpers) to either attach participants’ names to the tickets within a short period of time or face forfeiture (with a full refund) will go a long way to getting tickets into the hands of people who want them, at a fair price.

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  • Boxer The Horse says:

    I’ve turned the corner after the initial shock of not getting a ticket…..I’m finding a ticket, I’m going, and it’s gonna kick ass no matter what it seems like right now…..don’t know what I was thinking before, but it is, and will always be, BURNING MAN…..I have no more suggestions, I’m off to find a ticket…I’ll beg, borrow, or whore for one, but I’m freaking going…..as long as there is the Black Rock Desert, framed by those high mountain desert peaks, and The Man (doesn’t matter how big or small) I’ll be there screaming “BURN HIM”…hope to see you there

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  • Ed says:

    Thank you!

    Thank you for communicating that you get that this is a big problem..
    that you’re working hard and smart to come up with a solution,
    and that your listening.

    Figure out how to show some love (and get tickets!) to the people who build the theme camps, sound camps, the art cars, and projects (both those that do and don’t win grants)…the creative contributions that our city revolves around, and the rest will follow.

    -ed
    (11x burner, has ticket)

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  • Todd says:

    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU! Email me if you have a spare ticket to sale nomad2817@hotmail.com. I also just moved into North DFW area and would like to get in contact with some local Burners if I cant go to the BIGGY then id atleast like to attend the regionals around here.

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  • Donna says:

    I see this as an opportunity to seek out a camp i may not normally see or be a part of. If my camp hasn’t enuf ticketed burners to make it happen :( , than I’ll try to get in with another camp which is in the same boat as mine or work to include others who may have tickets but no home at BRC. Just saying…there is an opportunity here for us to reach out and get out of our comfort zone even more…

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  • Ken*again says:

    Scalpers using credit cards with different names along with fake billing PO boxes to buy BM tix will still need those tickets to be delivered to ONE location, right?

    If you are legally able to deny any customer from receiving their ticket purchases, it seems like a no-brainer to seek out which places asked to have a large # of tickets mailed to them!

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  • Kether says:

    Thanks for the thoughtful reply Andie. I’m an 11 year vet who has actually read all the comments above, so I offer a few comments of my own:

    My favorite part of BM has been bringing Virgins every year and getting to relive my initial amazement. That being said, I don’t bring Virgins who can’t arrive by Monday. It has always been my philosophy that you’re not really part of Burningman unless you watch the city arise from the desert and take part in its creation. I say shut the gate on Tuesday at the latest (if you can get everyone in by then!). Let the people, new and old, that build the city, partake in it.

    THAT being said, I really appreciate the numerous virgins who offer help and support to the camps who are missing tickets for 75% of their crew. While there is much that Virgin Burners can do to support at the event, everyone needs to realize that the bulk of the work that happens for almost every theme camp and art piece happens at home in the 9 – 12 months that precede the event. Who will build the structures, load the trucks and drive them, design the infastructure that makes these camps possible in the first place? And who will split the massive funding requirements of these camps? My small theme camp which is subset of kidsville meets weekly starting in January to build and design, and almost everyday in August to prepare for the event. It’s tough to keep your workforce motivated when they don’t have tickets. Without my 10 core members putting up $500 each, how will we come up with the $5000 it takes for us to bring our camp to BRC? I’m sure these issues are multiplied exponentially for Death Guild and Heebie Jeebie Healers and ATZ – not to mention the huge music camps. Some kind of priority ticketing really needs to be invoked.

    I suggest trying to find a delicate balance between new and old, and large and small. Back to the old saying: Participants only. No Spectators. Gate closes on Tuesday so we call can create our city together.

    Kether
    Wishing Well @ Kidsville

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  • Rocky5000 says:

    Gee – life’s a bitch. Allow me to accompany you all on the world’s smallest violin. Mass action bores the individual. Is Burning Man really any different than the Super Bowl or the like? Go create something new, by yourself or with a friend or two. Own your own life. Etc.

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  • Huh? says:

    Yes, Rocky. Burning man is EXACTLY like the Super Bowl.

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  • Brando says:

    Thank you BMORG for busting dusty ass to find a solution to last years first sell-out ever. Even if the roll-out is not going as planned, emotions are running wild, and the risk of changing the character of the community is at or nearing an apex, I know you all want the best for the citizens of BRC.

    I believe a lot of thoughts shared here thus far are good ones – having an application process whereby you have to list how you will participate (although choosing applicants would prove challenging if not computerized), tickets with names on them, a sufficient number of reserved tickets for theme camps to run, and other attendees that participate more intensely, and having tickets distributed on a percentage basis based on previous attendees versus virgins.

    One question. Have you considered putting more energy into developing regional burns? They offer the ideal training grounds for virgins and build local burner communities. Having started a regional theme camp on the east coast with some friends after my first trip to BRC in 2008, many of whom have not attended Burning Man, we have experienced many of the successes and challenges of organizing a camp – from the excitement of hosting and building art installations to fixing shit at 4am to keep the camp running. Shall we head to BRC as a camp, our campmates will arrive informed, aware, and ready to contribute to the Burning Man experience. From your post I feel that these are the type of virgins (well, at least to BRC) you would want to attend the festival, no?

    While I have not experienced all the regional burns across the world, I do believe there is room for improvement – from assisting with finding proper venues, to organizing, to sharing whatever else you all have done to make BRC such an amazing city.

    All for now.

    Best of luck.

    And thank you for keeping us all in the loop on what is going on right now.

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  • Tulip says:

    Just an idea, how about the remaining tickets go to groups who have attended before, and those art projects, camps, mutant cars that can not go on with our there team mates. Seems like the newbies have there share and now it’s the very heart of the burn that needs assurance they can keep planning there magic. Either way thanks to all who are at the heart of this matter. may love surround you all.

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  • bobalish says:

    Lets just accept that Burning Man has become popular. Tickets are now as hard to come by as the Super (DUST) Bowl. Please stop with this all of this faux altruist demeanor related to TICKETS… Afterall, there are currently 7,200 items on etsy related to Burning Man. There are hundreds of artists and stores making a profit off of BM clothes and the like. Come on people, are we going to try and regulate the Shell station in Gerlach next?

    I remember countless craiglist posting about “fees” and “applications” (“the right fit”) to be part of a theme camp; seemed more like trying to join a fraternity of sorority. It time BM got a huge revamp and this fiasco is only a blessing in disguise.

    This is the year of Fertility (well, or, uh, INfertility), and a new Man has arisen. Leave your past burner fraternity behind and redefine your true self. Make a new camp, new friends, new art, and don’t hate the scalpers-we all need each other….

    P.S. Is it true that there will be a lottery to buy ice as well :)

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  • Ghost says:

    Greetings,
    The feelings running about now are born from the complete failure of the BORG to in a capable manner manage the sale of tickets.
    This year several to many camps will not make it or will function is a far different manner from last year. Many people that you are used to seeing will not be there, some groups may find the volunteer list vastly different.
    With all that Burning Man will survive, which is also to say not flourish.
    What now must be done is to plan for 2013, which is normally done some months after the 2012 burn. Why? do you believe that the ticket prices will stay the same or go down? I figure if 390-420 was the top rung this year, next year 490-520 (or higher) should be expected for 2013. I am sure people will be looking at what act of volunteering ensures a ticket, free or at a reduced price. What activities get you onto the playa early? Gaming a system is a privilege, not a right, but it depends on your own perspective.
    For me, this year I will have to reduce my ‘footprint’ and expenses in hopes that in 2013, if I can get a ticket to this experience still be able to enjoy it all safely.
    ghost.

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  • Paul (silkscreen camp) says:

    Lots of comparrisons to the super bowl. So lets compare, What if only 25% of the players on the teams got tickets to play, only 25% of the officials were there, what if only 25% of the concessions personel, bathroom attendants, medical staff, parking lot directors and security were there. We have the line, a running back and a kicker, can anyone in the crowd throw the ball, can someone catch? Sure, a game could be played, it might even be fun to watch, but would it be a Super Bowl? Sure, because thats what it is called, but would it be the spectical we expect or are used to seeing? No. This may be the plight of burning man this year. Would I like to see a Super Bowl one day? Yes, but with Joe the plumber as QB of one team and Ramon the butcher as QB of the other I’m not so sure. O.k. you got me, I still want to go.

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  • Seph Rich says:

    I am a 4 time burner and one who did not get tickets. Or any of my friends. But if the art-cars aren’t there, I’m not interested in going.

    Give the last 10000 tickets to the major interactive theme camps, the people building and driving art cars, and the ones who are creating the amazing art pieces.

    Because if they don’t go, then neither do I.

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  • Grumpyclogs says:

    2012 records:
    a) Most overheard phrase on Monday “We’re ok for beer dude; I bought three six packs”
    b) Most moop ever; e.g. record # glass bottles, full trash bags left behind.
    c) Fewest theme camp applications by deadline since 90’s
    d) Fewest art cars since 90’s
    e) Record # tents blown away ;-)
    f) Most # people sleeping on sofas in the cafe each morning
    g) Longest wait to get a drink
    h) Most asked question: Q”who’s playing?” (A. “daft punk”, of course)

    On the bright side
    a) ‘Back to basics’ burning man – no more spending Monday-Thursday working in camp.
    b) Less accidents due to cycling into poorly lit playa art
    c) Lots of people dressed up (like in the youtube video)
    d) Less “it’s not as good as it used to be” from the old timers gathered round the burn barrel as the sun comes up, because they’re not there. Maybe the burn barrel isn’t either. Hey dude let’s burn this plastic instead, it’s ok there’s no rangers anywhere.

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  • LocationLocationLocation says:

    Have it here instead. Plenty of room.
    http://bit.ly/w6O4TI

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  • Mike says:

    Hi,
    I just would like to say theres a lot of good suggestions. In reguards to virgins as I am, How can you measure as some have stated that only non virgin s are the bones, also raising ticket prices, as if they are something.
    all inclusive means all are included.
    Let me say now that I am disabled and in constatant pain, was hoping to get into the brc mobility camp. How many non virgin burners can say that, yet I am perfectly willing to experience something I have never before, not even applying for the low income ticket but I did try to get 2 @ 240. bucks because of my income situation. Hoping tto maybe bring my step-son or another disabled person that wants to experience Burning Man.
    For me it was a goal to look forward to, to keep me going, possibly inspiring me to fall so deeply into the all encompassing aura of burning man. I know that living in pain does not seem to be a life to me any more.
    How can you put a tag on Hope or Ideas,

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  • Mike says:

    How bout track scalper theme camp. all ip are logged someone has to have an in with people who can track. Then we bust some legs. :)

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  • GooseButter says:

    My un-developed plan goes like this.

    Create a site that works as a simple and maybe well-designed network of people who feel like they are or want to be a part of the burning man community. See http://www.cowbird.com (a site for storytelling).

    To join this Burning Man online community could include, you must request an invite through which you can explain your interests or experiences there and most likely be invited… Or, receive an invite from a burner.

    Once this community is established, burning man can decide to have all sales handled through it. Doing so, will also ensure that this community is quickly established by requiring people to register to buy tickets.

    Because of this community, you have information about the people interested, you can organize this information by how many years they have been, if they run or are involved in a theme camp, or are a newbie ect. This data can lead to very useful ways of distributing tickets…

    Example. Separating ticket sales into group invites. (Theme camp contributors – veterans – newbie’s)

    I think the community is big enough to have this kind of focused online presence and I think being invitation based will ensure that it is scammer and spectator free. I see this as an awesome way to build the Burning Man community, to ensure that a newbie going, really want to go and to help sell tickets in a fair, and legit way that values those who make it all happen.

    Thanks for reading, hopefully this sparks new ideas. I’m a designer and user experience enthusiast and would love to talk more about doing something to stop “that ripping sound.”

    P.s. Buying burning man tickets should be like buying a plane ticket… Name on ticket. But, in the months before paper tickets are distributed and essentially un-sellable, there should be a place, run by burning man, to resell your tickets to people who want to go. It’s a refund, funded by people who can go in your place. This ensures tickets can be resold at face value if you find you cannot attend, while providing no incentive to scalpers because once the paper tickets are delivered, whoever’s name is on the ticket, is the only person with the rights to go.

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  • dave says:

    One thing you could do is NOT give out free ones to the locals that would help some people and really help with all the bike thiefts that happened last year with the indians driving out with trucks full of bikes !!! and on Ebay the scalpers are having a field day 700$ for a tix sucks !!

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  • Bob Younger says:

    Just a respectful suggestion for a model you may want to look at to help with your situation. I am a road biker (bicycle, not motorcycle) and have participated previously in a massive 7 day bike event called RAGBRAI (Registers Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). This event attracts many people and is comprised in large part of teams. Just thought you might want to contact the organizers and ask how they have dealt with similar issues in the 40 years they have held their event. BTW, I have not been to Burning Man, and would like to participate at some point, but won’t even attempt to access tickets this year as it seems many deserving past participants will otherwise be excluded. Good luck; I respect and admire your handling of a clearly difficult situation.

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  • This will be my first burn. Although I have known about it for over 10 years and party with Burners all the time! I hope it goes well for everyone who wants to go! P E A C E ~~Tranquil Light

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  • #50,001 says:

    Congratulations…. MORE EXPOSURE in NYTIMES.
    We KNOW BMOrg is heartbroken already. WE KNOW.
    NOW TAKE CARE OF MORE CORE.

    MORE CORE !

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/arts/music/burning-man-ticket-lottery-problems-anger-regulars.html?_r=1

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  • Nathaniel Emmert-Keaton says:

    I’m a five-time Burner, starting in ’04, and have tickets this year. Each year I’ve had expectations for this event and each year I’ve had to release those expectations and participate in the Burn that was actually occurring. Each year it has been magical. This year, once again, the Burn will be different. Many of my old friends will probably not be there this year. Many of my favorite theme camps, art projects, and events will probably not be there this year. This year the magic will be different. This might be my year to be teacher instead of student. This might be my year to be leader instead support crew. This might be my year to change someone else’s life.

    Whatever you go to the Burn to find, you will. Whatever you expect this Burn to be…you’ll be wrong. If it’s your first year, find a veteran and ask them what this all means. If you get it, your life, your community, your relationships will never be the same.

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  • Mutant vehicle owners of America says:

    I just read the article in the NY Times and while it doesn’t really have anything new in it but does quote Marian as saying “this could be the end of Burning Man”. Not because of lack of interest, not because of the BLM, the state, or anything else other than a COMPLETE FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP! If this is an example of Borg leadership then it is just a matter of time before the Borg shoots itself in the other foot. It does appear that there is an attempt to recover from this debacle. I’m hopeful (as stated on my lottery application) but very doubtful. The spirit of burning man is falling in flames.

    Fire someone or everyone that did not see this problem coming…that’s a start.

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  • JasonAZ says:

    My advive for virgins: Once you are on the playa lie and say this is your 5th year at BM so the veterans treat you better. Make up a camp name and say you helped them back in 20**.

    All these posts of people whining and bitching….”this is 100th year and I don’t have a ticket”…..”all the rest of my camp got tickets but me and they won’t be able to function”…..blah blah blah blah

    The worthy veterans are the ones who aren’t tooting their horn every five goddamn seconds, they put up amazing art and talk to people. They don’t start every sentence with some elitist comment. They are looking for newbies to fill in the gaps at camp, for newbies to help out and contribute. And the worthy veterans will get that. The snobby elitist ones can stay home and bitch or gather around a barrel dumpster fire and talk about the good ol’ fucking days.

    Live in the now people. Focus on making each Burning Man awesome with what you got and who showed up. Act like each Burning Man is the first one and the last one. Get back to your roots.

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  • harinama says:

    Can anyone say JUPLAYA?

    Wow, didn’t even know this event was going on.

    July 4th on the Playa, what could be better?

    Celebrate our Independence from the BORG

    http://seattle.tribe.net/home

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  • BostonBurner says:

    Long Time Burner – ’98; first time poster.

    First off, this is a horrible situation, completely run amok by bad planning, rumor, and speculation. Dare I even say that a cataclysmic failure of this magnitude could only be achieved by people who believe they are smart or skilled enough to be on the executive board of the organization? With that aside, what strikes me odd is the number of times the word “scalper” has arisen from each media release, blog post, and news story. What is the underlying fear of scalpers? What is the strong emotional reaction to the alleged scalpers having gotten hold of tickets? What basis is there to speculate that scalpers are even the cause of the overwhelming demand? Could it just be Burning Man has reached the point of critical mass and become so successful? The community should be recognizing the success and embracing.

    Here the two-sides of the coin. Borg realizes that to stay in good faith with veteran Burners, the price curve must be controlled to not feel as though you’re gauging the participant. There are overhead costs, there are salaries, there is insurance, equipment, permits, fees, law enforcement; the list goes on. Good planners (i.e. burners) who purchase tickets early are rewarded with lower priced tickets that in turn secure a participant headcount for the event many months ahead. This is good business by providing cash flow throughout the early planning phases of the event.

    As the event grows near and demand increases, tickets prices increase because of the lack availability and people, who need and must go, are willing to pay a higher price. These higher priced tickets in effect offset the ’losses’ from the tickets priced at a lower rate. This is all good and peachy in theory; Burning Man has clearly hit the point at which demand has become so great that panic and emotions are driving the market for sales. For example, the run on food in grocery stores and gas stations prior to a category 5 hurricane approaching the coast line.

    The flip side of the coin will cater to those who have completely lost faith in the organization because of it succumbing to corporate greed. The irrational fear of scalpers stems from Burning Man management recognizing that scalpers can command high market prices (as we’ve all seen on the resale sites) which indirectly translates into a loss of revenue for the organization. They also recognize that they can’t play in the same arena by charging higher tickets rate without jeopardizing large losses of veteran participants. Herein lays the dilemma, the loss of revenue from not being able to charge higher tickets prices without a large loss of participants vs. maintaining a large veteran community and acknowledging that scalpers exist to prey upon potential ticket holders.

    The responsibility lies with the individual to make an informed choice as to whether they will support scalpers in purchasing tickets at a higher than retail price (don’t confuse retail price with market price). Additionally, Burning Man should stop preaching to the community about scalpers and how to obtain tickets for this year event because of their short comings (i.e. ticket lottery). Continuing to do so is bordering on regulating ones morality. People will go to whatever means necessary that they feel appropriate attend this year’s event.

    Instead we should all be planning for the future by demanding that the board and executive staff members responsible for the failures of 2012 are fired and replaced with individuals who represent our community and will secure future success. This is merely a speed bump in a long road ahead.

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  • thomas budde says:

    seems like they could get many people to give up their ticket to the main goers. especially for a reward, whether it be a guaranteed ticket next year, maybe at same price, since i’m sure it’s going up a lot. or money. or something donated by somewhere…

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  • Angel says:

    Thank you for the “Im sorry”. We did not get tickets in the lottery. We all had such magic to bring. We fear the negative energy will be all over burningman this year. We will make other plans. We hope 2013 will bring us good luck. Thank you again.

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  • Razel says:

    I think one possible idea would be to allow theme camps/mutant vehicles/artists to commit early and to submit ticket requirements which could be purchased at a mid-tier price for a reasonable number of tickets. This should have the effect of increasing the number of organized camps and mutant vehicles and art displays. Those that actually create or help to create BurningMan get preference that way and it insures the experience is on a desired level for those that are not at that level of participation. General sales tickets would be a single price so there would be no advantage buying on the first day they are available to get a lower price. The ONLY way to get the lower pricing would be to volunteer. Generally those volunteering at camps/vehicles/etc. are spending significant amounts in addition to the cost of the ticket already. Lastly I would agree that tickets should be sold to the individual and should not be transferable. That will eliminate scalping and multiple ticket sales to the same person. The tickets should basically be like an airline ticket. I would even suggest they have individual bar codes which could be scanned at the entrance and matched to a photo i.d. of the individual. That would also eliminate “fake” tickets.

    Just some ideas.

    Lastly I also am concerned about the number of virgins this year. The Playa will NOT provide. It will consume…

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  • Zandar says:

    After our first Burn in ’05, my brother said, with melancholy, “Burning Man is like a seven day dream”. This year’s malfunction will probably scatter seeds that grow into epic regional burns and shade out the default world– NOT. We are in that 51-week stretch that calls for action, not delusion. No, the real outcome is the loss of consensus. This is not about conformity or non-conformity. We stand to lose the consensus that *THIS* is the local region of the spacetime continuum that everyone should bring their magic spells to. Please give out the last 10,000 tics to The Bones using the org’s records of theme camp and DMV registrations. It’s the only way to make sure the playa gets properly beautified this summer, which is the only way to ensure the event doesn’t suck or we become permanently fragmented into a million impotent subtribes.

    I know it’s off the table, but I still don’t see how canceling the lottery could have subjected the org to much legal liability, seems as how there is no way a scalper who has received a full refund could prove damages. Of course, you can still make tickets won via the lottery non-transferable by way of everyone’s favorite solution, “names-on-tickets”. Again, despite being a unilateral tweak to the contract, no one would be able to prove damages– a necessary element in any breach of contract action– even if they did want to go to the trouble of filing a suit. The old adage that possession is nine-tenths of the law certainly applies here.

    Of course, we are past all that. We seem to be collectively coming out of our denial/anger stages and are realizing that the scalpers are a scapegoat. The event’s popularity is growing exponentially. We need non-transferable tickets next year, but we should also give priority tickets to those people who build the city and sprinkle it with love. As has been pointed out, THAT is a way to give people an incentive to be involved in their regional events.

    I’m not part of a theme camp. I’m heartbroken as everyone. I didn’t get a ticket, but that is not why I am heartbroken.

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  • Dr Harry says:

    I DID get 2 tix (one for my 5th burn, one for my virgin brother), my girlfriend DID get 2 tix (one for her 4th burn, one for her virgin son)

    My GF is 100% decided not to go and I’m 90% decided not to go because of the lottery (we’ll give the tix to veteran friends – founders of one of the oldest camps – who did not get tix). CERTAINLY I’m 100% decided NOT to complete the 31 ft-long, 25 passenger-capacity mutant vehicle I already have underway (fortunately only around $2,000 into it out of the projected budget of $15,000)

    No constructive feedback here, just some factoids about the mood of some of those who DID get tickets.

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  • Crissa says:

    How do we give to Burning Man if we can’t attend? How do we make sure these 40% newbies have a good time?

    I guess I don’t get to be there this year. That’s okay; I’ve not gone other years. But I do want to make sure the dream still lives, even if I can’t go with my little art camp.

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  • kipp iki cousino says:

    they knew this would happen and did it anyway. they knew before this that by doing this, it would allow a few who had inside access to tickets or a computer program that allows extended purchases to a select few. At some level within the BM organization, this was done on purpose with an agenda to let a very few make a lot of money(most likely a few friends of friends somewhere down the line). They we’re very aware this would happen, and we’re offered different solutions so this could have been done in a much better way, but did it anyway. This is but one of the new scarcity scam for the community to digest with a good heart.. i heard a friend say their ticket was $390. WHY? WHO IS MAKING ALL THIS PROFIT? THE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO SPEND ALL THEIR MONEY MAKING BURNING MAN COOL! RIGHT? what a scam. i’ve been 11 years in a row, and will not be going again. As i don’t feel the BM commitee really cares. With that said, i do want to thank all the creative, loving beings who have made BM what it has been over the years. thank you for allowing me to find myself and my creative explosion that is my expression in this life. blessings

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  • Silver Cowboy says:

    Thank you for this article. I received my two tickets and will be attending. Only two people in our small camp didn’t get tickets, we’re still hoping they will. We are only 15 burners. I’ve been going since 2000. It has become a part of who I am and how I relate to people. It was my experience at burning man that prompted me to continue my education and I will graduate with my Masters degree next month. Burning man literally changed my life.

    It is the people who make it what it is. I see a lot of talk about having more theme camps, giving them favor, and excluding those not part of a theme camp. I think that is a mistake and I am offended by it. I am not part of a theme camp, not particularly artistic, but I participate in my own small way, as do all my camp mates. We offer help, comfort, and rest to the weary. I’ve stood in the road giving frozen treats to burners on a hot day. I’ve given small bags of trail mix to hungry burners, homemade jewelry to passers-by, cold drinks out of my wagon, and shade to sun-drenched community members. I offer a listening ear and help to those who need it. Oh, and I’ve assisted by offering my shower to fellow burners who don’t have one.. I participate with kindness, community, and a total appreciation for those beautiful artists who participate in their way. Aren’t we all worthy and don’t we all participate?

    However this plays out please don’t forget about those of us who participate in the community in a smaller, non-registered manner. Please don’t dismiss us.

    I can’t wait to go home and see all the wonderful loving souls who make the rest of my year even more joyful.

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  • Razel says:

    We (wife and I) have been a little disheartened. Of our camp we’re not doing the full theme camp this year and are doing a smaller group camp. Still, of the typical 25 or more in our camp we only know of three of us having tickets. Several had decided not to attend prior to the lottery for personal reasons, but many simply apparently have not gotten tickets. Part of our reason for still wanting to go is to try to keep the spirit of the event alive. 2012 will be a year of change and unlike any other Burn either before or after it (as is always the way). I’m sad to hear that so many have pulled the plug on attendance. I do hope it 2013 we’ll be there to tell others what 2012 was like.

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  • Lighter says:

    This is a call to action for all the first-time Burners in 2012. Jojn camps! Volunteer! DO something with your good fortune, and don’t imagine this is just a camping trip where you get to occasionally go gawk at art.

    Going to Burning Man changed my life and I am more committed now than ever to participate to the fullest. I hope the first timers will take this responsibility seriously.

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  • Lighter says:

    One more comment. I am sorry to see the negative energy being directed toward the event, and especially sorry to see the contempt being directed toward the people who run Burning Man. This is a difficult and unprecedented situation with many causes, and while ideas and suggestions are welcome (and needed), saying “I told you so” or proclaiming the end of Burning Man or calling the competence of BMORG into question are not helpful contributions.

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  • Orbit says:

    Hello, and thank you all so much for burning the midnight oil keeping this event Expansive, when it could easily spin out into reactionary contractiveness.

    The idea I’ve had for a couple years now– though I’m afraid it’s too late to implement it this year– is to make the Burn exclusively a week-long event. This ensures that those who attend will be REALLY committed, they’ll REALLY want it, and chances are, they’re the ones with the most to contribute. No more weekend warriors. Cut-off date for entry on tuesday or so.

    What do y’all think?

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  • AndyD says:

    My close friends have been going to BM for years and years, this will be my first time going. Excited beyond words to be experience BM with veteran Burners. Hope to see you all on the Playa.

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  • Skyzer says:

    so the whole open sale of the 10,000 remaining tickets BS doesnt make any sense to me. BM says that everyone who was not chosen in the lottery will be sent an email letting them know about getting first dibs on the remaining pile of tickets. how the f&*# would it be anywhere possible for all of those people to even get one of those tickets? in my opinion last year was the final best year i have and will ever attend. this year is most likely going to be just a drunken frat party with a fraction of the veteran lifeblood the Burn normally has running through it. i will be there but dont count on taking advantage of me or my camp mates when we start making drinks or food. this especially goes for the worthless virgin frat party goers.
    BTW i wouldnt be the least bit surprised if there was a Occupy Black Rock movement this year in protest of what BMORG has become…just sayin

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  • Skyzer says:

    oh and dont take that last comment the wrong way everyone. i love meeting new people every year and making friends over homebrews and bacon.

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  • I think after this ticket sale that didn’t go very well, our group might be starting our own thing on 40 arces in New Mexico. (we own) If it goes well the we’ll start buying the 40 arces parcel around us. Thank You, Steven (Cheezy Dad)

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  • Lee Smith says:

    Man what monumental task before you, we thank you for your concern, maybe we will luck out and get a couple of tickets as it will our first time thanks All Lee and Cathy Smith

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  • Charles White says:

    Dear BM.ORG and Friends,

    BM 2011 was my first burn, after being a 10-year virtual burner and always wanting to go. I was virtual through bulletin boards, blogs, YouTube, facebook, and Flickr. I knew of the 10 ethos before I went so no I am not the typical virgin burner. (Shout out to Halcyon for his “gifting YouTube video”.)

    In 2011, I had 22 wheels on the playa. My motorhome, my tool trailer, my dodge pickup truck, my car carrier trailer, my bicycle built for two, and yes, my art car “Charlie the Unicorn’s Choo Choo Shoe”.

    I joined Camp Charlie early and participated in the building of the large “Charlie the Unicorn art car” and being a part of a Camp was very rewarding and educational. There where many “old-timers” that could not comprehend that I was a virgin burner, but everyone I met said, “good on ya.” I am fortunate and thankfull I had the means to participate in this way.

    So from my perspective… there needs to be more “feeder events” during the year that the regionals could provide exposure to the “main event”. As a virgin, I want to tell you that I have NEVER felt so included and welcome. Yes, I had 22 wheels on the playa, but it was only because of about 30 new found friends in Camp Charlie helped me get there. These feeder events may even help spread the experience to a possible hundreds of thousands, or even millions.

    There once was a “mainframe” way of thinking with computers, but today we all use distributed computers world-wide. These regional events could be a means of distributing the experience as well. These 10 ethos need to expand beyond the playa.

    I will not be attending 2012 but I am planning to return in 2013. I love you all and you have changed my life. Please keep working to address these issues.

    Charles White (AKA Jet Burns)

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  • JULES says:

    For those Theme camps groups with no or little tickets, chin up and just keep pluggin along with your projects as if u were going. I have faith in the BMan group and think it will work out.

    Two suggestions for future B man events
    -volunteer hours for all, before, during or after.
    -two events per year and spread the love.

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  • Anabella says:

    Greetings Burners from a wannabe Burner from Australia. We have plenty of desert here if you want to relocate

    But seriously has anyone thought of moving to another area that would handle the growth? Or running two Burns concurrently in different areas? It could work.

    I do hope to get there one day so I send you love to work it out.

    Burn on

    Anabella

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  • NikkiG says:

    I only recently came to know of the Burning Man. I have been intrigued by everything I have read about this. I have never been and would love to one day be included. Even more so after reading this apology AND the comments. The society that you have is incredible and I applaud you all.

    One of the things that makes my head explode is reading comments on websites, news articles, etc. The amount of ignorance, name calling and trolling makes me despair. My experience just reading through these comments brought tears to my eyes….happy, hopeful tears. There are no trolls, no vitriol……just support and constructive criticism. Polite, well thought out comments.

    I think you all rock and I just wanted to let you know that. I hope that the Burning Man has a continued long life.

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  • Not Dead says:

    Thanks JasonAZ and Lighter for your comments. This Virgin WILL be bringing it !

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  • e.b. sarver says:

    There are several good solutions to this problem:

    1) Buy some land somewhere that traffic won’t be a problem, and where there is space for considerably more people. Screw the BLM, all government agencies, and the cops. You guys have needed private land since you first set foot on that BLM property, and nothing has made that so CRYSTAL clear as 2011 and 2012.

    2) Split the event into 2 or 3 locations that happen simultaneously. When you sell the tickets, put people in the same camps at the same events. Make an effort to divide the theme camps evenly among the different locations. Yeah, this would kind of suck, but at least there wouldn’t be thousands left out in the cold.

    3) More people from this community creating more events like it around the world, instead of relying on Burning Man as the singular source. Sure, there’s a few others in the USA, but this thing is going global. We need more like http://www.goingnowhere.org/ to crop up around the planet. We need these other events too become more popular and take some pressure off of Burning Man. And we need more of the local, regional, and international events to stay true to the burner ideals. Too many of them allow money, have markets, and are thus radically expensive instead of radically inclusive.

    Ultimately, number 1 is the best solution. You guys have needed YOUR OWN PLACE from the beginning. If everyone who DIDN’T get a ticket this year contributed 1/2 the price of a ticket, you could probably buy a chunk of land somewhere remote that is big enough to handle everyone, and located somewhere that traffic will not be a major concern.

    Get with the program. You’ve got over a hundred thousand tickets desired, if I did my math right. If you don’t already have the cash, then ask for it. Your community will probably support you. I know I’d gladly chip in to a fund to buy this event it’s own property. Hell, I’d even chip in double to widen the road leading to it. If it means ridding ourselves of government thugs, bureaucrats, and their stupid rules, I’m totally down. Where’s the “donate” button!?

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  • Steve says:

    Thanks for your efforts to explain and resolve the situation you’ve found yourselves in this year.

    As a ticket lottery winner and eleven-time burner who is motivated to keep our camp intact, I believe that printing names on tickets might be the best way to get more tickets to the people that make up the community.

    I understand that it would require a massive logistics shift, but the burden placed on participants would be a small inconvenience compared to the possible damage that wide-scale ticket scalping would create.

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  • Emily Carrr (Soma) says:

    I tried to get a ticket, but didn’t, was disappointed. I am a first time burner and want so much to go. Can understand how the ones who run the event, would need to be there and now find themselves without a ticket. I used to
    live in Humboldt county, and helped Regae on the river for about 5 years, before it became a huge event. I am not happy about not being able to go to Burning Man if that happens, but can see the problems and don’t see a fair solution. Heres to the ones who are trying to make it work!! Can you make it a bigger event that will hold more people?

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  • Speederbill says:

    Lots of interesting comment and ideas – i did not get a ticket ( 12 year burner ) so i will wait and see what happens if i get one – i am not interested in buying one from a scalper but would from a burner in my area – I have in the past had a extra ticket from a friend who changed his plans and was usually able to sell it on craigslist within a day or two for face value – time will tell – There is a lot of value put on burners who help build camps and help others to enjoy the event – Losing these burners will effect the out come of BM – If i go i go – if not then its time to plan for another adventure – beam me up scotty – be at peace

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  • Dr. Bungee says:

    This whole thing shouldn’t be about Veterans versus Virgins *V.vs.V*, but about those who are bringing it and those who aren’t. BRINGING IT could include any or all of the following:
    Attitude.
    Bring an attitude base on generosity, kindness and respect. It’s amazing what 50,000 people being nice to each feels like. We wonder if we could make default work this way to.
    Sharing.
    Bring something to share. It can be as elaborate as a fire breathing octopus, or as simple as giving away Popsicles to hot thirsty people. People love handmade trinkets. Givers Gain!!
    Entertain.
    It’s a lot more fun being in the show, than just watching it. Everybody has a talent. Bring yours. Let’s see watcha got.
    PVC pipe, plywood, bungee cords, parachutes.
    Build something. Create cool fun shit for crazy people to play on. Join the parade of Clampits cruising down 447.
    Bring a smile. Prepare to laugh your ass off. But if your coming, BRING IT.

    If your not bringing it, don’t come.

    It stands to reason, that if you have been going for any number of years, that you have accumulated a large pile of Playa shit. Pipes, Structures, Bikes, Cars, Costumes Solar Panels, Pillows, Water Barrels, Burn Barrels, Fire Shit….If you have the stuff, you know what I mean. Every year you buy more shit for BM, and you could never throw away any old shit, because you know, it’s the memories… Point is, virgins, by their very definition, don’t have all this shit. I love virgins. One of my favorite parts of BM is witnessing the deflowering of virgins. Watching people’s lives change is awesome. But there is no way they are going to be able to get all that shit together by the time the man burns in 201 daze.

    Last year, I had invaluable help from several virgins with my camp, THANK YOU. Their youthful energy helped make it my best year ever. I would also hope that by being with us, their experience was also enhanced.

    Edison said that genius is 10% inspiration, and 90% perspiration. Making BM happen requires a lot of work, and a lot of stuff. No matter how fired up and creative any less seasoned burners are, they really need us old vets there, just so we can bring out all our stuff. I don’t have a ticket yet, but I’ll probably get one. Then I’ll BRING all my stuff, for you all to enjoy. We were planning on getting more stuff, and kicking it up a notch, but now it’s wait and see.

    Year after year of BRINGING IT, does not entitle me a ticket to BM. I don’t believe anyone is entitled to anything just because they think they should get it. But for the past, & hopefully future, laughter that I’ve brought to complete strangers, well maybe I deserve a chance to buy a ticket.

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  • Shannon says:

    Thanks for addressing the situation. Last year was my first at the Burn and I was extremely proud to have worked very hard to help build and run an amazing camp. Our camp is short tickets, as everyone is, and it’s helpful to know that there is a plan coming and hopefully we can all figure out how to make it work.

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  • Aaron Double~A Montez says:

    Has anyone thought about holding it TWICE a year?

    1. There could be a Spring Equinox Burn and a Fall Equinox Burn.

    2. We lose the traditional week before Labor day dates.

    3. Can the city be extended to 70,000 by the BLM?

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  • ShivaM says:

    I think the whole point of this is to get people to freak out. This is simply the best way to get people to meet new people. Okay, so what your friend did not get a ticket? In the end, you will still go if you have a ticket, and meet new friends at Burning Man. There is no frightening situation here, and I absolutely love it.

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  • Jonny says:

    I’ve heard about burning man for years and have always wanted to go. This year it finally worked out and the decision was made – I registered for tickets and didn’t get any :-((

    Very disappointed. Not blaming anyone, just disappointed. Seems like chances are I won’t get a ticket this year, but even worse, it seems likely that next year will be the same, and so I hope some solution can be found.

    Essentially there is only one real solution at this point for the future – expand the event. It would be nice for this year, but obviously that may not be possible, but at least it would be nice to know that I will be able to go next year.
    ‘expand’ can be in many ways:
    More people in the current location (I understand for this year that is out of the question).
    Different location with more capacity (not easy tio find, and will probably not expand capacity by much)
    Multiple events at the same location but different times.

    The last solution, although having many issues to resolve (like how to divide people into the different times) seems like a good one, and one that could easily contain more growth for quite a while (or be fine if the growth stops). I don’t know if the event will keep growing, but it seems like spreading the word and the burner mentality is part of the goal, so a solution that could allow it to grow 10 fold is better than one that would be limited to a 10% growth.

    Regional burns are good, but they simply can’t get the actual feel with the small numbers they currently attract (where I’m from there were 500 people last year) – if the main event grows much bigger then the regional burns may reach critical mass and essentially solve the problem.

    Solving the division of the events is not a trivial one, but one that would have many decent solutions. You wouldn’t want one to dominate the other in terms of popularity. You probably would want to have both events with the same mix of veterans and virgins, and somehow divide the mane camps evenly between them. But all these issues are solvable with a bit of ingenuity.

    Having a solution like this in place (even for next year) would alleviate the pressure a lot also for this year, because without a solution it almost looks like its now or never.

    I assume this option has been considered, I’m just adding my vote for it as someone who REALLY REALLY wants to go, and going only next year, although still disappointing, is still much better then never experiencing burning man.

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  • Ticket Buyback says:

    Now that I’m over the apology thing, I reread Andi’s looong post, and I’ve finally realized that it is the beginning of an apology and explanation for breaking Radical Inclusion by giving preferential treatment and most if not all of the open sale tickets to the big camps.

    The post included plenty of confirmation that YOU won’t be OK if THEY aren’t there.

    Borg – Stop now and consider this slippery slope – it’s irreversible.

    On the other hand a grand gesture from the BORG could turn the tide.

    Borg seems too fearful to recall the tickets which is really wimpy for an organization that is based on giant dangerous fires. They seem unwilling to do the hard work to actually contact the ticket buyers and find out if they’re real or really going.

    Overall the damage of the bad plan is being borne by the community – and now it seems it will be more heavily borne by the poor little independent campers.

    So finally, the point is I think the Borg should bear the burden. And what started this mess could start to clean it up. Use some of that giant pile of cash in the Borg bank to create an separate incentivized buyback program to generate the tickets needed for the core camps.

    Announce $100 plus original cost for all tickets turned in. Do not specify how many tickets will be purchased and do not say when it will end. (Try to make uncertainty work in favor of the Borg. (Unknown end will create urgency)

    The target here are the many uncertain campers that bought tickets early and really just don’t know – (this is probably unattractive to scalpers – but who knows).

    This would be a big brave step for the borg compared to STEP which is likely to be anemic and maddening for the masses especially if the open sale is curtailed.

    So Borg – DO SOMETHING BIG!

    PLEASE

    Oh, and one last thing – just to try to reel in a few scalpers, hold the tickets until one week before opening. They all go out in 1or 2 day envelopes anyway. This is the only chance to get some of those scalped tickets back.

    PLEASE DO SOMETHING BIG!

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  • RandomDamon says:

    Why not a database of past attendees for a specific timeframe (maybe 10 years) and assign a weight to their name in the lottery to try to insure people are rewarded or even just recognized for finding home and loving it consistently. (I would be Damon(5) for example since I have attended every year since 2007)

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  • Lauren Donat says:

    So i read what cannot be undone; Bureau of Land Management prevents more people attending. But what they don’t know can’t hurt them right? How can they possibly count all the people going in? Broadcast the number they want to see and behind the scenes give more tickets. I know that’s not how your supposed to play the game but this isn’t about what the Bureau wants, it’s what our fellow burners need! F the man! :)

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  • SardonicMonkey says:

    The E-mail I had to write to make myself feel better:

    We are the 75%. My wife and I are among the 75% that did not receive tickets in your ill-conceived lottery this year. Every year for the last eight years I have sat eagerly in front of my computer in early January awaiting the ten o’clock hour. I can’t tell you how many times I’d hit the refresh button. Finally, the website would start to lag, pictures would not refresh, and that’s when you knew you, and tens of thousands of people like you, were getting close. Suddenly a message would appear: You are number 7,562 in the queue. Boom! We’re in like Flynn. We were prepared and for our preparation we were rewarded with a ticket. I don’t mean to bore you with the nostalgia of my waiting in the queue at work, in a restroom stall with a laptop perched precariously between my legs. That was a tangential thought that I couldn’t help reminisce about. The purpose of this note is to complain, which I know is completely self-indulgent. And I’m not so self-absorbed to think that this note is the first of its kind that you’ve received. In fact, I’m sure you’ve received thousands of letters just like this one. But now it’s my turn to bitch and vent and all I want to you to do is listen. Listen and take solace in the fact that by writing this I’m already feeling better.

    No doubt you have received many e-mails complaining about how their group, their art project, their splendiferous idea will not come to life at this year’s Burning Man simply because they were unable to coax lady luck into forking over the necessary hand-job. We are among the 75% who received no love. We are not members of a huge art project and our budget does not exceed $100,000. But we have contributed to the culture of Burning Man in valuable ways. We’ve built bars and quenched the thirsty, we’ve registered events and won strip twister, we’ve designed architecturally unstable monuments and climbed to top of bamboo porcupines, we’ve cooked bacon for the masses, raved with helmeted space pandas, and sent the names of our loved ones to rest among the Burners we’ve lost. My wife and I met at a Tiesto concert, fell in love some time later, and got married a lot later after that. But the point is that we met in Black Rock City, a quaint town that will always hold a special place in our hearts, right next to the atherosclerotic plaque issued by all that bacon. I read your long-winded e-mail and all it proved to me is that Burning Man is quickly becoming the needy, high-maintenance girlfriend you’re beginning to have less and less in common with. I want you back B-Man, but I’m not sure we can come back from this. I just can’t understand how you can continue to identify with the culture you have built that defines the unique and unparalleled experience, which is Burning Man, and then deny entrance to those whom have helped create and perpetuate that culture. I think in creating this lottery system you have vastly underestimated what it’s going to do the demographic and loyalty of participation. The theme this year if fertility 2.0. Sounds like you might be trying to breed some new followers; other movements have tried this same tactic. Perhaps you should have done a little introspective soul searching and chosen ‘Fidelity’ instead.

    We are the 75% and we are protesting ticket allocation inequality. I’m not leaving my house to go sit in a park though because I think it’s kind of cold outside.

    Thank you for listening to my rant, it made me feel better. I hope you guys work this out and Burning Man maintains its integrity. It’s an event unlike any other and I’d hate to see it sullied by what appears to be a genuine effort to make everyone’s life a little easier. We’re going to miss you guys this year, but if we’re lucky there will still be someone out on the playa at the end of August staring at an ornate French door that someone tirelessly fashioned large enough to allow a cat to pass through, seemingly leading to nowhere, but more desert, look up, address his current situation and exclaim, “Oh, that’s what this is all about!”

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  • Rusty says:

    Ouch…I burned 5 years in a row (2001-2005) and have been planning my triumphant return home. Next full moon….I think it was full in 2004 and unforgetablly beautiful.

    BM is a powerful experience. It is among the best and most unique experiences I’ve had in my life. Definately the most fun I’ve ever had. Each year was different for very many reasons. What’s it like the virgins ask?

    Best party on planet earth…nearly absolute freedom from the restrictions and hangups we face everyday in the f-ed up world we humans have molded…taking a spaceship for a week to another planet that Salvador Dali dreamed up, ect.

    In the back of my mind I’ve always thought “I can always go back anytime in the future”. That warm, soft, nerve chilling, security-blanket seems to be gone now and it is utterly depressing, if not scary. It will make day to day harder to deal with.

    Like I’ve told my wife who claims she is retired after 4 years of burning….”I’m going back. I don’t care if I’m in a wheel chair or our children make a pilgrimage to scatter my ashes at the temple. I’m going back.”

    I’m confident that the brass will figure it out. I like the one price, one ticket per person rule. That will probably help.

    All the best burners and all the best to the main office in The City!

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  • Keith Inglis says:

    Thanks for the honest statement and highlighting something that has been a problem since the ballot. Surely if this is the first year that this problem has occurred and this is the first time a ballot has been used then it is clear that the… a ballot is at fault and old system works but needs improved. Yeh, waiting on line for hours and all hours in the morning for some is a hassle but I think everyone would agree is worth it. Getting a ticket for BM is a privilage and there should be some effort required to get one. This process perhaps puts some people off, people who dont quite value what this event means and then so beit, they probably should’nt come. Those who to understand what it means, including first timers will put that effort in. Registering for a ballot requires little effort! I noticed a difference in 2011 compared to 2010, one being the increased amount of litter on the Playa and i think there will be a bigger difference this year. I cant make it this year and alot of my friends have been unable to get a ticket but I plan on returning next year. Modifying the old system is the way forward I feel. A few hours on line is a small price to pay for a life changing experience. I hope you all, old and new burners have an amzing burn, see you next year………if i get a ticket. x

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  • Shade says:

    One thing that limits the number of people at BRC is traffic on 447. Exodus is always nasty because so many people leave at exactly the same time.

    I would Burn the Man on Friday night. The Temple Burn then would be two days away. Many would leave after the Man is burnt, in fact it could spread exodus over three or 4 days instead of 1 or 2. With a significant Burn of something on the Wednesday night, staying Tuesday to Saturday makes a lot of sense for many people.

    Saturday night becomes Bacchanal. The wildest of party nights. Sunday is a day for recovery, reflection and quiet before the last Burn.

    The playa and BRC could easily handle another 20,000 people, but the roads in and out could not. That would be at least 5,000 more vehicles on a road that can handle about 600 per hour (one every 6 seconds) with safety. BRC probably pushes that number closer to 800 peak.

    Now you know why it takes 5 hours to get out with 3000 vehicles stacked up on gate road.

    Could BMORG bus people in and out?.. a logistics nightmare given the amount of junk you have to bring to survive, but it would be interesting to see if this was possible.

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  • Freel says:

    Stop allowing those huge obnoxious RVs…watch the attendance of the un-participants fall.

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  • Jesse says:

    I was not fortunate enough to receive a ticket in the lottery but I have faith that I will find a ticket for 2012. It will be my first Burn and I am very excited. Please say your prayers for a birgin. xoxo.

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  • My wife and I are new burners; we went last year, but only for the closing weekend. We are going for the whole event in 2012. Our personalities; well we aren’t really burners; yet – but we want to be. Many of our friends who got us to try Burning Man last year haven’t been able to get tickets. I’m concerned that we will need guidance, and that it might not be there… (Not for the survival stuff… but the culture!)

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  • Oh yeah, we say get rid of RV’s. I’m building a dome, buying solar panels, etc…

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  • 08 Virgin says:

    This was all unnecessary, a poorly planned reaction to 2011 ticket sales. Not to mention that the BORG was repeatedly advised by well-spoken, genuine bloggers not to proceed with the lottery. And now we get a non-apology APOLOGY!

    I think it’s time the “leadership” swallows it’s pride.

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  • Raych says:

    All I can say is the thought of not being on the playa this year is heartbreaking. I have been planning an art installation and theme camp for this year and I (as so many others) feel like our months of planning and work could have been for nothing. The burners I know and love who were blessed enough to get tickets have ZERO extra tickets. Everyone who was awarded two obviously gave their extras to someone in their crew who needed one. This year the playa, no matter what your solution may be, will not be the playa I have known over the past years. The rift will be palpable out there.

    When people think about burning man it usually makes us burners light up and smile. Our hearts fill up with that special feeling that burning man provides. I feel like through this, the thought of burning man is making so many burners feel negative feelings. I hope for a positive and realistic solution so that thoughts of the playa invoke those good feelings again.

    I’m nervously awaiting your solution and I’m throwing you guys all the resolution vibes I can. The solution is in your hands. I hope the community reacts in a positive way. Good Luck )'(

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  • Kat says:

    If a majority of the veteran artists and builders and camps aren’t there this year… it won’t be so smooth, spectacular or visually awe-striking. Half the attendees won’t know the true experience. So, next year – all the newbies from this year will just remember being hot, cold, thirsty, and choking on sand storms… not to mention – where will they pee?? Burning is NOT EASY. You need lots of experienced burners there so virgins can SURVIVE. My guess is tix for 2013 will balance back into the veteran community.

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  • Alan says:

    I have spent thousands of dollars on an art car that is sitting and
    waiting to be re-designed for this year. We have a crew that operates
    the car. No one has a ticket.
    I have a 3,000 down payment charged on my credit card for a vehicle to
    get supplies etc etc out to the playa. I don’t have a ticket.

    The best idea I have seen is for the Tickets to be issued like an airline
    ticket with the person’s name on it. If a ticket needs to be re-issued
    it can be done so through the Burning Man organization. This is
    the only way I can see that tickets get distributed in a fair manner.
    Announcing this right away would reduce the expectations of those
    that already have their nonexistent tickets for sale on ebay and
    StubHub. This would help put in motion the mechanism to
    re-distribute those who overbought tickets.

    We are looking for solutions to solve a big problem. Having a
    registered ticket, that can be changed through the Burning Man
    organization, is one step in helping to resolve the problem. A
    few years ago the Man was burnt on a Monday night and then
    rebuilt in time for the Burn on Saturday. This was a huge Burn
    to those who have invested time, energy, money, and resources.
    The question is can the good will and intentions of those of us
    who really do participate be rebuilt in time? Help us figure out
    how to organize and create our camp and our car without
    having tickets.

    Let the world know right away that each ticket will have a
    traceable identifier. Think a step or two ahead of the Step Process.
    The first effort was a disaster don’t let the second step in the
    process simply be less than a disaster. Make this a real solution
    so that those who participate at Burning Man can get going on
    creating their cars and camps.

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  • Matt says:

    Could we not “cheat” the license regulations?

    Any big “normal” festival has a huge number of non-paying production personnel – bands, roadies, catering, bar etc etc. In a normal festival, presumably all of these people are extra to the licensed number of paying attendees allowed?

    No doubt many of the “names” are known to BRC’s organizers – and by names I mean long time Burners who are responsible for so much of the fabric of Burning Man. Could these “production personnel” not be invited to come for free this year as a necessary response to the overall expansion of the event? Thereby creating space for the new blood and the old blood.

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  • Sprinkman says:

    DAMN…it took a minute to get through all the feedback…two words stand out loud and clear….ELITISM & ENTITLEMENT…never amoung this community have I heard such whining and crying…Theme Camps that didn’t get 40+ tickets…too frigg’n bad!!! I for one think the system worked…the ones crying the loudest are claiming “Vet Points” over the “newbies”…BULLSHIT.
    1. If indeed the Bureau of Land Management will NOT increase the number to keep up with the demand…MOVE the site…I know change is scarry…we will survive where ever the “Man” is moved to. If the need is met “scalpers” will be out of business…period. As long as there is more demand than number of tickets…GREED will suceed. BM Management…life is change…roll with it…PLEASE do not cave into ELITISM & ENTITLEMENT. Vets who did not get tickets…GET OVER IT

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  • JasonAZ says:

    Burning Man is not about a piece of desert, we got lots of desert in AZ if that is the case. Move the venue, can you imagine how many states would love that kind of publicity and possible revenue of hosting BM? The community can thrive wherever the event is at…

    Also I love how everyone is all “Newbies will die out here, newbies won’t know what to do.” LOL Sfu
    Some of else have been “camping” in more remote places of the world then fucking northern Nevada LOL. Places where you don’t have a cafe, 40K neighbors, electricity, and sometimes people shooting at you cause you ain’t into Allah. So calm the fuck down.

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  • A says:

    Newbies. Happy Valentines Day!!!! We love you. We cherish you. We look forward to blowing your mind. We’re going to work out this ticket stuff and the show will go on. When you get to the gate we will welcome you home. The playa wouldn’t be the same without you. This may well be the best year ever.

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  • A says:

    Matt has a good idea. Don’t count working staff or core volunteers as attendees. Make them essential staff. That should free up lots of tickets without impacting the bottom line (yucky) or violating the BLM agreement.

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  • JasonAZ says:

    Core working staff and volunteers should never have to pay to begin with. What kind of organization does that? Do they get a cut of the profits?

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  • A says:

    JasonAZ, since everyone is supposed to participate, everyone is a volunteer. The participants are the infrastructure. There’s no way you could give everyone a free ticket and still run the event. I’m suggesting identifying core volunteers as a way to extend the number of tickets that could be sold. I’m not sure the BLM would let that happen, but it’s worth a try.

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  • Wyatt Weisman says:

    I don’t like the fact that veteran’s have children, then buy tickets for their children. I mean that’s really sweet, I get the whole father son / mother daughter / family bonding experience thing.

    In all seriousness that’s not fair in my opinion. Especially for someone who never could afford to experience the magic. I don’t remember my parents just handing over 400$.

    It hurts to hear that some ten year old got to roll around in the playa and I didn’t. just saying.

    What people in the comments are talking about, I agree 100%.

    Add some requirements, and volunteer hours for the virgin’s. (age requirement? 18+) I’ve heard many times the playa is no place for children, but yet there is still children?
    A system to weed out the phoney’s and test the true devotee’s.
    A rite to test the young blood, cultivating fertility and new ideas with the wave of the new generation. it’s time for the old farts to step down, honestly. you all have had your chance to rage, so let us have a turn! your jealous we just know how to rage harder.
    I’m down to work on recycling crew, I heard you all have a big problem with MOOP?

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  • destiny says:

    every year i get in line when ticket sales start and have never not received a ticket until last year when the system just seemed to crash.
    left out i paid a fortune for my ticket on ebay.
    i believe that you must preserve the community of burner culture and reach out and give ticket opportunities to the infrastructure and art and historic camps first.
    i may sit out from now on.
    the level of tourists that did not participate last year made me sad for the old days.
    but ours is a unique vision. please address continuity of culture vis a vis this ticket fiaco.
    burn on.

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  • Berger says:

    All of you Rv haters, I have a24 foot rv. And i fill that rv all the way up to the drivers seat with stuff that i bring to the event to bulid art, theme camp and allsorts of other stuff that i gift out to the BM community. If you start making rules like no rv’s and the such maybe it will be no rental trucks or maybe nothignlarger than a small pickup truck in the future.

    The rv’s are not the problem , the problem is the way they distributed the tickets.

    Btw, i did not get tickes and played by all the rules. The ticket distribution was just flawed. If you start complaining about the things you dont like, cant afford yourself or …

    Maybe you need to start to think if you really want to be at BM at all. Maybe your time is over and you just dont see it.

    Life is an everchanging event, that does not exclude BM.

    Berger
    13 years on the playa building theme camps and large art. I am no more deserving than anyone else who wants to attend. I think the focus needs to get back to the ticket distribution failure and the vetern burners need to stop flaming everyone including burners virgin or not.

    JUST SAYIN’

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  • Lexann says:

    Please please please consider allowing vendors to sell tickets again. Vendors who are connected to their community as well as Burningman’s have a vested interest in preventing scalping.

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  • Berger says:

    One more thing you all need to wake up. Last year rites of passage. The Man was in stride. Didnt you all see it or were all of you just so used to the regular stance he was in.

    Not only was he in stride but there were 22 regional burns all around him.

    I had this amazing vision on the night of the core burns. As all of the regional core burns started the man’s stride got wider And wider untill he was in full stirde, walking around the 22 regional core burns glowing like no other time basking in the 22 fires that were raging. When he returned to his base his glow was brighter than i jave ever seen. Te Man was so overjoyed that this all started on a small beach in san francisco and now it has spread all over the world.

    Stop complaining and take a second to realize how lucky we all are. We are going thru growing pains that’s it , it happens.

    Yes i am more than very dissapointed that my wife or I did not get tickets, nor many of the people i know. I i dont know about you but burningman lives inside me.

    I am not going to let a major fuck up by a few ruin it for me.

    One question for everybody that has been complaining about anything BM related

    Would you all rather that BM never exsisted?

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  • Art Smart says:

    To Wyatt<

    We have brought our kids for the last 3 years.
    They are now 6 and 8. The youth and the smallest percentage of BM. (Should that not be celebrated?!)
    Did you know that there is no charge for kids under age 13?

    Keep in mind it's the "fairness" crap! that led to this whole situation.
    Fairness and whining…..A never ending need for more governmental style intervention.
    I too could whine..the airline I work for filed Chapter 11 and closed my base, and pay cuts…bla,bla,bla (I have NO control over this portion of my life)
    What little we control we have, like being able to be ready at the computer to get tickets at said time….was lost… Wyat…remember…"Man is not free unless governing bodies are limited"
    Change your while from "Fairness..Whaa,,, to WTF….More loss of Freedom!"

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  • oblivious obvious says:

    If only there were smaller burns, like in each state where there’s a large population of burners. Then there would be less money spent on travel, and there would be enough room for everyone who wanted to go.

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  • Silver Cowboy says:

    I wish everyone could get a ticket! But . . .

    There are certain camps that are needed and add to the experience – Lamplighters, Thunderdome, Barbie Death Camp, the cafe, ice providers, a couple of the big dance installations, of course the art camps with art on the playa and art driving around. The experience will be less if these camps are not there. Kidsville is necessary. I’m sure there are others I’m not thinking of right now. Earth Guardians. The Rangers, of course! But, with that said, just simply being a registered camp should not mean you get preference for tickets. BMORG should ask, “what does that registered camp add to the experience, what do they do that goes beyond the average participant?”. And we are all participants; theme camp, newbie, and veteran Burner alike. There are many who bring plenty, but also there are some theme camps that are questionable. There are some whom I bet have a great time, but what do they share with the rest of us that we can’t do without? Be fair and give tickets to needed theme camps and deserving others as well! Oh, and that camp that fixes your bike and the one where you can decorate your bike “Pimp your Bike” I think. They are both fantastic and give back to the community!! And the French Fries place giving them out at 1 in the morning. Give them tickets. Oh, and the roller skating rink, they have to be there!! Give them tickets, too. And to the beautiful girl in 2010 who gave me the best cold chocolate covered strawberry in the heat of the day I’ve ever had, I hope she gets a ticket. And the group of young burners walking the streets early in the morning giving hugs, what a great way to start the day. Give them tickets. And to all the people in the temple who thanked me for the tissues I was handing out to those who needed them. Give them tickets. I hope the performers on the four stilts in an alien character, “dust creatures” I think; give them tickets in return for their performance art exhibition. And to the two camp mates in our camp without tickets. Give them tickets. They need to celebrate with me this year!

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  • Wyatt Weisman says:

    To: Art Smart

    I bet your kid wouldn’t work on recycling crew, be an actual participant by helping out the community. work all week just to be allowed to witness the Temple of Transitions burn. It’s a passion I can guarantee BURNS within me a lot more than an eight year old, no offense. it’s called dance and I love to rage it.

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  • Wyatt Weisman says:

    cool.

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  • Flippy Finklemeyer says:

    I find it weird to see so many anti-RV comments. Every time I’ve brought mine, it’s been loaded with burners and their gear. It seems to me that at twice the length and four times the capacity it is actually more efficient on the roads into and out of BRC.

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  • Andrew de Andrade says:

    IMHO it would be a failure for an event that prides itself on being a gift economy that is radically inclusive to fallback on capitalist mechanisms in any way to efficiently distribute tickets.

    As someone interested in going this year and who would be a new burner myself, I feel somewhat undeserving of a ticket (were I to get one) especially if it meant that someone who helped build up the community in past years didn’t get to go.

    With that in mind, the only way to scale the community when the event no longer scales is to try to establish regional events throughout the year leading up to the main event.

    Do you have a “heat map” showing the geographical distribution of participants in years past? If you do, you probably have enough information to determine, where smaller “feeder” burning man events could be set up. These events would be the perfect place to distribute tickets to the main event in Black Rock City.

    Basically have one main Burning man event in Black Rock City and several regional Burning Men events. Use participation on the smaller burning men events as the criteria for the larger Burning man event.

    It’s probably too late to implement this solution this year, but probably not too late for next year. On the other hand, the high demand and shortfall in available tickets means that there is enough motivation to use the remaining tickets as a motivator for having regional groups set up these events now.

    Given that a Burning Man ethos is only gaining in popularity because of cultural shifts, the only solution is to scale the community and not the event. And the only way to maintain the soul of the event is to base the scaling of the community on community values and not on market economics.

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  • Andrew de Andrade says:

    P.S. The goal should be to have people spend money on creating the experience (creating art, making costumes, etc.) and not on tickets. If someone spends 100s of dollars for a ticket on eBay, that’s 100s of dollars that could have been spend on activities and provisions for improving the experience. A derivative market to get tickets diverts money, time and effort to getting a ticket that should be directed towards the experience. The only “currency” that should be used to get a ticket is social capital. Social capital is “earned” by being a participant in the community. The community needs to determine what constitutes legitimate social capital.

    No one is going to cry foul if they don’t get a ticket because they didn’t generate enough good for the community. Instead, they’ll either just work harder next year to generate the social capital the community values to earn a ticket for the event the following year.

    Radical inclusion of spectators won’t scale, because spectators are not a net addition.

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  • Andie Grace says:

    “It hurts to hear that some ten year old got to roll around in the playa and I didn’t.”

    It probably hurts to hear that about anyone, but a.) kids don’t require tickets under the age of 13, and b.) kids are people too.

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  • joe says:

    @ Andrew de Andrade
    I like the rethinking currency idea. Needs to happen in default world as well. We have this this idiom that ‘money is the root of all evil’ and yet money basically drives the planet (except in BRC of course). Can we find a way to push back the gifting ideal onto the rest of society? In any event, the problem with the earned social capital idea is then someone has to be the judge, correct? Judging others sucks. peace yall

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  • g says:

    RE. Flippy Finklemeyer . . .

    My understanding of the objections to RV’s are the following, and I do understand some of their points.

    1. There have been groups of them arranged to form a courtyard and that is perceived as anti-community.

    2. Some opinions are that they are too cushy and too much a refuge. Suffering exposure to the elements is part of the experience, and encourages less hardy types to attend.
    Personally, I have a tent and love the clean break with default living it provides.

    3. Restricting RVs would be a way to dampen demand for tickets.

    I read in one of these threads here some one complained about the noise of RVs’ generators. Noise at Burning Man?? :0 ?? Seems to be a bit like complaining about the shit in a horse barn to me.

    In terms of the radical inclusion principle, RVs do deserve inclusion. In any case, since the BMORG core camps in a circled set of RVs, any sort of anti-RV thing ain’t gonna happen.
    I also know some very long time core burners who are now in such physical condition that they could not attend without their large towed trailer.

    In other news, I am hanging in suspense awaiting BMORG’s next move on the ticketing issue.

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  • Yellow Rhythmic Star says:

    I’m a burngin. I’m very happy I can make it this year seeing as I tried to go last year but didn’t make it. But I’m very unhappy, sad, pissed, confused, and generally not ok with the fact there are corporations in burning man. Why is this?I have seen so much suffering in our species as a result of having capitalism/corporations in our culture and it doesn’t make sense to hear about them in BM. I feel like we are trying to establish a new way of living that doesn’t have to have the element of consumerism in it. I don’t care how much good or how helpful they may appear to be…GET CORPORATIONS OUT OF BURNING MAN!

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  • I hear a lot of reverberations in the above thread for using the Glasto system, but haven’t heard positive or negative mention of the BOOM system — which is using Ambassadors (people well known to the festival, such as BM Regional contacts) to help distribute some portion of tickets to the “core” community.

    There are tons of “virgins” who have gone to burning man events in their local area, and are connected to Regional Contacts or folks who know them. They could easily get tickets through this system.

    This system would only discriminate against those “virgins” that read about Burning Man on the internet and made no effort to connect to local groups, regional burns, and just wanted to go straight to Burning Man.

    Some folks in this forum (I have read all the responses) seem to complain about this notion of superiority of older burners against Virgins. I assure you, at least for me, that is not the case. I think Virgins are great. However, Virgins that are non-participatory and random (as BM calls them, “customers”) often become a liability..meaning, they don’t read the burning man survival guide, they don’t come with enough water, they are woefully unprepared, and they end up in the medical tent. Every year in many established mid to large size camps, without fail, someone shows up (despite being warned) without reading the guide, and sure enough, ends up in the medical tent.
    Or shows up without any warm clothes thinking the desert is always hot, and freezes at night, and starts walking around with your extra faux fur :) Of course with a gift economy and Burner spirit, most years these things are handled by the community — but when they outnumber the experienced burners, this stands to overutilize Burners’ resources and create a heavy burden on festival staff, medical etc.

    The less connection someone has to the BM community as a Virgin, I find correlates to the likelihood that they show up unprepared and as a result create negative experiences for themselves and others. There are of course tons of exceptions and this is a generalization from years of witnessing this phenomena.

    I agree that Virgins are the lifeblood of Burning Man and we can’t shut new people out — that’s just wrong. However, there is a big difference between Joe Sixpack from Reno that knows no one deciding to go to the playa on a whim because he heard it’s a cool party with free liquor, and some person who has been inspired by Burning Man in their home city (let’s say New York) and been exposed to burning man events and community.

    And let’s face it people — Virgins are the economic lifeblood of burning man. Most big theme camps don’t like to admit this, but they actively recruit virgins for one reason: camp dues. Virgins usually pay the most camp dues, almost never get them waived, and often end up helping both fund and create/work on someone else’s dream their first year. They also spend the most money buying costumes from burner designers, buying materials/bikes etc in Reno and nearby areas when they arrive, because they need to get these things new often and don’t have them built up in storage like experienced burners.

    But there’s a big difference between a Virgin who is doing all this with a camp, and one who shows up from SF on Friday in their BMW expecting a part-ay.

    Only personal intervention such as an “Ambassador” system can help tickets get to real, contributing burners. I think demand for tickets will also fall sharply with this system to the point that all core burners get tickets, and leftovers can be allocated into a first-come sale; and then folks with absolutely no connection to burning man can have their chance at radical inclusion.

    As for the notion that a playa full of 80% new people will still be great, I wonder if these folks have been to burning man. Much of Burning Man is based on this evolution of projects year after year, one-upsmanship, and as much as you might hate to admit it, people’s egos. Also, camps are usually big collaborations, while maybe 5 people made the art, someone else needs to work on getting power to it, someone else drives the truck to get it to the playa, etc. Without all these pieces of the puzzle, the whole thing falls apart.

    So it’s not Virgins that us longer-time burners are hating on, it’s nonparticipants, it’s customers, it’s the folks who show up on Friday and don’t do any work whatsoever. There’s a lot of these, and it’s sad that people who actually bring the burn, build the temple, etc may not be coming in favor of these folks. That’s where the anger comes from, and I hope you can understand that it’s not a personal insult to all Virgins, just the ones that are coming to take and not give.

    It’s awesome that some people are overwhelmed by BM as these type of ‘customer’ Virgins and may contribute — but most of them (and I know a few) simply don’t come back to Burning Man a second time. With scarcity of tickets, this group has to be the first one to go unfortunately.

    I still think the “BOOM Ambassador” system (at least for half the tickets), rather than the Glasto one, is the best fit for Burning Man and I encourage the community to investigate this option.

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  • Sam says:

    it is heart breaking to hear that many of the theme camps lack the amount of tickets they need. since a substantial portion of theme camp members and people who volunteer and didn’t get tickets, i think the remaining tickets should be sold exclusively to them. next year print names on tickets and ration out a certain percentage of tickets that’ll be sold to newbies.

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  • Art Smart says:

    To Wyatt,
    What were WE thinking. It should all be about YOU.
    Because YOU are the MAN. YOU< YOU< YOU!
    YOU are so much more valuable than the children could ever be.
    We humble at your existance.
    Good thing YOU know so much more than we could even comprehend.

    JUST SAYING., Class warfare? Really?
    Is it working for you?

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  • Pyroman says:

    Let’s look at the positive. There are many groups out there planning alt-burns and this , I believe, is the evolution of BM. BM cannot continure to expand and grow at it’s current site. But the community can, must and will continue to grow into local communities worldwide. Bring it on!!

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  • A says:

    I find all the talk about regional burns replacing Black Rock City silly. Those suggesting this say we’ve outgrown the location. HAVE YOU SEEN THE LOCATION? IT’S HUGE! Obviously the problem isn’t the location, the problem is convincing the BLM we can grow responsibly and mitigate impacts, such as those on trafic and the local towns. I’m sure there will be great local events, but they will not be Burning Man. In the documentary “Beyond Black Rock” they talk about how the festival could never grow beyond 35,000, as if that would be absurd. We managed that just fine. Seems to me the real limitation is traffic. One super radical suggestion…burn the man in the middle of the week. Let exodous take place over a few days. Remember we’re the creative ones, we can solve this.

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  • A says:

    Yellow Rythmic Star said “GET THE CORPORATIONS OUT OF BURNING MAN”. There are no corporations involved in Burning Man. I don’t know where you heard that.

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  • JasonAZ,
    I appreciate your fresh comments on the radical sense of entitlement that a lot of burners have, but clearly, you haven’t been to burning man.

    The attitude you describe is *prevalent* throughout the Burning Man community, and I myself am probably guilty for harboring it at least a bit — but at least I’m honest about it.

    There are folks who are so smug that they only show up for the “early burn” (which is weeks before anyone arrives besides core staff, DPW and people with connections), and leave by Monday/Tuesday when folks start arriving, because those folks are “tourists” and they are too smug to associate with them.

    There are folks in regional BM communities who help throw regional burns or profit from hosting burner events, but don’t go to BM anymore because it is “too commercial” and what they’re doing wherever is more awesome, and they have outgrown burning man thanks to their own awesomeness.

    There are folks that claim BM is for “amateurs” and because they have become “professionals” at DJing, sound equipment, lighting etc, that they have outgrown Burning Man and no longer want to hang out with “amateurs.”

    This has been going on for years.

    I’d recommend anyone who is intolerant of intolerance to give attending Burning Man a second think. Because your tolerance will be tested.

    And Jason, I appreciate your comments, but I would love to see you find a way to express yourself in a less mean-spirited fashion.

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  • Pigtails and Pockets says:

    WE too bring the RV. It holds out family of 4 and is STUFFED with the junk that makes the art car and camp. We welcome all Burners, Those in RV’s as well!
    No class warfare please. ALL WELCOME no matter what you drive!

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  • Brotherluv says:

    What amazes me is that before the lottery took place, many old time burners expressed concern this new way of selling Burning Man tickets – without having special restrictions placed for large performance camps – would be creating more of a problem than they were trying to solve. Blown off, ignored, advised we were only on a witch hunt – BM council found out how correct us really smart old burners are – and now they must fix the damage created by this stoooopid lottery sales system.

    If Borg – BM Council want lots of new peeps – no problem and as for the new virgins finding the many large camps in place as in the past – what they will see is lots more virgins, open camping no problem, due to all the missing large theme camps, art car camps – even the many returning Rangers, Dpw, dmv, lamp lighters, etc – will not be there to make the festival run as needed. Yep – lots of newbe’s looking at each other wondering where all the cool camps have gone as seen in the pictures from 2011.

    My camp is very short to run the 10+ year event we do and love by the many burner who participate – several long time theme camps will not be there for first time, in fact – some camps did not get any tickets so they are not going this year.

    Some say progress and change is good – well, in this case they failed – it’s not good.

    Shame on the Burning Man council for being warned that this could occur but decided to continue onward anyway.

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  • Pigtails and Pockets says:

    Here, Here, Brotherluv!
    Could not agree more

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  • Tripod says:

    Brotherluv,

    All of that has been said, and all of it was owned in the above blog post. What is the point of repeating it? All of the problems you identify are also in Marion’s blog post. Everyone knows a huge mistake was made. The question is; how to mitigate the damage. We may hear about that tomorrow. I hope it’s a good answer…

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  • Sunny says:

    Tomorrow BMorg announces their fix. I’ll have trouble sleeping tonight in anticipation. The fear and divisions among my fellow burners old and new are heartbreaking, and I hope BMorg will dazzle us with the brilliance of their plan and bring smiles to all our faces.

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  • D Lightning says:

    For a participatory event, PARTICIPATION should come BEFORE inclusion. The ticket solution is relatively simple: Apply to attend Burning Man first, buy your ticket once you are accepted, second.

    This way, all the people who make the Burn what it is through their PARTICIPATION will be radically included first. Those who want to come spend a few days watching TV in their RV’s will come second. If more than 50,000 people apply to actively PARTICIPATE, then so sorry to the RV’ers and scalpers.

    Problem Solved. VOTED BEST COMMENT!

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  • Djax says:

    Couple of things on the RVs:

    Folks that have the cash, not only pay for these immense vehicles (we’re talkin’ the big Corellian ships, and not the locals mind you),

    But they also arrange and order up contracts with the pooper pumper trucks and water delivery on a daily basis.

    The radical self reliant long timers even with RVs make it the entire week by managing and conserving their resources, water, sewage, evap ponds, etc. this is the experience.

    It’s like goin’ to the moon, you take off with what ya got, plan, and maybe stop at the last outpost Or station in Reno, Wadsworth, Empire, or Gerlach for last small forgotten items.

    Then once you get to the moon and you find you did forget something, you get out and talk with other camps and maybe trade some fire water, propane, or service for something they may have like sunscreen or a fan belt for your car, or a replacement tire/ tube for your bike….this is what makes it fun.

    If you show up with everything it does make it easy, but it doesn’t help to experience new acquaintances and interactions. Maybe I’m wrong, I could be, but this method has provided a lot fun and brought about some interesting challenges and introductions to variety of people and situations. Chime in, I’d luv to hear others input!

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  • Andrew W. Stokes says:

    I had just turned 64 (August 27, 1941) when I attended my first Burning Man in 2004 as a quest of a regular to theme camp AOXOMOXOA. I was “blown away” and had hardly been there a day when I commited to my new to me campmates that I would be returning to Burning Man every year for the rest of my life. Burning Man was something to look forward to, a reason to stay alive. 2011 was my 8th straight year of attendence and I have become a core contributing member of camp AOXOMOXOA. Due to the 2012 ticket acquisition process, I am almost certain to not be in attendence in 2012 since I was not lucky in the lottery. Also camp AOXOMOXOA has been destroyed. Only one, that is “1”, of our core group has a ticket. At least ten of us need tickets and the probability of that is near zero.

    I greatly appreciate this thoughful post by Andie Grace.

    As for my $0.02, I think Burning Man chose the wrong priority in its ticket award goal. BM should have followed the example of other venues – mainly sporting events and others where attendence is limited by the number of seats in the stadium or auditorium. Burning Man should have focused on developing something equivalent to a season ticket – rewarding what is the foundation (acknowledged somewhat in Andie Grace’s post) of Burning Man: those who have supported in past years with their attendence. It is not newbies that are the life blood of Burning Man, it is those who have been there before, know what is expected of them, know how to contribute. In my first year of attendence, I was a tourist. My second and successive years I was and have been a major contributor to my camp (AOXOMOXOA) and to the “art” of Burning Man via many different modes of dress and undress. I learned to juggle at Burning Man and juggled for the first time in Center Camp in 2011. I could go on but all that I could say has been said by others.

    For me, anticipation and planning for Burning Man begins before I have even left BRC for the current year. Of all those signs posted on the way toward the gate, the only one I remember from my eight years is the one that reads “Welcome Home”. I am very sad that I shall not see it in 2012.

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  • Mr. Ticket says:

    Who says there are no tickets ! I was just at StbuHub 5 min. ago and there are 71 tickets for sale …. someone has listed 8 @ $1,199 ea., 2 @ $5,000 and 2 @ $2,950 — but . . . if, tickets had purchaser name on them and bar-codes that BORG can easily scan with all purchase info data and a warning that tickets can ONLY be exchanged, refunded, gifted, etc. at S.M.A.R.T web site, then do ya maybe think that this would put the cabash on scalpers ? When entering BRC, must show ID to match name on ticket — many concerts and other festivals do this, just like the airlines do ! That seems like a no-brainer . . . . but then again, do we trust the people who gave us the lottery to fix the ticket mess? I for one do have faith that the “powers that be” will do the right thing and follow the overwhelming comments about names on tickets with ID.

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  • Beach Bum says:

    What I hope is announced on Wednesday, is a method to allow the people who care about and self-identify with Burning Man the most to obtain tickets, so more of our friends can make it to the playa.

    And, one thing I think nearly everyone would agree with, is to say thanks again to the people who built the incredible Temple of Transition last year, please get everyone who helped build it a ticket. Even if they’re not planning to contribute anything this year, they deserve it! (note: i’m not associated with them)

    Again, non-transferable names on tickets are legal for this year, based on our Constitution’s Right to Contract, please read clause #22 of the Terms and Conditions for info. This would get tickets out of the hands of the hated scalpers. And, it would get even more tickets redistributed from people who thought Burning Man would be a cool festival to sign up for, without realizing the commitment it takes to make it to the playa and then survive in the nasty gypsum powder for a week.

    Looking forward to seeing as many of our friends on the playa as possible! :-)

    Peace :-)

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  • Jonathon says:

    Thanks for the posting, it clarifies a lot. Part of what it clarifies is the amount of caring and effort going into dealing with this situation. My thanks.
    I appreciate the effort that is going into having empathy for Burners, and the confusion of the year. I don’t necessarily believe that it is all bad, part of what this situation has done for me is reduce my dependency on the big event, because I really don’t know if I can go or will go, or that it will be the same as it was last year. This is a rather ” tough love” approach and I’m guessing it is rather like telling people at a funeral that it’s OK that the friend is dead, but I’ve sure had some inspiration and hope to check out more deeply some regional events, so I have some gratitude for that. Thanks folks, and I hope your days get easier.

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  • Dog Rancher says:

    The End this is “The End”
    Grow up there is more to life than burningman. You all will get over it spend your money on some thing else.
    It was an experiance long ago before fences and rv’s. Like everything else when it gets big and about money it fails.
    It is interesting to see such class warfare vets vs. newbies
    Arrogance,poor judgement, stupidity is a prevalent theme with BMorg and its staff at DPW.
    That is BMorg downfall, just move on. Put all this energy and money to help others,less fortunate.
    For just a bunch of hedonistic partiers,theme camps ,”vets” or “cry babies”

    Move on or find a place near the free way in California there are thousands of places to go. No dust storms plenty of water,toilets that flush.
    BMorg should have seen this coming and did not prepare. Its called forcasting.

    At last years town meeting they could not even answer how big they intended to get by a local resident. BMorg response “we (BMorg) have even not thought about that yet” duh!
    Well this is what happens and its to late now. The End.

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  • Whatever solution will be found for distributing tickets, it is clear that the Burning Man spirit can no longer be contained by its current physical location. It has reached its critical mass and now has the opportunity to play a significant roll in the global transformation that is happening all around us. To Burners, this presents a timely opportunity to step into our role as a Ambassadors of Love, unpack the Burning Man Spirit we’re usually saving for the Playa, and put it on now and forever.

    Whether or not I will get tickets this year, it is my intention to be me all year long. When I leave the rejuvenating comfort of my temporary housing (camp or house or apartment or hotel room or cave), for which I am abundantly grateful, I will be responsibly equipped with the equipment required for my survival. My pink glasses to look through for when the storm hits, my water bottle to nourish me when the environment cannot and my costume to express how I view myself. I will carry with me kindness, generosity, smiles, hugs and good intentions, and look for opportunities to gift them to those in need. I will carry with me at all times the openness and means to receive what is constantly and generously being offered to me by the people, the circumstances and the Universe around me. I will look with amazement on the wonders that surround me, natural or man-made. I will leave behind those things, people and attachments that no longer serve me, and focus on the things that matter most to me. I will embrace my experience of being human with wide-eyed curiosity and child-like enthusiasm, and will constantly explore new ways of figuring out and expressing who I really am. I will love all who come my way, for they are part of me and I am part of them, and I will heal myself and them with that love.

    This is a part of a blog post I posted on http://www.HealersWorldwide.com.

    Much love to you all.

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  • SCJohnson says:

    I am a little confused, if you could only buy four tix maximum through the presale, and two tix max through the lottery, how can someone have eight tickets for sale on Stubhub?? Can BMorg sue this guy for breach of contract?? Just curious

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  • scott _ )'( _ K says:

    Good Morning Burning Man. The moment of truth is imminent. I’m kind of nervous.

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  • Thank you for this incredibly articulate explanation!

    I really empathize with your situation and worry about how hard it will be for you all to deal with this issue, do all the normal planning stuff AND stay healthy and happy.

    Two thoughts:
    Please contact people who organize Fringe Theatre Festivals in Canada. They have been dealing with a very similar issue on a smaller scale but equally impassioned participants, many whose career and life’s calling is wrapped up in the selection process. http://www.fringetoronto.com/. Fringe mandate is always unjuried. Incredibly important. If anyone judges who is worthy or not worthy it loses its fringe status. They also turned to the lottery system after a first come first served system.

    One system that might be considered is breaking down the tickets sales into groups and sub-groups.
    INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: Named and Unnamed
    CAMP TICKETS: Established Camps with established leaders and New Camps.

    A percentage of tickets are set aside for individuals who don’t know where they are going to camp or will camp by themselves. They can purchase one or two tickets but they MUSt give names of each ticket holder. They will need to show ID. These people can also order 1 or 2 more tickets without names, call them the “gift tickets” These they can distribute as they want, give them to someone they want to come, whatever.

    Doing this allows for inclusion of anyone AND gifting of tickets but limits any large scale scalping.

    CAMP TICKETS: Camps could be broken down into new camps and established camps(who can change theme year to year if they want) with spaces set aside for each. Camps could state their required minimum members needed (maybe similiar to the numbers allowed for early arrival?). A certain percentage of these people (50%) would need to be named on the tickets but the camp can also purchase unnamed tickets as well. They would need to pay for all these tickets upfront. This distribution (and the camp application process would need to be moved to earlier)

    Whatever you try. Good luck!

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  • Rob says:

    The suspense is killing me…

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  • jumblesale says:

    For community to exist, it must persist. Continuity is indeed key. However, I had not idea our community was so transformational! A “virgin fratboy partier” making no contribution will suddenly become the bedrock of the event once he (or she) has attended for a couple of years. Amazing!! It is truly a gift to find a community where free loading jerks do not rock up year after year!

    All this credentialing makes me sad and it seems pretty clear the newbie/veteran divide has taken fresh root and will flourish regardless of what eventually happens with the darn ticketing.

    Radical inclusion in an environment of resource scarcity is a badge of pride for many burners. A different kind of scarcity is creating quite a test to living this value, eh?

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  • Vanessa says:

    It’s interesting how quickly the principle of radical inclusion goes out the window when capital and scarcity are thrown into the mix.

    While I completely agree that veterans are vital to BM and we should do everything in our power to make sure they can be there, a lot of these veterans vs. virgins comments are depressingly elitist. Writing off virgins as “frat boys” or any other derogatory label is simply ignorant. Come on guys – we have no idea who the virgins are yet! Just because someone has never made it to the burn before doesn’t automatically make them useless to the community. Potential burners don’t attend for all sorts of reasons – financial, logistical, medical, whatever. We need to accept everyone who wants to attend for the first time with open arms. There is NO ONE (not even the dreaded frat boy) who doesn’t “deserve” to be at BM. That’s what radical inclusion is about :)

    As Andie Grace said above, private parties are for country clubs!

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  • Mutant vehicle owners of America says:

    It’s Wednesday. I can hardly wait to be:

    A:pleasantly surprised
    B: amazingly surprised
    C:not surprised at all
    D:drinking copious amounts of tequila because I was either A, B, or, C.

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  • NostalgiaClogs says:

    Fear -> Anger -> Despair -> Nostalgia
    Ok today I’m nostalgic; I’ve given up on going this year.

    However, I got to go for the last 10 straight years, built camps and domes and art cars, got married on the playa in 2008 (Wedding Camp!), drove wife and unborn child around the playa in 2010 art-car.

    I saw the Belgian Waffle! I was _right_ there at the front for Crude Awakening! I remember the Underwater year (best art year ever?)! The Lily pads! The Strobe Monkeys! The Art-car photo booth! Last year’s Temple of Faux Bah-mitzvah! (brilliant) The year the man burned twice! Dude, I remember the original little Cube-a-tron (9x9x9)… etc.

    …each BM has been a joy that the other 355 days revolve around.

    It may never be the same again, but I’m so grateful I witnessed it.

    Ok now back to being grumpy. ;-)

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  • NostalgiaClogs says:

    …and all of David Best’s temples. I saw ’em all burn. OMFG. Makes me tear up just thinking about it. Wow.

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  • Bill C. says:

    Do the limitations on size by the BLM inclde acreage or people count. Smaller encampments maybe can mean more people. Also, for such a popular evend that depends on returning artists and performers,maybe they should be given a chace for early registration for tickets. The Dayton Hamventio, a meeting of over 50,000 hams, allows early registratin at the end of each show. This allows the vendors to participate year after year. An event like yours really depends on returng participants, and they should have been given first priority for tickets before the general lottery I’ve.never attended,but have been following BM for many years. I’m getting up in years, but your definitely on my BUCKET LIST!

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  • Mutant vehicle owners of America says:

    Come join us Bill C.

    There is enough space for all of us…..just not tickets.

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  • BostonBurner says:

    For everyone waiting to hear about STEP: posted on the site: http://tickets.burningman.com/

    UPDATE 2/13/12: We are postponing the launch of our new Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP) and the opening of our Low Income Ticket Program application until February 29th so that we can evaluate the current ticket landscape and put measures in place to address the community’s concerns.

    Something big, something radical, something that wll fix this situation. No. They have no idea how to fix this. This instills confidence in the community. Very disappointing.

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  • Candiru says:

    A Says:
    February 14th, 2012 at 4:34 pm

    Yellow Rythmic Star said “GET THE CORPORATIONS OUT OF BURNING MAN”. There are no corporations involved in Burning Man. I don’t know where you heard that.

    Well, other than that the LLC *is* a corporation. I mean, remember this is a for-profit endeavor. I’ve got no problem with that, may their tribe increase, etc. I just hate how badly they’re run.

    But make no bones about it. Burning Man is formally owned by the “org”, which is a Limited Liability Corporation. There is some talk of the owners eventually turning some of the rights over to their new non-profit but that has not happened.

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  • A says:

    Open, Open, Open

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  • Pigtails and Pockets says:

    Waiting, Waiting, Waiting

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  • Lost & Found says:

    Good Morning Larry & All you incredible people that make this happen,
    year after year!

    I was born floating back in 2002, and have not been back since..

    It had a permanent change on my life,
    where every day is never, ever, boring;
    and, BRC is just too far away geographically.

    Yet, I have a burning ‘death wish’ to visit my ‘birth city’
    one more time before I complete my circle…

    Just the intelligence level of this discussion alone
    impresses the crap out of me!

    I just want to be confident that there will still be a
    BRC to return to when my circle starts arcing back..

    fyi: The vast majority of people I befriended in 2002
    were newbies just like me! The very Concept of BM
    alone drove us there!!

    Actually, many of the few ‘old timers’ of BM that I
    met at that time were already bitter about, about,..
    so many things (respect, regulations, crowds, ugh)
    that they were not all that enjoyable to be with actually.

    Welcome the stranger and be surprised at what happens,
    I hope maybe!

    Git ‘er done, eh.

    C U in 20xx!

    red right returning.

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  • joe says:

    @ Mutant vehicle owners of America
    Tequila, yes tequila is the answer for all of the above
    which actually burns quite nicely
    going down the throat! ha!
    good luck and blessings to all

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  • CapnJoe says:

    Well, now it’ll be another week of knashing teeth and biting nails. I know different departments are sending out questioneers to prior volunteers, so maybe it’ll be worth the wait.

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  • A says:

    CapnJoe, what do you mean? We were told there would be a plan put forward today. Has that changed? BMorg, take a hint from Scotty on “Star Trek”, if you are going to release new information later on Wednesday, tell everyone it’ll be ready Friday.

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  • U2pilot says:

    I’ve seen nothing talking about another week. The ticketing page says this:

    UPDATE 2/13/12: We are postponing the launch of our new Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP) and the opening of our Low Income Ticket Program application until February 29th so that we can evaluate the current ticket landscape and put measures in place to address the community’s concerns.

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  • PAChris says:

    This might have been suggested before but why not sell tickets with different arrival dates. Not everyone wants to arrive on the first day. This could answer the traffic issue. Perhaps the BLM would allow for more people at Burning Man in the coming years. I participated in Burning Man from 2003 to 2008. Driving from PA I could only make it to the Playa for the last 2 or 3 days. Something to consider anyway.

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  • Lost & Found says:

    At least back then, the WORST aspect of bm, that was
    seared in my brain, were the ‘Weekenders’.

    I first learned of their existence around 4am on the Friday before the burn.
    4-door sedan sped past w/in 6 feet of where I was sleeping
    in our camp at 40mph++. abandoned vehicle when blocked & disappeared
    into the city.
    by Friday afternoon, the density around our camp skyrocketed.

    Met many of them, said they’ve been coming for years –
    Ohhhh! Titties!! Gotta Go!

    What a bunch of losers.

    Stay the whole week, or don’t come at all me thinks.

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  • Kyle says:

    You must talk with the BLM to allow more tickets. If there were an uncapped supply of tickets.at a.set price, there could be no scapling. If the cost of the pemit for more people is the question, I’m sure the amount of people going will more than cover, even hiring more police and medical support. This would be my 6th year, but alas, no ticket. Hope you can come up with something.
    And for future years have ether people tickets, put the names on the tickets.

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  • Mark says:

    I’m glad I went in 2010. It looks like the event is going to be different from now on. And not necessarily in a good way.

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  • Playapatsy says:

    Wishing and Hoping….The suspense is thick! Make it happen! Fingers are crossed!

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  • uh-huh says:

    The lottery sale and “Fertility 2.0” theme would seem to indicate that BMORG wants to see some new faces this year.

    Report comment

  • Mike in SF says:

    Last year didn’t sell out until July. This year there were three times as many ticket requests as tickets and the tickets don’t appear to have ended up in the hands of repeat burners. The only two possibilities are 1) a HUGE increase in first time burners (we’re talking 10x or more to prevent 67% of returners from getting tickets), or a huge increase in scalpers.

    Please believe me that the latter is the case. What are the odds of such a huge increase in first time burners, and what are the odds they all got their acts together by January to register. Small! There’s no solid reasoning behind such a ridiculous spike in first-timers.

    There is however a very good reason why scalping would spike. This event hasn’t sold out in the past, so resale prices were always capped by the price the organizers were offering. As soon as an event starts selling out, scalpers know the market is finally ripe for plundering. With this year’s lottery, all it took was 10 minutes online for a scalper to register and potentially make $300 profit per ticket. Why wouldn’t every scalper in the country sign up?

    People say there are only 100 or so tickets on ebay/SH/CL, but that’s because the scalpers don’t have the tickets yet and they can’t move a product they don’t have.

    Now… What can be done about this?

    The tickets will eventually migrate from scalpers to the community and we’re just going to have to accept that they will be coming back to the community at a huge markup. What’s important now is making sure that the tickets migrate back as quickly as possible so everyone can continue with their planning for camps and installations. So…

    MAIL THE TICKETS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Or even, mail some sort of transferable certificate that represents the ticket.

    The system has already rewarded the scalpers. Now lets give them their tickets asap so they can make their profit and we all move on to non-transferrable tickets for 2013.

    -Mike

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  • nevadaman says:

    In the early 1980s, the Coca Cola company decided to ditch its flagship product, Coca Cola, in favor of a different and decidedly inferior product, “New Coke.” It was a breathtakingly radical departure from an established business plan and around the globe, people thought, “They must know what they are doing.” As it turned out, no one with half a brain actually DID know what he/she was doing, and Coke lost millions in lost sales until they reintroduced Coca Cola as “Coca Cola Classic.”

    The truth is, there is little to this imbroglio to suggest that there is a method in the madness or that anyone was actually awake at the switch. It appears to have been a colossal fuckup that should have been obvious to BMORG but wasn’t. It appears that with the new management team (i.e., Board of Directors second guessing and procrastinating on every issue) the glorious creature that was previously known as Burning Man is now something else altogether. How sad.

    Consider this: Why did it take 5 months to decide upon a theme for this year, and when the theme was formally announced, how come it was a recycled theme from BM version 1.0? Where is the leadership? Where is the innovation?

    I actually got tickets, so this isn’t sour grapes. NVMan

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  • IDjoe says:

    Mike in SF, 2:15 today:

    MIKE, YOU’RE THE MAN!

    BMorg, please read Mike. Then read it again.
    Please send out the tickets so we can get past this and MOVE ON!

    No, I dont have tickets!
    No, I’ve never had problems before getting them!
    No, I don’t relish the tought of paying above face value

    Yes, I do want to return home.

    Yes, I do want to move on!

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  • Tripod says:

    SCJohnson:
    You get more than 4 tickets by having your non-Burner friends and family order tickets for you. Most everyone did something like this to increase their odds of getting the tickets they needed, resulting in most everyone NOT getting the tickets they needed.

    PAChris:
    The problem is not arrival of participants, its departure of participants. Too many vehicles try to leave during too short a time during Exodus.

    Kyle:
    The culture of Burning Man can not be contained by a single physical location and is only going to continue to grow. Scarcity of access to BRC is here to stay.

    Marion:
    What’s the new plan?

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  • Alex Salazar says:

    Last year was my 1st burn….I was SO inspired, uplifted, enlightened – the list goes on and on. I was devestated when I received the notice that I had not been selected which meant me and my partner had to rethink the funds we were going to invest in an art project.
    Now, I’m hoping to obtain tix via community trade or worst case scenario will be Main Sale March 29.
    Last year we went to Burning Man with the intention of going with very little supplies and just checking things out. We did and started planning as soon as we got back. In fact started planning 2012 Burn while we still on the playa in 2011. We rented a storage unit on the way out that magically landed in our laps and dropped all our gear in Gerlach which will be waiting for us in 2012, so we still think we’ll make it this year. I’m trying to remain hopeful but my heart is somewhat broken being told I wasn’t selected, as I’m sure many other people feel the same. I love Burning Man now and forever and can’t imagine a year gone by without it. Love, peace and taco grease!

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  • Benny says:

    Burning Man as you knew it is over… again. Adapt. Do something new..
    There are sooooo many people here crying about how 18 of the 20 DJs essential to their “theme camp” didn’t get tickets. How in the world will the event survive without the 50 person camp who “gift playa names” being fully ticketed? Only Larry knows. I’m shocked by the number of people who have been going for 10 or 15 or more years and consider themselves crucial to the overall success of the event but have not yet figured out how to write an art proposal. Get your art funded and your friends get in free? It’s really not that hard.

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  • madre says:

    a possible for solution for this year:

    Can the last 10,000 tickets, or part of them, go to established camps that apply for them? Those camps who have become a sort infrastructure of the event? It would be a terrific undertaking to put together an application system with such short notice, but I imagine there are well qualified people who would volunteer their time into a SWAT team of sorts to pull it off.

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  • Jack Bain says:

    Maybe this should be the year that Burning Man branches off into multiple year-round events, with more people attending and pouring their creativity into events in their general region. It would be a way to return to the original principals with no equivocations… and to spread burner culture. Of course no one wants to miss the main event but since inevitably some people are going to, I encourage anyone who cannot get tickets or who is disillusioned with what Burning Man has become to participate in a smaller event and help to make it great.

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  • Man with the Plan says:

    Just split burning man up into two separate parties. Burning Man West and East Coast

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  • dave says:

    It was nearly a ten-hour drive each way, but it was worth it. This past weekend my brother and I drove to the playa. Given that our camp, like so many of the others, recieved just a 1/4 of the tickets we needed, we had come to the conclusion that it’s just not going to happen this year. Bummer. So, like the previous post encourages, we’re going to do our own local burn. We still have last years art car which we’ll take out on the back roads, still have all our costumes with new ones coming, still have a creative, loving camp ready to play. The only thing we were missing is – dust.
    But not anymore. We took to five gallon buckets and a shovel, filled them up, stayed the night at Brunos hotel in Gerlach, and came home the next afternoon.
    And by the way… there were no traffic jams getting in or out, and we had a blast. Something to think about.

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  • Jack Bain says:

    There is a regional Burning Man event network already: @ http://regionals.burningman.com/

    These are pre-existing events which would love to have the extra attendance, can create an environment more like the early days of BM, are cheap or free, and may be occurring much closer to you than Black Rock City, NV.

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  • A says:

    Gettin kinda late…
    I mean not Burning Man late
    But default late…

    Are we gonna hear something today?

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  • Rob says:

    This is from the San Francisco Bay Guardian Online article by Steven T. Jones, dated yesterday:

    “Chicken [John Rinaldi] had predicted the new ticket lottery system would fail and be gamed by scalpers, so when I finally talked to him late last week, I asked about his relative recent silence. “I really don’t think I belong in this conversation because I’m the scalper,” he told me. “I got dozens of tickets and I’m planning to make tens of thousands of dollars.”

    Chicken said he used confederates and multiple credit cards to game the system, just like the scalpers. And to justify his mercenary approach, he cited last year’s announcement by event founder Larry Harvey that he and the other five LLC board members are in the process of cashing out their ownership interest over the trademarks and logos for significant sums of money before turning control of the event over to a new nonprofit.

    “They want capitalism. Larry wants to make millions of dollars off of this, so I’m going to make some money, too,” Chicken said. “I deserve that money.”

    Now, I don’t know whether Chicken is telling the truth or just making a provocative point, but he does say that he’s only taking this tack because the LLC has commodified Burning Man and failed to heed community input and guard against scalpers. “If I ran Burning Man, I wouldn’t let people make tens of thousands of dollars off my members,” he said. “Our community needs some leadership.””

    Is this true about LLC board members selling out the trademarks and logos? Can anyone confirm any of this?

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  • playa name luke says:

    I just went down to the burning man office and they are working their ass off. Please give them a break. They are working on a lot of ideas and they were willing to listen to me. I have a ticket so that is not why i went. If you think you are stressing about your corner of the city they have to think about all of it. I mean think about the fact if 40% are virgins, aren’t they going to need a lot more medical people to help with dehydration all over the city. I gave them a suggestion that they should put the 10000 march 28 tickets in the step program on feb 29. Even if they don’t they thanked me for the idea, and they meant it. I hope whatever they do it help gets the wright people. I do think if they put it in the step it will. I mean after it sold out last year you know everyone that really wanted to go signed up.

    No matter what good luck!!!!!!!!!

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  • U2pilot says:

    @Rob

    Yes, what you heard is largely true. Larry, et al, are transferring Burning Man to a non-profit corporation, and in the process they will make some money.

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  • Not Dead Skip says:

    So.. I guess we wait till the 29 th? No message today. Any body disappointed?

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  • Laura says:

    Thank you burning staff for all you are doing to heal this situation. The world is getting very connected, which is amazing, but also poses a lot of large-scale issues. For those Burners getting angry, cursing, and talking down to the wonderful people who help to make this event happen, know that Burning Man is not about being in the desert. Burning Man is with you, with us, every day of the year. It is about bringing the principles of the burn into every day life, spreading the love & art & inclusion & freedom in every moment. We would all love to burn every year, and I hope many of us can, but let’s keep the peace, and spread the love right now. This is no one’s fault (except maybe facebook;) Let’s stand together on this one, not apart.

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  • Benny says:

    Have Burning Man once a month. Or once a week. Or three shows a day like in Vegas! Then they can make more money and most shows won’t sell out. See? Less scalpers, more white tigers! Sigfried!! Roy!!!!!!

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  • Snarf says:

    Thanks to the staff who are facing a hard problem- how to include everyone when the whole world wants to come.

    I too feel the frustration and disappointment. My group was gearing up to make our first mutant vehicle. We’ve been taking welding classes, and drawing and plotting for months. Renting RVs, Asking for time off, attaching trailer hitches to cars, surfing Craig’slist for parts like an ADD Squirrel on PCP.

    And guess what. Not one single person in our art collaborative got a ticket. Not one. I’m trying to remain hopeful and patient- but its really hard to justify renting space in San Francisco to store a mutant vehicle that will never see the sands. Our plans sit limp on my desk at home. Our group’s motivation is deflated. It’s a sad thing to see. I hope that it all works out, but all we can do at this point is hope. I don’t even know who I tell. So I’ll post it here and think positive thoughts.

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  • A says:

    Hey guys in the office. We understand you are working hard on a difficult problem. But you did say there would be word today. If it’s going to take longer we understand, but in the interest of transparency could you throw us a bone and tell us where you are and what you’re working on? Letting us hang feels like the ball is being dropped again.

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  • Empress of RhythmWave says:

    It would be extremely helpful to theme camps if they were no longer required to have their truck drivers who are just delivering set up materials (like lumber and other structural stuff) to have a ticket just to get on and off the playa to make deliveries. Our driver does not stay for the event, so it’s a waste of a ticket, especially this year! please consider this, we won’t abuse the privilege.

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  • ContraPaladin says:

    Dear bmmorg,
    So, you are finally cannnibalizing yourelves. Karma much? I would feel sorry for you — like all the completely clueless people commenting here profess to — but I happen to personally know what a back-stabbing bunch of clique-y d-bags you are.

    Come clean that you are all suing each other for “retirement benefits” and let the community you take false credit for creating go on without your leech-y* profiteering. Shame on you. You invented nothing. (Anyone who doesn’t agree can look up “Zozobra”. Will Shuster didn’t invent that, either.)

    *Apologies to actual leeches. At least *they* have a biological purpose in the global environment. bmorg cannot claim as much.

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  • Mike says:

    Well as a virgin Id have thought that all the theme camp would have brought the first tickets on sale. the ones that you could have got 4 of. Yeah they were expencive but as a theme camp applying for a grant and getting one (a grant) surely ther may be some cash left over to offset those most expencive tickets But the point being How many thousand were sold? how many thousand are the core of burning man? The math just doesnt add up to me sorry. Im thinking that its more of a club than an event, and many old timers have said it with the solutions they have like a virgin needs sponcoring WTF this aint no 12 step program and if thats what your principals are based from then man someone hasnt been working there steps WTF

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  • Alan says:

    We’re obviously concerned with ticket sales for 2013 and beyond, and we’re looking at a variety of ways to ensure Burning Man’s future remains bright. Right now, everything is on the table, including many great suggestions from our community. This includes major potential overhauls of the ticket system, such as identity-based ticketing, non-transferable tickets, directed distribution ticket models, and more. This is a complex process of analysis, with lots of ramifications for internal logistics and the cultural dynamics of our community … this is far from a process of simply filling stadium seats. We are working with staff, external experts related to this field (including game theorists, sociologists, statisticians, festival producers, ticketing companies, software developers, widely-read bloggers, and more) and an advisory council made up of representative members of the community to determine what works best for Burning Man in the future.

    WHY CAN’T IT BE DONE THIS YEAR?
    NON TRANSFERABLE TICKETS, get on it right now, they haven’t been sent out yet
    Why fix it Next Year ?

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  • Mike says:

    seems more to me like some sick old man aa meeting thats using tickets to get there dings wet from these young thangs that are suggestible. Sorry reality hurts but to turn people away after saying its all inclusive and that enough of the theme camp didnt think ahead to get 4 each from the first sale to get there camps there is sooo f’d up. Next year are you going to offer core burner tickets LMFAO. Hey you need to watch the movie Burning Man on netflix maybe!!!

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  • Mike says:

    Its like org is saying common irs try to catch us!

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  • Mike says:

    maybe advertize radical inclusion up to 40,000 but only if the ‘core’ burners get tickets otherwise as artists we need to be creative to scam kanive cheat and be very very opaque

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  • Mike says:

    Thennnnnnnnnnnnn the fact you get all these credit card number and hold them till you see fit. Thats kinda like in Chicago now they are going to take any oustanding unpaid parking tickets right out of your state tax refund if your getting one. I mean you advertise a unique life altering experience but somehow have fooled everyone into giving card numbers to you without even a garentee of a ticket or even that the card number has been dumped from your ticket que. This is bolder behavior that even the federal government and have you heard about occupy yet? I mean common Im eating chronic pain meds and i m thinkin my thinkin clearer than most here or there.
    A newbie idea offer a’ taste ticket’ as in a ticket thats good for any 2 days during the event except entering date or exodus or will that be to difficult for the satellite fly over to capture?

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  • Mike says:

    I do appreciate everything org does to even phathom having Burning Man dont get me wrong. I just would have appreciated the truth and the truth I think that would have been best for me is that We at burning man are having political problems, then one associates politics with the way these maybe presidential candidates debate, I woulda shrugged my shoulders and wrote off BM till a future date. That my heartfelt feelingsd. My speallin skz dont it?

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  • Donna says:

    I have a friend in Colorado who has a ticket scalping business. They buy tickets for sporting events and concerts when they go on sale and they ONLY use prepaid credit cards to buy all the tickets that they resale at sometimes 3 to 4 times the cost of the original tickets. He has been to burning man twice and they agreed that they would NEVER scalp BM tickets and so they don’t, but he gave me the low down and the problem with burners NOT getting tickets is the fact that prepaid cards are accepted instead of credit cards or bank cards associated with a person’s bank account and home address. So the only way to make sure that BURNERS get tickets at 2 per card and address is to NOT allow prepaid credit cards, EVER…

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  • Mike says:

    No I see another problen in the most reacent jack rabbit speaks and that is . Hows the que set up? and the first in que will be the people sitting waiting for the email and can they send out all these emails to notify people about step at the very same second so someone can respond to get in que again for the step ticket. They also didnt say DO what we suggest and dont use your wallet card get a prepaid card and yet they havent said how and what form of payment needs to be made when a purchase is through step. and even knowing what Donna has said its already set up so someone whos disabled needs to run around gettin prepaid ccards rediculous.
    Bye the Bye BMorg email me or call cause once i patent it your out!

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  • Robko says:

    I remember when the lottery was first announced, being confused and reading lots of comments about it. A pattern emerged quickly: organized camps will not know how many critical members will get tickets, undermining small and large camps who have contributed to Burning Man for years. This became a clear sentiment the day it was announced. It did not take panels of experts, outside consultants, etc.

    The concerns about first come first served include the problem of having to retry a web site for several hours. If you really, really, really want to go, that is what you do. You put skin in the game. The solution was to give the casual person the same leverage as someone who really, really, really wants to go. This is the heart of what is unfair about the lottery. People who organize and fund raise for their camps all year are given the same chance as the curiosity seeker who can afford to hand over Mr. Visa. The inconvenience of first come first served is a beautiful example of natural human tendencies playing themselves out in ways that happen in the rest of the world. If you really, really want something you do what it takes. This inconvenience is what the lottery tried to eliminate. The result was predicted by most people who commented on day one. More disturbing is that if the ratio of newbies to veterans is too high, there will not be enough veterans to influence newbies in good playa behavior. If volunteers aren’t getting tickets, this could be a disaster waiting to play out.

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  • LaLa says:

    i completely agree with BetaGirl about requiring qualified volunteer hours for each participant. it’s the lifeblood of our burner culture anyway, and on so many levels it makes complete sense.

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  • aka HeLIXerLips as in fertility 2.0 lips= 2 or double, Helix or DNA or as in a ‘ taste’ of nothin but her lips or her kyintence? you decide

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  • LaLa says:

    Robko, right on! I’m in a camp (Celestial Bodies) where every one of us volunteers, not only in building, running, caring for our camp and our guests, but also outside our camp at Arctica, BMIR, Ranger, Lamplighters, Center Camp, on and on. In 2010, our art car became additional medical transport for souls who had trouble on burn night, assisting Rangers and medics in communicating that a handful of unrelated virgin burners needed help. what’s gonna happen to all those virgin tourists without us (yes, we got zero of the two tickets we requested) and many like us who support the city resources when the shit hits the fan and virgins become medically incapacitated? we hope to be serving Playa Cosmos at our bar again this year, and we “hope” to have our art car out there meeting and buzzing around (at 5 mph) with new and established friends, but so far it “aint lookin good”. by the way, my husband received a message from the DMV tonight; spent an hour filling out 5 pages of the online form, only to have it dropped/lost, so he has to start over – after midnight on a “school night”.
    I know we’ll either be on the playa – or not – this year, based on whatever random “luck” comes our way, because it’s not for lack of commitment that we may be spending our summer dust-free. Life will go on and we’ll be just fine – it just won’t be the same summer we normally plan year-round for.

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  • Mike says:

    Well make sure you count on what goes round comes round I predict after this year and the availability of dmt, years may come when you may only have just your largest theme camps with no newbies. Not that id wissh it on you, just an observation of Life

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  • LaLa says:

    didn’t you say that on the 15th, you’d be rolling out a solution? tick tock. be your word.

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  • LaLa says:

    “We expect to present a detailed plan on February 15th.” tick tock. be your word.

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  • LaLa says:

    “uh-huh” nailed it. i don’t believe for a single second that BMorg is surprised at this outcome. You can’t all be that stupid or unconscious.
    I think your intention was to turn this thing on it’s ear and create an entirely new community. You have become conformists in your attempt to be non-conformists, after all. Not that it’s wrong, just irritating that you wouldn’t cop to it. Own your shit, BMorg. You’ve already said F-YOU to the previous community built by your volunteers over the years. Just take responsibility and admit that this is the outcome you wanted.

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  • Arnon Clark says:

    I’ve been so wrapped up the last few weeks in DDoS stupidity that I missed this.

    That, my friends, is one of the best damned Mea Culpas I have ever seen.

    You guys heard, owned, learned, grew, evolved and shared it with grace.

    That is the sanest and most human thing I have ever heard put forward from a group voice in many years of community activism and organising.

    I used to be happy to consider myself a burner, but now I truly feel proud of it.

    Those are a lot of declarative statements.

    *hugs*

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  • Chaiverson says:

    I am disturbed by the thought that the vultures who prey on us who proclaim to be business people, are actually the ones who are in possession of so many tickets that are so vital to the fabric of Burning Man.
    I am a first time burner. I have followed the community for several years and have anxiously awaited the chance that I would get to go. Well… I am going this year… in fact, I will celebrate my 50th birthday on the Playa. Having said that, I am unsure with the way that this whole controversy has played out. If the core of BM is not able to be there… I don’t want to be either. I NEED THE COMMUNITY! I don’t feel comfortable without the guidance that comes with experience.

    The point of my post here is that if in fact the vultures are the ones who are in possesion of a vast majority of our tickets, we need to develop a way to shut them out.. it has been said here that the tickets should be distributed and let the scalpers make their money. I say absolutely not!! I have had my share of experience with scalpers and ticket brokers and I suggest the following should be considered;
    1. Every person who has been awarded a ticket should have to provide a name to be printed on the ticket(s)
    2. Send the tickets out with names printed on them and show I.D. when presenting them.
    3. Institute a hard deadline for names and tickets so that transfers are not allowed. If a person needs a refund or wishes to transfer their ticket it can be dealt with as it arises through a separate process.

    If these 3 things can be accomplished, you will see the STEP program influxed with tickets in a real hurry if it really is scalpers who are holding the tickets.

    It has certainly been interesting to watch this unfold. I want to thank all of those who have been working so very hard to correct this situation.

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  • ScubaSteve says:

    In regards to

    February 15th, 2012 at 10:19 pm
    i completely agree with BetaGirl about requiring qualified volunteer hours for each participant. it’s the lifeblood of our burner culture anyway, and on so many levels it makes complete sense.

    It sounds good… In theory. But please take into consideration requiring someone to volunteer, is not volunteering it’s working.

    Much Love

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  • Chaiverson says:

    Is Burning Man not the home of the most creative and considerate philosophies known?? Judging from what I have read and learned, I think that is a pretty fair statement! You can get through this… WE can get through this. Perhaps this is the greatest test of the community’s metal but damn… push through it, find and solve the problems, and leave the politics to the rest of the world! It hurts to read negative comments at a time when they hurt the most, people are working very hard and losing alot of sleep to try an right this mess. Politics suck

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  • decadence glitterpants says:

    First, I want to say Thank You. Thank you for caring so deeply.

    We all remember the first time we made our way to the playa. No amount of photos, videos or stories were able to prepare you for what you were about to experience. It was like being hit by a freight train that was so fantastically amazing and beautifully overwhelming you couldn’t stop talking about what you were going to offer the Playa the next year.

    New eyes and creativity will breed inspiration… we do love to welcome new members to our community.

    … And, most often, Those who have been before are better equipped to share their inspirations.

    What a difficult decision. Thank you for your compassionate Blog posts. Thank you for investing so much into this community. And foremost, I appreciate feeling that you truly care about keeping our community intact.

    Some of our fabulous members will be left without a ticket this year… but that was sadly inevitable.

    With compassion, appreciation, and a warm hug… Thank You.

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  • Brian says:

    I’m not a newcomer, first-time or birgin. I’m not an old timer or veteran either. This will be my second burn. I’m part of no theme camp, although I did have great fun at several of them in 2010. I had more fun wandering through the smaller camps and meeting the people living, surviving, playing, working, loving and experiencing, in the streets of black rock city. I saw no differences between the people, except that some brought and built bigger stuff and yes (hell yes) it made their participation greater.

    Did it make the experince better for me?

    No… in the sense that I didn’t spend much time in them so I didn’t count them as intrinsic to the core of my burning man experience.

    Yes… in the sense that when you see these behemouth camps at night, lighting up a powerless desert with fire, music and light, you can’t help but be awed at the sheer force of human will and creativity that it took to create them (and the hard work of those dedicated to those camps).

    If some cannot make it to the burn this year because of the ticket situation will it be a loss? YES! Will it be a change? YES!

    Will it be for the worse or better?

    Only time will tell and it will vary with everyones individual perspective and experience.

    For me, however, the answer is better.

    The first principal of radical inclusion says ALL ARE WELCOME. Has the burn now reached an Animal Farm-esqe state where “Some are more welcome than others” ??? Because what they’ve done in the past makes them more important, more valuable, then those who are new, who wish to add to the community, to help to continually creat it anew?

    Some of these comments from veterans make it sound like the new burners will be just a bunch of idiots, on a week long Halloween bender, with nothing to offer. For a place that is about ZERO JUDGEMENT, it’s awfully judgemental. Some peoples self-importance and self-righteousness are really shining through.

    Change is hard, it incorporates the fear of the unknown. But to not change is to stagnate. To never grow, never learn, never allow new things (people, enthusiasm, wide eye wonder), to expand the amazing tapestry that is Bruning Man.

    This year will be an amazing burn… BECAUSE IT WILL BE SO DIFFERENT!!!!

    I applaud the BMorg’s decision to take those ten thousand tickets and award them to the theme camps that make the core… this year. And so many great suggestions have been made for tickets in the years to come (1 per person and you need and id to confirm and pick them up is my fav). But sometimes things need to change radically to cause growth on a large scale. It can be painful, disheartening, frustrating and infuriating. It can also be magical, inspiring and even divine if you allow it to be.

    To those burners I’ve seen write that they have “given up” on the Man because they were “booted out”, “not welcome”, “not allowed” and a myriad of other terms for not receiving tickets, I would say to you “That’s not very Burner of you” The HOME you love so dearly will still be there, and better for it, after this painful growth spurt is done.

    And it will be less for it if you don’t return and create anew…

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  • Rob says:

    “Rob Says:
    February 9th, 2012 at 6:32 pm

    Thank you for making a few things clear finally.

    – “We can’t and won’t reverse the Main Sale drawing results.”
    – “It is not possible to simply grow the event to welcome more people in 2012″
    – “Without our core collaborative community, the fabric of Burning Man could fray and tear apart. Regardless of all good original intentions, that ripping sound has to stop.”

    I read this as “10,000 open sale tickets will not be sold openly”.

    Am I right?”

    yep. i was right.

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  • David says:

    Woohoo! You took my suggestion to directly feed the 10,000 to major camps and art projects! Totally logical and the right decision!

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  • lucky virgin burner says:

    Hey! You DON’T have to double capacity to double the number of people who can go per year. Just double the number of events or extend the period.

    Some potential ways to go about this – make people affiliated with camps allowed to go to both, but only permit newcomers to go to one. If you hold them consecutively, those with special camp passes can stay between the two events, but all others are cleared off the playa.

    Or if you do an extended period, there aren’t many people who can take off for, say, a month. You’ll have fewer people there at once and can let people do a camp for only half the time if they so choose.

    I also like the idea that virgin burners need to contribute whether it be to a camp or BRC infrastructure. Or create a new type of project that’s less intimidating for new burners to engage (in addition to mutant vehicles, camps, etc). Or designate a time for new burners to show off their talents or contributions.

    Lastly, putting names on the tickets seems entirely reasonable. Only permit the names to be changed via transfer through STEP.

    I’m sure some of the ideas I’ve mentioned are unfeasible for one reason or another (especially coming from the perspective of a virgin burner), and I understand that camps and the like are a TON of work, but let’s not limit our creativity in giving everyone the chance to “come home.” It’s not an insurmountable task, especially if Radical Inclusion is more important than adherence to “how we’ve always done it.”

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  • JubilantJoel says:

    I am trying to be optimistic about the future of Burning Man, but I keep getting this sinking feeling in my stomach. First, I must say that I certainly appreciate and honor the principle of inclusion. I was a virgin once, as were we all. But my first year, I was so excited to be involved and a part of the community, that I participated in mutant vehicle construction, art installations, my camp organization, music… I’m not saying that everyone needs (or even has the opportunity) to do all that, but I’ve been dismayed at the increasing numbers of “tourists” on the playa every year. They do not participate, they do not understand or care about, the principles of the community, and they see the Burn as merely a freak show–when to us freaks, it’s home. My fear is that, as alluded to above, the increasingly public visibility of Burning Man means that many, if not a vast majority, of the new ticket seekers are, in fact, this non-participatory type of newbie. Not only is it frightening that theme camps, art projects, and music will be limited this year (although the 10,000 tix given out to remedy this is WONDERFUL), but I am worried about the proportion of participants to tourists. The ideas about requiring essays or other hurdles to weed people out is great, as is the idea of being sponsored/mentored by a veteran Burner. I’ve been thinking about some sort of proportional representation of vets/newbies, with the emphasis on the vets, however you ultimately decide to apportion the tickets. I love Burning Man, and Burners, I know that we’re able to overcome anything with our collective smarts, understanding, and love, but I think that we need to be honest and realistic about all of the challenges facing us, including this one–I know that I’m not the only person who feels this way, although people seem loath to talk about it, as if being honest somehow means you’re against the principle of radical inclusion. Just because there are no prerequisites for being a member doesn’t mean that we can’t try to include the people who care about the community, since we already face the challenge of turning some people away.

    Or maybe I’m just a cynical bastard.

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  • #50,001 says:

    WELL DONE !

    I believe and agree that your revamped plan is the best for this difficult situation.

    *Good luck with all further discussions with BLM. Obviously 2013 requires these talks to go successfully. Be clear about what you ask for AND GET IT !
    Its the most important piece of the puzzle before you initiate next years’ ticketing plans.

    put down that coffee !

    See You Out On The Playa.

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  • Bent Gringer says:

    We are two couples going from Denmark, which is pretty far away. Have paid for plane tickets and the RV. Which is pretty expensive. One couple got the tickets in the first draw. The other couple did not. Now we can Only get one ticket through STEP. What are the rest of you guys in the same situation dong? Advice anyone would be nice ! All the best, Bent

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  • vanja says:

    ok, so this means, I have been f*ked by BM. I have been 3 times, but I don’t like to associate myself with camps and such. So for the people like me, we are just not welcome any more only because I don’t play with a big team? I am outraged.

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  • Merman says:

    They say grief has five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Our camp is finding its way to “acceptance” of what Bman 2012 is going to be and has resolved to play the hand we’ve been dealt and do what we can to help the MAN avoid a repeat in 2013 and beyond.

    This is cold comfort for the people in our camp who cannot get a ticket this year, of whom there will be many, and for those not affiliated with camps who have no chance due to yesterday’s JRS announcement. However, the other choice – giving up on the MAN – is just not an option for us.

    Also, let’s not forget, despite the lack of good advance planning for this year’s ticket/population train wreck, how well Burning Man does many other things that make the Burn, from getting the permits from BLM, to infrastructure and environmental stewardship, to thinking out loud about the principles that animate the community and make it so much more than “an event.”

    Peace.

    Merman

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  • tron nee says:

    tron nee here!

    6x Burner.

    My art camp-mates and myself, always wait untill the last sales-tier-period to purchase our camp tickets, to help defray the costs for those who can’t afford the more costly tiers, isn’t that what has often been promoted as the community-thing-to-do? However, this year, this Burning Man ‘family’ style principal now “belongs to the ages” along with all the other great but deads.

    So the question becomes, how do I get my two member electro-optical art camp into Black-Rock City this year?

    Thanks in advance,

    tron nee
    Los Angeles

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  • Morigami says:

    Can’t read all of the comments but… What if there were multiple Burns worldwide? Eventually one in each continent (except maybe Antartica ;) ? This is such a beautiful, peace and connection-building event as is: why not run with that? I’m sure people would rather do the work to create new Burns than have no access to the Burn at all.

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  • tron nee says:

    its tron nee again….

    I should mention, I suppose, that I’ve presented (shared) my art at various Burning Man events in the New Mexico and California areas.

    My humble electro-optical art structure, “The Light Chime”, took root in these ‘local’ Burning Man community events:

    LA Decom, 2 years,
    San Diego Decom, 1 year,
    ‘Leave No Burner Behind’ Burn Party in Los Angeles, (hosted by LA Artist Dale Youngman)
    ‘Leave No Burner Behind’ Mohave Party, (hosted by Athena Demos, LALA.org),
    ‘Burner Bake-Out’ gathering (Mystery Mtn, New Mexico, hosted by NM artist ‘Transit’)
    and other Burner parties as well.

    Burning Man Art & Years attended
    ================================

    Ridiculus & Dogma, BRC, 2003 (I was a horny clueless virgin)
    3:45 & Earth, BRC, 2004, I brought the ‘Playa-Stars’, fiber-optic LED art
    8:30 & Catharsis, BRC, 2005, I brought my LED ‘Blinky-Camp’, burner-von-tron
    2:30 & Guess, BRC, 2006, I brought my !Long-Stryder! El Wire art
    9;30 & coral Reef, BRC, 2007, I brought my 30’x30’x30′ ‘Light-Chime’ art structure
    2:15 & Bonneville (Bombed, somebody changed it, heh heh), BRC, 2008, Light-Chime & El Wire
    ~8:00 & DNA, BRC, 2009, Light-Chime, ten thousand LEDs and El Wire
    ~2:45 & Cairo, BRC, 2010, Light-Chime, ten thousand LEDs and El Wire

    This year, I’d like to present my ‘Trees-Of-Tears’ fiber-optical art and the Light-Chime, and my new LED hula-hoops I made for the Burning Man performance artists community.

    Re; my art….

    All my art structures are powered from eco-friendly gel-cell batteries which do not out-gas nasty acidic fumes, and which are recharged via two 1200 Watt solar voltaic panels. While, and specifically, ‘The Light-Chime’ art structure is low voltage (3.6 Volts), and is kiss-able safe, (I have photos of lovers kissing through the wires of the Light-Chime. BRC 2008)

    And as a side note, hula-hoopers and staff performers have been seen practicing their craft within the tron-curtain of the Light-Chime, they say, that it gives them visual boundary reference point, and they love being in the center of all the color refractions of the art. Hah!

    Please consider including tron-camp in your selection process.

    Thank you,

    tron nee
    tronz ‘Light-Chime’ camp
    Los Angeles, Ca

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  • Christopher Laing says:

    As a 3x Burner I support providing tickets to the people who are part of the main theme camps, without them there is no Burning Man. I have enjoyed volunteer time washing dishes in the commissary and hauling ice from the back of a 50′ trailer so I’ll be back to help whenever I can get a ticket. Meanwhile, I’ll go back to my photos and remember all the incredible people who make it the experience of a lifetime.
    Peace and Love to all.

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  • Scotty says:

    I’ve never burned. I’ve wanted to for many years however circumstances got in the way. This year was going to look very promising in my chances of actually burning this year. Then you all go pull this shit.
    “We very, very much want and need to welcome new people to Burning Man. New creative energy and enthusiasm also help make it what it is, and newcomer experiences can be some of the most transformative. We continue to welcome the stranger. But we can’t work so hard to welcome new Burners to BRC that it comes at the expense of those who have and will make the event what it has been. Radical Inclusion is the first principle, but faced with a Burning Man event that is limited in population, Civic Responsibility and Communal Effort dictate that we endeavor to radically include those who create Burning Man in the first place. ”
    This makes it sound like some superficial arrogant club that I’m not allowed to join. I can assure you I will no longer try to go to BM. I thought it was a place that welcomed all, and as much as you all try to sugar coat it and sound sweet, but you are turning Burning Man into fucking country club.

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  • ron albert says:

    I totally agree with your making sure the camps and artists get onto the playa! I remember my first year in 98 and been there ever since!. but, i must say, you have it backwards. the camps and artists need to be in place FIRST. then general sales. feeling a bit bitter and jaded….. that I wont be one of the LUCKY ones

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  • Lydia Frost says:

    What about funding a way for people to put on “mini” Burning Man events around the same time, in different areas of the world (sort of like they already do). Making the Burning Man ethos truly world-wide instead of saying “this is our Burning Man, that’s yours, that’s Spain’s”. Take it to the next level, reduce the size and spread it out like butter. Everyone loves butter and I’m sure burners all over the globe would work to build their own neighbor BM.
    I’d start one in Australia :3 they have some desert there ;)

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  • Mutated Man says:

    “Perfect Storm” or Perfect Excuse?

    It is really pathetic how a lot of the folks here that are thanking and praising theBorg for fucking up the ticketing. Then the Borg changes the rules of the STEP program that allows only one ticket per person even though the Borg promised the chance for two tickets. People that played by the so called rules were screwed over and lied to. I can understand when a large camp won’t get all the tickets they need but when a party of TWO people can’t get the opportunity to get the tickets that was part of the ticketing rules…..that is unacceptable. The arrogance of the Borg is unacceptable. They have now turned the Theme Camps into exclusive country clubs aiming the last 10,000 tickets to them.
    The people of the playa have control over the future of BM. Not the Borg. Want to make 2012 the last burn ever?……just leave every bit of garbage on the playa. It will be cleaned up but the BLM will not renew the permit for the next year.
    This should be the end of Burning Man or the end of the BM board

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  • Moe says:

    What happens when things explode?

    1.A violent and destructive shattering or blowing apart of something, as is caused by a bomb.

    2.A violent expansion in which energy is transmitted outward as a shock wave.

    A combination of these two definitions is how I think of Burning Man at this point; it’s reached a critical stage and is exploding.

    Is this necessarily a bad thing? A sudden, rapid, violent and forced change, because a critical point has been reached – things are going to be shaken up, that’s for sure. But fireworks explode, and while the noise can be shocking and scary, something beautiful usually emerges. And let’s all remember – it’s exploding because what this event has to share with everyone is beautiful and magnetic. That’s why so many are being drawn to it that it can’t exist any longer in its previous state.

    When something explodes, burning pieces of expand outward, because they just can’t fit together as one central object any more. I think the event in the desert has reached that stage. I predict one outcome may be other events taking place elsewhere, as those who appreciated certain aspects of Burning Man gather together and start their own sub-event, happening, whatever. For example, all those who love art cars might start their own spin off event elsewhere. Those who love to share through performance art and fire spinning may do their own events – because if they can’t get tickets, they may be forced to. Who knows what the future will bring. One thing is for sure though, the fuze has run out and an explosion of some kind is happening.

    The messages carried by burners are often good ones, especially when boiled down: Clean up after yourself! Be aware of your environment and each other! Be considerate and get along with your neighbors! Spread the love! Think creatively! Give! These messages should get carried out further into society at large, and perhaps this is the moment when it happens. And in 2012, go figure. Maybe the Mayans were Burners.

    Sure, change can be hard, frustrating, disappointing. I’ve been to Burning Man twice. 2010 was my first year. I went with my spouse. We were part of a theme camp, helped out, had amazing experiences and connections. 2011 was more of a struggle, and we decided to take 2012 off, regardless of any outside factors like the ticket lottery sales. Sure, I’ve had thoughts run through my head too about awarding tickets. After all, we’d been twice, and have thought of joining another group (we were invited into one last year as we left) or building an art car – but now if we don’t does that mean we’re not good enough burners to be included in future? I mean, if we haven’t already grown as burners in our gifting, we may not have the chance to now in future, is that right? I’m not going to design and build an art car if I may not even be able to go? Am I not worthy enough because I’ve only been twice before? (of course not, but these crazy thoughts do have a tendancy of rearing their ugly heads).

    Okay everyone, there is change coming. Change forced by the rapid growth and expansion of something beautiful. It’ll be hard, loud, and shake a lot of us up. You know what – life is like that, in all things. Or at least in all things worthwhile. We can all throw our hands up in the air and jump around and scream – but I prefer to do that when the DJ drops a particular great beat. Let’s nurture and grow the future, learn from the past, and ensure the future grows from this point in a new and positive way.

    Together.

    And I know I’ll see you on the playa… eventually.

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  • Marmot says:

    After reading a lot of this most excellent and extensive thread, I don’t know if I will be adding anything new, but….My camp is the same boat as the others…hoping to now get some trickle down tickets and make a go of it. We are pretty positive, all things considered. I basically agree with the way things were done, and the response of the Borg. I have long predicted the day when things would start to collapse because of pressures from the default world. This is probably the beginning of a new phase of the events evolution, and probably not its demise. one of my most veteran burner friends says it’s different every year. That will certainly be the case this year. I agree heartily with named tickets, but with a registry of all people who entered the lottery, and two names on a ticket, so that allows one transfer of a ticket to a person who is on the registry.

    What I first thought could happen may still…more emphasis on the regional burns, especially for those people that can’t attend the main Burn. This could be a very good thing. Our camp is going to focus on our regional, Critical Massive, and take a slightly scaled down camp to the playa after that.

    One more thing, in this adverse situation, I am seeing through blogs, conversations with friends, a level of consideration and understanding that make me love this community even more.

    peace, hugs, and quiches,

    Marmot.

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  • Joan Junior says:

    Aquired two top tier tickets in the lottery, but all these posts make me feel unwelcome by hostile burners who think this is their event. Sounds like a bunch of mean people who aren’t interesting or sincere and believe they are more important than I. Therefore, I will continue to create magical art and punish the world by not letting anyone see it. You can have that forsaken spot of dried up earth. I’ll sell you my tickets for $1,000 each and hope you burn in the desert.

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  • U2pilot says:

    @ Joan Junior Says: “I’ll sell you my tickets for $1,000 each and hope you burn”

    Well, that’s sure friendly. I’m assuming this would have been your first year, or you wouldn’t be willing to part with them for so little. Actually, you might be able to get even more. As soon as the bottom two tickets on StubHub sell, the minimum asking price will be $1048.

    And there will be many takers — people far smarter than you who recognize the value of a week at Black Rock City is absolutely magical, and worth far more.

    I’ll probably be able to get tickets as a Mutant Vehicle owner, or a returning Registered Theme Camp Organizer, or because of the volunteer shifts I put in for the Center Camp Cafe’ stage. But if none of those pan out, and STEP yields nothing, I’ll definitely spend the $1000 – $1500 to be able to get a ticket. It’s worth it.

    Have you watched the Seuss video? tack /watch?v=ahv_1IS7SiE onto youtube (dot) com, then sit back to watch a 7-minute window on what you could be doing for an entire week.

    But as you watch it, understand something else — virtually none of what you see is paid for by the price of admission. Participants bring the generators and pay for the fuel that light all of those lights. They build all of the art cars, only occasionally getting just a bit of help from the Borg. Ditto the art. There are exceptions, but for the most part people going for the first time don’t do that stuff. What may look like elitism and meanness is actually an understanding that without a few groups of people, the magic won’t happen. Volunteers build the infrastructure, take the tickets, provide a first-level response to problems that keep the uniformed law enforcement officers at bay. Without volunteers, there will be no Man and no Temple. Without volunteers, most medical care will not be available. Of the 10,000 tickets, probably half will go to those absolutely essential volunteers, many who arrive weeks early and get paid nothing.

    The remainder of the tickets will go to theme camps so they can get the people in who have the knowledge and/or equipment to make their particular camp work. Reportedly, half of the tickets have already gone to new Burners. Without the allocation of the last 10,000 tickets, Burning Man this year would look like a sea of RVs and tents, with very few major art pieces, few art cars, and nothing on the Esplanade that has made it a destination for everyone in years past.

    You sell your tickets at your own peril, but rest assured there will be takers if you go that route — people who have experienced the magic and wouldn’t miss it for the world.

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  • Winchester says:

    -got 2 tickets at the $390 level and, of course, happy to pay it for my friend and I to go (3rd burn each)

    -another friend got 2 tickets “on speculation” meaning he got them in case he could go figuring he would just sell them if he could not, knowing there would be no problem in finding a buyer

    -I told him I would beat him up if he sold them for a dollar over face value..he’s probably not going to be able to go and herein lies a MAJOR PROBLEM…you have to stop this ‘hoarding’ of tickets. I’m sure a ton of people did the same thing and are now with tickets that others need and not quite sure what to do with them…..if you sell it, even at face value, who’s to say you are not selling to a scalper and STEP is no better (probably tons of scalpers who did not get tickets 1st time who are signed up for STEP)…

    1)stop the “speculation buying’ by starting the selling process earlier and creating some pain if a person cancels (perhaps only a 50% refund)….make people think before buying a ticket if they really can go. This will solve the problem of unequity that the virgins feel as they have the same chance to get tickets as the veterans. However, a huge % of veterans will get tickets because they are committed as soon as they leave BRC. In other words, if they sold tickets on the way out during exodus I know I would buy one.

    2)stop scalping by putting names on tickets….period.

    Combined, these two simple changes will assure the tickets sell slower but with equal opportunity for veterans and virgins, both extremely crucial to what BRC is all about; commit to BRC early or don’t whine when you don’t get a ticket.

    Interested in seeing what goes down on the Playa this year and I will be going in any year I get a ticket……thanks Burning Man for the most mindblowing experience of my life!!

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  • Reema says:

    Ok..so I’m a newbie. It’s my first time at BM this year. I’ve wanted to go for the past two years and economic hardship or family issues have prevented me from going. This year, I’m ready to go and I’m excited to experience it! I may be a newbie, but I want to contribute my energy to the event and I already offered to volunteer my time, to the theme camp I’m staying with even before this ticket mumbo jumbo happened. And it sucks to be putting my effort into an event that I might not be able to go to. Makes it hard to stay motivated. I feel bad for people who have really elaborate art projects they’re working on who don’t have tickets.
    I’ve been to other events that are volunteer based and EVERYONE who attends is required to participate in creating the event. If supply of tickets is exceeding demand, is it possible to at least give priority to those who are willing to participate? Doesn’t matter if your a newbie or you’ve been going for 14 years. If you want to participate your time and energy either before, during or after the event, you get priority. Seems fair to me…

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  • Colin says:

    lame, so now its a festival based on freedom that excludes people. yall are losing it man

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  • Colin says:

    And i just read a post that says tickets will go for $1000+! who the hell is this community of inspiration catering to anyway

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  • Haig khatchikian says:

    It is kind of frustrating to see what happened here. The best way and fair to do this, of selling tickets, is to sell to the theme campers 50% of the tickets and the New Burners 50%. That’s the perfect balance.
    And Why do you say there is no way to add extra tickets. Where is the positive thinking. I believe it is possible to add few thousand more tickets this year, I’m sure with that extra money you could bring a security team to guide the traffic. Thank you for reading this post. Love and light.
    Haig The Burner!

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  • Ian says:

    Yeah I really think relocation is the only option. Is there a way to relocate, and therefore allow a much bigger audience to enjoy the burn? I want to go so bad, but you know what if I can’t make it then I’ll be happy anyway. ^ ^ I’m just so happy something like this exists at all. And I’m glad so many people can really let loose and rediscover and HUMANITY and BEAUTY that exists inside of them, nomatter what.

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  • Tomaso says:

    “You may only purchase one ticket through STEP; this ticket is non-transferable and can only be held at Will Call. A STEP ticket is only for you”.
    There are 4 of us going for the last 14 years. IF the 2 that went to buy the tickets get them from STEP, but the other 2 eventually Don’t then we would want to be able to sell those tickets back to STEP.

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  • Paula Kathleen says:

    This year was meant to be my second burn and I was bringing along my best friend to pop his burn cherry but alas we weren’t selected in the first ticket sales. We were counting on scholarship or low income tickets, due to our young low income life. Many of my burn friends are in the same situation as well. What should we do now? With tickets getting more expensive by the day we won’t have any money for supplies and gas to make the trip and pay rent at the same time. Although new burnings are great, having a huge bulk be new comers may run the risk of burning man becoming just a tourist fad and lose its integrity. I don’t want a burning man that’s just a means for people to do lots of drugs and say they went to black rock to give themselves some edgy story. Thats not what burning man is about. The first burn is the most memorable and newcomers are counting on veteran burners to show the real meaning tradition and love of burning man but, what if this year their not there because they couldn’t get tickets or their so out numbered by new comers they lose interest to go? Should we just forgo until next year? Please burning man people keep fighting to keep the integrity of burning man alive. There must be some way to fix this so everyone can go and keep the integrity and truth of Burning Man alive.

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  • carnivore camp says:

    to all the new people coming this year – welcome home! we’re looking forward to meeting you and having you join the community. get ready – be prepared – enjoy life

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  • Blake says:

    I was awarded two tickets in the lottery.

    One ticket for me to attend my second burn, and the second ticket for a friend (yet undetermined) to come enjoy this year’s burn.

    Having attended last year I now see the value of being a part of a camp, a co-creator of Burning Man. I see now that I am burning man, not merely a witness to the event. This distinction is ever more present now with the limited ticket availability.

    Right now let’s make sure the core, most influential, most involved people are there. Because right now, from the posts I’ve read, we are not ‘being’ Burning Man, we are being selfish and that is never what Burning Man has been about.

    Let’s get back in the spirit of gifting, and get past the habit of asking.

    I am offering up one of my tickets to one of these core influential people of Burning Man, and if the one for me to attend has to go too then it is on the offering plate as well.

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  • PC Hippie says:

    Blake: You made my day.

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  • NachoMama says:

    NachoMama here. We looked at the lottery and decided this will not work, so we did not even enter. Will will not be there this year giving out nachos to our fellow citizens.I certainly feel for the big camps who need everyone to pull it off. Ours is a small but tasty effort and me, NachoDaddy & Nacho Bite do it on our own with the help of Black Rock neighbors. We will miss you all this year & hope to be there next year.

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  • Sarah says:

    I have heard about Burning Man for years, since 1996, and this is the first time I had the opportunity to get a ticket. Just because someone is a new burner doesn’t mean that they are not new to the whole system. and haven’t gone to an outside burn from Black Rock. I was suppose to meet up with people that I have never met that have gone (they got tickets) and some people I have not seen for 18 years. I was disppointed in the tickets sales because a lot of my friends who have gone, are going and I am left out. But I do have hope that I may go this year. I pray…..

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  • Sarah says:

    Also, now that you are not doing regular tickets sales and are going to be giving them to the camps. Those that are so-called “new burners” will not have the chance to contribute to the community through volunteering or using our creativity. I think you are limiting yourself.

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  • Sarah says:

    The world is changing and growing so should Burning Man.

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  • Mutant vehicle owners of America says:

    Sarah…..I agree. Let’s just do it thoughtfully and intelligently. Not arrogantly….as the Borg did.

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  • First thing I would do is not allow multiple tickets to be bought by one person. 1 ticket = 1 person. If someone wants to go they can for sure take 10 minutes to go online and fill out the application. This would reduce the over buying by a lot.

    Second thing I would do is give the people who didn’t get a ticket this year first crack at buying a ticket next year. It’s only fair. I don’t care if you’ve burned 20 times you shouldn’t get to go two years in a row while someone else doesn’t get to go at all.

    The third thing I would do is find a new venue. There is plenty of dessert out there and I’m sure we can find a place that can accomodate 500,000 people or even more. EDC was awesome when it was at the Coliseum. It when the shit hit the fan they found a new place to go and the show carried on and everyone had a great time

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  • U2pilot says:

    @ Sarah — It is believed by the Borg that roughly 40% of the lottery tickets are going to new burners, which is a substantially higher percentage than has ever been the case (except the first year). It’s not that new burners are being discriminated against or not given a “fair chance.” Rather, there are a huge number of volunteers needed to make the event work, from taking tickets to providing a first level of dispute resolution (Rangers), to construction of the city itself (DPW), the Man and the Temple, to selling coffee and ice, to providing non-critical medical care. And that’s just scratching the surface. Only 25% of the volunteers that would have been returning got tickets, and that was a recipe for disaster. Beyond that, while many new burners may bring a lot of energy, few have the art and mutant vehicles and attractions that are required to get a theme camp registered. New burners (typically) don’t know how or where to contribute in the ways that bring so much light and color and magic to the event.

    Have you watched the Seuss-themed video on youtube? If not, tack /watch?v=ahv_1IS7SiE onto the end of youtube (dot) com. It is wonderful, and very authentic. But what most new people don’t understand is that almost nothing in that video was provided by the Borg. All of it is brought by participants. Without the theme camps and art and mutant vehicles (who are also in the pool for the 10,000 tickets), Burning Man would be little except a bunch of people camping in a hot, dry dusty desert and wondering, WTF was the big deal.

    The decision to withhold the final 10,000 tickets for the people who make the city what it is was the right decision. I believe I have a line on a ticket, but you will find a great many vets who can’t say that still supported the decision that probably saved Burning Man, this year and for many years to come.

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  • alkali crumb says:

    How about registering tickets to peoples names/license plates/distinguishing tatoos/security questions, pin numbers…whatever to thwart scalping.

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  • Angel says:

    Alkali crumb, great idea, distinguishing tatoos, thats so funny, I love it. Those scalpers, thats as low as possible to go. There just has to be a to stop them.

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  • Angel says:

    Alkali crumb, great idea, distinguishing tatoos, thats so funny, I love it. Those scalpers, thats as low as possible to go. There just has to be a way to stop them.

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  • Apollo, Pan's Gardener says:

    Well, many good points brought up here. As a small art car owner, I’ve had a terrible time trying to submit the Art Car Registration Questionnaire- so much so that I didn’t bring it last year & probably won’t this year either. I do hope to hit the playa somehow, because I enjoy helping out under prepared new Burners. Over the last 14 years of continuous burns, it’s the contribution I’m most proud of. Please, no matter how frustrating this failed ticket experiment may have been, remember not to take your anguish out on the newest generation of Burners.

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  • Rudy says:

    As a long time Burner I’m still waiting for an apology. All I read on the BM website is that you are “real sorry things turned out so bad.” Well that’s like getting caught cheating on your wife or husband and saying “gee, I’m sorry I got caught and it made you feel so bad.” That is not an apology. Come on BM step up and tell us you screwed up big time and it will never happen again. As for as your solution to the ticket sales, that’s something a 5th grade math student could figure out. If you’ve got a sellout event, it doesn’t take an international group of sociologist, computer genius and spiritual leaders to decide on a solution. I go along with the tear system if that’s what it takes to help finance your event with cash flow. Every 5th grader knows about supply and demand. How about raising the prices to meet the demand. It’s a weeklong event. The ticket prices are the cheapest part of the equation. Come on BM people fix it now and never let it happen again or we will be parting ways.

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  • This is the End my beautiful, beautiful Friends, I love you all so much and I am so very , grateful for the time we had. You have had a profound impact on my life, my view of the world and the people in it and my hope for the future of our species. To me it was always, always about the people you meet along the way, not about blinking dooms or Critical Tits or Freq Nasty at sunrise or smoking DMT on a pirate ship, to me it was about the smiles and hugs and friends you had’nt met yet. That , we’re all in this together attitude and lets help one another be comfortable in this harsh environment. ” Radical Inclusion, a house in which we all can live, ” welcome stranger, we’re glad you made it”. And the moment you exclude one person because they’re new or they don’t have enough features or leather on, we lose that thing that we had. Its so hard to let go of something that you love to so much, but that thing is now gone and morphed into something else. Its a clique now and we don’t want you, you’re ruining our good time.

    1. It is not possible to simply grow the event to welcome more people in 2012. Between traffic concerns and the limitations placed on attendance by the Bureau of Land Management, that’s off the table.

    Find a way in 2013, I know you can do it. Burning Man is too important, to too many people to let it die this way. There’s plenty of room out there, add some more streets, bring in some more Porta Johns and Give the BLM another million bucks. Have faith and thanks for the memories.

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  • bobalish says:

    So, I registered for two tickets in the lottery (one for me, one for me girlfriend). We didn’t register with TWO credit cards to increase our chances; it was just me. Now with STEP, the best we could get is ONE; how does that make sense? Seems like it should be that we could try and get the same amount we requested…. Plusssss, this ONE ticket is non-transferable… If I do get one, but my plans change (like not being able to find a second), then I am out the $$$…

    On point two….how about mailing out the tickets sooner that June??? If I ended up buying from someone on CL, I will have to wait until they actually have their ticket in hand?!

    Ahhhhhh…. I love you BMORG, but is just someone just making up these rules in their sleep?

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  • Mutant vehicle owners of America says:

    Hey Apollo….the questionnaire is as easy as ……..well, pie to submit this year. The licensing at DMV was vastly improved last year. DMV should have spearheaded the ticket snafu. They seem to understand that simple is better.

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  • Masoud says:

    Hi Universe!

    I NEED a ticket, Please!

    Masoid

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  • Jonathon says:

    Hi all
    I find myself going through phases of emotions about Burning man and the ticket situation. Last year was my first year there, and I fell, hook line and sinker, in love. I bought a ticket at the advanced sale, the fear of scarcity got to me. Now I hear about the way that some theme camps only have about fifteen to twenty percent of their contributing persons with tickets. the BM folks can do the math, because they have the information on request to tickets in ratio to the number of tickets issued, and I’ll bet it’s higher than fifteen to twenty percent, so I’m guessing the theme camps that did better are being quiet, like me with my advanced ticket, because they have no need to speak. I’m betting that Burning Man, like much of it’s art, will be the same , and yet wonderfully different. I don’t know if I will go, and if I don’t, I will either sell at cost or give away my ticket, and I will look for other ways to spread the spirit. Thanks and gratitude to all.

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  • kp says:

    A suggestion I have to reduce the friends and family getting extra tickets is to … put a name to the ticket. You can still have the lottery but putting names on tickets will reduce friends and family trying to help out the ones who really plan to attend. This will prevent friends and family from buying tickets because they cannot gift them to anyone. They would have to sell them back to STEP. And then it goes back into the lottery pool and EVERYONE can have a chance of getting those tcikets. Yes there are some logistics in organizing this but I am sure BM can make it happen. This should also prevent scapling.

    Another suggestion is to make the tickets non-refundable after a certain date. I am not sure what that certain date would have to be but it puts ticket holders into a firm commitment to attend or lose their ticket.

    Volunteering to pre-qualify for tickets is also something I would support. More logistics and organization for the BM group to work out.

    But since demand is growing and supply remains constant … something must be done differently.

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  • Tisk tisk, consumption at its finest. it seemed a hypocracy to me how comodified burning man now reads as a culture, the fashionable “burner” outfits cost around 300 bucks for lemmings who copy some ideal that is mainly a short lived rebellion.
    the consumers have basically ruined something that was a refuge. this is why cult means just that – its NOT meant to be for everyone. we are not all the same, not all equals. Time for burning women in 2012 – reconnect, recreate…escape!

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  • Ak and Autumn says:

    No tickets for us! Our burn is bummed, One of us is not going without the other. Seems our friends were not lucky either. There will be no Tequila Shack at 9 and the outer limits. Last year I have to admit was the best ever for us. Conditions could not have been better all the way around. We wish everyone that is going the best of times and hope it comes off well. Guess with a lot of luck we are now a year and a half from our next one if we are lucky.

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  • My fate is now in the hands of the Playa winds, STEP and the BORG, if a ticket blows my way great, if not, also great… I will not cry, I will not pout, I will organize a ‘regional burn’ and make sure I INVITE everyone!!! Ticket no Ticket, who’s fucking desert is it anyways!!!
    HUGS FOR SPANKS!
    HUGS FOR SPANKS!
    SPANKS FOR HUGS!

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  • Sayer Oftheobvious says:

    So, it’s obvious isn’t it? Refund tickets issued, use open sale method in multiple waves. It will give you a clear picture of how fast they are selling, and how many people will naturally be excluded that way. It will DEFINITELY be better than EVERY SINGLE CAMP MISSING A THIRD OF THEIR MEMBERS. What you are doing that way is building a shitty Burning Man, with half ass art.

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  • Ben says:

    First timer here. I’m going to sign up for STEP but I don’t know what I’ll do if I get a ticket and my sister, who I planned on attending with, doesn’t. Hope I can make it but sounds like its a mess right now.

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  • Bummed says:

    If it really is true that the estimates are that scalpers got up to 20.000 tickets with prepaid credit cards, then this is a true mess. Names on tickets, ID at the gate that would stop the scalpers. Ebays stub hub has been selling tickets like crazy since the burningman sales were were over. As they sell them they put more on, it does seem like they have a huge supply and we are 6 months away from the event. It is just wrong that stub hub can do this. Please BMorg make sure this can never happen again!!!!!!!!! Stub hub is just laughing all the way to the bank!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  • Nancy says:

    We asked Burning Man for a refund because we can’t use our two tickets. They didn’t want them back so something isn’t right. We want to do the right thing by sending the tickets to STEP but it was supposed to be in place by now but there has been no notification. Looks like Stub Hub is the way Burning Man want us to go. I could use the extra cash but someone could have gotten the tickets for face value. What a continuing mess!!!

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  • Bexs says:

    I live in British Columbia Canada and have been going to festivals in the woods or by a river since I was born. I could understand if tickets were sold out and I didn’t get one but, you are creating a class society saying that some people are valued more then others and there is no fairness to this. Saying that first time burners have less to offer in terms of theme camps or art is judgmental and favors your friends. As a first time burner I was planning on offering a lot but I guess now you will never know.

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  • Sound Man says:

    There is still a lot of confusion about the first come, first serve nature of STEP. How is registration going to be accomplished other than receiving a link in our invitation email? If that is it, please give us clear direction so that we can camp on our email Inbox waiting for the message. And I hope you know that your email servers will be extremely hard pressed to send out all the emails simultaneously (that is probably a vast understatement; at best the emails will be spread over many hours), thus STRONGLY biasing STEP line position based on only-you-know-what ordering of your email sending. Please tell me you’ve considered this next ticketing hurtle and have something better. But if not, please give extremely clear direction so that those of us who really want a ticket, will be able to put in the extra effort to get ourselves placed higher in the queue.

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  • U2pilot says:

    @ Sound Man

    My guess is that STEP will be handled in much the same way that ticket sales have been handled in the past — there will be an announced time when the gate will open, and queue-position numbers will be assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. They will probably go with In-Ticketing, so the servers will be overloaded and crash, but ultimately everyone will have gotten a chance to register. When tickets come in that match your price-level, you’ll get an e-mail giving you a chance to buy.

    Problem is, unless they impose identity-based ticketing on all of the tickets sold in the lottery, STEP is going to have next to nothing coming in for resale.

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  • U2pilot says:

    @ Bexs

    You are missing the point. The estimate, acknowledged by Harley DuBois (Borg board member) as reasonable, is that 40% or more of the tickets are already going to newbies. The problem is that unless something is done to bring back the volunteers that build and service the city, and the theme camps and art cars that provide the amazing things to see and do, there will be nothing there to make it magical. The best analogy I’ve read is the comparison to a sold-out sporting event and requiring the team members to participate in the same lottery as the fans. Only 25% of the people on the field would be team members, and the rest would be people who had never played the game before. Or perhaps an airline flight where only one in 4 crew members had any training.

    The lottery was a huge mistake, but I doubt anyone who does get into Burning Man this summer is going to be saddened that there are some theme camps and art cars, rather than an even bigger proportion of newbies. It’s too bad the roads and ingress/egress won’t support a larger event so everyone could go.

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  • Chaiverson says:

    Why is this seemingly so difficult? The thought of someone PAYING $1000 for a ticket sickens me just as much as the rat bastard who is CHARGING it! A deep pocket only means “entertain me”! That is not Burning Man!
    Tickets have not been mailed yet! BMO has a record of every ticket paid for. Announce that names will be printed on every ticket, the person with 2 tickets has to show ID for admittance… This seems so simple to me. Am I missing something here?

    Start a link for volunteers and those in need of help. I am here! I have skills and resources that I would be only too happy to share and feel some purpose to this… My first burn! I have tried logging in to the Vancouver burner site and it seems to be stagnant right now.

    I am excited beyond belief to finally have the opportunity to be a part of this!

    Why is there so much panic and animosity? Claw the 20,000 or so tickets back from the rat bastard scalpers and there is lots left for those who truly need them.

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  • Frustrated and streessed out says:

    This whole ticket mess is the worst thing we have dealt with in along time. We have been planning to go to burningman since we got back last year. It is stressful not knowing if we will ever get tickets so we can continue planning or just do something else. I feel like the BMorg just keeps us hanging with that little glimmer of hope. They keep changing the rules as they go, this is just the most messed up stuff ever. Does anybody else feel like this? All this waiting is just plan hell. Scalper prices just keep going up. This all just sucks. We just want to go to burningman, participate like crazy and have the best time ever.WE want to bring art and magic and love and peace and the joy of just living. We just feel like running around the house screaming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Well thats all for now. Thankyou for listening. We still love you all. We know its nobodys Fault. Its just a sign of the times. Thanks again, and love and the best to you all.

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  • Burner Bunny says:

    Thank you for your post, Tim Says, about less RV-hate! Many, many Burners are avid campers and explorers in the default world, who, believe it or not, are not all trashy, littering snobs…so when one is fortunate enough to own an RV, why would we not use that at Burning Man, rather than produce more waste and consumerism by purchasing tents, sleeping bags, coolers, yada yada ad infinitum? Just to prove we’re not snobs? Most of the RV Burners we’ve observed, including ourselves, share the “wealth” by inviting(or accepting those not invited) hot, dusty strangers inside for a little AC, fresh water, a much appreciated shower, shade from our awnings, ice from our freezers….and don’t give me crap about generators – they are running 24-7 at major camps to power the Party, but most of us RV-ers are considerate enough to run them at a minimum, and at times least likely to disturb our neighbors. Burning Man clearly has evolved into a big RV event…get over it. As for tickets, yikes, it’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out. We may end up having two tickets to sell at face value if it’s not looking any better to us by July.

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  • Jacob says:

    I will be a first time burner this year with my friend. We have both wanted to go for years but the timing never worked. I know we are both really excited thinking about ways we can contribute.

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  • bobalish says:

    Stubhub is going nuts and the prices keep going up…

    Blame the whiners that complained about not getting tickets when BM sold out. All this mess created by a TINY percentage of slackers that didn’t buy their tickets during the SIX MONTHS they were all on sale?! Worse than that is BMORG’s response which only created a large ticket demand and increased the resale value of the tickets…

    Trying to fight the scalpers and help the slackers only helped the scalpers and screwed about 40,000…

    Seriously, if I were on the BMORG Board, I would resign.

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  • Burner Bound says:

    Would be the year that Burning Man outgrows the playa physically and spreads as an international event. I know that there are already other events that are “Burning Manesque” in other parts of the country. Each Burning Man site would have it’s own unique character based on the locale but just as wonderful. The playa could share all it has learned about creating community and spread this knowledge intentionally at the other events. All welcome. If it’s growing, let it grow! Love!

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  • Dog Rancher says:

    Express your self nothing radical!
    Okay BMorg should all resign after saying we fu__up
    There is no inclusion rather the the opposite BMorg is excluding folks and not telling the truth to all.

    Principles BMorg have no princaples whats so ever. BMorg are a bunch of hypocrites,
    It’s all about them and how much monet they can get and take advantage of the slave labor to pound fence stake’s in the playa. For the BMorg again.

    The truth always comes out you can not run from it BM is dead move on.

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  • LovEvolve says:

    I was shocked to read Wompas comment and even more that anyone agrees with them! Are you forgetting the principle of Radical Inclusion? Forgive me if I dont understand the difference between “weeding out” and “weeding in”, especially when its based on who has the most money and who can write the best essay. I think there being Entry Requirements at all goes completely against the idea of Radical Inclusion which is really what makes burning man so great. I always pesonally descibe it as a Heart-Opening experience and that isnt because of good art or parties, its because of the people and the love is that is there. If you start asking for Entry Essays, one will “look better” than another, and it quickly becomes a popularity contest.. And Burning man is Already difficult to get into… Not everyone lives in San Francisco and can just hitch a ride with a friend. Some people have to get A Lot organized and already spend a lot of time and money just to Get there, let alone get all the gear, food, and participating.

    I absolutely agree with Wompas idea of the requirement that newcomers should volunteer a certain number of hours, but that being said, this is supposed to be a community based festival, so everyone should volunteer a couple of hours.

    I also would like to add that I agree with there being names on tickets, with them being non-transferable it should avoid some scalpers and you can better track whos coming.. there could also be an the option to get a refund at least a week before the festival if you cant make it.

    I have faith in the organization and hope Ill see you all out there.. Love.

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  • Michelle says:

    Dammit. I was really hoping to experience what all of my friends have been talking about. This amazing experience in the middle of a desert where love, happiness, dust, fantasies, craziness, bonding, sand, experimenting, euphoria, wind storms, etc… All happen. :( I will hopefully be a first time burner, but I get the feeling that the energy will be different. Either way I’m crossing my fingers even though my luck is pretty crappy…I hope to get a ticket!

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  • BigBob says:

    I see it like this.
    Revert to the old way where tickets are first come first served, It worked in 2011, but they sold out near towards the event date, then that was what drove the frenzy, Ebay had record 2 tix for $10,000.00 within hours, prices dropped right to event date to normal prices).
    So sell the old way, but only have ONLY an email record sent to you holding the tickets for you AND NOT IN YOUR NAME ON THE TICKETS, charge the Visa or MC. Then for a small service charge have the tickets be able to be sent back to the BMan purchase queue, should you be unable to go, and have the next person in line who was unable to get tickets, then be able to receive them (email to confirm …charge visa). I bought extra tcikets at cost in 2011 from a an indiviuall via craigslist and would have rather had them send thiers back to the queue and buy them from Bman queue, rather than believe a stranger via email and phone call.
    Maybe this would be worth trying next year, after all this way isnt working OBVIOUSLY, only two out of 10 in our camp got tickets this year.

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  • Richard Labate (Dr Took-A-Look) says:

    If there were no buyers for scalpers tickets they would be screwed and there would be spaces for the rest of us. Why don’t you just sell more tickets and
    cut off the scalpers and cheaters, they wouldn’t be able to sell their overpriced
    tickets and the rest of us could get in. I bet the attendance wouldn’t be much
    over the 2011 group and there would be more ticket money for the coffers.
    Maybe stagger entrance dates so the road could handle the traffic a little better.
    Let’s be proactive, down with the scalpers and spectators. Let us participants
    bring our art. Don’t saddle us with scalper tickets.
    Rich

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  • Moshe Spnd says:

    First!!

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  • Moshe Spnd says:

    First!!

    and i know how important the backbone of burning man is, the cultural community which without I’m sure won’t be the same
    I’m looking forward for the ticket problem to sort out

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  • Must say we are disappointed. I’ve waited 13 years to finally be at the place where I am ready to come.. and ironically it just so happens to be my 40th birthday that weekend. (and a full moon no less). When we couldn’t get a ticket in Feb. we had hope for March! but alas, we have empathy! growth comes with growing pains… unavoidably.
    So my question is, where is the alternative gathering going to be, why not spread out with off shoots and start a second burning man??? hmmmm…

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  • U2pilot says:

    Richard Labate (Dr Took-A-Look) asks:

    “Why don’t you just sell more tickets?”

    The lease given by BLM to Burning Man LLC for the event contains an attendance cap. I suspect there’s already a bit of padding on that to account for no-shows. It would be the height of irresponsibility to expect and plan for the tickets in the hands of scalpers to go into the trash, rather than be sold at a loss as the event date nears.

    Clearly there are tickets in the hands of scalpers. A quick look at StubHub, with 48 tickets at $2499 should leave not doubt as to that. But, the division between newbies and scalpers is completely unknown. The Seuss video (youtube (dot) com (slash) watch?v=ahv_1IS7SiE) has 1.3 million hits when tickets went on sale. If just 5% of those views turned into purchases, that’s half of the attendance cap right there.

    Meaning, there may well be close to 50,000 people already planning to attend. Selling more tickets without BLM blessing would make this year’s the last Burning Man ever.

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  • Damon Hicks says:

    hey
    i am hoping to be a first time burner this year and reading through the site it doesn’t look like that is going to be a possibility. i understand that there isn’t really a way to expand the fest any further but, (and this is a crazy out there idea) maybe the festival could be expanded to a two fest situation so people that didnt make the first one could make the second. this is most like an impossibility do to planning and everything else that is involved with such a festival but its an idea and with so many people interested, especially newbies, maybe its the only way for everyone to be included and expand the burner lifestyle.
    hope to be there and peace to you all

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  • Mark Wood says:

    Think the best way out of this predicament is to create a list of members. Tickets spaces allocated to members first and only spare capacity sold if available.

    In the first year of running a members scheme you make sure the list is made up from previous participants. This helps with continuity and very important for long term strategy.

    Each year the folks that are lucky in obtaining the available spare tickets become members. A fair system for growth.

    Pity I have been watching your activities for a good few years and was planing on making a trip this year or next. Hope you get things sorted and I can make that trip one day.

    All the best Mark Wood. Shropshire . England.

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  • Katie says:

    I’ve browsed a lot of the comments, and granted I haven’t read all 1400+ of them, but I kiiinda agree with some people when they propose “another burningman.”

    The way I see it is, well, if the demand for tickets was 3X that of availability, that means that there’s a pretty good party of creative and willing individuals out there without tickets this year (including myself).

    And, though last year was my first year helping a theme camp/art installation/attending… forgive me if I’ve missed the point 100%, but I feel like the reason we want to refer to it as a “movement” and not just a festival is that as a culture it is absolutely meant to grow and change, and to “radically include” more and more people into it because, well, imho, it’s fing awesome!

    That being said, I’m not trying to preach about a whole “thou shalt incorporate this into thine daily lives,” but merely proposing that with all these thousands of people without tickets, I’m sure we could all come up with a way to come together this year not in spite of feeling left out, but merely because we’re furthering the movement.

    We the bummed out people, let’s just get out there and do something together! Who’s got a field or something, eh? I’ve got some lights and campstove!

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  • Kyle says:

    I applaud the Board’s decision to award tickets to those who make BM happen each year. It is long past time to weed out the “disadvantaged” people who come to the playa to feed off of the generosity of others. Those without the means to contribute should be prevented from attending.

    Going forward, veteran Burners should be “grandfathered” in and first-timers should pay an initiation fee to help support the BM organization and demonstrate their commitment to the playa. Future first-timers should be allowed to attend by invitation-only after having been sponsored by a long-time Burner.

    A dozen of us each received our pair of tickets in the lottery. We look foward to a year with fewer first-timers and more serious Burners.

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  • Cass says:

    I’ve been intimately hearing about Burning Man since at least ’99, but never made the trek out — for health/disability reasons (while I’m sure some people manage the Playa w/ their own similar or worse situations than mine, I just couldn’t see myself being strong enough to do it) … I am now at a point where I consider attending to be a near-future life goal … I’m worried that if numbers are what they are, it will never happen. That being said — perhaps limiting the number of new burners to a lottery, guaranteed at a certain percentage of total tix available (allowing for those who choose 1 ticket and those who choose 2 tickets to be fulfilled) … being a new burner is a privilege and without the community to support the experience, being a new burner is pointless …. in the whole scheme of things, fairness dictates that it is the new-comers who should be limited, n’est pas?

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  • Lost Burner says:

    Nothing immutable save for death and taxes.

    BM said:
    “1. It is not possible to simply grow the event to welcome more people in 2012. Between traffic concerns and the limitations placed on attendance by the Bureau of Land Management, that’s off the table.”

    Hogwash. Work with the Bureau of Land Management and get the numbers increased. I know for a fact it’s doable. And/or hold Burning Man: Part 2 – either before or after the current event.

    Is Larry aligned with this whimpering surrender? Listen, if all of this is unfair and unworkable, then BM must reverse the results of the current ticket sale. Period. As you point out, no physical tickets have been created or sent out, so simply nullifying the process and beginning again is the right thing to do, it’s the brave thing to do, it’s the hard thing to do.

    Burners choose to go to Black Rock City not because it is easy, but because it is challenging, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because the experience is one that we are aching for, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to share with the others, those we have come to know from Burnings past.

    Welcome strangers sure, but don’t eject community members to do so. It’s unacceptable. It cannot be allowed to happen, it must not happen. Grow some spine. Quit making excuses.

    There’s plenty of time start over – protect the current community. Split the current community into two parts, burning man part 1 and burning man part 2 (perhaps the week before) then, invite a 50% virgin representation to each. Find a new venue. Do something. The list of possibilities is endless. Be brave, be creative – do right.

    Failure to be creative is unequivocally the death knell of burning man. There’s no question.

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  • Peter says:

    Please, return to first come first served method but will a few modifications:

    1: One or two ticket per credit card
    2: Names on tickets (or will call)
    3: Start sales later for better planning (less “just-in-case” purchases) and sell in batches of 10,000 or so.
    4: Less publicity. Less journalists. Less youtube videos! Media destroys anything worthwhile!
    5: This year add another 5,000 tickets the weeks before. That will destroy a large part of the scalpers market.
    6: Make sure virgins understand what it’s really about. Everyone should be welcome but BM isn’t your average “festival”.

    Please, no lottery, and no special-treatment for anyone!

    See you all in 2013 ;-)

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  • RC says:

    HOLY BALLS! Took 17 minutes using 3 browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) to FINALLY get through to register for the STEP program. I tried starting exactly at Noon PST. One would think that BMOrg would anticipate heavy server traffic and load balance for the onslaught at Noon. Apparently not. 17 minutes it took me…which means I’m probably knocked even further down the line for possibility of tickets. Oy vey!

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  • MikeyMc says:

    Have never been but family members have. If physical limits prevent increased participation at the one and only event, why not consider a second, parallel event… call it Burning Woman and coordinate camps, groups into similar/disparate themes. Or perhaps Burning Man West and Burning Man East. I’m sure the eastcoasters would agree.

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  • Neva says:

    Hi there everyone, this is going to be my first time at Burning Man. I’ve been aware of it for well over a decade since a friend told me about it when I was 14 or 15, but before 2012 it had never been the right year to go. For some reason, something changed this year and it felt right. I’m guessing that there are a lot of people out there who felt the same thing, hence the huge demand for tickets. I guess it’s Burning Man reaching a whole lot more people and sharing the values and principles that make it with the wider world.

    I applied through the lottery system, just for one ticket, and it came through. I know that there are a lot of people out there who have been long-time Burners who didn’t get a ticket, and I’ll be watching to see if it looks like the right thing for me to do is keep hold of my ticket or not. I don’t feel a massive sense of entitlement to this ticket – not at the expense of the community. But then, it feels like this has been a long time coming for me and, well, now it’s arrived.

    What I will do is contribute everything I can to the experience and not go there to manipulate or exploit. I want to go in openess and honesty to meet other folk who are drawn to this experience too, and then take that back to my everyday life to share with the people around me.

    When I read this letter from Burning Man, I was sitting on a grey bus on a grey morning in a grey city and it reminded me that there is life and soul and heart out there. Thank you for still welcoming the newbies. I come to join the old-hands. Hope to see you on the playa.

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  • erreur says:

    PLEEEEEEEASE!! How could you not have foreseen this after the fiasco last year? I called this immediately. It is 2012, ultimate party year next to 1999, being this huge transitional year and all….what is the one thing people are going to want to do this year to make that “transition?” GO TO BURNING MAN. I don’t buy that you people didn’t see this. How is that possible? I’m an IDIOT and I saw it. So……my guess is that you people have been planning to end the event for this year and decided that this was the perfect year. You created this lottery system after the stunt you pulled last year and have “bought” large quantities of your own tickets via proxy “scalpers,” in order to resell them at many times their face value, thus cashing in on the last BM. And don’t be fooled folks….this is it. This is no ACCIDENT. At least at the top. The people at the bottom may not realize it, but I do. Has it grown beyond your ability to manage and there is probably simply too much pressure from Law Enforcement and the State of Nevada for you to continue throwing the event? Maybe you are simply tired and want a break, want to retire and spend your year doing something other than poring over the details and specifics that go into planning and coordinating the event? There is simply NO WAY you can convince me that you didn’t anticipate this after the FIASCO last year. NO WAY. You people are too shrewd and intelligent for me to buy that.

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  • Berty says:

    Time for a new burning man is all. One that doesn’t exclude.

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  • CapnJoe says:

    Our camp got extra tickets today!!!!! WHOOOOPEEEE!!!! Good things do happen.

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  • Mars says:

    I’m stunned by how many are suggesting making it into 2 fests. Pls stop daydreaming without thinking first. Read how long exodus takes. How long the Leave No Trace teams work after the one week event. How long it takes to create the roads, signs, Center Camp. Think how many theme camps it takes to create the BM experience – and how long it takes them to set up and tear down. Think about how long one crew at a camp can be expected to live in the desert to serve TWO festivals. How about the wear on the environment? About the time you’d need between fests and how to fit them both into one summer.

    Not back-to-back festivals, it is impossible. It’s going to have to come down to the Regionals. More Regionals, where people CAN come in as entry level Burners and learn how to Participate, Not Spectate.th

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  • Mars says:

    I’m stunned by how many are suggesting making it into 2 fests. Pls stop daydreaming without thinking first. Read how long exodus takes. How long the Leave No Trace teams work after the one week event. How long it takes to create the roads, signs, Center Camp. Think how many theme camps it takes to create the BM experience – and how long it takes them to set up and tear down. Think about how long one crew at a camp can be expected to live in the desert to serve TWO festivals. How about the wear on the environment? About the time you’d need between fests and how to fit them both into one summer.

    Not back-to-back festivals, it is impossible. It’s going to have to come down to the Regionals. More Regionals, where people CAN come in as entry level Burners and learn how to Participate, Not Spectate.

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  • mysticalmountaincat says:

    I’m torn.. I’ve wanted to go to this festival for many years. I regret turning down chances I had to attend the festival, because I didn’t want to miss the 2nd week of school. I thoght this year would be the year, but when ticket sales rolled around, I couldn’t afford to purchase a ticket. I am a student who has lived off of loans for the past 5 years, and finally am done with school. Maybe this place isn’t the place for me? I have so many wonderful friends that go every year, but I get the feeling they already have tickets for themselves and their veteran friends. Honestly, I’m sick of my friends going to BM every year, coming back and bragging about how much fun they had and how much it changed their life, again. I want to go! But, now I have no idea when that will be… or if it will ever be. And honestly, i’ve come to accept that. Now i’m looking into other festivals that promote similar values, as I believe community coming together for radical self expression and art is a sublime experience that can transcend a person into a higher consciousness, which in turn can influence society at large…Burning man, I hope you can sort these problems out.. and I hope to can find a similar place to radically express myself, and experience something similar…

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  • Larry says:

    I and my wife are 5 year burners and are fortunate to have our tickets for this year.

    Arrival and Exodus — always a cluster f**k. How about sending early entry passes (Fri, Sat & Sun) with a certain percentage of the tickets, maybe to veteran burners. This would at least take some of the pressure off of the arrival crush.

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  • scott says:

    Dear newbies, Too much talk about “a festival”. Please, try to picture Burning Man as an experimental society, a moneyless one. At heart, its not “event-driven”; you don’t see it, say it, or consume it. You become it; It flows naturally like a stream of consciousness (or a good orgasm). Reaching that state, of course, requires your intelligent participation. Make Art. Love the playa — She’s goddess territory. Learn radical self-reliance, practice it, but get to know you neighbors too. Be generious, even if all you have to give is a smile. Remember, Giving is half the fun. Most of all watch out for each other; rarely happens, but you can “check” someone. On the playa its okay to correct someone if they are not being respectful to your fellow travelers. Dont rely on the authorities either. Its everyones responsibility to protect our sacred space.
    —wishing i could be out there again, but no ticket so far.

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  • Columbus says:

    Hola SF Burning Committay,

    I was a first timer last year, and I had the most wonderful time. I had felt the pull last year to go and even though it was sold out, a ticket was brought my way.

    Thank you for the post, I hope this year will bring the people that are called to come and it will be beautiful. While there will be a good many “newbies” some may come the following year and some may continue to follow the principles and embraqce them.

    I don’t have a ticket yet, but if I go I will go. I will be a good sophomore in bringing some creativity and new fertility to the playa. As well as the regional events.

    Much love to you, I hope you find some peace in the coming weeks months yada, it shall be phenomenal.

    XO

    Shawn also known as Columbus

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  • Hugues MASSIN says:

    Hello, I just want to say I bought my plane tickets to Alaska and I will cross the country from anchorage to the grat end of my road trip at the Burning Man, but without a ticket, I am worry to finish my trip alone in front of the desert.
    I don’t understand at all your ticket registration system for the future sales…
    It’s hard when you are a stranger.
    I really hope a clear solution will come for us.
    Thanks for what your doing.

    A french guy.

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  • Msbobcat says:

    When I first heard BM was doing a lottery system…all of what has happened…did happen…seriously how could you not have seen the preconceived aftermath of your failed lottery system…it’s basic marketing 123…I did get my ticket to BM 2012, but I feel for those who didn’t get a ticket…my advice is that you GO BACK to the original system and stick with it and DON’T ever change again…it’s plain and simple…be smart and do what they always say…if it ain’t broken…no need to fix it…all the best with BM 2012 planning.

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  • Reva says:

    When i was a kid going to Burning Man was a dream i had, the stories told about it were nothing short of magical, i finely became old enough, and now i find out that i can’t go and even if i did the magic is more then lost. It has become nothing more then mainstream, it is to big for it’s own good. Thank you everyone for shattering the childhood dream.

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  • vince vanmeulen says:

    The last post from Reva sums up my own thoughts on this. Years ago I told myself and friends, that if I did not go NOW to burning man ( 8 or 10 years ago) that one day it will be too big and the experience will be lost in cumulate of people. Yup, I’m one of those that, Could’a, Would’a, Should’a people. Perhaps 2 or 3 different Burning Mans could be created and spread over several weeks or months from each other, in different geographical locations. Sorta like, theme Worlds. Just something to think about. Right now,,,, I’m just very sad!

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  • Jediah says:

    THis will be my second year. I bought two tickets at the highest price and would have bought four had people who owed me money paid me back. I had a feeling. I actually used the last amount of money I had on a maxed out credit card. A friend who I brought last year likely won’t go because he hadn’t paid me back for last years burn so I couldn’t get him a ticket. I’ve been brought into a new group of seasoned burners and we will be submitting for an awesome theme camp. Of the group of thirty, only four have tickets. We will wait and hope, but everyone is supporting us who can go.
    Much love
    j

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  • ToMmY says:

    There are five us; veteran burners. We can’t make it every year; it’s a long and arduous journey for us; we’re Midwesterners of modest means. Most of our group aren’t embued with strong monetary earnings by choice. Artistry is more important than the earnings from it, for these members. All of us lost both opportunities to get tickets at any reasonable sanctioned price. We can’t make plans based on secondary sales outlets; it’s just not feasible.

    The ticket price would have also meant much more money; money spent preparing and transporting to the playa, a week+ of lost income from the jobs that pay the bills. We’ve been to several burns each (save one of us), and know how to do the drill with minimal outlays and maximal fun and contribution. We’ve become wickedly good and efficient at gifting to the community in our individual ways.

    We’re denied that opportunity now. We’ve given up, our hopes dashed against the cruelty of poor planning by the management of the organization. Ticket prices will go sky high; it was already expensive for our troupe to go but we managed. It’s impossible to plan if we can get tickets or know the price(s). Those who don’t plan, then go to the burn, get burned themselves.

    To those that found tickets: enjoy. Our thoughts will be with you. To the BM management: do better; you’ve dashed the earnest hopes of many protagonists and friends of the event. You should be ashamed.

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  • Rob says:

    Is it possible to extend the event to 2 weeks – and for those who currently don’t have tickets – could go to the 2nd week – or those who currently have tickets could have the option of either week – possibly freeing up some space for the current week?

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  • Tyson says:

    This will be my 12th year in a row………..should be happy but my heart and spirit is very sad! I hope the powers that be find themselves this year and rebuild the relationship that was once strong between the BRC family and comity as well as the locals of Northern Nevada (aka) Infrastructure. Thanks for reading…….SOLAR

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  • mitra says:

    like many of you, i heard of burning man in fairy tales long ago and dreamed of a way/time/space when i might travel there. 2012 has presented the first opportunity in my life to devote a proper amount of my time and efforts to creating something wonderful at burning man, so i entered the lottery on a whim. i figured, if i win, i will take it as a sign and make the most of it (work hard / play hard). i am so fucking excited to contribute/collaborate/perform/play with new and old friends on the playa, but i can’t help but feel a sense of guilt and confusion around the whole event. staying tuned to see what makes sense for me in 2012…

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  • Niamh says:

    Hi, i was just wondering when we would find out about the lower end tickets that have been awarded? Is there a specific date that we will be told about it?

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  • Liam Be'em says:

    I like the suggestion of extending it to two weeks, or maybe buying up a chunk of playa to raise the numbers beyond what our BLM license grants and thereby create a (sizable) permanant Home. Seems to me the problem is that we have a fixed supply against exploding demand, and need to look for solutions rather than recriminations against the people dedicated enough to try to be organizers. Our problem was created by our success, amplified by all the buzz that social networking and Huffington Post and we ourselves created in our excitement (Huff Po featured the wonderful Oh the Places Dr. Suess video and breathless “tickets are going on sale!” the week of the sale; talk about a game-changer…). Our own enthusiasm created buzz, and buzz creates tons of demand – ask Brian Epstein. I respectfully suggest we find a way to increase the currently-fixed number of spaces, some creative way. Regional Burns, anyone? See you there!

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  • AnnoyingSpore says:

    I dont necessarily see it as a bad thing that there are new people coming into burning man and some of the older people or people who have been going there many times wont be going. maybe there could be some kind of satellite event to accomodate the growth, for instance one in may or june, or in new mexico or arizona, plenty of space and beautiful there, maybe even in april or late fall.

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  • Saw Jim says:

    After Burning Man there is always No Smoking Dogs in Inyokern Ca.!!

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  • hemp frog says:

    This is just the FEDs way of breaking up something they don’t like and profit very little from.

    If they discovered valuable minerals under the playa they would allow corporations to mine them no problem. These corporations would pay them millions of dollars in taxes.

    Now with this thinking in mind the BLM could sell their own ‘playa pass’ sort of like a back country hiking pass. This pass would be required to enter the playa with or without a BM ticket. You would need both to enter Black Rock City.

    With a system like this the BLM could profit in a major way every year and would now have reason to allow growth.

    If the roads need improving, or additional health and emergency facilities setup to protect the large number of visitors…… so be it.

    This supply and demand atmosphere is artificial and BLM caused it.
    On purpose.

    Figure out a way they can profit and see how well they cooperate.

    Hemp

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  • Lefty says:

    For next year,
    Open sale on tickets, with your name on the ticket.
    No BM exchanges, only refunds, or transfer only by refunding of one person, and purchase of another on the same page, and an “I’m being scalped” button on the new purchasers name that will exclude them from ever buying a ticket again.
    certain percentage of tix reserved for 3x+ theme camps and artists

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  • IDAHO says:

    If BM is to grow on a level to include the entire world the most logicle option would be to expand by a certain number every year, if the veterans are the bones and the newbies are the blood then the only answer is to turn the newbies into vets and include more blood the next year. if everyone in the community is automaticaly given the opportunity to buy their ticket to come back the next year, given first rights at a ticket with their name on it(“dave thanks for coming you can buy your 2013 ticket, if you dont want it we will include it in the tickets for the newbies for 2013”) you have a continuing growth in the size of burning man. each year everyone that was there is automaticaly able to come back and ony 10,000 new tickets sold each year then the event can grow and itll be fair to everyone. open sales for the 10,000 newcomers and vets get first rights. if you keep the people that make the event possible and let new people influence and carry the spirit of the event it can only grow and flurish, the vets bring the magic and the newbies bring the fun! i myself have never been to BM but i wanted to make 2012 my first, doesnt look good but maybe 2013 will be an amazing trip!

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  • Louis says:

    This is most certainly the beginning of the end. Dark days lay ahead for some, but mine are already behind me. My eyes are open.

    It is a wretched, black, carrion-fed bird that crows about scarcity and selling out.

    The spoils of shared adversity quickly wither and rot on artificial vines.

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  • Urban says:

    Will step ever re-open? Any updates?

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  • Midivibe says:

    If Land Management won’t allow for the number of people who want to go, then we must find a new location. If BM can’t find a new location and thus welcome everyone who wants to go, then priority must be given to those who have been before. Veteran burners should be given an opportunity before virgin burners to register for tickets. Tickets not claimed by veteran burners each year should be offered to virgin burners. We must not exclude those veteran burner who have established and maintained the foundation, traditions and culture of the event.

    I haven’t been able to return since 2007 and since then have been working, saving and organizing for a way to get back to what was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and to take my little sister who has never been so I can share the joy with her. Finally she and I have the means and time to do so this year (so we had thought). This is likely the only year she will be available to go with me because she’ll likely be married later this year or early next year and she wants to become a parent soon thereafter. We were as disappointed as can be to find out that suddenly we have no way to go. Our dream and our hearts are crushed. The ticket lotto has eliminated the only window of opportunity to go to Burning Man we will likely ever have.

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  • Crackass says:

    BORG, you have ruined the flicker of the burn for me. Been going for the past 14 years IN A ROW. I have no intention of returning after this ticketing fiasco. My money goes elsewhere now. Screw you BORG. The burn of the Man is nothing more to me now than an ember.

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  • Mike Roadancer says:

    BMORG – Glad you finally owned up to your own mess. Took a while, but you finally did it.

    However you have managed to finally end going to BM for me; right now it’s a fiasco of burngins at the expense of the people who’s passion and talent made the burn what it is.

    This year will suck (I hope it does not, but you have to be realistic); you will have un-prepped burngins, most with the “free loader” attitude of “we can show up and someone will make sure we don’t starve/die/stay sober”. It will tax the few core community that got excluded and the overall will be a total suck for all attending.

    This year is my 50th on the planet and my desire was to return to the playa. Even though I have the means to buy a scalped ticket, to me it means that somehow some evil spawn will have profited and a core community person will not be there, that’s something I just cannot do.

    While the message and meaning of the burn will be with me all my life, you folks have managed to turn the physical burn into a fiasco.

    Maybe next year you really LEARN from this and make a wiser choice (I hope and believe so); if so I’ll see you then.

    -Roadie

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  • pinkyracer says:

    As someone who’s been for decades, I am amused that I want to go more than ever now. Such a tool. Sorry if these ideas are in the comments, it was enough for my Twittified brain to read the entire article….

    But seriously, some advice- At the Laguna Seca MotoGP race, RV and VIP tickets are a hot commodity. So the people whose name they’re in get first dibs the following year. Decide not to buy your ticket by the deadline? Then it goes to name #1 on the waiting list. Why not do the same, at least for X% of the tickets? As someone else suggested, it should really have the person’s name on there as well, with an easy refund policy if they find they can’t make it. That way the tickets are harder to scalp.

    Encourage Noobs to meet up with camps in their ‘hood, and encourage campers who got tickets to be open to making new friends, inviting some noobs into their camp if they’re willing to put in the hours of prep and building beforehand. Because it’s not just about the experience on the Playa, after all. Building the art is a huge part of the fun, and the best way to get to know the new folks, and to teach them. I live very close to the Brewery, and would love to help out if I were in a camp. But I haven’t even bought a ticket yet, so it’s not about me. It’s about sharing this experience with more people so that we can all eventually be so open minded we easily subvert the terrifying right wing paradigm that’s trying to run this country into the ground.

    Last, but not least, we have local Decoms, why not have semi-private burns? I know the Los Angelopes go off and do their own crazy adventures somewhere in the vast wilderness that is Southern California, so can your camp! I’m sure there are places you can get away with stuff, surely your burn can happen somewhere in some desert with nobody freaking out.

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  • pinkyracer says:

    oops. I messed up with the brackets. Been Meaning To Go for decades. html fail.

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  • Ken Carlson says:

    Thanks for the opportunity to share some thoughts about the ticket situation. For last year, waiting on line for six hours to get tickets was difficult. However, this year the new system created some problems you are very much aware of. For the future, I would suggest that a lottery for newcomers is fine. However, certain groups should have the opportunity to get tickets first. Those groups are:

    Those that proved the infrastructure for Burning Mam, including Black Rock Rangers, camp setup, art projects and any other necessary duties

    Second, those that have provided theme camps previously

    Third, those that have had art cars or mutant vehicles previously

    Fourth, anyone that has previously attended Burning Man

    Finally, for the remaining tickets, anyone who has not attended Burning Man.

    This should allow for the culture to remain, but for new participants to have an opportunity to experience Burning Man. It probably won’t work for this year, but something to consider for next year. I attended 2009 and 2010. I missed last year, but my tickets went to a friend that worked the gates. I look forward to this year as a lucky ticket holder.

    Ken Carlson
    kec5362@gmail.com
    (206) 618-6488

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  • Just paid for my (awarded) tickets. Really guys? After all this time to address the ‘situation’, I still had to pay all the fees, and shipping PER TICKET? $36 for you to mail me 3 tickets from San Rafael to Berkeley, that’s on top of the processing fees? Wow, way to go.

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  • Jane says:

    It appears burning man has become a victum of it’s own success I have been wanting to go for several years now, but it appears I will never be able to go. I was hoping to go this year but I see it is now out of the question. The ticket lottery will have to go and a single price ticket will have to be in effect to first come first go. The organizers may have to find another place to have this affair which can hold all who wants to attend. Maybe it could be divided up into 2 events. Maybe it could be moved to the last week of september. This much I do know, if something isn’t done, burning man will die.

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  • Voca says:

    BM, we’re gonna need a bigger boat..

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  • JeffL says:

    As a burngin who was hoping to make my first burn this year, I am so disappointed by the prospect of not being able to get a ticket. :( I have been living under a rock, and didn’t realize that tix were sold out until today when I went online to try to buy a ticket… Doh!!

    There should be an alternate BM. Why not? There must be some other bit of desert we could use during the same week – the alternate MUST be the same week as the original so that the ones who DON’T go have somewhere else to go. If they are different weeks, then people will try to go to both, which is counter to trying to include all.

    I guess I am just that naive :P Nevertheless I don’t give up easily and have thrived in adversity before. I will do everything I can to make it to this BM or whatever alternative that comes up !!

    Peace!

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  • Winger27390 says:

    Like many of you this was the year everything was coming together so that I could finally attend my first event . I will be back in the U.S. in time for the burning man , the money was right , but unable to purchase the tix. There is only one immediate solution to the problem since capacities are met , not going to change , and destined to increase every year following the latest trend . Same location , same pioneer attendees , same opportunities for new comers , two events scheduled months apart to accomodate everyones schedule and means at two different times of the year . Like bike week in daytona beach , I always attend one but rarely both because of conflicts in scheduling or other unforseen reasons . Everyone chooses their best date of attendence , collaborate with their friends on the time of year they might attend , so that everyone gets an equal opportunity to experience the burn . You can´t stop scalping , hoarding , over buying practices and you are foolish to think that you can control this and be fair to all . The solution can only logically be multiple events or a change in venue to handle an even greater mass of attendees . I might think twice about the latter without one heck of a well thought out game plan . For now , like many others I am optomistic about the ¨wanted tickets ¨ option . This situation is astounding however quite unfortunate for all involved . Who knows who´s going to actually end up at this years event ??? Chris

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  • Perhaps it is time to pick up camp and move? Find some place where you do not have to deal the federal government. That would prob fix everything. Desert land sells cheap I’ve been told.

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  • Shelley Diane says:

    I sincerely hope that I can attend in 2013. I will take my vaycay in advance, hoping that I can experience Burning Man for the first time at the age of 57. I would love to be part of this wonderful event.

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